Our Team
Christine Zuppa, M.Ed
Co-Founder
Christine is an experienced educator with a wide range of experience in both private and public school settings with a focus in special education. She is passionate about equipping educators with knowledge & confidence to create engaging & welcoming classrooms. She brings her conscientious & ambitious mindset to the MTG team.
Education Journey:
Christine completed her Bachelor of Science with a degree in business management & marketing and has experience in the non-profit & corporate sector. She then earned her Master of Education in Special Education with dual licensure to teach Students with Moderate Disabilities 5 – 12 & Students with Severe Disabilities (all levels).
Classroom Experience:
Since 2010, Christine has taught in every grade in K-12 in various different roles including: co-teacher in a general education classroom, small group instructor focused on IEP goals & vocational skills instructor for high school students. Her passions center around creating meaningful experiences for all learners through accommodations & modifications to the curriculum in the classroom.
Beyond the Classroom:
Additionally, Christine has specialized in working with 1st year teachers through mentoring, supervising student teachers & instructing at the college level.
Currently, Christine works as a professor with undergraduate teachers in training and in the field. She is a a trained executive function coach & assists individuals in various EF capacities including time management, planning & organizing. For the past 4 years, Christine has been working with undergraduate and graduate students to provide MTEL support in tutoring & workshops.
Connecting it All:
Christine is committed to making an impact in the education world through combining all of the skills she has learned in various roles over the years. She believes in the importance of supporting educators in all stages of their career, and has honed her skills beyond content delivery to find the perfect balance of advocacy. She is driven to reach as many teachers & students as possible to remind them of their intrinsic strengths to create transformative trends in the classroom & beyond.
Georgia O'Keefe, M.Ed
Co-Founder
Georgia is a seasoned educator with over a decade of expertise. The bulk of Georgia’s work in K-12 revolved around early childhood education and new teacher mentoring. She brings her love for writing and creating, as well as her strong attention to detail and passion for helping others create more joy in their lives to the MTG team.
Education Journey:
Georgia has a Bachelors of Psychology with a Specialization in Developmental Disabilities, a Masters of Education in Early Childhood, and a Certification in Teaching English as a Second Language. Since 2010, Georgia has had a variety of roles in the education world. From ABA teacher, to Special Education 1:1, to lead Pre-K teacher in a public school, Georgia’s expertise lies in working with the youngest students to provide a classroom environment that fosters joy, independence, and a love of learning. Additionally, Georgia has a passion for mentoring new and aspiring teachers, and assisting educators of all levels with designing curriculum, digital resources and materials for students, parents, and colleagues, and organizing their classrooms, workflow, and habits.
Beyond the Classroom:
The qualities that make Georgia an excellent educator have translated into her work with edupreneurs and small business owners where she not only designs websites and digital marketing materials, but teaches individuals to organize and streamline processes and use time saving tools and templates.
Connecting it All:
Alongside Christine, Georgia has helped to create a space for educators to share their stories and explore success metrics in the modern classroom and beyond. Handling outreach, website design, and content creation, Georgia has taken her love of the classroom and of entrepreneurship to help cultivate a platform for meaningful discussions on education’s evolving landscape.
Georgia is dedicated to supporting educators at any stage of their journey, providing guidance, resources, and a personalized approach to achieving their goals. While she strongly believes one’s definition of success is meant to evolve over time, she knows that aspiring teachers and new teachers deserve personalized support and guidance to get licensed and feel supported and empowered in the classroom.
Kristen Flannery, Collaborative Partner
Kristen is the founder and CEO of L&F Educational Associates, LLC. She is a professionally licensed educator in Special Education grades PreK-12 and Elementary Education 1-6. Kristen dedicated over 10 years to the public education system before transitioning into an Educational Leadership role focusing on academic and social-emotional equity for all students. Kristen founded L&F Educational Associates, LLC to help support children, families, and districts on a much deeper level. Kristen has had a passion for Consulting and Advocating since she entered the industry. Her goal is to be able to positively impact the world of education, giving all children an equal opportunity to achieve success.
LaQuita Larkin, Collaborative Partner
Eddie Hamilton, Collaborative Partner
Eddie Hamilton, from Shreveport, Louisiana, is a distinguished basketball coach and educator. He graduated with honors from Booker T. Washington High School in 1998, earned a Bachelor’s in Physical Education and Health from Northwestern State University in 2003, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Louisiana State University in Shreveport in 2019.
Eddie’s coaching career is marked by numerous district championships and accolades, including multiple District Coach of the Year awards and the Louisiana Motor Coach of the Month Award. Since 2023, he has been a key member of Centenary College of Louisiana’s coaching staff.
Eddie advocates for balancing coaching with personal well-being, helping coaches find joy in their work while maintaining family life.
Connect with him on social media: @eddiejhamilton.
For speaking engagements, contact [email protected].
Subscribe to his YouTube channel for more insights: youtube.com/eddiejhamilton
Locha Brooks, Collaborative Partner
“Helping Educators Soar”
Locha Brooks is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and now residing in the great state of Texas in the DFW area. She is the founder and CEO of 1st Class Educator, LLC – one of the leading school consulting firms providing staff development and assistance to educational organizations.
Ms. Brooks has a passion for promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access which is shown throughout her organization’s commitments. With the help of her 1st Class Educator team, they continue to lead professional development initiatives on various topics such as cultural competency training, behavioral intervention and support, classroom management, beginning teacher assistance and much more. Ms. Brooks continues to work nationally within the United States and globally in the United Kingdom and in Africa.
Ms. Brooks proudly graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with a focus in English content from the HBCU Harris-Stowe State University and secured a position as a high school English Language Arts instructor. She then received a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Lindenwood University located in St. Charles, Missouri and continued on to complete post-graduate work at Harvard University in the Women in Educational Leadership program. Ms. Brooks is a dedicated member of several professional education organizations including NABSE, TABSE, SWABSE, NEA Black Caucus, and ILA.
Ms. Brooks is the proud mother of two wonderful boys, Pharaoh and Sire. When she is not helping educators and future entrepreneurs perfect their craft, you’ll find her spending time with her children and traveling the world.
The goal of 1st Class Educator is to transform, enhance and create Educational Systems Globally to advance our society and Empower Educators with strategies on how to increase their impact and income. Connect with Locha:
www.SchoolConsultantAccelerator.com
www.linkedin.com/in/locha-brooks-68a82096/
www.instagram.com/lochapowermoves/
CONTACT US
We'd love to hear from you.
Boston, MA
781.334.8698