Mr. Les Baird

Chairman of the Board

Joined: 2010

CCA Parent

Senior Partner, Bain & Company

Les Baird is a Senior Partner at Bain & Company, a global management consultancy. He is the Global Head of Bain’s M&A and Divestitures practice. He is also a leader in the firm’s Advanced Manufacturing & Services and Healthcare practices. Les has more than 25 years of management consulting experience, working with clients on a range of projects including corporate strategy, growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, organization and performance improvement.

Les earned an MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a BA in Business Economics from Wheaton College, where he graduated cum laude. Les and his wife Esther live in Boxford with their two daughters Abby ’22 (currently attending Wheaton College) and Riley ’25 (beginning her freshman year at Wheaton College) who were both lifelong CCA students. Both Les and Esther are active in their local church, Netcast, where Les leads a small group and Esther helps lead Spiritual Formation. Esther is also a graduate of Wheaton College where she currently serves on the Board of Visitors.

Adam Rutledge

Vice-Chairman

Joined: 2025

CCA Parent

Partner, Rice, Heard & Bigelow

Adam Rutledge is a professional trustee and fiduciary, and a partner in the trust firm of Rice, Heard & Bigelow in Boston, which dates its history to 1782. Raised in an academic family in South Carolina, where his father was a Professor of Religion at Furman University, Adam graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English and Philosophy from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, where he played Division I varsity soccer in the ACC and was awarded the senior English department fellowship for his honors thesis work on the American poet James Merrill.

Following a year spent teaching English in a small mountain village in rural Japan, Adam received a master’s degree summa cum laude at Yale University in religion and literature under Professor Harold Bloom. He completed a doctorate in English Literature at Brandeis University, for which he focused on High Modernism and the history of the book, and during which time he wrote and served as editor of the internal catalogue of medieval and Renaissance manuscripts in the Boston Public Library.

After several years teaching at the collegiate level at Brandeis, Adam joined Rice, Heard & Bigelow and its associated registered investment advisory practice, Minot DeBlois Advisors, in 2010, and he became a shareholder and Director of the firm in 2021. Adam holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Boston. He holds a Certificate in Trust (Advanced) from the American Bankers Association Trust School and was selected as a member of the ABA’s 40 Under 40 in Wealth Management, class of 2022.

Adam has extensive board experience and has served in various capacities, notably including Treasurer and President of the Board, for numerous philanthropic, religious, academic, and arts & letters institutions in the greater Boston area. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Trustees of Donations to the Protestant Episcopal Church in Massachusetts, is President of the Board of the Sears Charitable Trust, is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Ralston College in Savannah, Georgia, and is President of the Board of the St. Botolph Club, a historic Arts & Letters social club in downtown Boston.

Adam and his wife Lea (nee Reynolds) live with their three children – John and Lucy, both students at CCA, and James, born in the spring of 2025 – on Larch Row in Wenham, Massachusetts, the same street on which Lea grew up, along with several prior generations of her family. Lea is a graduate of Milton Academy and Drew University and has a master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Policy from M.I.T. Following a decade consulting to the electric utility industry, Lea embarked on a new creative path in founding Lea Rutledge Textiles, which offers a line of boutique wallpapers and fabrics at showrooms across the U.S. as well as in Australia.

Dr. Chrystal Denmark Porter

Board Secretary

Joined: 2019

CCA Parent

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Athletics, Lasell University

Dr. Chrystal Denmark Porter [Ph.D., Ed.S., M.S.A., B.S., B.S.] is the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Athletics at Lasell University. As the Chief Academic Officer, Chrystal leads a restructured Academic Affairs team that places all academic and academic functions for undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies programs within a single division. Her responsibilities include the planning, development, administration, promotion, and evaluation of all curricular and co-curricular programs at the campus, as well as providing leadership in support of teaching and learning excellence. She also oversees all hiring, development, funding, and evaluation processes and activities related to University faculty. Chrystal joined Lasell in July 2020 as the Vice President of Graduate and Professional Studies and she was subsequently appointed Vice President for Enrollment & Marketing in June 2021. She has substantial experience in higher education including serving as an Associate Provost, Assistant Director of Graduate Admission, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admission, and Assistant Director of Retention while holding positions at Endicott College, North Central College, and Wiley College. She holds the rank of Professor and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sport marketing, sport finance, sport sales, social media marketing, and higher education leadership.

