Board of Trustees

With nearly 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).

Chris has been a Morristown resident for 18 years. He and his wife Christine have been active in Morristown through the Presbyterian Church on the Green and community organizations Grow it Green Morristown and Morris Habitat for Humanity. Their two daughters were educated in the district from Woodland School up through MHS. Chris has a PhD in Statistics from the University of Washington, and has worked as a data scientist for AT&T for 23 years.

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 New Jersey Education Foundation Partnership and 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).

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 joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2017. She has been an active volunteer in the Morris School District, serving as PTO President at Thomas Jefferson School and Treasurer and Cultural Arts Chair at Woodland School. Katherine previously worked as a VP of Finance at NBC Universal and has experience in financial planning and analysis, project management, and strategy and development. She is an alumna of both Villanova University and Rutgers Business School and has a C.P.A in the State of NJ. Katherine and her husband, Joseph, have been residents of Morris Township since 2002 and are the parents of Madelyn and Jack, both students in the Morris School District.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Petra moved to Morristown with her husband in 2008 to complete her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis while teaching 4th grade at Alexander Hamilton, and never left. Petra and her husband Lance have 3 children, 2 of whom attend Sussex Avenue School (3rd & 5th) and one who attends Frelinghuysen (7th). Petra worked in the Morris School District as a teacher for 13 years before leaving the classroom to become the district behaviorist in Boonton Public Schools. Her husband Lance teaches 2nd grade at Woodland and coaches the boys and girls varsity tennis teams. She is excited to be part of the Morris Educational Foundation where she can partner with others who share her love for the District.

Karen McAllister is the Director of Global Compensations/Total Rewards for the Oncology Division at Pfizer. She previously worked for Seagen (Seattle Genetics), Merck, Novartis, and several other pharmaceutical companies. Karen serves on the MEF's Governance, Scholarship 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 Sophomore at Boston College. They have lived in Morris Township for over 25 years.

Hector and his wife, Judy Martinez, have been residents of Morristown for 37 years. Their children, Jessie (MHS '10) and Myles (MHS '13), went through the Morris School District. Hector joined the MEF Board of Trustees in 2018. He also currently serves on the board of Arts By The People, and is a trustee for County College Of Morris and for Lakeland Youth Symphony. Additionally, Hector has co-chaired special projects for Preschool Advantage and was a board member of Cornerstone Family Programs for approximately 15 years, serving as board chair from 2016-2018. Prior to retiring in 2017, Hector was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers specializing in human resources matters in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Hector earned his undergraduate degree in business administration from Rutgers University and retired as an Associate in the Society of Actuaries, the American Academy of Actuaries and as an Enrolled Actuary.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Melanie and her husband Alan moved to Morris Township in 2006 and spent 3 years, between 2014 and 2017 as expats in Shanghai, China. Upon their return to the US, Melanie joined Impact 100 Garden State in 2017, the MEF board in 2018 - serving as Chair of Morristown ONSTAGE for 3 years - and became a member of the Morris County Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. in 2019.

She has been involved in various events throughout the Morris School District, where their younger daughter, Ava, is currently a Junior at MHS. Their older daughter, Alina, is a 2024 graduate of Lehigh University. Alan, a human resource executive, is a member of the MSD Board of Education and is Chair of Cornerstone Family Programs & Neighborhood House in Morristown.

Before leaving the corporate workforce, Melanie worked for several companies and industries as a marketing professional and holds a BS degree from Georgetown University and an MS from Johns Hopkins University. Melanie enjoys exercising and holds a certification from AFAA for group fitness instruction.

Before leaving the corporate workforce, Melanie worked for several companies and industries as a marketing professional and holds a BS degree from Georgetown University and an MS from Johns Hopkins University. Melanie enjoys exercising and holds a certification from AFAA for group fitness instruction.

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.

Tracey and her husband David have lived in Morristown since 2005. They have two children: Marina (MHS ’17) & Matteo (MHS ‘21). Tracey spent her career as a television journalist and now works as a college consultant, specializing in essay writing. She spent many years as a Morris School District volunteer—serving as PTO President at Thomas Jefferson, activities chair at FMS, and most recently, as the Chair of the MHS Project Graduation Committee for eight consecutive years. She received her Bachelor’s degree from West Chester University and her Masters in Broadcast Journalists from Boston University.

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.

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.