Our Board of Trustees
With a mission of preserving and enhancing the prosperity of our schools and community and recognizing the value of independent funding, a group of local business leaders established the Morris Educational Foundation in 1992. Today the board includes parents, teachers, business and community leaders, committed to upholding that mission.
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Debbie Sontupe, Chair
With over 30 years experience in fundraising, communications and nonprofit management, Debbie is President of Match Nonprofit Consulting where she provides consulting services in the areas of financial development, major gift fundraising, board development, alumni relations, annual fundraising and public relations. Prior to this she served in many leadership roles in higher education fundraising as well as Executive Director and Board Chair of the MEF. In addition to her work in education, Debbie has served in leadership roles in the YMCA. Debbie earned her Bachelors Degree and a Masters in Education from Rutgers University. She is a proud alum of Morristown High School and lives in Morris Township with her husband, Dan, and children Justin (Class of 2016) and Sarah (Class of 2018).
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Chris Volinsky, Co-Vice Chair
Chris and his wife Christine have lived in Morristown for 20+ years, with two daughters who are proud graduates of MHS. They are active in Morristown through the Presbyterian Church on the Green and community organizations Grow it Green Morristown and Morris Habitat for Humanity. Chris has a PhD in Statistics from the University of Washington, and currently teaches Statistics and Data Science at NYU, after a long technical career at AT&T Labs. Chris is proud to be a co-Chair of Morristown ONSTAGE.
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Chrissie Wetherbee, Co-Vice Chair
Chrissie Wetherbee's nonprofit career began in museums over twenty years ago. She has worked with various nonprofits, including the Morris Educational Foundation and the Main Library Alliance. Today she is a nonprofit consultant. She is also a volunteer board member with the Morristown Festival of Books. Chrissie holds a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Maryland College Park and a master's in museum studies from Seton Hall University. She also earned a certificate in Educational Leadership through the National Association of Education Foundations. Chrissie (MHS 1994) is a Morris School District alum and parent. She lives in Morris Township with her husband, Chris, and their children, Anna (MHS 2022) and lan (MHS 2026).
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Brian Carroll, Treasurer
Brian, and his young family, moved to Morristown from Brooklyn in 1986. His three children; Kathleen, Brendan and Kevin, are all products of the Morris School District all the way from kindergarten through Morristown High School. Brian is Vice President, National Sales Manager, for Argent Associates, an Hispanic Women Owned systems integrator. He started his sales career with IBM upon graduating from Washington and Lee University. His time with IBM was followed by senior sales positions with Electronic Data Systems, CIT and Technology Investment Partners. Brian also served over 10 years with the United States Army Reserve having achieved the rank of Captain. He currently serves as Finance Chair for the Morris County Saint Patrick's Day Parade. Over the years, Brian has served on the board of many community organizations such as the Morris United Soccer Club and Vail Mansion Condominium Association.
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Kathleen Kalaher Humbert, Secretary
Kathleen joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2020. She has been an active volunteer in the Morris School District serving at various times as HSA President and Secretary at Alfred Vail and Sussex Avenue Schools and also has served as Co-President of HSA President’s Council.
Kathleen also serves on the Board of Directors of the Skating Club of Morris.
Kathleen is currently an attorney at Citigroup and previously worked at Barclays Capital and Lehman Brothers. She attended Seton Hall Law School and Wellesley College. Kathleen and her husband Tom have lived in Morris Township since 1999 and are the parents of Elise (Class of 2023), Cora (Class of 2026) and Tommy (Class of 2032). -
Katherine Vizzini, Immediate Past Chair
Katherine Vizzini joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2017 and has served on the Executive Board as Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past Chair. She is an active member of the Morristown ONSTAGE committee and co-chairs its fundraising efforts. Prior to MEF, Katherine was a dedicated volunteer in the Morris School District, serving as PTO President at Thomas Jefferson School and Treasurer at Woodland School. Professionally, she held roles as Vice President of Finance at NBC Universal and Audit Associate at PwC. Katherine is a graduate of Villanova University and Rutgers Business School. She and her husband, Joseph, have lived in Morris Township since 2002. Their daughter, Madelyn, is a 2025 graduate of Morristown High School, and their son, Jack, is currently a student in the Morris School District.
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Joshua Beinhaker
Joshua joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2018. He is a Morristown High School graduate and has resided in Morris Township for most of his life. He is the managing partner of Beinhaker & Beinhaker, LLC, a general practice law firm located in Morristown. Joshua’s wife, Marylynn, is a kindergarten teacher at the Woodland School. He is an alumni of both the University of Maryland and Seton Hall Law School. He and his wife have two young boys, Grady and Ezekiel, in the Morris School District.
