About Noble Education Initiative

Sherry is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Noble Education Initiative (NEI). Sherry has dedicated her working career to the success of students and teachers throughout the United States. Right after graduating from the University of Miami with her bachelor’s degree in music, she began her teaching career with the Broward County school system in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After obtaining her master’s degree in education policy and planning from The University of Maryland, she returned to Florida to teach and serve as an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University. As her career progressed she would rise to become a Curriculum Specialist for the Broward County Schools’ district office. During her tenure at one of the largest education management companies in the United States, Sherry served as the Vice President of Education before being promoted to Chief Academic Officer. As the company’s CAO, Sherry was responsible for both the academic and operational functions of the company’s 84 schools. While she has proven her ability to lead large and diverse teams, deliver excellent results, and effectively scale the growth and development of programs, Sherry’s passion revolves around setting children up to reach their dreams.

Richard Page is President for the Noble Education Initiative.  As President, Richard works closely with the CEO in developing and executing the organization’s strategic plan and has primary responsibility for financial management, business development, external relations, and operational performance of the organization.  Prior to joining NEI, he was CEO of Apple Montessori Schools where he oversaw the largest network of private Montessori schools in the nation.  Richard also brings over a decade of senior executive experience as a leader in creating and operating charter schools throughout the US.    Richard received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics from Florida State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Dr. Corbet Wilson serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Noble Education Initiative. As COO, Corbet supports the CEO and President with strategic planning, financial and grant management, business development, and operations leadership and oversight. Corbet has over 20 years of administrative experience in the public and private sector in the areas of charter school management, education, training, and finance. During his career, Corbet has served in the roles of Assistant Vice President for a major bank, Director of Customer Training for a software company, and prior to joining NEI as Senior Vice President for a large Charter School Management company where he focused on school accountability and strategic growth. Corbet received his bachelor’s degree from Graceland University, his master’s from Northwest Missouri State University, and his doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Eve Carney is the Executive Vice President for NEI Tennessee and oversees NEI’s portfolio of schools within the state. Prior to joining NEI, Dr. Carney served as the deputy commissioner at the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), where she oversaw divisions focused on school choice; assessment and accountability; school turnaround initiatives; and the Achievement School District. She has more than 20 years of experience in K-12 education, both in the classroom and in roles supporting local school districts. Carney joined TDOE in 2008 and administered federal education grants, including those under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In addition, Carney served as the state’s lead in developing Tennessee’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan. Prior to TDOE, Carney was an English teacher and worked in finance and accounting in the private sector. She holds a doctorate in learning organizations and strategic change from Lipscomb University; a master’s in curriculum and instruction from the University of Tennessee; and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University.

Eric Lewis currently serves as the NEI Sr. Director of Human Resources, Risk Management, and Compliance.  He is an accomplished educator with over 20 years of experience in school leadership.  Eric began his career by serving churches in youth ministry and transitioned into education as an elementary teacher.  Eric later served in school leadership roles in high-performing public charter schools, from Assistant Principal to Principal for over 10 years.  

Eric’s role with NEI began as State Director for Indiana, leading 4 traditional public schools, three of which were under the authority of the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) and designated as turnaround schools.  The Indiana SBOE took over these perpetually failing public schools after no less than 6 consecutive years of “F” grades on the Indiana School Accountability System.  NEI led all 3 failing turnaround schools to achieve a school grade of a “C” while leading an elementary school designated as an Innovation Network school authorized by Indianapolis Public Schools to consecutive “A” grades. Previously, as State Director for NEI Tennessee, Eric oversaw a state team that supported 3 public charter schools in Nashville and directed statewide efforts to lead educational opportunities for families as public charter schools, private schools, and early learning centers.  

Eric received his bachelor’s degree in Church Ministry and Counseling from Southeastern University (Lakeland, FL), his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University, and is pursuing a Doctor of Education degree from the University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, KY).

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Julie Alm is the Director of Educator Preparation. NEPP is a comprehensive, multi-faceted new teacher experience, designed to deliver developing educators asynchronously online courses in tandem with individualized mentoring and coaching. Julie has a passion for equipping teachers with pedagogical and best practices and inspiring educators to provide the ultimate learning environment for students. This passion is what led her to join the NEI team. She brings over 25 years of experience as an education professional. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education with a minor in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University. Julie is a recognized innovator who has developed and implemented programs yielding high student achievement and significant learner growth. She has served as a classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, program developer, and principal liaison. She was the principal of one of the highest performing K – 8 combination schools, in Florida, for the past sixteen years. She has presented online and at conferences on topics including enhancing school culture, innovative classroom management, growing teacher leaders, developing a growth mindset, response to intervention, and effective use of data to drive instructional practice. Julie empowers educators to meet the needs of the "Whole Child" while maintaining academic rigor and an invigorating school culture.

