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Our Story
In the fall of 2020, a small group of concerned Nantucket community members and New England educators met to reopen a long running conversation about the lack of post-secondary educational opportunities on the island.
This gathering sparked a two year process of program design and development, coupled with ongoing outreach to an array of New England Community Colleges, and various foundations, developing partnerships to launch and sustain a unique work/study, on Nantucket, for Nantucket program: Careers ACKtually.
CareersACK Today
2024 Bookkeeping program
In October 2024, C ACK will launch its first cadre of students, enrolled in a specially designed work/ study on Island Bookkeeping/Accounting module.
Inaugural participants will continue their post-secondary journey online, with the highly regarded ________, where a wide array of work/study degree and certificate programs awaits them.
Meet CareersAcktually
Executive Director
Board President
Treasurer
Secretary
Arlene Hogan
Executive Director
Joining Careers ACKtually as Executive Director, Arlene Hogan brings a wealth of experience creating and leading nonprofit organizations that support access to post-secondary education for all, regardless of economics, age or geography.
From 1984 to 2022 Arlene held Head of School positions at the Bentley School in Oakland, CA; the Archer School in Los Angeles, CA; and the Hamlin School in San Francisco, CA. She was a trustee at the San Francisco Exploratorium Science Museum, served on six independent school boards, and as President of the California Association of Independent Schools. She was selected by the National Association of Independent Schools as a trainer for their Governance through Partnership Initiative and went on to conduct effective nonprofit governance workshops throughout the United States. In 2022 Arlene was named Senior Advisor for Education and Nonprofit Initiatives at First Republic Bank where she established programs with the International Coalition of Girls Schools and Princeton University.
Reema Sherry
Board President
Reema S Sherry studied philosophy, art, and American literature at Hobart William
Smith College, and graphic design at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, DC.
She was an award-winning reporter and editor for the Nantucket Beacon, and a
freelance writer. She worked in membership and development at the Nantucket Historical Association, and for the Town of Nantucket’s planning department as an
administrative specialist, then later as a writing consultant on the municipal Master Plan.
She served on the Nantucket Affordable Housing Trust for eight years and is currently retired.
Christina Leblanc
Treasurer
Christina LeBlanc has been a nonprofit controller for 25 years. She has a BA in Economics and Classical Studies, a Liberal Arts MA, and an MBA. She lives in San Diego, CA and consults through her company Clean Ledgers LLC. The company’s current focus is configuring nonprofit Enterprise Resource Planning systems for multi-chapter nonprofits funded by government and major foundation grants.
Christina worked as a bookkeeper for Nantucket nonprofits from 1994-2009 and trained over 250 bookkeepers through a Bookkeeping/QuickBooks class she taught at the Nantucket Community School from 2004-2009, using case studies from the community. She’s agreed to take a sabbatical from her work in California to kick-off the Careers ACKtually business and accounting program.
Judith Darby
Secretary
Judith (Judy) Darby brings a lifelong passion for transformative education to Careers ACKtually. From her earliest years as a student attending Stephens College and the University of Michigan Teacher Training School, Judy’s focus has been on improving access to quality K-12 teaching and learning for all.
Judy was Board President of the Nantucket New School, which thirty years later continues to serve as a leading institution in K-8 education. With her sights now set on issues of access to post-secondary education for all Nantucketers, Judy is once again making a difference, this time for individuals whose economic needs can only be met through the establishment of an on-island higher education program. For Judith Darby it’s all about choices: “Having choices opens doors to greater fulfillment, success and lifelong happiness.” Her leadership and fundraising experience will indeed help Careers ACKtually open doors for future generations of Nantucketers seeking post-secondary certificates and degrees.
