The BASE Team

President & CEO

Steph Lewis was named President & CEO of The BASE on October 4th, 2022. Steph is the longest tenured member of the BASE staff, serving with the organization since its founding in 2013. He started out as an intern before becoming a baseball instructor and coach. Most recently he served as General Manager for Baseball & Softball Operations, overseeing operations and programming for both sports. After a competitive search process, the BASE Board of Directors selected Steph to serve as President & CEO, to lead the organization and carry on the culture of excellence established by his father, BASE Founder, Robert Lewis Jr.

slewis@thebase.org

Chief Organization Officer

Stephanie joined The BASE in 2018 as the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives & Engagement and, in 2019, became the Chief Organization Officer to lead the integration and ongoing growth of the organization. She brings over 25 years of experience in executive administration, management and operations in a range of sectors. She is a passionate leader committed to ensuring that access and opportunity for urban youth is a right, not a privilege.

smerritt@thebase.org

Chief Financial Officer

Jeff has been with The BASE since 2015, and has worked in different contexts with Robert Lewis, Jr. for the last two decades. As Chief Financial Officer, Jeff manages all BASE finances, overseeing our growth and ensuring we sustain a solid financial foundation from year-to-year and into the future.

jpaquette@thebase.org

Director of Development

Cassidy is a longtime fan and member of The BASE. She first joined the team in 2019 to support fundraising, and then transitioned to the program team. Today, Cassidy is the Director of Development, overseeing all fundraising and donor engagement activities. She is passionate about connecting business leaders and donors to our community and creating opportunities for them to experience the limitless potential of our urban young people.

cpriester@thebase.org

Director of Communications & External Affairs

Franklin joined The BASE in 2021, bringing a background in youth programs, education, philanthropy, and communications. In his role, he oversees external communications and supports partnerships and strategic initiatives.

fshearer@thebase.org

General Manager, Basketball

Andre joined The BASE in 2019, after serving as Executive Director of MA Youth Committed to Winning (MYCW), a youth development program centered on basketball and academics. MYCW merged with The BASE with the launching of BASE HOOPZ. As the GM for Basketball, Dre coordinates resources and logistical details for boys and girls HOOPZ teams, and ensures players get the support they need on and off the court, emphasizing academics and social-emotional development.

ajohn@thebase.org

Director of Basketball Operations

Larry was the Founder & CEO of Merritting Attention Basketball Club (MABC) since 1997, before joining The BASE in 2019. He was a star player at both the high school and collegiate level, and has since been committed to serving as a coach and mentor throughout the community. Larry has supported the growth and success of BASE HOOPZ, working to ensure we provide quality coaching and instruction, while upholding high standards for players’ academic performance and personal growth.

lmerritt@thebase.org

Office Manager & Administrator

Lissi joined The BASE in late 2018, bringing over 18 years of customer service and office administrative experience. In her role at The BASE, she assists with day-to-day management of the office and welcomes youth, families, and guests into our space, ensuring we maintain a professional and welcoming environment.

labreu@thebase.org 

Development & Government Relations Manager

Jessica first joined The BASE in 2019, supporting our fundraising and development activities. After transitioning to work in public education administration for two years, she rejoined The BASE in 2022 as our Development & Government Relations Manager. In this new role, Jessica supports all fundraising and donor/partner engagement activities, including engagement of public officials. She is passionate about connecting our elected representatives and donors to our community and expanding access to opportunity for urban youth.

jlambert@thebase.org

Health & Wellness Manager

Patrick was named the BASE Health & Wellness Manager in November 2024. He first came to The BASE as a volunteer coach for the Hoopz program at its inception in 2019.  Since then, he has served as a head coach for our basketball program, a part-time basketball instructor to support player training and development and has headed up our strength & conditioning program for all sports.  He is passionate about providing equal opportunities for our student-athletes and to ensure all players can grow and succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and athletically. Patrick graduated from Bentley University with a degree in Marketing. Prior to The BASE, he worked with technology startups to help boost their sales and client retention.

Program Associate

Brandon became a Program Associate at The BASE in 2024, leading our East Boston High School satellite program. He also serves as a baseball instructor and head coach of the BASE 16U team. Brandon is a proud BASE alumnus, having joined in 2016 as a sophomore in high school. He went on to attend Eastern Nazarene College, where he played baseball for four years and graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management. Brandon enjoys assisting young people in striving for their goals and brings incredible energy and positivity to his work with our student-athletes, in the classroom at East Boston High School and on the field.

Baseball Instructor

Luis has been an instructor with The BASE at various levels since 2015. An Astros/BASE alum and talented infielder, Luis played baseball with us from 2013-2016, playing on our two USA National Championship teams in 2013 and 2015. He went on to earn a Bachelors degree in Sports Management at New England College, where he played on the baseball team for 4 years, before transferring to Lenore-Rhyne University and graduating with a Masters degree in Studies of Leadership.

After college, Luis has played professional baseball and continued to come back to The BASE to train our student-athletes. His professional stops include the USPBL in Detroit, the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds (SC), and the NY Empire State Greys in the Frontier League.
He’s currently an infielder for the New England Knockouts in the Frontier MLB Partner League (2024). In addition to The BASE and pro baseball, Luis serves as a Dean of Students in Boston Public Schools.

Softball Instructor

Brownyy is a BASE alumnus and softball coach, and she joined the Team as part-time Welcome Desk Associate in 2023.

bpolanco@thebase.org

Basketball Instructor

Grady coaches the BASE Hoopz 11U and 12U boys basketball teams, and serves as an instructor for our boys basketball program across age groups. He is also the primary strength & conditioning coach for the program.

Baseball Instructor

Spencer joined The BASE in 2022, bringing over 10 years of baseball coaching experience. He has played baseball for 20 years and won the MVP award in MA Baseball Coaches Association MA vs. CT All Star Game as a player. Spencer works with players of all ages, served as coach for the 2023 13U spring team, and also pitches in with support for the BASE softball program.