Naperville Education Foundation (NEF), which raises and grants funds for programs that enhance and enrich the educational experience of Naperville School District 203 students, announced the addition of four new members to the 2013-2014 Board of Trustees in a press release. The new trustees are Kerry Bleuher, Jessica Joswiak, Mark Rice and Alissa Johnson Tripas.
“NEF is extremely pleased to welcome these additions to our board”, said Dawn Newman, Chair of the NEF Board of Trustees. “We appreciate their commitment to the students of Naperville and believe their experience will greatly assist us in expanding what we can offer.”
“We look to our trustees to provide guidance and direction,” added Ann E. Spehar, NEF’s Executive Director, “but this is very much a participatory board. Their hands and minds-on engagement allows us to focus our financial support on programs that directly benefit the students of District 203.”
Kerry Bleuher
Kerry Bleuher has been a Naperville resident and involved with Naperville Community Unit School District 203 for 6 years. Along with her involvement directly at Scott School, Bleuher has been an active member of her neighborhood where she is past President and board member of Farmstead Women’s Club. Bleuher has been in the brokerage and insurance industry for over 20 years and is currently a Senior Investment Executive at MB Financial Investments.
Jessica Jozwiak
Jessica Jozwiak has lived in Naperville for more than 35 years and is a proud product of District 203. She has been an active volunteer in the community overall as well as for District 203 since 1998. Jozwiak served as District 203’s Co-Chair for the School Family Community Partnership (SFCP) from 2010 through 2013 and has personal NEF experience as she was part of the “Welcoming Committee” at Naperville North High School that was an NEF grant recipient. Joswiak also volunteers at the Ronald McDonald Family Room in Edward Hospital and serves on their council.
Mark Rice
Mark Rice has been an active resident of Naperville since 1987. He sits on the Board of Directors of The Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise, he is a DuPage Township Democratic Organization committeeman and a Will County Democratic Committee member, he has served as a trustee of the Naper Settlement Museum Board, he is a past president of the Exchange Club of Naperville, and has contributed time to many nonprofits in the Naperville area. Rice is Senior National Sales Manager at the Food Ingredient Division of Clabber Girl Corporation.
Alissa Johnson Tripas
Alissa Johnson Tripas is a community volunteer with NEF where she served on the annual Appreciation Breakfast Committee and currently serves on the Resource Development Committee. She is also a member and past president of The Junior League of Kane & DuPage Counties, Inc. Tripas’ professional career includes agency and account management/full-service public relations experience with clients such as a national talk-show, restaurants and a local gaming destination. She worked for Drake University as the Director of the Chicago Office where her focus was on cultivating area graduates through alumni events and personal visits for purposeful re-engagement.
Other NEF board members
The current NEF board also is comprised of Bill Mitchell, Vice Chair; Colin Shaw, Treasurer and Vice Chair Finance; Dennise Vaughn, Secretary and Committee Chair Governance; Karen Lindflott, Committee Chair Programs; Neil Kelleher,Committee Chair Finance; Debbie Shipley, Immediate Past Chair and Committee Chair Marketing and Communications; as well as Jill Baer; Dan Bridges, District 203 Superintendent Of Schools; Shirley Brockman; Susan Crotty; John Gallagher; Rajesh Gupta; Tabassum Haleem; Lisa Hartenberger; Pat Merryweather and Beth Whittingham.
Naperville Education Foundation
The Naperville Education Foundation (NEF) raises and grants funds for programs that enhance and enrich the educational experience of Naperville School District 203 students. We are inspired by the potential inherent in all children to thrive and be enriched by their experiences in school.
With the generous support of foundations, businesses, educational professionals and individual donors, NEF is able to provide financial resources that increase learning opportunities by supplementing the school district’s budget. We supplement public funds with private philanthropy. NEF encourages creativity, innovation and excellence in students by helping to insure that every student in the district can take advantage of opportunities to make the most of their education.
NEF’s Annual Grant Award program supplies teachers with funds for innovative and creative new programs. Other programs include the “Kid Booster Anonymous Fund”, which provides assistance to students by matching their unique needs to opportunities which enhance educational, physical or socio-emotional growth, and “Study Skills Academy”, a before/after-school program for students who need academic assistance.
For more information, contact Spehar at (630) 420-3086 or aspehar@naperville203.org or visit www.nef203.org.
