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 was very involved with her church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville as the co-chair of the Annual Budget Drive for 2017-2018. She was 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 was 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 loved to travel and missed her days at Wiley and was continually grateful to the CRF Board for their hard work. She was the life-partner of Dave Penrose, owner of Penrose Consulting, and the mother of Ashley Lindsey, a choreographer-dancer based in New York City.
Cecilia passed away peacefully at her home on August 2, 2024, at the age of 69, after living courageously for many years with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare disease related to Parkinson’s. The board and volunteers of the Cecilia Rawlins Fund are honored to carry forward her legacy by supporting students and families at Wiley Elementary. Through CRF’s ongoing work, Cecilia’s belief in dignity, equity, and opportunity lives on, ensuring that all students, regardless of circumstance, have the support they need to thrive.
She is remembered not only for what she accomplished, but for how she made people feel: respected, empowered, and cared for.
Stephanie Bishop Schweickert
President
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.
Jack Goodman
Treasurer
Jack is the proud father of a second grader and kindergartener at Wiley, as well as one future Wiley student. With a background in finance and accounting, he currently serves as the Director of Finance for the Product Organization at Lennar. Before joining Lennar, Jack gained experience at a variety of startups, including FoundationDB and Modsy, and spent time at Apple. He is passionate about collaborating with teams to simplify financial and business processes, empowering people to focus on what truly matters. A Virginia native and Virginia Tech graduate, Jack and his family now call downtown Raleigh home, where they enjoy the vibrant neighborhood and strong sense of community.
Jeff Whiteside
Secretary
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.
Emily hoppes
Backpack Buddies Liaison
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.
Somer Hamrick
Past 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.
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.
Peter Webb
Member at Large
Pete has one current and one future Wiley student in his family. A native of Chapel Hill, Pete currently works at Palmetto Clean Technology, a residential solar and home electrification company where he focuses on managing financial transactions and risk as in-house counsel. Pete earned a BA and MA from Middlebury College and spent six years as a middle and high school Spanish teacher (plus a few years wandering the mountains) before attending UNC School of Law and re-settling in the Triangle. A former Eagle Scout, Pete has an abiding interest in community service and helping others.
RIANE WUBBENHORST
Member at Large
[Bio Coming Soon]
Allie Pruden
Teacher Liaison
[Bio Coming Soon]