Meet the Team

List of 4 items.

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  Candida Silva

  International Admission Officer
  Maria Silva ’20 and Pedro Silva ’23
  Contact Candida
  (305) 779-7274
  
  Candida became an International Admission Officer in 2015. Her family has been part of the Miami Country Day community since 2011. She began working in Admissions in 2012 as an Admission Associate supporting all divisions. As an International Admission Officer she is the main contact for international students and families as they inquire about the school’s programs and community. Candida is originally from Brazil, where she graduated law school in 2001. She speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish. She is passionate about working in a school that values the whole child education. Her favorite quote: “To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater” – Bono. She lives in Miami with her husband, a daughter, a son and her lovely dog. She enjoys traveling with her family and outdoor activities.
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  Michelle Farina

  Lower School Admission Officer
  Max Ruskowski '23
  Contact Michelle
  (305) 779-7276
  
  Michelle Farina is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and holds a BA in Telecommunications and Business Administration. Originally from Naples, Italy she grew up in both Italy and Uruguay. She brings over 20 years of marketing, event planning and public relations experience with both fortune 500 companies and small businesses. She has lived in Chicago and Indianapolis. She is fluent in English, Italian and Spanish. Prior to joining Miami Country Day, she was the director of an art gallery in Wynwood and coordinated several high profile events for Art Basel, Art Wynwood as well as fundraisers for the Humane Society, Toys for Tots and ReachingU. Michelle and her husband Nick, along with their son Max have been part of the Miami Country Day community since 2013.
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  Vanessa Macadam

  Admission and Financial Aid Officer
  Contact Vanessa
  (305) 779-7289
  
  Vanessa has been a member of the Miami Country Day School community since 2007. Growing in up in the Miami Shores area and attending St. Rose of Lima School and Madonna Academy, now Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, she is a native to the area. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. At MCDS, she began her career as the Admission Coordinator and branched off to Data Processing Coordinator in 2013. In 2015, she rejoined the Admission Department as the Admission and Financial Aid Officer and loves helping prospective families through the Admission and Financial Aid process. Prior to joining MCDS, she was the Assistant to the Director at a local non-profit art gallery. Vanessa has lived in Akron, Ohio and has spent time in Winthrop, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Vanessa lives happily with her dog Lola and enjoys traveling whenever possible.  
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  Ingrid Palmisano

  Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
  Gaby Palmisano ’18 and Hannah Palmisano ’17
  Contact Ingrid
  (305) 779-7202
  

  
  

  Creating meaningful connections with people is Ingrid's passion. Having been a professional therapist and a restaurant business owner in years past, she brings both financial knowledge and exceptional interpersonal skills to her work at Miami Country Day School. Ingrid is a member of the Educational Records Bureau advisory board, serves as a mentor to other admission professionals through the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals, and has most recently helped create content for master’s level certification exams for the field of admissions and financial aid.  In 2017, she completed a certification in Enrollment Management through the University of Southern California. Ingrid and her husband have raised their two girls Gabriella ’18 and Hannah ’19 in the Miami Country Day community. Volunteering at Miami Country Day as a parent back in 2005, Ingrid became a resource for the admissions office and began formally working for the school in 2008.