Reaching Higher Haverford Township School District Education Foundation a non-profit organization PO Box 788, Havertown PA 19083 (610) 853-5900 ext. 4555        info@haverfordedfoundation.org          United Way Donor Code: 16281

Our Mission: To cultivate innovative learning opportunities that inspire and motivate Haverford Township students
Board of Directors

President: Ellen T. Fisher As president of the board, Ellen Fisher contributes her considerable talents as a business entrepreneur. Ellen is founder of Women's Yellow Pages of Greater Philadelphia, a directory of women-owned businesses and services. She added a companion internet directory in 1999 and, more recently, launched Connect, a monthly e-newsletter for women in business. Ellen is also the founder and past president of The National Association of Women's Yellow Pages (now the Women's Regional Publications of America), where she has guided the development of similar directories throughout the United States, and the co-founder of the Women's Business Development Center in Philadelphia. Active in many small business organizations, Ms. Fisher was recognized in 2003 as one of Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business. She has twice served as a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business. Ms. Fisher is the recipient of many other awards including the Athena Award given by the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, the Women in Business Advocate Award, from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and a Women in Business Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Ellen is presently serving on the Women's Regional Publications of America National Executive Board, PA Small Business Development Center's Board of Directors, Main Line Health System's Women's Health Source Advisory Board and the Planned Parenthood PAC Board. She is also involved in several area Chambers of Commerce. Ms. Fisher's two children attend the Haverford Township schools. She is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University.

Vice President: Anne Gavin Anne Gavin serves as the board’s Vice-President. After working for several years in advertising, Anne turned her talents to numerous school and community activities. She has held several positions in the Lynnewood Elementary School PTO, serving as its Co-President from 2000 to 2002. Her community involvement includes service as the Intradistrict Council Treasurer, as a Merion Golf Athletic Association Co-President, Treasurer and T-Ball Commissioner, as a Girl Scout Leader and as a swim coach for the Upper Main Line YMCA. She is currently employed by Hanner Industries. Ms. Gavin is a graduate of Haverford High School and Princeton University. Her three children attend Haverford Township schools.

Co-Secretary: Christine C. Fritton Chris Fritton brings to the board her background as a legal professional. After clerking for the Hon. Joseph L. McGlynn, Jr. of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, she practiced law with the Philadelphia law firm of Kittredge, Donley, Elson, Fullam & Embick. Since moving to Haverford Township in 1987, she has been active in school and School District activities as a member of the School District’s Language Arts Task Force and as coordinator of several Young Writers’ Days, Middle School Career Days and the Oakmont Elementary School Acorn newspaper and Classics in the Classroom music education program. She also helped organize and run Word Master clubs in the Middle School. She has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Temple University School of Law. Chris’ three daughters have been educated in the Haverford School District.

Treasurer: Brian Melton Brian Melton has worked in the accounting and financial field since his graduation from Cabrini College. He currently serves as Manager, Budgets, of Aqua America, Inc. He has also held various accounting positions with the Valley Forge Sewer Authority, Abington School District and Lower Merion Township. Mr. Melton's community activities include his work as a board member of the Cabrini Mission Corps, and various activities for the William Penn school district. He is currently in the MBA program at Drexel University, concentrating in finance. Two of his three children attend a district school.

Brian Barrett If you or your children have participated in one of the many Haverford Township recreational or sports activities, you probably have Brian to thank for it. A graduate of Temple University with a degree in finance, Brian had worked for the Haverford Township since 1985 and has been the Program Director of the Haverford Township Recreation Department for many years. He is an active member of community as a member and past president of the Havertown Optimist Club, a member of the Haverford State Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, a board member of Haverford Blaze Lacrosse and a coach of teams in Haverford Girls Lacrosse and Havertown Hoops. Brian's children attend Haverford Township schools.

