Our Belief

Rev. Sebrone O. Johnson is passionate about making a difference in the lives of Rochester’s youth. Prior to joining EDceptional, he was the senior vice president of operations for the Urban League of Rochester where he had oversight of nearly 30 program areas. He is the senior pastor at the Greater Harvest Church in Rochester.

He serves as the ecumenical chairperson for the Rochester Black Leadership Commission on Health and the chair of the African American Health Coalition. He is also a member of the University of Rochester Medical Center Community Advisory Council and advisor to Ivolve Me, LLC, a mental health services provider.

For the last decade, Sebrone has worked as a tireless advocate for equity in education. He has championed efforts for better educational standards, restorative practices, and Social and Emotional Learning strategies for communities. Among the organizations he has worked with to promote better educational outcomes are the Gates Foundation, Wallace Foundation, National Urban League, Education Trust and the ESSA Leadership Learning Circle.

Sebrone attended Union College and St. John Fisher College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and economics. He also holds a master’s of divinity from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and an executive ELP from Duke University.

Prior to returning to Rochester, Sebrone worked in Manhattan and the surrounding areas specializing in high-tech startups and other entrepreneurial endeavors. At EDceptional, he drives the vision for true educational equity by students having great school choices.

Bryan Hickman is an entrepreneur who has served as president of several enterprises where he guided business turnarounds. His expertise has been built on positions in strategic planning and operations.

Early in his career, Bryan spent six years in public policy roles in Washington DC. Turning to a business career, he served as manager of strategy development at Gulf Oil Company and, then, General Manager for North and South America at Schlegel Corporation’s Building Products Division. He began his entrepreneurial career by turning around a bankrupt tooling and automation company and, then serving as president of bus manufacturer Coach & Equipment Manufacturing Corp.

Upon selling his business interests, he turned his focus to the most pressing problem he saw facing his community: the need to effectively educate the children of Rochester. Since January 2012, he has worked full time for EDceptional, meeting hundreds of educators and others in the charter school movement, visiting schools across the country, and recruiting and assisting charter management organizations.

Bryan has a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and a master’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He has served on the boards of the Genesee Hospital, Compeer, the Rochester Tooling and Machining Association, Rochester-Hamamatsu Sister Cities, and several corporations.

Jim Brush has deep roots in the community as a business owner, leader and community advocate. He and his brother Douglas owned Sentry Group, a privately held manufacturer and marketer of fire-resistant safes, files and chests started in Rochester by their grandfather in 1930. Brush retired as president and CEO of Sentry in 2014.

Brush serves on the boards of the United Way and the Children’s Agenda. He is also a board member at Caldwell Manufacturing, and previously served as a trustee at St. Lawrence University. He is a past board member of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Rochester’s Child.

Brush joined Sentry Group in 1986 and has held positions as national sales manager, vice president for sales, and chief financial officer. Prior to joining Sentry, Brush worked for IBM Corporation in various sales and marketing roles.

Brush received a bachelor’s degree in economics from St Lawrence University in 1977 and an MBA from Northwestern University in 1983

Janise Dixon is the office manager for EDceptional and program manager for  GoodSchoolsRoc. She joined the team in 2013 and expanded her role in 2022. Janise works with all Rochester charter schools and New York State authorizers to ensure the online application system is ready and available for families to use. In addition to EDceptional administration, she oversees GoodSchoolsRoc program implementation and the HelpLine.

Janise is passionate about her role in supporting school choice and high-quality education options for children in Rochester.

Prior to working with EDceptional. Janise’s varied background includes teaching at a business college, owning a professional organizing business, and several administrative assistant positions. She was also a real estate agent.

Janise earned a BS degree in secondary education with a concentration in accounting and data processing and a minor in music from Greenville University in Illinois. She has an associate of arts degree with a focus in business and music from Central Christian College in McPherson, Kansas.

Mary Doyle has spent over 20 years working to improve schools and is passionate about making an impact for Rochester students. Mary has led school improvement efforts, secured resources in support of this work, and established essential partnerships. Her experience includes leading education efforts for nonprofits and several school districts.

Recently Mary led an education advocacy and development effort on behalf of schools with the local nonprofit Causewave. She has also acted as a consultant to multiple organizations, including with the State University of New York (SUNY), a charter school authorizer. Mary has conducted state-wide school reviews and written evaluation reports, as well as assessed new charter school applications.

In New York City for nearly 10 years, Mary focused on supporting low-performing schools and oversaw state monitoring and visits for schools across the city. She served previously as chief of staff to the superintendent in the Rochester City School District, where she also oversaw school innovation.

Mary holds an advanced certificate in School District Leadership from the University of Rochester, a master’s in education policy and management from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. She holds New York State School District Leader (SDL) certification and is a graduate of East High School in Rochester.

Aimee Lewis spent two decades leading communications planning and execution for independent schools and universities. Today she provides PR and marketing counsel for non-profit clients in education, health care and tourism sectors.

For EDceptional and the GoodSchoolsRoc program, Aimee oversees marketing, advertising and communications projects to support enrollment goals and increase visibility and public understanding of Rochester charter schools.

Previously, as an executive leader at the Harley School, Aimee transformed outreach using award-winning communications strategies and tactics to reach record enrollment. She has held communications positions at the University of Rochester, the University of Tennessee, Dickinson College and Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Aimee has been an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Her work has been recognized with six PRSA Silver Anvils and a Bronze Anvil. Aimee J Lewis PR, Marketing & Communications LLC is certified through New York State’s Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).

Dr. Paul Miller has established himself as a leading expert in education, particularly in creating systems that deliver results for young Black men—graduating 95% of his students annually. With a career spanning 25 years, Dr. Miller has served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and now CEO, navigating both public and charter school landscapes.

Known for his relentless commitment to excellence and his mantra of “doing better,” Dr. Miller has become a national advocate for equity in education. He is widely recognized as

“Pro-GOOD Schools,” advocating for high-quality, culturally responsive institutions that work for students who look like him.

As the CEO of Charter Champions, he built an innovative network of support systems designed to transform educational outcomes for Rochester’s charter schools. His mission is to achieve an equitably educated Rochester where every student has a chance to thrive.

Dr. Miller is also a prolific author. His work centers on changing the mindset of children through the powerful triad of Family, Community, and Education. He has published five books, including From the Gutter to Greatness and Moving from the Gutter to Greatness: The 21-Day Challenge. He is currently preparing to release his first children’s book, The Good Me and The Hood Me, expanding his impact to younger readers and continuing his mission of empowering future generations.