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Hallie Beyer
Hallie and her husband, Jeff, have lived in Morris Township since 2007 and have three children, Charlie, Simon and Rosie, in the Morris School District. Hallie grew up in Short Hills, New Jersey and graduated from Tufts University. Hallie worked in NYC for many years in the television industry at MTV Networks, and is now a local artist, painting custom whimsical banners for events and celebrations all over the country. Her husband, Jeff, is a partner at the Morristown-based law firm, Riker, Danzig, Scherer, Hyland & Perretti. Hallie has been highly involved in the MSD for a number of years, serving as HSA president for Hillcrest School from 2015-2017. She is deeply passionate about arts and music in education, enjoys cheering on the MHS boys soccer and tennis teams, and appreciates all of the opportunities within the Morris School District. Hallie is a committed member of the Temple B'nai Or community and also enjoys playing great tennis at the Morristown Field Club.
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Katie Cole
Katie joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2020. She and her husband, Yemi, have lived in Morristown since 2008 and have three daughters in the Morris School District. She has been an active volunteer in the Morris School District, serving as HSA President at Hillcrest School and Alexander Hamilton. Katie earned a BA in Education from Smith College has taught in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. After a long career in education spanning teaching, delivering professional development, and designing curriculum in public and private schools, Katie is currently Head of School for Fusion Academy in Morristown. She is deeply committed to equitable education, and the opportunities the Morris School District offers. Katie loves watching Colonial Basketball and the myriad of musical talents the district has to offer!
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Brandee Fetherman
Brandee Fetherman is the Chief Nursing Officer for Morristown Medical Center. She oversees the overall delivery of nursing care as well as nursing education and professional development, nursing innovation and research, patient flow, and engagement for patient satisfaction. Brandee also participates in strategic master planning including a transformative Emergency Department expansion and modernization.
Brandee brings over 20 years of extensive clinical and administrative oversight to this role. Since joining Morristown Medical Center in 2001, she’s held leadership positions in critical care, medicine, trauma, and neurology. Her experience was especially critical as she shared operational efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic to safely manage patient care, while transforming inpatient units to care for both COVID & non-COVID patients. Most recently, Brandee was key to leading & collaborating our system’s nursing response in the 2022-2023 pediatric respiratory surge epidemic.
Brandee is a Board Member of the Organization of Nurse Leaders, New Jersey (ONL NJ), a member of the County College of Morris (CCM) Nursing Advisory Board, Morris County Chamber of Commerce Lead Morris, American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN), the American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL), the Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing Alumnae Association, and the Sigma Theta Tau, International Nursing Honor Society.
Brandee holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Drexel University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ramapo College and received her Diploma of Nursing from The Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing. Brandee is also certified in Executive Nursing Practice by AONL.
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Warren Kersey
Warren Kersey is a proud third-generation Morristown native with over 14 years of experience in education. He spent the first 25 years of his life in Morristown and now resides in the historic Seven Oaks neighborhood of Orange, NJ. A graduate of Morristown High School, Warren earned his B.A. in History from Hampton University and a Master’s in Childhood and Special Education from NYU. He began his teaching career in Newark and now serves as Dean of Students at Frelinghuysen Middle School.
Warren is also a Youth Coach with the Family Support Organization of Essex County and co-leads mentoring programs for students in the Morris School District. He was deeply inspired by his grandmother, the late Julia Kersey, who was a respected social worker and community activist in Morristown, whose legacy continues to shape his commitment to service.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and St. Matthew AME Church. Warren and his wife, Sanaa, an assistant principal, are raising two sons, Josiah and Zachariah. As a family, they enjoy traveling, especially their cherished summer trips to Martha’s Vineyard.
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Karen McAllister
Karen McAllister is a Global Compensations/Total Rewards Leader. She has worked for Pfizer/Seagen (acquired 12/2023), Merck, Novartis, and several other pharmaceutical companies. Karen serves on the MEF's Governance, Scholarship, Morristown on Stage, and Human Resources Committees. Karen received her bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Secondary Education from the Morrissey College of Arts and Science at Boston College. She received her master’s in business administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Karen is an active Alumni Admissions Volunteer for Boston College. She is also involved in several professional organizations including World at Work, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA). Karen is married to Kevin McAllister, and they have three children: Colin, a 2018 graduate of Morristown High School and a 2022 graduate of Loyola University of Maryland; Christopher, a 2020 graduate of Oratory Prep and a 2024 graduate of Boston College; and Courtney, a 2023 graduate of Morristown High School and a Junior at Boston College. They have lived in Morris Township for over 25 years.
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Lindsay Munson
Lindsay has 20+ years of marketing experience working with brands to redefine themselves, evolve and stay relevant. Lindsay currently leads the PR and Social practice at Iris - an integrated marketing agency. Previously, she spent a decade at Mercedes-Benz as Head of Brand Communications.
Throughout her career, Lindsay has worked across industries creating valuable marketing efforts that resonate across earned, owned and paid. She forged brand building collaborations, traveled globally to deliver events at the world’s most desirable locations, oversaw celebrity engagement initiatives such as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and the Oscars and spent considerable time working with top athletes at The Masters, US Open, the NFL and MBA. She has worked across the marketing mix but always as a storyteller, brand reputation manager and advocate to the media.
