Our Board
Lauren Schrero, Board Chair (She/her)
Lauren Schrero is the proud co-founder of The Nora Project. Her TedX Talk, titled Ability Inclusive Mindset, has more than 65,000 views and is regularly used in inclusive educator preparation courses nationwide. Currently, Lauren works as a staff attorney at Equip for Equality, the governor-designated and federally-mandated Protection and Advocacy System for people with disabilities in the State of Illinois. At EFE, Lauren is a member of the Civil Rights Team, focusing her practice on matters pertaining to community integration and self-determination.
Peggy Bianco, Immediate Past Chair (She/Her)
Peggy Bianco has over 25 years of experience working with prominent global brands in the travel technology and hospitality sectors. She has held executive leadership roles in sales and commercial operations at Orbitz, CLEAR, Starwood, Travelport, and Uber. She is also a mentor at NYU’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality’s Hospitality Innovation Hub, supporting entrepreneurship in the industry. Peggy holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Initially involved due to her son's participation, she has been excited to be part of the organization since its inception in 2015. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, two children, and their dog.
Michael Glicken, Treasurer
Michael works for Morgan Stanley and is President of the Children's Brittle Bone Foundation. He received his M.B.A. from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business, and B.E. from Cornell University. He lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.
Emily Nusbaum, Secretary (she/her)
Emily Nusbuam, Ph.D. has spent 25+ years working towards inclusive and equitable education for all students, including those with complex support needs. She began her career at one of the first, inclusive schools in the U.S. and has worked in university-based teacher education in various roles since then. Emily's academic scholarship and teaching centers disability and its intersections as rich and necessary (and often erased) sources of knowledge and innovation. She currently has projects partnering with multiply-marginalized, disabled community and youth scholars and is a lecturer in the Disability Studies minor at UC Berkeley. Emily also works as an advocate with families in the IEP and 504 Plan processes, serves as an expert witness in lawsuits, and provides disability-centered consulting to organizations and institutions, nationally. She received her Ph.D. in 2009 from University of California, Berkeley.
Jennifer Arra
Jennifer Arra is a 4th grade teacher at the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth. Her teaching philosophy and practice align with the core values of The Nora Project—to create a classroom of empathy, equity and belonging, which celebrates diversity and inclusion. She has witnessed the impact of The Nora Project curriculum on her students and is passionate about expanding the program’s reach. Jennifer received her B.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her Masters in Education from DePaul University. She lives with her husband, mother, daughters and dogs in Wilmette.
Adam Levy (He/Him)
Adam Levy is Nora’s father. He is an avid volunteer and philanthropist, a retired commodities trader, and currently works as a personal trainer when he is not fulfilling his favorite role—daddy and care team manager. Adam has is degree in Business Administration from Emory University.
Steve Maletzky (he/him)
Steve Maletzky joined William Blair in 2010 and is currently a Managing Director and Head of Equity Capital Markets. Steve has over 17 years of experience originating, structuring and executing IPOs, follow-ons, confidential follow-ons, PIPEs, and late stage private placements for high growth companies. In total, he has raised over $9.0 billion through over 200 bookrun transactions. Steve holds a B.S.M. in Finance from Tulane University.
Alison Porter
Alison has extensive experience working with nonprofits and loves to help teams reach their fundraising goals. Alison recently sold her fundraising company where she worked exclusively with schools across the Houston area and local non-profits. Prior to her fundraising business she spent 15 years working in Financial Services. Alison lives in Houston with her husband, daughter and son and has a Bachelor of Science from Hampton university and a MBA from Harvard Business School.
Larry Sablosky
Larry Sablosky was a co-founder and senior executive of Finish Line Inc. He is a former Board Member, Board Chair, Interim Executive Director and current Advisory Council member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana and a current Board member of Eskenazi Health Foundation. Larry’s legacy of mentoring both local youth and promoting the success of his colleagues and peers is well known in the Indianapolis community. Larry graduated from Indiana University School of Business in 1971. Larry currently resides in downtown Chicago with his wife, Lisa, and has two daughters and four grandchildren.
Dr. Richard Smith
Dr. Smith began his career as a special education teacher at the Illinois State Pediatric Institute and Children’s Memorial Hospital. His career with Chicago Public Schools included positions as a school psychologist, principal, Chief Network Officer, and Chief Officer for the Office of Special Education and Supports (OSES, currently ODLSS). As a principal, Dr. Smith oversaw the transformation of a small segregated special education school into an exemplary and fully inclusive early childhood center. Dr. Smith is currently a leadership coach for the Illinois Principals Association and a frequent presenter for the Illinois Administrators Academy.
Marney Solomon (She/her)
Marney is a recently retired preschool teacher with years of classroom experience. She worked with The Nora Project in 2019 to conceptualize and ultimately pilot the Primer Pack program in her classroom at JCC Am Shalom preschool in Glencoe, Illinois. She has served as a mentor and sounding board to Nora Project staff curriculum writers in the years since. She and her husband live in Highland Park, Illinois.
Herbert Washington (He/Him)
Herb is the Chief Innovation Officer at Aspire – a non-profit organization providing life-changing supports for people with disabilities. Herb has worked as a passionate leader in the non-profit sector for 27 years covering a variety of roles across programs and operations. Throughout his career, Herb has challenged the status quo and worked to promote inclusion through creative solutions.Herb currently resides in Yorkville. He has served in local government as a two-term Trustee in the Village of Berkeley, volunteers with a local animal rescue and enjoys spending quality time with his wife, two daughters and Chihuahua.