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."

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."

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: Mark McLaughlin grew up locally in East Providence. He has three alumni daughters, Catherine, Maisie, and Tess; and lives in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. His wife, Laurel, was FASRI's Director of Communications for several years.

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: Brad is a Rhode Island native and the owner of Scott Volkswagen in East Providence RI, where his family has been in the automobile business since 1948.  He is an alumnus of Moses Brown School ‘96, Middlebury College BA English Literature ‘00, National Auto Dealer Management Academy ‘06, and Harvard Business School Owner and President’s Management Program ‘19. 

Brad is currently the President of the Rhode Island Automobile Dealer’s Association, and has been active on FASRI’s Finance committee for two years before being welcomed to the board.  He formerly served on the board of the Community Preparatory School ‘14-’20 in South Providence.  Brad is a former Time National Dealer of Year Award nominee ‘15 which honors new car dealers in America who exhibit exceptional performance in their dealerships and perform distinguished community service.

Brad’s wife, Lily, is also a Rhode Island small business owner who studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.  They live happily with their two children and two dogs in RI.  In his free time, Brad is an outdoorsman who enjoys travel, skiing, surfing, camping, and hiking with his friends and family.

"Initially, the prospect of a bilingual education and recommendations from friends led us to FASRI.  We prize FASRI for its diverse community and commitment to our children’s education.  Our kids love FASRI, and I feel honored to help support their mission as a board member.”

About: Olivia is a FASRI Alumni who attended the school from preschool to 8th grade. She joined Morgan Stanley in January 2021, after graduating from Fordham University with a double-major in Comparative Literature and French Language & Literature. 
 
As an Associate Desk Manager on the VEA Desk at Morgan Stanley in New York City, Olivia currently manages 28 VEAs, leads desk-wide training, provides coaching & mentoring sessions, and assists the broader management team. The VEA Desk provides the Firm’s Financial Advisors with additional support regarding their digital marketing and client communication strategies, where VEAs create and implement their strategies to generate net acquired assets, drive traffic to the website, and maintain consistent client communication with the hopes of strengthening relationships and deepening wallet share. 
 
Olivia holds the FINRA Series 7 and NASAA Series 66 licenses. 
 
During her time at Fordham University, Olivia worked in the Modern Languages Department as a French Tutor, and also served as a translator for the University of Florence on a project focused on highlighting Jewish-Italian academics during World War II. Prior to her career in Finance, Olivia pursued translation and editing, exercising her fluency in French and Italian. 
 
Outside of work, Olivia enjoys exploring new areas of New York City and trying new restaurants and cafes with her husband and friends. Whenever possible, Olivia also tries to return home to Rhode Island to spend time with her family (and German Shepherd). She values giving back to her community, and often participates in volunteer events, whether organized by her team or by individually going to the Bowery Mission to prepare and serve meals to those in need. 

About: Brian Mehan is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel who holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a Master of Arts in Global and International Studies. He is an accomplished professional with experience in both government and the private sector and a passion for education. Currently, Brian serves as the Director of Finance for a small consulting firm specializing in national security affairs. He has experience in various areas, including Business Development, Project Management, Planning and Budgeting, and Corporate Strategy. Previously, he held the position of Director of Business Operations at the same firm.

In 2018, Brian arrived in Rhode Island to take on the responsibility of running the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program for the University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina University. During his tenure, he actively engaged with the Alumni Association, contributing to fundraising activities, and volunteering on the College of Arts and Sciences Strategic Planning Committee.

Brian's connection to education and international experiences began at a young age. At eleven years old, he participated in a French student exchange program, attending a small school in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Later, during his college years, he furthered his French language studies by spending a winter session at the Universite de Caen in Normandy.

Family is an essential part of Brian's life. His wife and he are proud parents of twins, Evan and Elizabeth, entering in CP/1st grade in September 2024.