Our Leadership

Fort Worth STEAM Academy was built by people who believe in Fort Worth kids and have spent their careers proving what’s possible for them. Here’s the team behind the school.

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Founder & Superintendent

Nicholas Ditto is a mission-driven school leader with more than a decade of experience delivering strong academic results for students and families. Over the course of his career, he has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and founding principal—roles that have shaped his student-centered, results-oriented approach to leadership.

Prior to founding Fort Worth STEAM Academy, Nicholas served as the Founding Principal of IDEA Rise College Prep, a middle and high school in Fort Worth’s Las Vegas Trails neighborhood. Under his leadership, the school earned consecutive “A” ratings from the Texas Education Agency, was recognized as a U.S. News & World Report Best Middle School, and was the highest-performing middle school in the City of Fort Worth during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years.

Nicholas is currently the Founder & Superintendent of Fort Worth STEAM Academy, a tuition-free public charter middle school opening in August 2026. Built on rigorous academics, a safe and joyful learning environment, and individualized learning, Fort Worth STEAM Academy is designed to prepare students for long-term success in high school, college, and future careers.

Governing Board

Fort Worth STEAM Academy is governed by a board of dedicated professionals committed to our mission, financial health, and accountability to the families we serve.

Angelica Leveroni-Gomez
Angelica Leveroni-Gomez
Board Chair
Angelica is a Senior Program Officer at Schusterman Family Philanthropies, where she manages the teacher workforce portfolio. Her work is focused on expanding high-quality preparation routes and strengthening pathways into the profession for aspiring teachers, and on integrating strong attention to the needs of multilingual learners across the team's K12 education investments. Angelica holds a BA from the University of Michigan, an MPH from Harvard, and an MBA from UC Berkeley. She is a 2023 Latinos for Education Board Fellow, and serves on the board of Generation Teach.
Brian Quintero
Brian Quintero
Board Member
Brian is a Vice President in the Commercial Real Estate Loan Operations department at Goldman Sachs. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2016, Brian served as a Corps Member for Teach for America from 2012 to 2015 and as a combat medic in the US Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He deployed twice to Iraq for a total of 27 months and formed himself as a pragmatic problem solver. These experiences, combined with his military discipline and commitment to service, have significantly influenced his approach to strategic decision-making. Brian holds a BBA in International Business and Marketing from Texas Tech University and is currently pursuing a Data Science and Analytics certification from Southern Methodist University.
Eric C. Wilson
Eric C. Wilson
Board Treasurer
Eric Wilson is a Director at Your Part-Time Controller, LLC (YPTC) and leads the firm's Dallas/Fort Worth office. Eric draws on his nonprofit accounting expertise and passion for the nonprofit sector to ensure a standard of excellence in client service and deliverables. Eric is a licensed CPA and earned bachelor and master degrees in accounting from Texas Tech University. His public accounting experience includes audits of financial statements, Federal grant compliance (Uniform Guidance/A-133), and other compliance frameworks.
Jill Fox
Jill Fox
Board Secretary
Jill Fox is an accomplished nonprofit and operations leader with extensive experience spanning education, finance, legal services, and organizational management. Most recently, she served as Director of Operations at a Fort Worth nonprofit early childhood learning center. Earlier in her career, Jill held administrative and operations roles in the financial and legal sectors and also served as an award-winning third-grade educator. Jill holds a BA from Texas Christian University and a Master of Theological Studies from Brite Divinity School. She also earned the SHRM-CP credential and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Ruben Esqueda
Ruben Esqueda
Board Member
Ruben Esqueda is the Vice President of Development for Blue Ridge Atlantic, responsible for identifying opportunities for growth in new and existing markets. He manages all aspects of site selection, local government, community relations, due diligence, and design. Ruben has worked with both for-profit and non-profit firms in affordable and market-rate multifamily housing across several states. He received a Master's degree from Texas A&M in Land and Property Development and a BA in Real Estate from the University of North Texas.
TarNeisha Mukokov
TarNeisha Mukokov
Board Member
TarNeisha Mukoko is a proud Fort Worth native, life and resilience coach, educator, community leader, and devoted mom to her son, MJ. For over 20 years, she has dedicated her life to strengthening families, building confidence, and guiding others toward purpose and achievement. She brings deep community connection and leadership experience to Fort Worth STEAM Academy, helping to strengthen family engagement, expand partnerships, and ensure students have the support they need to thrive.
Dana Foughty
Dana Foughty
Board Member
Dana Foughty serves as Chief of Staff at YES Prep Public Schools, where she creates alignment across the executive team, leads board strategy and engagement, drives system-wide internal strategy through goal setting and progress monitoring, and supports the CEO on key strategic projects. Prior to this role, Dana served as Managing Director of Program and School Initiatives and Director of Program Initiatives at YES Prep. Earlier in her career, she served as Region Manager of Professional Development at Catapult Learning, District Coordinator of Professional Learning for Assessments at Fort Wayne Community Schools, a founding teacher and assistant principal at KIPP San Antonio, and a fifth-grade reading teacher in Edcouch-Elsa, Texas as a Teach For America corps member. Dana holds a Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership Studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University. Originally from Dallas, Dana now lives in Houston with her husband, two children, and their dog, Po.

Ready to Be Part of This?

Fort Worth STEAM Academy is enrolling 6th graders now for the 2026–27 school year. The school is tuition-FREE and applying takes less than 2 minutes.

Apply For 6th Grade
Apply For 6th Grade