FACULTY & STAFF BIOS

SCOTT STEELE Director of Finance and Operations

Scott Steele is the Director of Finance and Operations and has been a member of Beacon Academy’s Finance Committee since 2019. Prior to joining Beacon, Scott was the Director of Finance and Operations at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), a Boston-based minority servicing technical college founded in 1908. Scott was previously co-founder and Managing Partner of JMH Capital Partners, a private capital investment firm. Prior to JMH, Scott was a Principal at Parthenon Capital in Boston and a Principal in the New York office of Electra Investment Trust PLC, a London-based private investment firm. He started his career in the Leveraged Funding Group at Heller Financial in New York. Scott received his B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and his M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University. In addition to his work at Beacon, Scott serves on the board and chairs the finance committee at the Wily Network, a nonprofit that serves college students who don’t have academic, emotional or financial support from family. Scott lives in Newton with his wife Ursula, their three boys, their new rescue dog Zeke, and closely follows all things related to University of Michigan athletics. Scott can be reached at ssteele@beaconacademy.org.

What is a fun fact about yourself?

I talked my way backstage at a Public Enemy concert in Barcelona.

DR. GRETCHEN WARLAND Science Teacher

Gretchen Warland began volunteering at Beacon Academy in 2019, initially assisting with the running program and mentoring her first student. Gretchen introduced and currently teaches the MEDscience STEM program as part of the science curriculum at Beacon. Gretchen received her Master’s in Physical Therapy from the MGH Institute of Health Professions in 1998 and returned to the MGH Institute of Health Professions completing her Doctorate in 2012. Gretchen has also worked as a personal trainer and yoga instructor, and earned her Massachusetts teacher’s license in Biology. It is her mission to bring an understanding of science to her students as a way to open pathways to unique opportunities. Gretchen can be reached at gwarland@beaconacademy.org.

Who was your favorite teacher?

Mr. Hunter the biology teacher. When he brought that old horseshoe crab skeleton out, I thought that was SO cool!