Matt Herriman serves as the Director of External Affairs and Development for Noble EducationInitiative (NEI), where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s strategic direction in political and government relations, as well as spearheading its business development and management efforts. His extensive background in politics, real estate, and community service, combined with a profound commitment to education, makes him uniquely qualified to drive NEI’s mission forward.

Growing up in the immersive world of a family-owned real estate and auction company, Matt developed a keen understanding of the complexities of property management and development from an early age, under the guidance of his grandfather—a respected community leader and advocate for civic engagement. This early exposure not only fostered Matt’s entrepreneurial spirit but also instilled him with a deep sense of responsibility towards community development and involvement.Matt’s professional journey is distinguished by significant achievements in the political arena, where he has demonstrated exceptional strategic planning, communication, and leadership skills. Matt has a proven track record of influencing public policy and engaging in effective government relations. His transition to Noble Education Initiative is marked by a desire to leverage this expertise to enhance educational opportunities and outcomes. In his current role, Matt is dedicated to advancing NEI’s vision by navigating the intersection of education and policy, ensuring that the organization’s efforts in establishing and managing educational institutions are supported by a robust and favorable political framework. His work involves fostering meaningful relationships with stakeholders, policymakers, and community leaders to promote NEI’s innovative educational models and secure the resources necessary for their success.

A WestTennessee native, Matt is deeply rooted in values of faith, family, community, and hard work—principles that guide his approach to his role at NEI. He is passionate about creating positive change in the educational landscape, believing that every child deserves access to quality education that equips them for success. Matt resides in Murfreesboro with his wife Morgan and their three children, where he continues to be an active member of the community, committed to making a difference in the lives of future generations.

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Jessica Mercadante is the Director of Professional Development and Training at NEI. Her passion for growing teacher and leadership capacity in others brought her to Noble Education Initiative in 2018 as a Professional Development and Training Manager. Jessica brings extensive experience in teaching curriculum, coaching instructional staff, and creating professional development for various stakeholders.

Under Jessica’s leadership, NEI has grown its national professional development presence hosting two national education conferences, multiple one-day Impact events, serving 1000s of educators and bringing in world renown speakers such as Ron Clark, Nick Vujicic and Dr. Rick Rigsby. She has also developed many training programs for new teachers, school leaders and in the area of social-emotional learning.

Over the past 10 years, Jessica has served as a professional educator in many different capacities. She began her career as an elementary teacher at Gateway Charter School in Fort Myers, FL before moving into instructional coaching roles such as curriculum resource teacher and curriculum specialist serving multiple schools in the West Florida area. Prior to joining NEI, Jessica served as assistant principal at Collier Charter Academy in Naples, FL.

Jessica holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from American College of Education and received her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

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Mehmet Acar is an Instructional Designer for Noble Education Initiative (NEI). He is responsible for designing instructional management systems and using different tools to make online courses interactive. His creations include custom designs and graphics and animation videos to support learning items. Mehmet is well-versed in different learning management systems (LMS), includingCanvas, Blackboard, Schoology, TalentLMS and Edmentum.

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Prior to joining NEI, Mehmet worked as a middle school math teacher in Turkey. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics Education from Firat University, Turkey, and earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from Touro College, NY. In addition, Mehmet has Google IT Support Professional Certificate. Mehmet has successfully completed projects in both Turkey and the United States. He served as a designer of Nick Vujicic’s Attitude is Altitude Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum for Grades K –12.

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Carlos Reyna is the Data Analyst and the computer programmer for Noble Education Initiative (NEI) . Carlos has over 15 years of data analyst experience and more than 20 years of computer programming experience. He also served for 9 years as a MDCPS high school Math teacher.

He served as a data analyst for MDCP and provided summarized, transformed  and visualized the data for all administrators of all Miami-Dade county Public Schools. He started with the implementation the Power Bi reporting system for all MDCPS.

Carlos earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and has taken various computer science courses for over 15 years.