The BASE Team
Steph Lewis
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.
Stephanie Monteiro-Merritt
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.
Jeff Paquette
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.
Lori DiPina
Chief Program Officer
Lori DiPina joined the BASE as the Boston Site Director in 2019, bringing over twenty-five years of experience in youth, family, and community development in nonprofit and state government. Lori was named Chief Program Officer in fall of 2022. In this capacity, she oversees all BASE programs and manages partnership development to ensure students have access to the wealth of college and career resources and opportunities in Greater Boston.
Cassidy Priester
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.
Franklin Shearer
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.
Andre John
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.
Sam Steeves
Assistant General Manager, Baseball
Sam is a Lead Instructor for our baseball program and the Head Coach for our 12U travel team. He is a BASE alum and former Boston Astros player, including the Astros team that won the Triple Crown National Championship in 2013. Sam attended Franklin Pierce University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Master’s in Business Administration & Leadership. After a brief stint in independent professional baseball, he returned to The BASE to help teach the game to our student-athletes.
Larry Merritt
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.
Lissi Abreu
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.
Jessica Lambert
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.
Alex Richardson
Career Development Manager
Alex joined The BASE as Career Development Manager in late 2023. He is a proud alumnus of The BASE (2013-2015) and the Boston Astros (2010-2013) and is eager to share his experiences from college and the professional world with our student-athletes as he supports their growth and career aspirations.
Prior to joining The BASE, Alex served as the Program Manager of Advanced Leadership Development for Project 351, where he managed all aspects of Alumni programming. Before Project 351, Alex spent two years with the Pawtucket Red Sox (2019-2021) and played an integral role in helping the club relocate in 2021 to Worcester, MA. There, he served as the Director of Baseball and Game Day Operations from 2021-2023 for the Worcester Red Sox, Triple-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.
Alex graduated from Assumption College in 2019, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology while being a three-year starter on the varsity baseball team.
Sports Instructors
Luis Atiles
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.
Brownyy Polanco
Welcome Desk Associate, Softball Instructor
Brownyy is a BASE alumnus and softball coach, and she joined the Team as part-time Welcome Desk Associate in 2023.
Patrick Bridge
Basketball Instructor
Patrick has been with BASE Hoopz since its launch. He graduated from Bentley University with a degree in Marketing. He serves as a head coach, assistant coach, and instructor/trainer for both girls and boys basketball programs. He believes strongly in providing equal opportunity to ensure all players can grow and succeed academically, socially/emotionally, and athletically.
Grady Milton
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.
Chuck Bilikas
Softball Instructor
Chuck Bilikas has been a Softball Instructor and coach with The BASE since 2015, with a break from 2017-2019. Chuck is a former softball pitcher himself and believes in the importance of sports to promote success for girls and young women, as well as boys and young men. He brings decades of experience to the field and teaches the finer points of the game, as well as coaching the physical skills to build successful players.
KeMauree Williams
Basketball Instructor
KeMauree is a basketball coach and instructor at the The BASE, and also supports our STEM programs. An athlete and an artist, Ke’Mauree is also a musician and producer. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Thomas College.
Fred Soriano
Baseball Instructor
Fred is a Baseball Instructor and also a former BASE parent. He joined us as an Instructor in 2021 and was also an instructor and coach for the Boston Astros for several years. Fred’s son was a member of The BASE and played baseball with us from 2018-2021.
Spencer McCaffrey
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.