BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Cecilia Rawlins

Honorary Chair

Cecilia Rawlins worked from July1993 to December 2007 as the principal of Wiley International Magnet Elementary School. During that time she had the opportunity to work with many fantastic teachers, parents and students.  Upon retirement she was a consultant with Communities in Schools; spent 2.5 years as a principal in Osaka, Japan; moved with Dave to their vacation home in Hot Springs, NC; and then bought a new house and moved to Asheville, NC.

In Asheville, Cecilia is very involved with her church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville as the co-chair of the Annual Budget Drive for 2017-2018.  She is a Pastoral Visitor, a member of the Welcome Team, a member of the anti-racism social justice action group, and volunteers at a local food bank and with the Voter Engagement Coalition. 

She is an active volunteer at Ten Thousand Villages, a board member at Francine Delaney New School for Children, and a longtime board member of Hot Springs Community Learning Centers.    Cecilia loves to travel and misses her days at Wiley and is continually grateful to the CRF Board for their hard work.  She is the life-partner of Dave Penrose, owner of Penrose Consulting, and the mother of Ashley Lindsey, a choreographer-dancer based in New York City.

Somer Hamrick

President

Somer Hamrick has spent the majority of her 20-year career specializing in leading growth strategies, focused on global health and clinical research. She has worked in commercial and non-commercial sectors with clients ranging from top Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies, small and mid-size biotech companies, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, academic institutions, and the US government. Both a Wiley parent and a native resident of Raleigh, Somer is eager to grow awareness and financial support for the important work that CRF is doing for our Wiley community. Somer encourages folks to reach out to her via ceciliarawlinsfund@gmail.com or on LinkedIn if they have thoughts on ways to partner.

Jack Goodman

Treasurer

Jack is the father of a Wiley Kindergartner and 2 future Wiley students. He works in corporate finance and is currently Director of Finance for the Product Organization at Lennar, prior to joining Lennar, he worked at startups (FoundationDB and Modsy) and Apple. Jack is a Virginia native and graduated from Virginia Tech. He and his family live in downtown Raleigh and love the neighborhood and community. 

Casie Kerr

Secretary

Casie is a mom to a former Wiley student. A Raleigh native, she graduated from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Sociology and then after a short stint in Costa Rica returned to Raleigh to work in her family's construction business. Casie has worked with several non-profits over the last twenty years and brings with her a variety of experience and passion for operational excellence, fiduciary responsibility, children and her community. Casie currently lives in Boylan Heights with her husband, daughter and a slew of domesticated fur-children.

Emily hoppes

Book Keeper

Emily has spent most of her career in Marketing Research, helping to communicate the voice of the customer inside organizations. Currently, Emily works at Lenovo, leading Customer Insights for Global Intelligent Device Group Marketing. Emily has centered her career on understanding what drives the behaviors and decision-making of consumers, while continually exploring better ways of engaging with customers to truly understand their wants and needs. Emily has two children at Wiley. Emily holds a BSBA from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MBA from North Carolina State University. Emily, her husband, and two children live in downtown Raleigh and are committed to supporting our Wiley Elementary community.

Eleanor Talley

Past President

Eleanor owns her own public relations firm, Talley PR. With extensive public relations and marketing experience from her time with Visit North Carolina, she's also dabbled in advertising and marketing at Clean in Raleigh; worked a stint on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and in the lobbying practice at K&L Gates; and recruited volunteers at Urban Ministries of Wake County. Eleanor attended college at UNC-Chapel Hill. She currently lives in downtown Raleigh with her husband Daniel, her three boys and one giant dog. 

Jill Grifenhagen

Backpack Buddies Liaison

Jill has two children who love learning at Wiley Elementary. She is a former elementary teacher, and she holds a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction and a PhD in Learning, Teaching, and Diversity. Though a lifelong Tarheel, Jill is now on the faculty of the NC State University's College of Education. She teaches and conducts research in elementary education, early literacy, and teacher development. Jill's professional work has always focused on educational equity and working with underserved communities and students, so supporting the Cecilia Rawlins Fund is a natural fit for her personal and professional priorities.

 

Kathy foglia

Teacher Liaison

Embarking on her 21st year as a dedicated public school teacher, Kathy continues to exude pride in her profession. Currently serving as the Intervention Team Facilitator and a Literacy Intervention teacher at Wiley, her expertise shines brightly in the field of education.With an impressive tenure of 10 years as the Teacher Liaison to the CRF Board, she now commences her 11th year in this pivotal role, demonstrating her steadfast commitment to advancing the school's mission. Beyond her roles at Wiley, Kathy treasures time with her husband, Drew, and two grown children.


Emily hoppes

Book Keeper

Emily has spent most of her career in Marketing Research, helping to communicate the voice of the customer inside organizations. Currently, Emily works at Lenovo, leading Customer Insights for Global Intelligent Device Group Marketing. Emily has centered her career on understanding what drives the behaviors and decision-making of consumers, while continually exploring better ways of engaging with customers to truly understand their wants and needs. Emily has two children at Wiley. Emily holds a BSBA from UNC-Chapel Hill and an MBA from North Carolina State University. Emily, her husband, and two children live in downtown Raleigh and are committed to supporting our Wiley Elementary community.

Hadley Cairns-Heath

Teacher Liaison

Hadley officially joined the Wiley community in 2012 when her eldest child enrolled as a kindergartner. Since then, she has been an active member, serving in various roles on the PTA board during her children's time at Wiley.

In 2017, as her youngest child entered kindergarten, Hadley transitioned back into an educational role. She initially joined Wiley as a kindergarten Instructional Assistant (IA) before becoming a dedicated third-grade science and social studies teacher. In the current year, she has returned to her role as a kindergarten IA.

Jeff Whiteside

Member at Large

Jeff has one Kindergartner who is part of the magnet program at Wiley, with two other children who will also have the wonderful opportunity to call Wiley their Elementary School. Jeff currently works at The Link Group, a marketing research agency based out of Durham, NC. He’s passionate about digging into the “why” and represents the voice of the customer. He received a BSBA from UNC Chapel Hill, where he worked under Professor Nicholas Didow who inspired Jeff to improve the lives of every North Carolinian.

Stephanie Bishop Schweikert

Member at Large

Stephanie Bishop Schweickert has two children at Wiley. She has an extensive background in advocacy and is passionate about working to build a more just future for children and families in her community. She currently works as an organizer and advocate focused on environmental health at a nonprofit based in Raleigh. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys camping and exploring NC’s mountains, lakes, and beaches with her family and beagle named Fig.

Zandra Henderson

Teacher Liaison

Zandra Henderson is a dedicated Spanish teacher at Wiley Elementary School, where she has dedicated 17 years to enriching the lives of her students. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Spanish from Abilene Christian University.

Originally hailing from Cali, Colombia, South America, Zandra has called Raleigh, NC, home for over two decades. Her athletic prowess shines through her past achievements in track and field, where she excelled in events such as the 100 meters dash and the 4x100 relays. On a few occasions, she also demonstrated her skills in the 200 meters dash and the 4x400 relays.

Zandra's athletic career reached its pinnacle when she represented Colombia in the Summer Olympics held in Atlanta in 1996. Her participation extended to the World Championship in Athens, Greece, and numerous international competitions, where her discipline, hard work, ethics, and dedication paved the way for her success.

As a Spanish teacher, Zandra brings the same level of dedication and passion to her students, ensuring they achieve their learning goals. She finds immense joy in teaching Spanish to elementary students and is equally enthusiastic about helping others realize their dreams and aspirations.