Board of Trustees

About: Patricia is committed to bilingual education in general and to FASRI's mission in particular. Patricia earned an MA in French at the Sorbonne in Paris and PhD in French Studies from Boston University. She has been a Professor of French at Providence College for more than twenty years.

History with the BOT: Patricia helped establish with the founder of FASRI a formal collaborative relationship between Providence College and FASRI. She served on the Head of School Support Committee from 2014-2018, the HOS Search Committee 2016-2017, and has served as Board of Trustees Secretary since 2013.

Outside FASRI: At Providence College, Patricia has served on departmental and college-wide hiring, assessment and curriculum development committees, as Vice-president of the Faculty Senate, and two terms as Chair of the Department of Foreign Language Studies. She was awarded the Chevalier des Palmes Académiques by the French government for outstanding contributions to the promotion of French culture, language and literature in the US. She has published a book on 19th century French poetry and multiple scholarly articles on French literature and culture, and recorded a critical analysis of Manet's Le repos for RISD's "Contacts" project.

"Providing a bilingual education to a child is a once-in-a lifetime gift due to the nature of brain development and language acquisition. It is also a gift that lasts for a lifetime, because the intercultural perspective inherent in a bilingual education has an enduring positive impact on the growing child's sense of self, capacity for empathy and interaction with others, and overall life experience. Having witnessed this countless times over the course of my career as a professor of French, I am honored to be affiliated with FASRI where parents and teachers offer this priceless gift with such dedication and joy."

Ruth Ben-Artzi is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Providence College, Rhode Island. Before moving to Providence, she was postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Browne Center for International Politics and a visiting fellow at Sciences-Po, Paris. She holds a PhD from Columbia University, New York, an AB from the University of Haifa, Israel, and Before enrolling in graduate school, Ruth worked as a researcher at the OECD Development Centre in Paris, France, and earned a certificate in French Language and Civilization from the Sorbonne. 

Ruth is committed to bilingual education. In 2017 she spent a sabbatical year in Paris where her three kids attended public schools and learned French for the first time. Upon their return to Providence, her two older kids, Tomer and Sivan, integrated into 6th and 4th grades at FASRI seamlessly.

About: Douglas is the Co-Chair of Locke Lord's Life Science Practice Group focusing on medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare related companies, technologies and products. Douglas' work in acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and other transactions involves representation of individual investors, management teams, corporate buyers and sellers, venture capitalists and private equity firms. This varied representation provides him with a unique understanding of the likely concerns of each party in a sophisticated transaction so that he is well-suited to assist clients in planning and implementing their strategies as well as crafting creative, but cost-effective, solutions to their concerns. Douglas is listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and has been since 2007, he was named a Super Lawyersince 2011 and has been listed in the Corporate Law section of The Best Lawyers in America for 2010 through 2019 including the 2014-15 Providence Corporate Law "Lawyer of the Year." Douglas is the Co-Chair of Locke Lord’s Pro Bono Committee and was the Pro Bono Partner for 2013 for the Providence office. In addition, Douglas has received Martindale Hubbell's highest rating of AV. He has worked with the Biohaven team since 2014 prior to its incorporation and serves as the Corporate Secretary for Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd., a NYSE public company.

Outside FASRI: Douglas has been involved as a Board member for Community Preparatory School, Blithewold, Habitat for Humanity East Bay, the Urban Collaborative and The Haitian Project which operates a co-educational Catholic school outside Port au Prince, Haiti.

Outside FASRI: Valerie has previously served on the Advisory Board for The Salvation Army in Providence for over 20 years where she had various roles as secretary as well as Chairing their annual fundraiser. She continues to Chair a food drive and telethon with The Salvation Army, Shaw’s grocery store and NBC10 to feed over 3,000 families for Thanksgiving as well as stock up the TSA’s food pantry for the Christmas season. In addition, Valerie currently serves as an Incorporator for the Providence Foundation board which focuses on Providence economic development and improving downtown public spaces.

"After reading an article in the NY Times about the benefits of an immersion program on a young brain with mental flexibility, pattern recognition and problem solving skills, I had my sights on FASRI. My son began at three years old. We have been so impressed hearing him speak French with such an incredible accent. Meeting many families from different parts of the world has opened his mind and brought their cultures into our home. We have made some amazing friends because of this school. FASRI is a gem and has such potential. Volunteering for the board, I hope to help it grow and make it the best for our children and the future generations."

About: Mark McLaughlin grew up locally in East Providence and lives with his wife, Laurel, and daughters, Catherine, Maisie, and Tess, in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Laurel was FASRI's Director of Communications for several years and all three girls attended the school. 
Mark works at Providence Country Day School, where he is currently Associate Head of School, focusing on institutional advancement and external partnerships. At PCD he was previously the Upper School Dean of Students, Head of Middle School, the lead administrator for grades 6-12. He holds a BA from Washington and Lee University and an MA from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

About: Jennifer is a partner in a boutique consulting firm, CFAR, where she leads the healthcare practice and partners with organizations on issues of strategy, organizational and cultural change and governance. She is also member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

History with the BOT: Jennifer was originally invited to serve as the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, given her role as a strategy consultant to mission-driven organizations. Since that time, Jennifer has served as the Chair of the Search Committee and then for two terms as the Chair of the Board. She then stepped into the role of Immediate-Past Chair, is a member of the Executive Committee and the Chair of the Governance Committee.

Outside FASRI: Jennifer has served on the Board of the American College of Healthcare Executives of Rhode Island for more than a decade, and she was recently elected to represent Rhode Island as the Regent for the state.

"We chose FASRI for our daughters when they were each three years old. At the time, we wanted them to be bilingual. Our experience at FASRI has evolved to become so much more! The exposure to different perspectives and new ways of thinking, a global awareness, and a diversity of people, thought and opinion has truly opened their minds. I’m confident that they are being prepared for an exciting future, and I’m proud to serve on the Board to support this wonderfully unique school."