Staff and Leadership

Terry Witherell, Executive Director, twitherell@firstliteracy.org

Terry joined First Literacy in 2019. She previously served in a leadership role at a national fundraising organization, where she created partnerships and strategic initiatives to help the poorest communities across the United States. She spent much of her earlier career at Boston College. Terry also has experience as a classroom teacher, counselor, and youth minister, and she has worked with homeless youth. She is excited to bring this breadth and diversity of experience to First Literacy and knows that now, more than ever, there is an urgency to help adult learners achieve their full potential.

Simon Lopez, Scholar Support Coordinator, slopez@firstliteracy.org

Simon is a recently retired educator who worked in the Boston Public Schools for the last 30 years in different capacities. He worked as a multigrade bilingual Spanish special education teacher, school-based administrator, and as a Coordinator of Special Education for the last 13 years. His personal journey in higher education and his passion for teaching and school administration inspired him to join First Literacy in order to broaden his skills to support adult learners.

Jillian Mastro, Administrative Assistant, jmastro@firstliteracy.org

Jillian is a recent grad from the University of Massachusetts Boston with a bachelor’s degree in communications. Having experience working in a Montessori school, she is enthusiastic about working for a forward-thinking organization that is focused on another facet of education. She is inspired by the people who are overcoming all of the hurdles and challenges to pursue their education for a better life for themselves and their loved ones.

Ophelia Navarro, Development Manager, onavarro@firstliteracy.org

Ophelia is passionate about the transformative power of literacy and education. With over a decade of experience in fundraising, education research and policy, and a strong commitment to advancing literacy and educational equity, she is eager to contribute her expertise to First Literacy’s mission of improving the lives of adults with low literacy or limited English proficiency.

Rogelio Simon-Perez, Office Manager, rsimonperez@firstliteracy.org

Rogelio Simon-Perez brings a wealth of experience from his military service in the United States Marine Corps, where he honed invaluable skills in integrity, discipline, and service. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, expanding his intellectual perspective and deepening his knowledge base with a robust foundation. Rogelio has previously worked in software, operations, and client services roles, where he developed expertise in technology and operational management. He is excited to bring his diverse background to First Literacy, where he aims to leverage his methodical, analytical, and compassionate approach to support the organization’s mission of empowering adult learners and advancing their educational goals.

Annie Sferrazza, Program Director, asferrazza@firstliteracy.org

Annie joined First Literacy after working for about a decade in the education industry – primarily with English language learners – at both the K-12 and higher education levels. She also has experience in marketing and advertising. Annie is passionate about education and helping learners achieve their goals, and she is excited to bring both her passion and experience to First Literacy.

Julie Slack, Marketing and Communications Director, jslack@firstliteracy.org

Julie joined First Literacy after working at various nonprofits in the New England area. She brings over 12 years of experience managing marketing and communications multi-channel campaigns, digital marketing, advertising, and overall branded online presence. She is passionate about using her marketing expertise to make an impact in the lives of adult learners.