- Nantucket Public Schools
- Get to know our School Committee

Phone: 508-228-7280 x1150
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Dr. Timothy Lepore, Chair
Dr. Timothy Lepore moved to Nantucket in January 1983 with his wife Cathy and their three children Meredith, TJ and Nicholas. Dr. Lepore has serviced the Nantucket School Committee for the past almost 30 years. He graduated from Harvard College in 1966 and Tufts School of Medicine in 1970. Dr. Lepore has been the School Physician for over 29 years attending almost every Whaler football game, both on island and off, during this time.
Dr. Lepore's interests include flintnapping and falconry and he is an avid runner, completing, not competing, in the past 44 consecutive Boston Marathons. His idea of relaxation is catching up on his professional reading and a variety of non-fiction books. "Island Practice" a non-fiction work highlighting Dr. Lepore's work on the island was published the Summer of 2012.
Term expires: 2026

Phone: 508-228-7285 x1150
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Laura Gallagher Byrne, Vice Chair
As Director of Theatre and Education at The Nantucket Dreamland, Laura directs the artistic season of live theatre for youth and families. She created the Dreamland Stage Company’s Educational Outreach Program which seeks to bring vibrant, relevant theatre to our schools and community. Prior to joining the Dreamland, Laura taught for twelve years, Chorus & Theatre at Nantucket's Cyrus Peirce Middle School and directed musical theatre productions at both CPS and NHS. She is a graduate of Shenandoah University, Conservatory of Music, Emerson College and has worked as an actor and director throughout the US, and has participated in both teaching and acting intensives including Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, Lincoln Center Theatre Education in New York City, and American Alliance for Theatre in Education.
She recently taught her webinar series entitled, “Active Empathy” for The Educational Theatre Association. Laura served on the panel to rewrite The Massachusetts Frameworks for Theatre, and is a recipient of The 2011 Advocacy for Children Award. Laura states she is honored to join the Nantucket School Committee. I am committed to supporting the social and emotional health and wellbeing of our students as we prepare this next generation for lives filled with hope, meaning, and purpose.
Term expires: 2027
Martinez

Phone: 508-228-7280 x1150
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mrs. Esmeralda Martinez
Mrs. Esmeralda Martinez chose to run for school committee to be “A New Voice for Nantucket”. As a mother of three, two of whom attend the Nantucket Public Schools, education is a priority to me. I want to ensure all students capitalize on Nantucket’s promise of both excellence and equity in their education. I want to be an advocate, a voice for our community. I want to build trust and collaboration across and within the schools and community at large. I want to promote advocacy for families and students with EIP’s, strengthen any existing anti-bullying programs, and plan towards COVID- recovery (socially, emotionally, and academically) for families and students.
Term expires: 2027

Phone: 508-228-7280 x1150
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Ms. Shantaw Bloise, Secretary
As a member of the 2009 Nantucket High School Class, Shantaw knows firsthand what it means to walk through the Hall of Whales with Whaler Pride. As a student in the Nantucket Public Schools, she recognized the importance of representation in not just the student body and faculty, but also on the School Committee. It is with that in mind, and becoming a mother of a future Whaler, that fueled her run for School Committee. Shantaw currently serves as the Director of Culture & Tourism for the Town of Nantucket. Prior to this, she held positions in many local non-profit organizations on the island and currently serves on a number of boards that seek to offer housing, educational, and counseling assistance to local families.
Term expires: 2026

Phone: 508-228-7280 x.1150
Email:
Degrees and Certifications:
Mr. Vincent Murphy
Vincent Murphy is an ecologist from Cork, Ireland and lived in several countries and parts of the U.S.
before settling on Nantucket with his wife, and they now have a young family with children in the school
system. Vincent early work was in wildlife management and has been involved in projects in Ireland,
Britain, The Netherlands, Finland, Arizona and now Nantucket. He gained a B.Sc in Wildlife Management
and Conservation Biology from the University of Portsmouth, U.K., and later was awarded an M.Sc in
Ecosystem Conservation and Landscape Management from University College Cork. Early in his carrier,
he assisted in reintroducing White-tailed sea eagles to southwest Ireland and tracking the released
bird’s movement. This gateway project gave him entry into several other avian monitoring and
conservation projects, including working on an Elf owl conservation project in Southern Arizona. For 7
years Vincent worked as an environmental consultant in Ireland, which involved surveying for sensitive
habitats and species prior to site developments as part of the planning and development laws regulated
by European (E.U.) directives and Irish law. In his spare time, Vincent is also pursuing a PhD through
University College Cork that investigates deer damage to commercial forest plantations. This research
has also yielded publications and he has lectured in several universities.
Vincent Murphy joined the Natural Resources Department in February 2018 as the Protected species
monitor / Assistant shellfish warden. Following this, he worked as the Coastal Resilience Coordinator
working to protect Nantucket’s from erosion, coastal flooding and prepare for sea level rise. In 2022 he
became the Sustainability Manger for the Town, in ever increasing ways to make Nantucket a better
place to live.
Term expires: 2025