The FLY steering committee consists of staff members who volunteer their time and skills. The committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. All members of the Yale community are invited to attend these lunchtime sessions to learn more about FLY and to share their ideas. We welcome involvement of any kind from across the university. The steering committee is led by co-chairs and contains the following committees.
Adam Stein
Co-Chair, July 2025 to June 2027 Program Manager, Center for Language Study
Adam Stein is a program manager in Yale’s Center for Language Study (CLS), overseeing specialized language-learning programs. He holds bachelor’s degrees in advertising and French from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies. Before joining Yale, he taught at universities in Texas, Japan, and Malaysia, where he served as a U.S. Department of State English Language Fellow in 2018–2019. Adam is a 4-time marathon runner, and he also enjoys hiking and traveling the globe (60+ countries and counting!).
Marisa Berti
Interim Co-Chair, Talent Acquisition Sourcing Specialist, Human Resources
Marisa Berti is a Talent Acquisition Sourcing Specialist within Central Human Resources, where she has been in this role since September 2022. Prior to working in Talent Acquisition, Marisa spent a little over 4 years working at Yale School of Management on the Faculty Support and Academic Affairs and Student Life teams. Marisa earned her bachelor’s degree from Assumption College and also holds an MBA with a concentration in Human Resources Management from Marville University of Saint Louis. Outside of work, Marisa is an ice hockey coach with the West Haven Youth Hockey Association and she enjoys photography.
Past Chairs
| Name | Year |
|---|---|
| Gina Amico | 2023-2025 |
| Haley Sabitus | 2022-2023 |
| Marilyn Serna | 2021-2023 |
| Nicole Ginolfi Tull | 2020-2022 |
| Allyssa Antunes (Emeritus) | 2020-2021 |
| Celestina Gentile (Emeritus) | 2019-2020 |
| Katie Rowe Glynn (Emeritus) | 2018-2020 |
| Patrick O’Brien-Sevilla (Emeritus) | 2017-2019 |
| Mela Toro Waters (Emeritus) | 2016-2018 |
| Alina Nevins (Emeritus) | 2014-2017 (Co-founder) |
| Becky DeSalvo (Emeritus) | 2014-2015 (Co-founder) |
Committees
The FLY steering committee consists of staff members who volunteer their time and skills. The committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. All members of the Yale community are invited to attend these lunchtime sessions to learn more about FLY and to share their ideas. We welcome involvement of any kind from across the university. Interested? We’d love to hear from you! Whether you’d like to lead a subcommittee or join one as a contributor, we welcome your interest. Complete this Interest Form.
| Sub-Committee | Description |
|---|---|
| Communications | The Communications team is responsible for marketing, public relations, graphic design, and web design. We create communications that are sent to the FLY and wider Yale community, from newsletters to social media and press releases. |
| Community Outreach & Civic Engagement | The Community Outreach & Civic Engagement team is passionate about seeking opportunities to connect FLY members with the Yale and Greater New Haven communities. We are responsible for identifying and sharing timely options to volunteer and fundraise, with the goal of supporting our communities. We also strive to seek out ways to express general philanthropy throughout the area, and ways to collaborate with and support other affinity groups on campus with a variety of heartfelt initiatives. Contact us if you have an idea for a community outreach event/initiative, or if you would like to join our team! |
| Mentorship | FLY offers a group mentorship program through which early career professionals can learn to lean into their careers. A series of panel discussions is offered throughout the year, exploring career development topics for FLY members. Featured guest mentors represent various areas and levels of experience from across Yale. |
| Professional Development |
The Professional Development subcommittee aims to identify, develop, promote, and lead opportunities to encourage and empower aspiring leaders to leverage and exercise their strengths. Events bring people of various personal and professional backgrounds together on common ground where they can network, learn, and share experiences. The activity’s lessons are not likely to be encountered during the course of one’s work and are transferable for professional growth. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” ~ Mark Twain |
| Social Networking & Events | The Social Networking & Events committee organizes a number of exciting events every year. There are monthly happy hours at various local restaurants and bars, annual winter and summer socials, and events such as Jordan’s IT Ropes Course, Paint Night, Duckpin Bowling, and many more! The goal of the committee is to connect FLY members from all over campus together, to meet new people, strengthen bonds, and build networks. |