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 proud father of a first grader at Wiley, as well as two future Wiley students. 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.
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.
Stephanie Bishop Schweickert
Grants and Community Partnerships
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.
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.
Casie Kerr
Member at Large
Casie is a mom to a Wiley 5th grader. 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
Member at Large
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.
RIANE WUBBENHORST
Member at Large
[Bio Coming Soon}
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.
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.