Board of Directors

Melissa Mack, Chairperson

Melissa Mack directs Kaplan Inc.'s communications activities in support of the company's reputation as a leader and innovator in education worldwide. In her role as Chief Communications Officer, she oversees the company's external and internal messaging, branded environments, and corporate positioning.

Ms. Mack joined Kaplan in 1992, and has built Kaplan's global marketing and internal and external communications functions as the company has evolved from a small, US-based test prep company to one of the world's largest providers of educational services. She led the development of Kaplan's masterbrand strategy, rebranding acquired business units and creating a unified messaging and visual identity for the company. In 2006, Ms. Mack introduced the Branded Environments program to standardize design elements across Kaplan's schools, centers, and offices to support the student learning process and employee engagement.

Ms. Mack came to Kaplan from the New York public relations firm Rubenstein Associates, and previously worked at David Wachsman Associates. Mack holds a B.A. degree from Brown University.

 

Yael Aufgang

Yael Aufgang is Kaplan Inc.'s general counsel and has been with Kaplan since 2016. She came to Kaplan from private practice, and has done extensive pro bono work throughout her legal career, primarily focusing on immigrant justice. She moved to the United States from Argentina as a young child and was a Teach for Americacorp member after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. KEF's mission is close to her heart and she is thrilled to be a part of the team. Yael lives in Chicago with her husband, two kids, and three fish.  


Jon-Paul Bernard

Jon-Paul Bernard is a partner in Mayer Brown's New York office and a member of the Corporate & Securities practice. Jon-Paul regularly advises clients on various aspects of domestic and cross-border acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, financings and restructuring transactions. He also has extensive corporate finance experience. His practice is particularly focused on joint ventures and financial services M&A.

Jon-Paul is recognized as a “Rising Star” for M&A in the US by IFLR1000 where clients describe him as “a phenomenal attorney and truly values the relationship with his client. He seamlessly integrates into the business to effectively communicate issues and facilitate favorable outcomes.”

Jon-Paul graduated from Colgate University with a BA and earned his JD, magna cum laude, from St. John’s University School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of New York, and member of the American Bar Association.

 

Elisa Davis, Secretary

I am responsible for mergers and acquisitions, investments, compliance, and other components matters for Kaplan Inc. I also support the Kaplan Educational Foundation. 

Experienced corporate attorney and compliance professional with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services and education industries. Skilled in Mergers and Acquisitions, Contract Writing, Negotiation, Strategic Planning, Legal Research, Strategy, and Regulatory Matters. She's a strong legal advisor who graduated from The University of Chicago Law School.

 

Harold P. Elish


Harry Elish has spent his professional life in the financial services industry and has focused on educational nonprofits as his primary philanthropic interest. Currently, Mr. Elish works as a Managing Director in UBS’ Private Client Group, assisting families with their financial and investment planning. He has served as the President and as the Treasurer of Girls Quest and is currently a Board member of the Academy of the City charter school in Queens. He and his wife, Nora, live in Manhattan and have two grown sons.


Jennifer Markowitz

Jennifer Markowitz has managed her family’s fourth-generation commercial real estate business alongside her father for the past 25 years.  Prior to joining the family business, Jennifer was a high school teacher at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, and later, Ramaz, a Jewish Day School in Manhattan.  Education and its place for personal fulfillment and the elevation of society have always been a guiding interest.  A graduate of Brown University with a BA in Comparative Literature, and Columbia Teachers College with a Masters in English Education,  Jennifer enjoys traveling, cycling, skiing, and the outdoors, as well as museums independent movies, and learning foreign languages, especially Hebrew and French.

Jennifer lives in New York City with her husband, Alon, and is the parent of children, Talia graduated from UCLA School of Art and Architecture and Gabriel is attending Dartmouth College.

 

Christopher Neumann

Chris Neumann is currently Vice President, Legal for Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, where he serves as lead attorney on all M&A and joint-venture development projects and oversees SEC filings and board matters.  From 2010 – 2017, Chris was with Kaplan, Inc., most recently as its Deputy General Counsel, where he oversaw corporate transactional matters, commercial contracts, and intellectual property.  Prior to joining Kaplan, Chris was an Associate General Counsel in BlackRock's private equity group, where he handled acquisitions, joint ventures, and private fund formation.  Previously, Chris had been an associate and then partner, in Kirkland & Ellis' New York office, where he represented clients in numerous M&A transactions, as well as equity investments, debt financings, and public offerings. 

He lives in Madison, NJ, with his wife Elizabeth, son - Jack, daughter - Gigi, and their Shih Tzu - Kevin (which is what happens when you allow your children to name your dog).

 

Jane Rosenberg

Jane Rosenberg is a graduate of The Taft School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Upon graduation, she pursued a career in marketing and advertising beginning with Foote, Cone and Belding in London, and then joined the staff of Boston University’s Study Abroad Programs. Thereafter she began a 15-year career with Kaplan Test Prep in a series of marketing, advertising, and brand management positions.

While at Kaplan Ms. Rosenberg developed its M.B.A. leadership and study abroad programs and oversaw the company’s diversity, retention, recruiting and company-wide leadership and training initiatives. In addition, she became the founding board president of the Kaplan Educational Foundation.

Ms. Rosenberg retired from Kaplan in 2007 to concentrate on her family and not-for-profit activities. These included serving as a member of the Board of Directors of New York Cares for 10 years and beginning in 2006 as a Trustee of the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan, including two as board president.

Jane resides in Manhattan with her husband Harvey and their three children, Will, Remy and Sydney.

 

Dr. Nancy Lee Sanchez, Ed.D.

Nancy has over 22 years of expertise in providing greater access to higher education, improving the college experience, and supporting leadership among low-income, under-represented and non-traditional students through collaborative partnerships and services that directly target factors affecting degree-attainment gaps.

Nancy's own educational trajectory started at Kingsborough Community College, where she earned an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Long Island University, and a Master's in Sociology from Brooklyn College. As a 2014 National Hispanic Executive Leadership Fellow, she completed an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Leadership Development Program at the Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, NC.

She is currently the Vice President For Institutional Advancement at Kingsborough Community College .

 

Annie Togni, Treasurer

Annie Togni joined Kaplan’s finance team in 2008. In her role as Director of Finance, she assesses the domestic and international financial aspects of Kaplan and helps drive the company’s financial strategy and planning. She is thrilled to join the Kaplan Education Foundation and help guide it towards long-term success.

Prior to Kaplan, Mrs. Togni worked at DHL, Coverall and Spherion Corporation. She has held positions in compensation, human resources, finance, and accounting. She holds an MBA degree from Florida Atlantic University in International Business. She resides in South Florida along with her husband, Matteo and their two daughters.