Lindsay moved to Morristown in 2016 with her husband and two children. She has a son and daughter who both attend Sussex Avenue School. Lindsay is a strong advocate for public school and is excited to bring her energy and expertise in marketing and events to the MEF as a new board member. While living in NYC Lindsay co-founded Good Karma NYC, a nonprofit whose mission was to fundraise for underserved women and children facing catastrophic life events. Off the clock, Lindsay enjoys exploring Morristown’s amazing restaurant scene, supporting local businesses, exercising in the town’s beautiful parks and side-hustling as her kids Uber driver!
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Sara Osean
Sara has lived in Morristown since 2003. She currently resides in Morris Township with her husband Brendan, a lifelong Morristown resident and MHS graduate. Their three daughters Emmy, Bailey and Carson attend Frelinghuysen and Thomas Jefferson schools.
Sara is a graduate of Bucknell University (BA in Geography and Anthropology) and American University (MA in Public Anthropology and Archaeology). Prior to having children, Sara was a teacher in the Morris School District. She taught history, sociology and politics in the Social Studies department at Morristown High School.
Sara is an active volunteer in the Morris School District and larger Morristown community. She has served as HSA/PTO president at both Woodland and TJ schools and currently runs after school clubs at TJ and volunteers with the Frelinghuysen HSA. Sara is an active member of the Junior League of Morristown, previously serving as president and currently co-chairing the signature fundraiser Lunch with the Authors. She is also involved with the Kellogg Club and her daughters' sports parent associations, including president of the Rettig’s Gymnastics Parents Association. In her free time, Sara enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling.
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Ann Rhines
Ann Rhines began teaching in the Morris Township school system in 1962. In addition to her teaching, mentoring, and creating the SURE program (a language program for grades 4 and 5), she was a member of the Curriculum Council and a consultant in whole language and assessment for many years. She retired from the Morris School District in 2001. In 2003, Ann was elected to the Morris School District Board of Education where she served for 20 years. Ann chairs the MEF's grants committee and serves on a number of other MEF committees.
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Molly Servais
Molly Servais began her tenure on the MEF Board of Trustees in 2009. She served as board chair for three years and has chaired the friends campaign, strategic planning and board governance committees. She is currently chair of the scholarship committee. Molly has two children, Ryan (’14) and Maggie (’16) who are alumni of the Morris School District and was an active HSA and school volunteer while her children were on their K-12 educational journey. She and her family have lived in Morristown since 1998. Molly is a nonprofit management and fundraising consultant. She has worked for national non-profit organizations including the Arthritis Foundation, Junior Achievement and the YMCA.
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Paul Staudt
Paul Staudt has lived in the Morristown area for 25 years and currently resides in Morris Township with his wife Michelle and daughter Emily, a student at Frelinghuysen Middle School. After earning a BA in Journalism at Moravian University, Paul spent his career working in the areas of marketing, advertising, and public relations before leaving the corporate world. He has since spent his time raising his daughter and volunteering at a variety of non-profit and civic organizations, including acting as co-chair of the Cultural Arts Committee at Normandy Park School, vice-chair of the Friends of Fosterfields Farm and Cooper Gristmill, chair of the Morris Township Economic Development Advisory Committee, and member of the Morris Township Board of Adjustment.
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Jessica Umbriac
Jessica moved to Morristown with her husband, Nathan, in 2008. Since then, the family has grown and the Umbriacs have 4 children in the MSD; MHS ’29, FMS ’27, TJ ’27, Woodland ’27. Jessica is the Director of Global Scientific Publications for Specialty, Eye Care and Affiliates at AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company with offices in Florham Park. She holds a BS in Marketing and an MBA in International Business from Seton Hall University as well as a JD from Seton Hall School of Law. Since moving to Morristown, Jessica served on the board of the Junior League of Morristown and Woodland HSA. In the Spring/Summer, she volunteers time to the Morristown Area Little League running the Ginty Snack Stand as a fundraiser for the league. Additionally, she treasures the time she can spend volunteering at events for her children’s schools and sporting events.
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Emily Wolper
Emily joined the MEF board in 2021. She has been a resident of Morristown since 2006, when she moved here from NYC. She has two wonderful daughters who attend Normandy Park School and Frelinghuysen Middle School. Emily is a college admissions consultant and has had her own private practice, E. Wolper, Inc., since 1999. She is fortunate to work with wonderful students from all over the country and around the world. Before establishing her practice, she was an admissions officer at Columbia University. She has an undergraduate degree in Religion from Vassar College and an MA in Educational Theatre from NYU. She is an active Vassar alumna, having served as the President of the Vassar Club of NYC for four years in the early 2000s. Emily is a soprano with Harmonium Choral Society, the founder and director of Harmonium’s cabaret theatre troupe and an active member of Temple B’nai Or, where she is the co-chair of the Education Committee. In 2024, Emily earned a certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid.
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Jian Zabalerio
Jian joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2021. She graduated from Morristown High School in 2016 and earned her BS in Management from Boston College in 2020. She hopes to promote equity and inclusion through her work and volunteerism. She is an active volunteer for the Literacy Volunteers of Morris County and is a Higher Education Consulting Associate at Huron Consulting Group.