Dr. Porter is a life-long learner with the personal mission of helping people to make intentional decisions about their learning, teaching, and overall decision making. She is highly motivated to help students determine and achieve their educational goals, while working with administrators and faculty in creating the systems that produce successful learning environments. She also regularly encourages higher education educators and administrators to embrace emerging technology and social media as a means to enhance the learning experiences for their students.

In addition to her experience in higher education Dr. Porter has worked for the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, The Women’s Sports Foundation, The Bonham Sport Marketing Group, The Ohio University Athletic Department, and the Young Americans Bank. She is also the author of two books, “Collegiate Expectations” and “Studying Sports: How to Maximize Your Student Status as a Sport Management Student.”

Chrystal holds multiple degrees from Ohio University, Florida State University and Capella University. She resides in Beverly with her husband, Brian, and her daughters Maya ’23 (currently attending the Moore College of Art & Design in Pennsylvania) and Kai ’28, both of whom were lifelong CCA students.

Mrs. Kathy Azadian

Joined: 2019

Former CCA Parent, Dean of Students, Athletic Director

Director of Human Resources & Administration at Poly6 Technologies

For many in the CCA community, the name Kathy Azadian will be very familiar. For 18 years, Kathy faithfully served the Covenant community in the roles of Physical Education Instructor, Athletic Director, and Dean of Students. Kathy was a trusted member of the school’s administrative leadership team and, as such, was instrumental in helping to maintain consistency of our program through some challenging transitions. Kathy’s heart for students and the development of their Christian character was always forefront in everything she did, and as testament to this, Covenant re-named the Dean of Students award to be The Azadian Award. The Azadian Award recognizes four upper school students each year for humble service to the community and for demonstrating Christian character. After leaving CCA and taking a year-long break, Kathy returned to the workforce as the Director of Human Resources & Administration at Poly6 Technologies in Boston. Poly6 is an advanced materials and manufacturing company that enables businesses to advance function, efficiency, and quality in scaled manufacturing processes within biotechnology, aerospace, electronics, and other industries.

A graduate of Gordon College, Kathy has been married to her husband, Jeff, for 36 years. They have two adult daughters: Megan, a graduate of Gordon College, and Amanda, a graduate of Wheaton College. When Kathy isn’t cheering on the Cougars here at CCA, she can be found doing just about anything outdoors; walking the beach is a favorite. Mrs. Azadian and her husband are very involved at their church, First Presbyterian Church Northshore, in Ipswich.

Mr. Marcio DeJesus

Joined: 2022

CCA Parent

Founder and Broker-owner of MJ Mortgage Corporation

Marcio DeJesus is the founder and broker-owner of MJ Mortgage Corporation, a licensed mortgage brokerage company, servicing communities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Florida. Marcio has over 16 years of experience in the mortgage industry, and through the years, Marcio and his corporation have successfully originated thousands of real estate loans, assisting numerous families in achieving their dream of home ownership. As a top statewide producer for the past five years, Marcio has received several recognitions and awards, including one from Scotsman Guide. Most recently, Marcio was awarded exclusivity to the top 1% producing loan officers of the UWM network and was among the top 20 loan officers in the State of Massachusetts.

Additionally, Marcio serves as the Regional Director for Adhonep (International Christian Businessman Association), and has spoken and conducted seminars in countries all over the world, including Japan, Italy, Russia, Croatia, Lebanon, and Ukraine, among others. He is also a volunteer pastor at his local church and teaches theology. For 10 years the Dejesus family has supported Eglise Libre Lutherienne Ministries and Pastor Emmanuel in Burundi, Africa, enabling the construction of a church building with a capacity for 700 people, hoping to impact not only this generation, but generations of Christians to come.

Marcio studied Business Management at the State University of Ponta-Grossa, Parana, and at the Assemblies of God Theological School, both located in Brazil. He is an American-Brazilian citizen, who lives in Saugus, MA with his wife, Ina, an active member of the CCA Parent Connection and CCA substitute teacher. Marcio and Ina have three children, Noah ‘23 (currently attending Wheaton College), Nicolas ‘25 (beginning his freshman year at Wheaton College), and Chloe ‘29, who are all lifelong CCA students. The family are all outdoor enthusiasts and in their free time, they enjoy camping, traveling, offshore fishing, and water skiing.

