With over two decades of professional experience, Anthony Madry brings a fierce passion for empowering at-risk youth in secondary education to The Transition Academy board of directors. His career spans both public education and the charter system, with a particular emphasis on youth in special education, where he honed his understanding of each child’s unique learning challenges.

While education has been his lifelong vocation, he now extends his expertise through consulting services to governmental agencies, school districts, and businesses, with particular emphasis in Texas, Missouri, Kansas, and Montana.

Madry is originally from Houston, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications and Communication with a minor in Music from Texas Southern University and a Master of Education Administration degree at Prairie View A&M University. He is working toward completing his doctorate in Professional Studies at Franklin University.

For six years, Madry was the Principal of Central High School in the Kansas City Public School System. Central, one of the oldest high schools west of the Mississippi River, underwent a transformative journey. Once a dominant force in the Kansas City area, its reputation had waned. After he took the helm in 2016, Central and its community have witnessed remarkable growth. This resurgence is evident in the expanding student population, flourishing athletic teams, rising graduation rates, and the introduction of enriching extra-curricular activities, including band, choir, dance, and cheer.

Although he transitioned from his official role as Principal, his dedication as a lifelong educator remains unwavering. He continues to collaborate and advocate for faculty and staff, works to engage communities with their schools, and rallies stakeholders toward higher academic attainment and civic consciousness.

Having worked in an alternative educational setting where the entire population fell under the special education category and 75% of students were on probation or parole, he grasped the vital importance of a tailored approach. Madry prides himself on being an expert in Crisis Intervention (CIT), Response To Intervention (RTI), and the campus-wide implementation of Individual Education Profiles (IEP).

Madry comes to his work with The Transition Academy drawing on personal experiences, including caring for an uncle who would likely be classified with an intellectual developmental disorder today. He’s also been involved with a Boy Scout Troop for youth with disabilities and has developed a deep empathy for this community.

 Brenda Pelofsky has been a professional fundraiser for more than 30 years. She brings to The Transition Academy her passion for supporting organizations’ fundraising goals and creating successful fundraising strategies. She has expertly collaborated with community health and behavioral health centers, alongside foundations and government officials at local, state, and national levels. Her exceptional skills have helped secure more than $200 million in grants across all levels of government and the private sector.

Pelofsky spent 22 years as Executive Vice President of Swope Parkway Health where she was responsible for all fundraising initiatives for the health center. She is now a senior consultant with Byrne, Pelofsky & Associates in Kansas City where she has assisted more than 150 non-profits with their fundraising goals. She holds a Bachelor of Sciences Degree from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.

Throughout her distinguished career, Pelofsky has been involved in many significant nonprofit boards and committees including the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, MS Society, Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation, Missouri Coalition for Primary Health Care, KC CareLink, Kansas City Care Network, and the Applied Urban Research Institute. She was an active member of the Missouri Coalition for Primary Health Care and was president of the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Foundation Board and contributed as a legislative committee member for the National Association of Community Mental Health Centers. Her commitment extended to the Homeless Care Task Force, the community-wide HIV/AIDS program, and the Mayor’s Minority Health Task Force. She’s been recognized many times for her dedication and service including being named as one of the Kansas City Business Journal’s “25 Women Who Mean Business” in 2009. Additionally, she was honored by the Kansas City Care Network as “A Leader with Vision.”