Tim Bickhart Tim Bickhart's reputation as a devoted teacher and principal are well known in the Haverford Township community. He taught at both the elementary and middle school level for twelve years before becoming the principal of Oakmont Elementary School in 2004 and of the township’s new school, Chestnutwold Elementary School in 2006. Over the years, Mr. Bickhart has participated in curriculum development in math, social studies and language arts in the district and at time coordinated the Elementary Summer School Program and the Elementary Special Programs. He has also been the leader of several district student extracurricular activities including 24 Game tournaments, the Literary Lunch Book Club, the Student Activities and Service Club, several intramural sports, the Ski and Board Club, the Maniac Magee charity run and the Chatham Park Gazette. Mr. Bickhart's outstanding performance as a teacher and community member led to his receiving the Domenick Recchiuti Award for Humanitarian Service and being recognized in Who’s Who Among American Teachers and as a Teacher of the Year by the News of Delaware County. He is a graduate of Calvin College and holds a Masters of Science and Education from St. Joseph’s University.

Pam Carroll Pam Carroll brings the experience of her 30-year career as an insurance executive to the board. After graduating from The Pennsylvania State University, Pam's career included operational management roles with Colonial Penn Insurance Company, CIGNA and Coventry Healthcare. Pam also worked with the Business School at Penn State to create a case study for their core curriculum program, based on her Claim Department Transformation at CIGNA. Pam and her family have been residents of Havertown since 1976. Her two children attended district schools. She served as PTO President and May Day Chairperson at Oakmont Elementary School. She also served on the initial Haverford Township Preschool Program Research Team.

Kate E. deRiel As the teacher representative to the Board, Kate deRiel brings with her a solid background in teaching in the Haverford School District and a long history of involvement in the Haverford Township community. A teacher at Coopertown Elementary School since 1988, Kate has participated in many school district activities including curriculum development and training and mentoring new teachers. She received her B.A. from Smith College and an M.S. in Elementary Education from St. Joseph’s University. Her four children were educated in the Haverford School District.

Cheryl Barish Erlick Cheryl embraces volunteering in our community. As her children passed though district schools, so did she. She has served as Treasurer of the Manoa Parent Teacher Organization, Entertainment Chair of the Manoa Fun Fair, President of the Haverford Township Gifted Students Association, Co-President and President of the Haverford Middle School Parent Teacher Organization, Co-President of the Haverford High School Parent Teacher Student Association, Colorguard liaison and chaperone for the Haverford Band Orchestra Parents Students (BOPS) and as a chairperson of various committees and programs in all of these organizations. Cheryl has worked as film and video producer/director and proprietor of CBE Associates, Senior Producer at Stewart Film and Video and as a staff accountant for Lombard Associates. Cheryl currently serves as Program Director of Temple Sholom in Broomall where she produces special events, religious programming and celebrations for its congregants and the community. She is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University. She and her husband, Nelson, a novelist, reside in Haverford Township. Her children have attended and graduated from Haverford school district schools.

Nancy Ruth Fox, Ph. D. Dr. Nancy R. Fox joined the Economics faculty at Saint Joseph's University in 1986. Since 2004, she has served as Associate Dean in its College of Arts & Sciences. She has volunteered at Lynnewood Elementary School in the Art in the Classroom program and at the High School for the Evening of Jazz. She served on her synagogue's Board of Directors. Currently, she is a member of the Princeton Club of Philadelphia's Board of Governors and the Princeton Prize for Race Relations. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University, M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, all in economics. A graduate of Cheltenham High School, she migrated across the river in 1986 and has lived in Havertown ever since. Nancy's two sons were educated in the Haverford School District.

Dr. William Keilbaugh Dr. William Keilbaugh began his career in special education teaching emotionally disturbed children - the foundation for his current position as Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services and Elementary Administration. For 17 years, he has directed special education and all pupil services as well as elementary education for Haverford Township schools. He is a 1971graduate of West Chester University; holds a master's degree from Villanova University and earned a doctorate at Temple University. Dr. Keilbaugh has also served as supervisor of Special Education for Haverford Township schools. Prior to coming to Haverford, he supervised special education for the Berks County Intermediate Unit in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Susan D. Lastowski With a Bachelors degree from Brown University and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, Susan has worked in employee benefits for over two decades with Mercer Consulting, the law firm of Pepper Hamilton. She is currently employed by the law firm of Morgan Lewis & Bochius as a Senior Employee Benefits Advisor. Susan has been an active volunteer in many community organizations as a member of the Steering Committee, Family Support Services in Upper Darby, a Duckery Elementary School tutor, a fundraiser for Fox Chase Cancer Center and breast cancer including the 3-day 60 walk, a Board member of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Pre-School and an annual participant if the Philadelphia Festival Dragon Boat race. Susan's children have attended Haverford Township schools.

