OUR MISSION
& VISION

Ekhlas Ahmed, Founder and Executive Director of Chance to Advance, was forced to flee the outbreak of civil war in Sudan with her mother, father and three younger brothers in 2003. Her family was resettled to Portland, Maine, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations and sociology from the University of Southern Maine

Katrina Buchta works at the Strategic Data Project at the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University, where she recruits data analysts and data strategists seeking to transform data use in education. Prior to joining CEPR, Katrina spent 5+ years working with Maine’s immigrant and refugee population in Portland and Lewiston. Katrina has worked across a variety of nonprofit and educational settings, particularly in the out-of-school time, college access, and sports-based youth development sectors. Katrina coordinated AmeriCorps member recruitment at Goodwill Northern New England, led youth programs at Portland Community Squash, managed summer programs at Bowdoin Upward Bound, and worked in the Post-Secondary Aspirations Lab at Lewiston High School. Katrina holds a B.A. in Sociology and Education from Bates College and an Ed.M. in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

David Burke is a founding faculty member of two public high schools in Maine, Poland Regional High School in Poland, and Casco Bay High School in Portland. Both schools have created new paradigms for what public high schools can be. David is proud of his work, and the success these schools have had. David has been a math teacher in Maine since 1987, and has worked with Chance to Advance since the very first calendar project. He loves how directly and creatively Chance to Advance is addressing this need in the community to tell the stories or recently arrived Mainers, and to educate the next generation. He feels privileged to be a part of this work.

Helen Cohen has been involved with Chance To Advance's board since 2019. She first worked with Ekhlas in a facilitator role at Seeds of Peace where her passion for sharing stories and connecting with people from different backgrounds really started to grow. With 8 years of teaching experience, Helen now works at ReachMyTeach, a school-home communications platform that specializes in multilingual communication, and teaches adult ESL with In Her Presence. In her free time, Helen enjoys cooking and dancing!

Stevan Stromsky joined the CTA board in 2023 and Northeast Bank as Senior Vice President and community Banking Development Officer. With over 30 years of banking experience, Stevan is recognized for his unparalleled customer service and knowledge of the industry serving consumers and businesses. Prior to joining the Bank, he was the Branch Manager for Key Bank’s flagship Portland location. Stevan is active in the greater Portland community volunteering his time at Preble Street, Junior Achievement of Maine, and the Rotary Club of Portland.

Phone: 207-671-6798 | sstromksy@northeastbank.com 

Michael is a co-founder and the Director of College, Career, and Citizenship of Casco Bay High School, a nationally recognized school of innovation. Michael has been an education leader, administrator, and innovation educator for over 20 years in a variety of educational communities including King Middle School, Boys Town, GEAR UP, a language school in Ecuador, and OMNI summer camp (formerly known as the Samantha Smith World Peace Camp). He is a sought-after speaker and workshop leader at conferences around New England and the country. He brings a wealth of experience in postsecondary aspirations, college admissions, fundraising, marketing, educational leadership, entertainment, and technology. Michael is passionate about the Chance To Advance mission and the amazing students it will help soar to new heights.