Leadership Team
The NYFPS leadership team is comprised of individuals passionate about education and dedicated to ensuring that the organization is best positioned to achieve its greatest potential.
Steven Faiello
President
​Steven Faiello received his Bachelors of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He was an Engineer at Vanton Pump and Equipment Corp. and a Design Engineer with Innovative Solutions & Support. Steven is a Product Engineer at Specified Technologies Inc. and specializes in fire protection systems. He also has experience with engineering design of aircraft instruments and aviation products. Steven's STEM experience combined with over a decade of working with Future Problem Solving participants, brings a wealth of analytical and assessment capabilities to leading NYFPS' Evaluation team.
Dr. Hope Hirshorn
Vice President
Dr. Hope Hirshorn received a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College. She earned a MPA and an A.P.C. from New York University. Additionally, she holds a M.A., M.Phil, and Ph.D. from Fordham University. Hope serves on the Alumnae Board at Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, Connecticut. Hope and her husband currently reside in West Harrison, New York with their family. Previously, she was Vice President in the Underwriting Department of AMBAC Indemnity Corporation. Hope is passionate about education and expanding extracurricular program access to students.
Sarah H. Fiess
Executive Director
Sarah H. Fiess received her B.A. in English and Secondary Education from The College of New Jersey. She holds a M.A. in Teaching of English from Columbia University. She was the Director of Literacy of the Albany Charter School Network. Sarah is a School Outreach Coordinator at Tech Valley High School. She has over a decade of experience in the classroom teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies at both the middle and high school level. She has also taught Gifted & Talented on the middle school level. Sarah has extensive experience working with Future Problem Solving teams. Prior to stepping into the role of Executive Director, she was Evaluation Director at NYFPS.
Matt Boyas
Evaluation Director
Matt Boyas received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Social Science from Dartmouth College and a Master of Arts in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley. Matthew is a Principal Data Scientist for The MITRE Corporation’s Model-Based Analytics Department. He was previously a Business Analyst at ZS Associates. Outside of his professional life, Matthew is an amateur classical clarinetist who plays with orchestras and chamber music groups. An FPSPI Alumnus, he has been evaluating for the International Office and various Affiliate Programs since 2009. He also served on the FPSPI Board of Trustees from 2016 - 2023, including serving as the first alumnus President from 2021 - 2023.
Grace Hirshorn
Board Member
Grace Hirshorn received her Bachelors of Arts from Yale University. She was a Senior Consultant at Mercer Digital. Grace is a Principal Consultant at Mercer. She remains active and connected to her alma mater, Yale University, as an alumni interviewer. Grace has previous experience working as the Coordinator of Future Problem Solving Teams at Convent of the Sacred Heart Upper School in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Leslie Blaustein
Board Member
Leslie Blaustein holds a Master's degree in Education and an advanced certificate in Gifted & Talented Education from Hunter College, as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University. She is a teacher at PS 77 - The Lower Lab School and is an active participant of Lower Lab’s STEM committee. She also currently volunteers as a workshop reviewer for the National Association For Gifted Children. Leslie has over 20 years of experience teaching at both public and private schools including PS 112, PS 176, The Dalton School, 92nd Street Y Art Center, and Convent of the Sacred Heart School.