Meet the Members
Mrs. Laura Gallagher Byrne, Chair
Laura Gallagher Byrne is an award-winning musical theatre and educational director. She works with theatre performers of all ages and has taught and performed in musical theatre for over 25 years. She holds both a Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre, and a Masters of Education in Theatre. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre from Shenandoah University. As a director, Laura has helmed nearly seventy productions; among them are The Drowsy Chaperone, Brigadoon, Into the Woods, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Newsies, The King and I, Rounding Third, Oliver, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, The Pajama Game, and Legally Blonde. Her projects have won acclaim at festivals and competitions at the national level. Her teaching and directing philosophy is built upon the belief that theatre has the power to inspire, uplift and build community.
During her years as a private voice coach, Mrs. Byrne’s focus was a blending of classical vocal technique with the unique requirements of contemporary musical theater repertoire. Her roster of students and actors includes those currently performing on Broadway, in Broadway National Tours, film and television, and in regional equity and non-equity theaters.
Mrs. Byrne lives on Nantucket with her family, where she is an active community member, serving as Chair of the Nantucket School Board, the Nantucket Education Trust, as well as a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing, The League of Stage Directors And Choreographers Society, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and Alpha Phi Omega.
Term expires: 2027
Ms. Shantaw Bloise, Vice Chair
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
Mrs. Esmeralda Martinez, Secretary
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
Email: timschoolcommittee@gmail.com
Phone: 508-228-7280 x1150
Dr. Timothy Lepore
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
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: 2028