Administration

Chester Community Charter School is proud to have one of the state’s finest aggregations of teachers, staff and administrators, all of whom are dedicated to the school’s mission of empowering students as learners.

Meet Our Team:

Dr. David E. Clark Jr.
CEO

Dr. David Clark is the Chief Executive Officer of Chester Community Charter School. Previously, Dr. Clark served as the school’s Deputy Superintendent and prior to that he was the Director of Special Education Programs. Dr. Clark attended the University of Delaware and graduated from Antioch University where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services. He later went on to obtain a Masters Degree in Educational Studies from the University of Delaware, and his Doctorate from Wilmington University in Innovation and Educational Leadership. Dr. Clark entered the field of education over 25 years ago as a special education teacher in the Delaware public schools before becoming a school administrator in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Dr. Clark was a CEO of a charter school, former school principal, and assistant principal. At the request of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Dr. Clark has also served as a voluntary special education auditor.

Dr. Linda Portlock
Deputy Superintendent

Dr. Linda Portlock serves as the Deputy Superintendent for the Chester Community Charter School. She holds a doctorate degree from Temple University, a master’s degree from Penn State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Cheyney University. She has been with CCCS since September 2008 and enjoys the opportunity to see students and teachers engage in meaningful classroom activities and projects. Prior to being named Deputy Superintendent, Dr. Portlock was CCCS’s Assistant Superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Robert C. Olivo
Chief Financial Officer

Bob Olivo is the Chief Financial Officer of Chester Community Charter School. He graduated from Drexel University in 1981 with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He is a certified public accountant with twenty-five years of experience in public accounting. His public accounting experience included accounting, auditing, tax and consulting work. He is the former CFO of CSMI. Mr. Olivo was a shareholder with Mayer Hoffman McCann, P.C., a national certified public accounting firm and a director with CBIZ Accounting, Tax & Advisory, Inc. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials.

Sharon Beah-Watkins
Principal, East Campus Building D

Sharon Beah-Watkins is the Principal of Building D on the East Campus, which houses sixth through eighth grade classrooms. She has also served as grade director for seventh and eighth grades. Ms. Beah-Watkins has worked in the field of education for more than 28 years and holds a master's degree in educational leadership and curriculum instruction and a Bachelor of Science degree in education, both from Saint Joseph’s University. Beah-Watkins’ educational philosophy is, “the best gifts that you can give children is your time, and with that time, teach them how to use their minds well.”

Karlin Burks
Principal, East Campus Building B

Karlin Burks is the Principal of Building B on the East Campus, which houses second and third grade classrooms. She holds master’s degrees in Educational Leadership from Lehigh University and a Master’s of Education degree from Widener University. Ms. Burks joined the CCCS family in 2011.  Her favorite part of the day is greeting her students and encouraging them to have a positive and productive day.

Dr. Melvyn Burroughs
Principal, East Campus Building C

Dr. Melvyn Burroughs is the Principal of Building C on the East Campus, home to classrooms in grades fourth through sixth. He received his doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts, a master’s degree in education from Springfield College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Knoxville College. A member of the CCCS family since 2003, Burroughs says the best part of his day is the morning walk. As he walks through the building, he greets the students to prepare for the great day ahead.

Curtis Callands
Principal, West Campus Building C

Curtis Callands is Principal of Building C on the West Campus of CCCS. Mr. Callands previously served as the Assistant Principal of the Middle School on the West Campus. In that position, he was instrumental in organizing CCCS’s championship Heritage Bowl (African American History Trivial) Team. He is also a youth motivational speaker in the communities of Chester and Philadelphia. Before coming to CCCS, Mr. Callands’ professional career was entirely within the North Penn School District, Lansdale, Pennsylvania and the Devereux Institution, Eagleville, Pennsylvania. He held the positions of special education teacher, special education building supervisor, staff trainer of classroom management, and instructional administrator.  Mr. Callands joined the CCCS family in 2010.

Kwame Williams
Principal, West Campus Building A

Kwame Williams is the Principal of Building A, West Campus with students in Kindergarten, first and second grade.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Lincoln University (PA), a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Saint Joseph's University (PA) and is currently working on her doctorate from Saint Joseph's University in Educational Leadership.  Ms. Williams has been an educator for nineteen years and joined the CCCS family in 2011.  Ms. Williams' favorite part of the day is when she spends time visiting the classrooms.  She enjoys watching the teachers teach and seeing the children learn.
 

Christine Matijasich
Principal, East Campus Building A

Christine Matijasich is the Principal of Building A, East Campus, with students in kindergarten and first grade. She received her master’s degree from Neumann University and a Bachelor of Science degree from West Chester University. A member of the CCCS family for more than ten years, Matijasich’s favorite part of her day is when she sees her talented and dedicated teachers enrich the lives of her students. The enthusiasm of both teachers and students working together brightens her day.

Donald Odom
Principal, West Campus Building B

Donald Odom is the Principal of Building B on the West Campus, which is home to students in grades six through eight. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Delaware State University. Odom has been a member of the CCCS team since 2007 and he admits that his favorite part of the day is observing the students and teachers interacting with their academic content in the classroom.