Meet the tireless educators whose dedication and vision have brought The SEED School of Miami to life. Click on their names to contact them via email.

Theresa Thomas, Senior director of academics

Theresa Thomas started her work in education in New York City as a City Year Corps member where she focused on attendance, behavior, and academic initiatives to enrich the experience of middle school students in East Harlem. She then transitioned to Miami to teach reading and English at the middle school and high school levels before joining Miami-Dade County Public School’s Division of Academic Support. Working for the district, she was a Curriculum Support Specialist where she managed and supported the needs of leaders and teachers at five under-performing schools, helping to increase reading proficiency rates and teacher quality. Upon joining SEED Miami, she was the Founding Director of High School Academics. In this role she worked with a team of SEED leaders to build the high school program. After five years she transitioned into her current role as Senior Director of Academics and now works with SEED leaders to continue to enhance the 6-12 academic programming. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Miami in Education and Social Change and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership at St. Thomas University.

Derik Washington, senior Director of campus life

Derik Washington is a Founding SEED Miami staff member and proud boarding school graduate who later served his alma mater in various capacities for nearly a decade; most recently as Dean of the Elementary Residential Program. During his graduate studies he served as a Fraternity Graduate Advisor and volunteered for Empowered Youth USA, serving the organization as a mentor, youth facilitator, and program coordinator.  Upon graduation, Mr. Washington served as a Full Case Manager at the Family Resource Center of South Florida, Inc.  Mr. Washington’s love for the arts navigated his postsecondary academic path.  He holds a bachelor's degree in Film and Television from Drexel University, and a master’s degree in Music from the University of Miami.

Mark Mcbride, Director of 6-12 Student Affairs

Nadia Solage, Overnight & Morning Program Manager

Nadia Solage graduated from Barry University with a Master’s degree in Social Work and a minor in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Solage's previous experience in the Miami-Dade County Public School district include: elementary school advisor, benefit advisor, and yoga instructor. Ms. Solage’s SEED career started in 2015 included: Student Life Counselor for Xavier University House, Overnight and Morning Advisor for Brown University House & Johns Hopkins University, and Lead Overnight and Morning Advisor.

cHARI aLLEN, Director of student support Services

Mrs. Chari Allen began her journey in education almost 10 years ago, when she joined the New York Teaching Fellows. She taught at a local high school while obtaining her master’s degree in special education from Hunter College in New York. After graduating with her degree, she transitioned back to her hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and worked as an ESE teacher where she worked alongside general education teachers with closing the gap for students with disabilities, servicing both elementary and middle school students.

Chari then transitioned to the Head of Department/ESE Specialist. During this time, Chari worked with teachers to identify students with disabilities that require classroom accommodations and ensure that Free and Appropriate Education is available to all students. She was also responsible for ensuring compliance with all state and federal regulations as well as educational best practices. While working in this role, Chari also obtained an Education Specialist degree in education leadership from Liberty University.

Luna Otero, Director of institutional advancement

Luna Otero, LMFT, is a high-level professional with over 18 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors. Her passion is working on innovative projects that foster systemic change. Mrs. Otero started at SEED Miami as the Founding Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management developing and implementing the action plan to recruit SEED Miami's founding class. Currently, she is the Director of Talent Management, overseeing talent acquisition and management, employee relations, employee performance, leadership development and workplace culture. She was recognized as the Leader of the Year at SEED Miami in 2015 and currently serves as the Chair of the Alumni Network at Albizu University. Mrs. Otero obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Human Development from Boston College and her Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Albizu University. She became licensed in Marriage and Family Therapy in 2017. Prior to joining SEED Miami, her experience included various leadership roles at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and served the role of regional director for a mental health agency to ensure the successful expansion and implementation of behavioral health services in Title I schools in Central and North Florida. She is extremely proud of her family, which consists of her spouse, two children, dog and cat.

Claudio Moraes, Director of Finance

Claudio Moraes, MBA, M.Sc., is the Director of Finance for The SEED School of Miami. Claudio holds a Master in Business Management Degree from IBMEC University and a MBA degree earned from FGV, and a Bachelor in Business.   Claudio has more than 2 decades of executive experience in the private and non-profit sectors, working for Private Equity investments funds, banks, pharmaceutical, and healthcare service companies. The professional has senior expertise in financial modeling, M&A process, business planning, Strategic budgeting. Claudio is an authorized Portfolio Manager by The Brazilian Securities Commission (CVM), and a Credit Specialist certified by The Brazilian Bank Association (FEBRABAN). Claudio has also strong Ad Hoc participations in the educational sector, contributing as member of Board of examiners of business incubators and technology parks of Universities, The Brazilian Army technology Park, and FINEP. Claudio is a researcher, teacher and lecturer of Venture Capital, valuation methods and feasibility studies of projects.