Leadership Profiles

Our visionary founder, Janie C. Whitney, has diligently led Trey Whitfield School’s development for over three decades. The School has been blessed with her continued guidance and leadership that has helped it cultivate young minds into the movers and shakers of tomorrow. With A.B. Whitfield and the dynamic faculty and staff at the School, Ms. Whitney is well prepared and supported in her efforts to provide the finest private school instruction for urban children.

Janie C. Whitney, CEO & Founder, Trey Whitfield School

For more than 30 years, Janie C. Whitney has been a trailblazer in delivering the highest quality education for inner city children in New York. Being one of the foremost pioneers of early childhood education Ms. Whitney founded Bethlehem Academy in the East New York section of Brooklyn in 1983. The Academy was later renamed Trey Whitfield School, where she steadily galvanized her philosophy, “Love is Learning…Learning is Love.”  It has been and continues to be the norm for many graduates of Trey Whitfield School to achieve academic excellence, experience success in their careers and lead rewarding lives through Ms. Whitney’s approach.  In addition, she actively secures educational scholarships for inner city students to New England Prep Schools as well as to New York City Schools, continuing to build on their strong learning foundation. Over the years, this has caught the attention of leaders in education both locally and nationally where Trey Whitfield School has gained media attention and praise. 

In addition to being the Founder and CEO of Trey Whitfield School, she also co-founded and serves as President of the Trey Whitfield Foundation, Inc. The Foundation provides programs, resources and educational opportunities for deserving young people.  Ms. Whitney also serves as a Trustee of Eagle Hill School in Massachusetts, and was a former Trustee of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.

With her experience and influence in the education field, Ms. Whitney is well noted for her accomplishments and received numerous awards, citations and recognition:

• Outstanding Leadership in Education Award from the Women of Brooklyn Incorporated
• Excellence in Education Award, District 19 Community Superintendent of New York City Public Schools
• Outstanding Woman Award from the Girl Scouts of Bethlehem Baptist Church (first such award presented)
• Honoree, Transfiguration Education Association
• Achievement Award for Outstanding Distinguished Educator, 2004, presented by Pro-Am
• The Humanitarian Award, 2008, presented by the Jesse Banks Foundation
• Award recipient of Women of the Year, 2006, one of the first recipients of this award from the Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes where Ms. Whitney served as an ambassador
• About Face Award, 2008 – Women who have made an ongoing commitment to improving the lives in young people
• 2015 Nominee, New York Daily News Hometown Heroes in Education
• 2016 Sargent Shriver Award, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A
• 2016 Heart 21 Heart Honoree, Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation

Ms. Whitney was born in Cuthbert, Georgia.   She moved with her family to New York where she attended high school and then studied accounting at Long Island University.  Her career in the finance industry was lucrative, but her calling in life started to beckon. When she was Assistant Controller at Dowell & Company, she established a Day Care and After School program in Bushwick, New York to help working parents.  Eventually her humanitarian spirit drew her toward working more with people and helping them.  Ms. Whitney’s love for children was the driving force in helping her make a career change and inspired her to become involved in the field of education, where she continues to set a high benchmark of excellence.

Argle B. Whitfield (A.B.), COO & Co-Founder, Trey Whitfield School

Argle B. Whitfield (A.B.) was a highly accomplished scholastic and collegiate athlete.  He enjoyed a distinguished high school career at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, VA.  Inspired by his high school mentor and football coach, Horace Savage, Whitfield lettered in football and track and field.  He was a member of the 1961 VIA State Championship football team and the VIA State Champion discus thrower.  Whitfield went to star at Elizabeth City State University where he was a four-year starter on the Vikings’ football team, four-year star of track and field team and captain of the wrestling team.  Since he did not wrestle in high school, his excellence in this sport at the collegiate level is a testament to his intelligence and athleticism. 

Whitfield set a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) pass receiving record as a freshman and in 1964, as a senior, broker the then receiving record.  He was the first ECSU CIAA heavy weight wrestling champion.  Whitfield also was the CIAA discus champion for two years. In his junior year, he earned All-CIAA honors in football, wrestling, and track and field.  Whitfield also received All-American recognition in these sports.  He was selected as Elizabeth City State’s Most Outstanding Athlete in 1964 and 1965. Upon graduation, Whitfield played professional football with the Montreal Alouettes, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and the Denver Broncos.

Whitfield is one of the preeminent photojournalists of our times, he has chronicled the African American collegiate and professional athlete.  He is CEO of A.B. Whitfield Photo Productions, specializing in corporate sports and educational productions. His client roster has included the NBA, Hertz, United Negro College Fund, Colgate-Palmolive and the NCAA.  He is the author of the first 500-page book ever – “A Pictorial History of CIAA Professionals from 1950-1984”.

Whitfield is a Co-Founder and COO of the Trey Whitfield School in Brooklyn, New York.  He has over two decades of experience as an educator in New York City schools. Together with Co-Founder Janie C. Whitney, they have built the school from the ground up to be a beacon of high quality and affordable private school education in East New York, Brooklyn.  In addition, he is Founder and CEO of the Trey Whitfield Foundation which provides financial support for underserved young men and women of all ethnic backgrounds.  To date, the foundation has raised more than two million dollars for scholarships. 

He has received numerous awards for his humanitarianism and achievements in education.  He has been honored by the United Negro College Fund, Boys Club, Boy Scouts of America, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Dominic A. Murray 21 Memorial Foundation and the YMCA.  A.B. Whitfield has been inducted into the I.C. Norcom Hall of Fame, the Elizabeth City State University Hall of Fame and, in 2007, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Hall of Fame.