Page 6 - TTF Board Book Sample

Michele Adubato
Chief Executive Officer
North Ward Center

Honoring the legacy and shaping an even brighter future, Michele Adubato, a widely recognized
educational leader with more than 20 years of experience as an educator, social worker and school
principal, embraced the role of chief executive officer for the North Ward Center (NWC), following the
retirement of its founder, Stephen N. Adubato.

“My father, Stephen N. Adubato founded NWC with one simple goal: to
empower the residents of Greater Newark by providing services
designed to strengthen the family and their community. I firmly believe
that service to others is the highest purpose and I am honored to be in
a position to lead an organization that has served the community so
well for so long.”

Michele holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Educational Leadership from
Caldwell College, a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Rutgers
University-Newark and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Arts and
Television Production from Rutgers University-Newark. Driven by a
passion to serve others and empower individuals to succeed, Michele
began her educational career in the Newark Public School System in
1992 as a special education teacher at Camden Elementary School.
In the early 1980s, Michele worked with juveniles in need of
supervision in Essex County for six years and also worked as a
freelance video producer, creating an award-winning three-part series on the problems in urban
America.

In 1997, she joined the New Jersey Regional Day School (NJRDS) where she developed and
administered educational initiatives that helped students with special needs transition from school to
adulthood. The transition program was recognized by the State Department of Education as a model
program for students with disabilities. As principal of NJRDS she had extensive responsibilities,
including supervision, curriculum leadership, school finance, parent and community affairs and
continued to expand the transition program.

Passionate about helping children and young adults in the autism community, in 2010 Michele founded
The Center for Autism, a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive day services and
opportunities for adults with autism and their families.

Michele’s unique background and education allows her to build on an already strong foundation of
service at the North Ward Center, while forging needed and new initiatives for the urban community.
Michele will not only expand the capacity of service, but expand the vision of how the North Ward
Center can be the national model of community excellence for non-profit organizations. Michele’s
current focus is on the expansion of Robert Treat Academy, a public charter school founded by the
North Ward Center 20 years ago. Michele is uniquely positioned to broach true collaborative
laboratories of learning between traditional public schools and public charters.