MEET OUR TEAM

Mary has experience in educational, corporate, legal, and nonprofit sectors. A graduate of Vassar College and the University of Florida Law School, she has worked for a large state university, for IBM, and for the law firm Gelfand and Arpe, P.A., where she has been an equity partner since 1991. Mary has served in leadership roles with the United Way, the Palm Beach County Literacy Coalition, the Nelle Smith Residence for Girls, Toward a More Perfect Union, and the Palm Beach Habilitation Center. She is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County and has led local social justice initiatives and programs focused on diversity and inclusion.

From this experience, Mary was inspired to create Community Compact. The nonprofit originally focused on opportunities for establishing complementary partnerships between nonprofit organizations and college students. Subsequently, it created several initiatives including Gleaning Greatness, designed to provide college choice programs to high-potential high school students in rural areas of the country. Her desire to create Summer Scholars came, in part, from being a long-time summer visitor and resident at the Chautauqua Institution.

Dr. Pritchett's remarkable journey exemplifies unwavering dedication to professional growth, educational excellence, and student success. Since earning her PhD, she has relentlessly pursued innovative teaching methodologies and transformational leadership. Her commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments is evidenced by her attainment of the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Advanced Certificate in Effective College Instruction and her role as a Content Expert in Designing Learner-centered Equitable Courses.

Throughout her career, Dr. Pritchett has demonstrated her leadership and commitment to academic excellence. She served as a Faculty Fellow at Central Piedmont's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, where she not only refined her own expertise but also played a pivotal role in elevating her colleagues’ professional development. Her dedication was further recognized when she received the prestigious Mary W. and Wilton Parr Faculty Teaching Award and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor—testaments to her exceptional teaching and her profound impact on student achievement.

To deepen her leadership capabilities, Dr. Pritchett earned the Wharton Executive Presence and Influence Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania and a Research Translator Certificate from the Bridgify Group. These accomplishments reflect her passion for bridging research and practical application to solve organizational challenges. Additionally, she actively contributes to the broader educational community as a member of the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Undergraduate Research Advisory Board and co-leads the Undergraduate Research Curriculum Development Program, exemplifying her commitment to expanding research opportunities and fostering innovation across community colleges.

Her journey is a testament to resilience and determination. Overcoming early life challenges, beginning her path as a young mother at 18 and facing multiple setbacks in her college journey, she persisted and ultimately transformed her life through education. Her perseverance led her to earn a PhD, serve as a Dissertation Chair for doctoral learners, and become the Founding Faculty Director of Central Piedmont’s Honors Program. Dr. Pritchett’s story underscores the vital role community colleges play in shaping future leaders and unlocking potential.

Marcella Montesinos is an accomplished higher education leader with over two decades of experience in academic administration, student development, and leadership programming. She currently serves as the Director of the Dr. Floyd F. Koch Honors College at Palm Beach State College, where she oversees honors curriculum development, student recruitment, articulation agreements, and community-based learning initiatives such as Panther’s Closet, a student-run thrift store.

Marcella has held multiple roles at the college, including Professor of Honors Community-Based Learning, Student Life Manager, and Student Development Advisor, consistently demonstrating her strengths in strategic planning, budget management, and student engagement. She holds a Master of Science in Business Management with a focus in Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication from the University of Central Florida.

Fluent in Spanish, Marcella is deeply involved in her community, serving on various advisory boards and educational committees. Her dedication to student success and community impact has earned her recognition, including the 2025 Our Wellington Award.

Nelly is an honors transfer student at Saint Peter’s University where she is pursuing a major in Communications and a minor in Marketing Management. Nelly earned her associate's degree at Bergen County Community College.
She currently works for RMS, a retail merchandising services company, as a Field Representative and for L’Oréal SA as a retail specialist where she helps maintain brand standards. On campus, Nelly serves as a social media and marketing strategist for The Pavan, Saint Peter’s literary magazine, and writes for The Tribune, the university’s student newspaper.
Nelly is passionate about helping businesses grow by developing creative marketing strategies and providing thoughtful solutions that help them thrive.
A poet and author of four poetry books, she also enjoys exploring art in its many forms and is deeply committed to continuous learning.
Dedicated to helping others, she finds fulfillment in supporting people on their journeys and is committed to helping Summer Scholars flourish in every area of their lives.

Leah is an experienced educator and leader committed to fostering growth, connection, and belonging in every community she serves. Her career spans early childhood through higher education, where she has focused on developing leadership, supporting personal growth, and building environments where people can thrive together.

Leah earned her Master’s in School Counseling from the University at Buffalo and is currently pursuing certification as a spiritual director. Her time with the Chautauqua Institution reinforced her belief in the importance of hospitality, rest, and reflection as essential components of effective leadership and community building.

A Mohawk and white woman raised in Western New York, Leah is deeply rooted in the region’s people and values. She is guided by the understanding that individual success and community well-being are interconnected, and she brings authenticity, compassion, and collaboration to all of her work.

Ellen earned a B.A. in English from the University of Florida and worked promoting children’s books and planning authors’ appearances for Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Crown Publishers in New York City. After moving to Florida, she continued to promote education, working with schools, the Episcopal Church, Toward a More Perfect Union, and a rural branch of the Palm Beach County Library System.

Ellen has a passion for justice work. She initiated and coordinated civil rights attorney and author [Just Mercy] Bryan Stevenson’s first appearance in West Palm Beach in 2016 and co-facilitated the first Sacred Ground program in Southeast Florida in 2020-2021. Sacred Ground is a film and readings-based dialogue series on race, created through the Episcopal Church’s Becoming Beloved Community initiative, focused on racial healing, reconciliation and justice in our personal lives, our work, and our society.

Ellen is currently the Communications Coordinator for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. She manages the church’s website, social media, and publications, and promotes the events and good works of the parish in the community and abroad.

Ellen has served on the board of Community Compact since 2011 and is inspired by the remarkable students she has met through the Summer Scholars program and by the extraordinary cultural, educational and spiritual opportunities at Chautauqua.

Anne Law retired in 2024 from a career in higher education. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of New Hampshire. During her 40-year career at Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, she held several roles including Department Chair, Special Assistant to the Provost, and Director of the Teaching and Learning Center. As a psychologist, Anne is most interested in human development, family, and gender. She co-authored the book Questions of Gender and received research grants from the NIH to explore the impact of various forms of childcare. As a campus leader, Anne was devoted to promoting student success in both academic and co-curricular outcomes, promoting evidence-based improvements in teaching and learning, improving diversity and equity in the curriculum and in classroom practices, and mentoring students and faculty.

In her personal life, Anne and her husband, Gene, have two adult daughters and are active members of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church of Valley Forge. They are involved in the local democratic party and volunteer through their church in food ministries. Anne and Gene made their first visit to Chautauqua thirteen years ago and have returned every year. Anne believes passionately that the arts, education, and civic engagement offered by the Institution's summer programming should be shared more broadly. Thus, the mission of Community Compact resonates strongly with Anne's professional and personal commitments.