Mary Beth Lauer Mary Beth Laueris well-known to the Haverford School District community. As the School District Community Relations Director, she has been extolling the virtues of our schools to the media and public since 1996. She is also responsible for one of those virtues: Young Writers' Day. Beginning in 1985, Ms. Lauer has organized annual Young Writers' Days in the elementary and middle schools bringing professional writers into classrooms to conduct writing workshops with students. Prior to joining the school district staff, Mary Beth spent several years as a journalist with The News of Delaware County, as an educational consultant to the Philadelphia Inquirer and as a free-lance writer and journalist. Most important to the board, Ms. Lauer was the spark that ignited the formation of the Foundation. She holds a B.A. degree from Immaculata University. Her three sons were educated in the district's public schools.

Gary Mottola, Ph.D. Dr. Mottola brings both his insights and business talents to the board. He received a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY at Albany, an M.A. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology form CUNY, Brooklyn College and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Delaware. First having worked as a budget analyst for the New York City Fire Department, then as a senior research analyst and database manager for PECO Energy, Gary has worked for the past several years at the Vanguard Group as a senior manager, data mining and now as a senior research analyst. He has been an active volunteer for several years with Haverford Blaze Lacrosse as its vice-president, coach, webmaster and drafter of its bylaws. He has also coached for the Haverford Soccer Club and the Merion Golf/Merwood Youth Athletic Association. In addition, Gary was instrumental in drafting the PTO bylaws of Chestnutwold Elementary School. Gary's children attend schools in Haverford school district.

Kevin Nolan Kevin Nolan has achieved prominence in Haverford Township’s business community with over two decades as the owner and president of Nolan Painting, Inc. He has held many positions within the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America including President of the Delaware Valley Chapter, President of the Pennsylvania Council, National Vice President and Chairman of the Residential Committee. Community Fund and the Advisory Board of Sovereign Bank. Mr. Nolan supports numerous community and charitable groups and events including his annual Reindeer Romp, a run he founded in Haverford Township to raise money for cancer research in honor of a Haverford Township boy who succumbed to the disease. Kevin is a graduate of Villanova University. His four children attend Haverford Township schools.

Kathy Parkinson Kathy Parkinson has worked in both the commercial and non-profit business arenas in public relations and marketing. A graduate of Rosemont College, she has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and as its President. She has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of Rosemont College. For the past few years, Kathy has concentrated on volunteer work in the community and at her children’s school. Ms. Parkinson is a life-long resident of Delaware County and long time resident of Haverford Township. She received her MBA from St. Joseph’s University. Her two children attend school in Haverford Township.

Nicholas Rotoli, D. Ed. Dr. Rotoli is well-known to the Haverford Township community. Currently the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the School District of Haverford Township, he has held several other positions in the district - high school assistant principal, Dean of English and principal of Haverford High School. A graduate of LaSalle University, Nick was awarded an assistantship to the University of Wisconsin where he earned a master's degree in English. He later earned his doctorate in Education Administration from Widener University and is currently working toward an MBA at LaSalle. Nick began his teaching career in New Jersey where he was awarded the Distinguished Teacher Award from the Camden Board of Education in 1979. The Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts has recognized him with its "Outstanding English Educator" award in 1997. In 2001, he brought the Philadelphia branch of the Anti-Defamation League to Haverford High School to work with students on a "tolerance and diversity" education project. The League honored his commitment to diversity education when they recognized him for this innovative project that year.

Student Representatives Josh Hosan      Billy Mogavero      Jamie Serlin