Executive Director

Benita R. Miller, Esq. recently served as the Executive Director of the NYC Children’s Cabinet in the Office of the Mayor and was also Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Family Permanency Services in the Administration for Children’s Services. While at the Mayor’s Office, she led the city’s effort to improve services for children and families impacted by incarceration and also launched the Unity Project. She also secured federal funding to improve service delivery to young parents and their children.

At ACS, she led initiatives and operations related to ensuring the safety, wellbeing and permanency of all children receiving foster care services as well as caseload reductions and trauma assessment tools in family foster care. Miller developed the Housing Academy Collaborative to better prepare youth transitioning from foster care to supportive housing and NYCHA residences. She also strengthened services being provided to expectant and parenting youth and secured support from the Center for the Study of Social Policy to develop policies and programming for young fathers who are in foster care.

She created the Office of Older Youth Services and Residential Care Monitoring and oversaw the third phase of residential care reduction for ACS and also facilitated the co-location of ACS staff at Riker’s Island to ensure that youth who are in foster care were being appropriately served while awaiting the disposition of criminal matters. Miller also developed the Case Monitoring and Compliance Unit to enhance safety and risk assessments of children and youth being reunified with their families.

Before joining ACS, Miller served as Director of Scholarships at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where among other responsibilities she implemented programs for undergraduate and law student scholars. Benita is the founder and former executive director of the Brooklyn Young Mother’s Collective and previously represented children and young people in child protective, delinquency, and PINS proceedings in Brooklyn Family Court as a staff lawyer with the Legal Aid Society. Miller earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Print Journalism from Wayne State University where she was a Rosa Parks Scholar at The Detroit News, and a law degree from Syracuse University.

Deputy Director
Marcia Forbes, a licensed social worker with more than 20 years of experience in programs serving children and families, has devoted over ten years to BKS. She serves as Deputy Director and the Director of Family Services. As director of family services, she provides oversight to all family services programs at our early childhood centers and works with all center directors and social service staff (including social workers, family service coordinators, family workers, and graduate student interns). As deputy director, she provides leadership and oversight to the center directors and works closely with the senior administrative team to coordinate the integration of services, assess programs and staff, share ideas, and develop goals for program development. Ms. Forbes received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Buffalo and her MSW from New York University. She also holds a SIFI certificate and has taught as an adjunct professor at the NYU School of Social Work.

Director of Education and Research
Anusha Subramanyam, PhD, the Director of Education and Research, joined BKS in 2015. She received a BA from Rutgers in Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Psychology; an MA from Columbia University in Teaching as Applied Behavior Analysis; and a PhD from Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Applied Behavior Analysis. She has a broad range of experience, teaching children in both mainstream and special education settings. She has expertise in instructional design, evidence-based practices, and data-based decision making. She is also experienced in developing and executing preschool and literacy programs for underserved children, an experience that includes systematic training, supervision, and performance management for teaching assistants.

Director – Nat Azarow Children’s Center (Brownsville)
Mr. Almamy joined Nat Azarow Children’s Center in the fall of 2012 as an UPK Group Teacher and later moved to 3K . He holds a BA in Sociology and MS.Ed in Childhood Education from City College of New York. Mr Almamy worked for Bright Horizon at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Grand Street Settlement Early Childhood Program as well as a Teaching Assistant for 10 years at Bronx Community College’s Education & Reading Department. Prior to his migration to New York, he taught in Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Mr Almamy believes in the Child-Centered Approach and that learning should be tailored around children’s interests.

Mr Almamy became Center Director in January 2018. Together with a team of dedicated teachers, they work each day for the success of children and families in Brownsville.

Director, Tompkins Children’s Center (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Ms. Atkins started her career as an EMT for the NYC Fire Department, responding to emergencies and saving lives. While her work there was critically important, we are all grateful that she made the switch to education more than ten years ago when she became a kindergarten teacher. Ms. Atkins joined BKS in 2010, teaching a class of two and three-year olds at our Tompkins Children’s Center in Bedford Stuyvesant. In 2013 she moved to Nat Azarow Children’s Center in Brownsville where she has been the lead UPK teacher, assuming broader management duties when they became available at the center. In January 2017, Ms. Atkins returned to Tompkins Children’s Center as Director.  Ms. Atkins received her B.A from Nyack College, graduating Summa Cum Laude.  She also has her Masters Degree in Early Childhood from Brooklyn College.

Acting Director, Edwards L. Cleaveland Children’s Center (Crown Heights)

Director – Sumner Children’s Center (Bedford Stuyvesant)

Director, Howard Children’s Center (Brownsville)
Sheryl Quallo earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Utica College of Syracuse University and began working for the Administration for Children’s Services as a Child Protective Specialist upon graduation.  She remained with the Administration for Children’s Services for 10 ½ years, before deciding that she wanted to work more closely with children and their families in the field of Education.

Sheryl participated in the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earned her Master’s of Science in Education from the City University of New York—Brooklyn College.  She currently holds New York State Teaching Certifications in Early Childhood Education (Birth – 2^nd grade) and Childhood Education (Grades 1 – 6).  She began teaching Special Needs Children for the New York City Department of Education and remained a Special Education Teacher for 5 years.

Sheryl entered the non-profit sector in 2012 in the role of Education Director.  Her primary responsibilities include overseeing the daily operations of the Early Childhood Education Program, providing direct supervision and coaching to instructional staff, and ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all children attending program.  She enjoys her work with children, their families, and the educators who impart their knowledge.

Director, Brevoort Children’s Center (Bedford Stuyvesant)