Board of Directors — The Bridge Way School

Bridge Way Board of Directors

The Bridge Way School was founded by The Greater Philadelphia Association of Recovery Education (GPARE), a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing recovery education to secondary and post-secondary students in the Philadelphia area. GPARE and Bridge Way share the Board of Directors.

Seth Hagarty
Chair

Seth is a co-founder of LXR Holdings, a real estate firm providing workforce housing throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. LXR redevelops blighted property in our region, transforming it into quality, market rate, affordable housing. LXR is one of the largest providers of quality affordable housing in some of the region’s most economically challenged areas. Seth received his bachelor's degree and MBA from Temple University where he studied economics and finance.

Bob Lamb
Treasurer

Bob Lamb is the Director of Operations & Programs for Be a Part of the Conversation. Bob is also a person in long term recovery. Through the course of his recovery and education, he has worked to enhance recovery support services and harm reduction interventions for people in and seeking recovery across the greater Philadelphia area, both professionally and as a volunteer. Bob earned a Bachelors in Health Sciences from the University of the Sciences and a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Temple University.

Connor Ambrose
Secretary

Connor is currently Director of Corporate Operations at I-Grace, a luxury construction company headquartered in New York City. His professional focus centers on corporate strategy, risk management, back-office functionality, and information technology. Previously, Connor worked in outdoor youth education and community development, seeing firsthand the value of an active support network for each to realize their full potential. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Drew University.

Erin C. Bernard
Executive Director

Erin Bernard (B.A. Journalism, M.A. History, M.A.T. English Grades 7-12) joined The Bridge Way School in February 2023. With an array of experience in secondary education, postsecondary learning, and public history, Erin is devoted to serving our city’s youth and addressing issues of urban crisis with the core values of love, action, resilience, and empathy. She is a seasoned teacher leader, grassroots humanities innovator, and trauma-informed educator who enjoys problem solving, building with communities, and service learning. Erin is a fierce advocate for people experiencing substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. She is an active scholar who problematizes how our education system can better mitigate barriers to attendance and engagement for alternative high school students in Philadelphia and beyond. Erin is thrilled to lead the Bridge Way team on a path of growth and possibility.

Lois Hagarty J.D.

Lois is a Principal at State Street Advisors LLC, a Pennsylvania Lobbying and Consulting Firm, and a Partner at Saul Ewing. She is a former Pennsylvania State Representative (R-148), serving from 1980-1992. Prior to her service in the Legislature, she was the First Assistant District Attorney of Montgomery County and taught elementary school in Upper Merion School District. Lois serves on the Board of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the ACLU. Her priorities for change are criminal justice reform and in particular treating Substance Use Disorder as a disease, not a crime. Lois led the effort to create a Pilot Program in Pennsylvania for recovery high schools, which resulted in Bridge Way receiving funding for the academic program of its students.

Brandon Riley J.D.

Brandon is an attorney with the law firm Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young in Philadelphia, where he focuses on litigating securities matters, commercial business disputes, and appeals, and also has significant experience with legal issues involving nonprofits. Brandon received his law degree from the Rutgers School of Law in Camden and he and his wife Amy live across the river in Collingswood with their three children and dog.

David Fair

David is Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Turning Points for Children, which provides child abuse prevention, foster care, and adoption services in Philadelphia. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he has played a meaningful role in a number of human service areas, including AIDS, homelessness, children’s mental health, and child welfare. In addition to various governmental and nonprofit roles, he has served as Senior Vice President for United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and currently serves on eight nonprofit boards of directors. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kate Clark

Kate Clark, MPA, is senior director of strategic alliances at The Kennedy Forum where she facilitates and manages new partnerships for the organization related to national substance use and mental health policy.

Prior to this position she served as director of strategic initiatives for Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP). From 2008-2017 Clark was the planner for policy and program development at Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), where she developed two nationally award-winning and replicated programs: Age-friendly Philadelphia and GenPhilly (Generation Appreciation Philadelphia).

Prior to moving to Philadelphia, she initiated and managed the City of Syracuse’s first public art program; directed the City of New York’s Historical Signs Program; and conducted research as a Fulbright Scholar on public-private partnerships and public space management. From 2013-14 Clark completed a Hartford/Atlantic Philanthropies Health and Aging Policy Fellowship, advising the Office of the Surgeon General on healthy aging issues related to the Affordable Care Act’s National Prevention Strategy.

Sean Fogler

Sean Fogler is a co-founder and consultant with Elevyst and a physician living in long-term recovery. Sean has worked on several projects in Pennsylvania to expand naloxone distribution, medication assisted treatment in correctional settings, and syringe service programs.

Most recently, Sean has worked with the ACLU to form the Health Justice for PA (HJPA) Coalition, which aims to highlight the intersection of substance use and Pennsylvania’s criminal legal system and provide policy reform recommendations guided by the philosophy of harm reduction. Sean has worked closely with the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the Centers for Disease Control to provide technical assistance and develop, deliver, and evaluate harm reduction training for law enforcement professionals that aligns public health and public safety goals. Sean currently works with RIWI, a global trend tracking and prediction technology firm to explore and reduce stigma towards people who use drugs, those with substance use disorders, and those in recovery.

Sean is active in the recovery community and runs a weekly physician peer support group with the LiveWell Foundation. Sean also volunteers as a peer support specialist for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers.

Charles M. Allen

Charles (Chuck) Allen is the Associate Vice Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the Fox School of Business at Temple University. He has more than 20 years of higher education experience, with a demonstrated history of supporting student access and development. He also serves as an adjunct instructor for the school, teaching a Business Communications course. A dual Temple graduate, Chuck earned his undergraduate degree in journalism and his masters degree in educational administration.