Jim MacDonald

Joined: 2025

Former CCA USLR Principal & Faculty

 Retired

Jim MacDonald began his teaching career in 1974 in the Newton, MA public school system. After nine years in the classroom, he became Director of Administration and Marketing at American Leprosy Missions in Elmwood Park, New Jersey. Through a period of God-ordained events, he then joined the administration of Nyack College/Alliance Theological Seminary first as the chief fundraiser and later as the Treasurer, while also holding a position as a bi-vocational pastor of a small nondenominational church in Tomkins Cove, New York. Jim then served as CFO of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA and later at Gordon College from 1999-2009 where he also had opportunities to teach a variety of classes as an adjunct faculty member. Before joining the faculty of CCA in 2013, he served as CFO of Montserrat College of Art in Beverly.

As part of the faculty at CCA, “Mr. Mac” taught classes in Old Testament, New Testament, Church History, Introduction to Business, Financial Algebra and Algebra 1. He served as the Girl’s Varsity Basketball coach, and has also coached both soccer and basketball in the LS where his teams won three successive championships on the hardwood. Jim retired from Covenant in June 2024 after finishing his career as USLR Principal.

Jim holds three advanced degrees in addition to his undergraduate degree in History; an EdM from Boston University, a MBA from Bentley University, and a MACH from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Jim serves as an Elder at Byfield Parish Church and until recently was responsible for all Christian Education programming at the church. Joyce, his wife of 50 years, is actively involved in hospitality and caring ministries. Together they have 5 grown children and 10 grandchildren.

Dr. Stephen G. Machatha

Joined: 2025

CCA Parent

Chief Development Officer, Aldeyra Therapeutics, Inc. 

Stephen Machatha has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. He currently serves as the Chief Development Officer at Aldeyra Therapeutics Inc. There, he is responsible for drug discovery and manufacturing, translational science, clinical operations, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, and intellectual property.

Prior to joining Aldeyra, Dr. Machatha held scientific and product development roles of increasing responsibilities at Synageva Biopharmaceuticals, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, and CyDex Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Machatha played an instrumental role in the development and subsequent approvals of KANUMA® (sebelipase alfa), NEXTERONE® (Amiodarone HCL), Evomela® (High Dose Melphalan HCL), and SESQUIENT® (Fosphenytoin Sodium). Dr. Machatha attended the University of Arizona, where he received a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, an M.A. in Chemistry, and a B.Sc. in Chemistry.

Dr. Machatha currently serves on the board of directors at Bridges Homeward, formerly known as Cambridge Family and Children’s Services, whose mission is to provide high-quality support and advocacy for children, adults, and families, empowering them to build and sustain safe, permanent relationships while fostering individual growth.

Stephen lives in Wilmington with his wife, Hanna. They have three children: Natalia, Andrew (CCA rising 5th), and Ariana (CCA rising 3rd). Hanna co-leads the Parents in Prayer group at CCA. Stephen and his family are long-term volunteers of PEER Servants, an organization whose aim is to alleviate poverty through its global partners. They attend and serve at All People Church in North Reading.

Leslie Soria

Joined: 2025

CCA Parent

Home Educator

Leslie Soria, the mother of a recent CCA graduate, has years of project management experience in both the pharmaceutical industry and home education. Prior to her current role as a home educator, Leslie was employed by Roche Labs, working in the areas of sales, sales training, market analytics, marketing and sales management. Since 2009, Leslie has worked as a home educator gaining experience in designing and implementing effective education plans, transitioning her children to a hybrid learning environment within a University Model school structure, and successfully managing and coaching two of her children through collegiate dual enrollment programs and the college application process.

Additionally, Leslie currently serves at her church, Seven Mile Road (Melrose) within the Children’s Ministry Program and is a member of the Capital Campaign Committee at the Reading Food Pantry. In the past, Leslie has served with the Reading Council on Aging and as a member of CCA’s Parent Connection. She has also spent time participating in an ESL program with an Afghan refugee family.

Leslie studied English and Business Administration at Gordon College. Leslie and her husband, Chris live in Reading with their three children, Emily (a junior at Gordon College), Timothy ’24 (a sophomore at Texas A&M), and Tariku (a high school senior). Leslie and Chris enjoy hiking, spending time with family and friends and all things Acadia National Park.