Board of Directors
- Theodoric Manley, Jr., Ph.D. - Executive Director and President
- Charles Lay, M.B.A. - Treasurer
- Andrew Brake, M.A. - Secretary
- Avery S. Buffa M.A.
- Ellen Caffrey Garza, B.A.
- Frank Holiwski, Ph.D.
- Lauren Kaeseberg, J.D.
- Donald Matthews, Ph.D.
- Jason Washburn Ph.D.
Theodoric Manley, Jr., Ph.D. - Executive Director and President
Theodoric (Ted) Manley, Jr. is currently the president and executive director of the Hoop Institute. He has a B.A. (1979) in sociology, philosophy, and religion from Tarkio College in Tarkio Missouri; an M.A. (1981) in Rural and Applied sociology from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado and a Ph.D. (1986) in the areas of Urban sociology and Race and Ethnic relations from the University of Chicago. He is committed to applied change and social justice practices in the areas of city and neighborhood/community relations, global race, class, gender, sexuality, religion and ethnic relations in “developed” and developing countries, and appropriate technology and research in agriculturally developing areas.Charles Lay, M.B.A. - Treasurer
Charles Lay is currently the treasurer of the Hoop Institute and assistant professor at DeVry Institute of Technology in Chicago. He holds a BS (1982) in electrical engineering and mathematics from Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh; and an MBA (1984) in finance and information systems from the University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business. Chuck has consulted with Washington, Pittman and McKeever to develop software packages for over 46,000 city of Chicago employees, developed strategic planning for the city of Chicago library, developed and taught corporate finance courses for Arthur Anderson and Company. Chuck is committed to working with large firms and community organizations to bridge the gap in between the rich and those who have few resources.Andrew Brake, M.A. - Secretary
Andy Brake is the the Secretary of the Hoop Institute’s Board and has been a proud member for over six years. He holds a B.A. in sociology from DePaul University and a M.A. in sociology from the New School for Social Research. He has experience working with various youth advocacy, leadership and diversity programs in Chicago and New York City, where he has served as a researcher, activist and volunteer. Andy is currently pursing his doctorate in social work at the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. Andy’s research and advocacy interests include adolescent development, cross-cultural community building and high school reform aimed at increasing college access for Chicago public school students.Avery S. Buffa M.A.
Avery S. Buffa received his B.A. in sociology from DePaul University and an M.A. in sociology from the New School for Social Research. While in graduate school, he focused his studies and research on urban studies, with particular attention to gentrification and displacement, urban political economy, and cultural sociology. As a social and political activist, Avery has been involved with issues of affordable housing, economic equity, diversity education, and public transportation. He is currently pursing a law degree at DePaul University.Ellen Caffrey Garza, B.A.
Ellen Caffrey Garza is currently the Director of Finance and Administration for Southwest Chicago PADS , a community storefront that provides comprehensive case management and emergency services to the homeless on the southwest side of Chicago. Ellen has 30 years' experience working with diverse, grass roots organizations throughout the US, focusing on workers’ rights and advocacy. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Labor Studies from Antioch University and an Associate in Applied Science in Rehabilitation Technology from Middlesex Community College. Ellen has extensive teaching and training experience in leadership development, computer literacy, and labor & community relations. Ellen served on the Board of Directors at Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, and received a Neighborhood Leadership Award in 1992. She is a former Vice President of the Chicago Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and Board Member of CTCNet Chicago.Frank Holiwski, Ph.D.
Frank Holiwski received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from DePaul University. He has taught various diverse topics in psychology, and has had research published in the areas of health psychology and social psychology. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at South Georgia College. His primary interests are in White racial identity formation and eradicating White racism; other interests include gender identity, sexual identity, and the influences various components of the identity matrix have on each other.Lauren Kaeseberg, J.D.
Lauren Kaeseberg received her B.A. from DePaul University in 2002 and her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in June 2007. Before joining the Hoop Institute, Lauren was a participant in the Summer Institute. After teaching at Jones College Prep High School, a Chicago Public School, she began law school in New York where she will soon graduate with a specialization in criminal law. Lauren is currently in her third year at The Innocence Project in New York, a legal clinic that works to exonerate the wrongly convicted through post conviction DNA testing to not only free the innocent but also implement systematic reforms in the criminal justice system.Donald Matthews, Ph.D.
Donald Matthews holds a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Chicago and is currently the director of African American Studies at the University of Kansas, Missouri. Don is committed to issues of social justice, identity, and culture in all human groups.Jason Washburn Ph.D.
Jason J. Washburn holds a B.A. in psychology and sociology from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from DePaul University. He completed his clinical internship training at the University of Washington School of Medicine, his postdoctoral clinical training at the University of Michigan Medical School, and his postdoctoral research training as the Robert Wood Johnson Scholar for the Northwestern Juvenile Project. He is currently a research assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Director of Clinical Outcomes at Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, and in private practice. His clinical and research activities focus on child and adolescent psychology, evidence-based practice, juvenile delinquency, and White racism.The
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