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.

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).