Board of Trustees

Brian Griffith, President - bgriffith@casa-arts.org

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Brian Griffith is the Director of Educational Services at Capital Area Intermediate Unit. In this capacity, he leads a team of approximately 80 educators who provide services related to School Improvement, Strategic Planning, Curriculum, Professional Development, Online Learning, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Services to Non-Public Schools.

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With more than 30 years in education, Brian’s career has included positions such as Mathematics Teacher, Supervisor of Mathematics K-12, Supervisor of Secondary Curriculum and Technology, and Curriculum Specialist. He has also served as an adjunct instructor for Wilson College and Wilkes University.

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Brian has received several honors, including national recognition as recipient of the “Future Leader Award” from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), regionally as the “Outstanding Middle School Teacher” by the Council for Public Education, and locally as “Outstanding Professional Employee” by Mechanicsburg Area School District.  He was recognized as “Champion of Arts Education” by the Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School.

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Brian currently serves on the board of The Professional Institute for Instructional Coaching (TPIIC) and Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School.

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Dr. Richard Fry, Vice President - rfry@casa-arts.org

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As strong educational advocates and members of the capital region community, Dr. Richard W. Fry and his wife Kelly are the proud parents of four children ages 21-30 and grandparent to identical twin baby girls.

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In his professional experiences, Dr. Fry most recently served as Superintendent of Schools for the Big Spring School District for the last 17 years. Prior to his superintendency he served in numerous administrative capacities in the East Pennsboro Area School District, the Carlisle Area School District, and in his first nine years in education he and Kelly both worked in northern Virginia at the Prince William County Schools just south of Washington, DC. While Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Fry also was elected to various state and national leadership positions including being a member of the Board of Governors of the national Superintendent’s Association (AASA) and President of the Pennsylvania State Superintendents Association (PASA). He also received the PASA Award for Leadership in Public Education in 2012 and again in 2021.

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Dr. Fry holds a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from the Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Science Degree from the University of Richmond and a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Physical Education from lock Haven University. Since his retirement from Big Spring, Dr. Fry now serves as the Director of Student Engagement and Success at River Rock Academy and New Story Schools. He also consults for several educational companies nationally.

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Dawn Mull, Treasurer - dmull@casa-arts.org

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As members of our local Palmyra community, Dawn Mull and her husband are the proud parents of three children ages 12 to 19, the oldest of which is a recent graduate of CASA.

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In her professional experience, she serves as the Director, Financial Accounting and Reporting at Harrisburg Area Community College. She began her career in Higher Education in 2003 as the Assistant to the Controller at Harrisburg Area Community College. Dawn currently serves as the treasurer for Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) Board of Trustees. In her role here, she supports students by working with the Board of Trustees and Principal/CEO to ensure that the budget aligns with the needs of the students and staff, all while staying within the school's spending constraints.

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Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in professional accountancy from Penn State University and is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.

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Emily Klauer Sullivan, Secretary - esullivan@casa-arts.org

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Emily Klauer Sullivan graduated from CASA’s music program in 2008, and she continued her musical education at York College of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Industry and Recording Technology. She says she owes a great deal of her professional success to her time at CASA and hopes to lend a unique perspective on the Board of Trustees as a CASA alumna. 

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She has been with the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation since 2015, where she is currently the Director of Development, and she considers herself to be a health care “lifer”. In her role, she has the privilege of interfacing with grateful patients, talented frontline caregivers, and other non-profits throughout the region, which makes her job especially rewarding.  

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Emily has recently returned to York College of Pennsylvania as a graduate student, pursuing a Master of Business Administration Degree. Emily resides in York with her husband and daughter, a dog, and two cats. In her free time, she enjoys live music, hiking, and spending as much time in the great outdoors with her family as possible. 

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Dr. Karen Degenhart - kdegenhart@casa-arts.org

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An Air Force disabled veteran, in her professional career, Dr. Degenhart works in managing ERISA qualified employer-sponsored retirement plans – currently serving as a leader for a national TPA firm; and is also an emotional intelligence and leadership coach.

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Dr. Degenhart holds a Doctoral Degree in Business Administration and Leadership, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. She is a certified emotional intelligence coach and holds multiple designations in ERISA and retirement plan management. Dr. Degenhart is a member of the International Leadership Association, the Society of Emotional Intelligence, the American Management Association, and the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries.

Dr. Degenhart and her husband, Brendan, are the proud parents of two children; one of whom is grown and the other a 7th grader on the autism spectrum who attends Central Dauphin School District.

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Alicia McDonald - amcdonald@casa-arts.org

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Alicia McDonald recently retired from the Capital Area Intermediate Unit (CAIU) after 34 years of service. She started her career as a teacher of the deaf and moved into various administrative roles in curriculum and supervision, including the last 14 years serving as the Director of Student Services. In that role, she led a staff of over 425 educators and administrators and provided educational and leadership support to the school districts and charter schools in the tri-county area. 

Alicia has served on the Cumberland/Perry ARC Board, the Champions for Children Foundation Board, held an instructor position at Penn State Harrisburg, and led the PA state special education directors for the PA Association of Intermediate Units. She is passionate about service to the educational community and has been connected to CASA through her work in the CAIU as well as through support of community events.

Alicia received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Bloomsburg University as well as post-secondary certificate courses from Penn State University and Millersville University. Alicia, and her wife Shawn Scott, reside in Dauphin County with two standard poodles and her parents have recently moved in to join the household.

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Jennifer Mariacher  - jmariacher@casa-arts.org

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Jennifer Mariacher is the Chief Financial Officer at Central Penn College in Summerdale. In this capacity, Jennifer oversees the Business and Financial Aid Office and is responsible for managing the daily financial operations and the strategic planning of the college. She is responsible for overseeing student accounts, payroll, accounts payable, contracts, purchasing card, accounting, financial aid, audit and budgeting. Jennifer has worked in financial operations in higher education for more than 20 years serving as a trusted advisor to the President in developing strategic operations, building successful team environments, serving students and providing the highest level of responsiveness and customer service, and implementing systems and providing training to all campus constituents. Jennifer earned her MBA from Elizabethtown College and holds her Certified Purchasing Professional credentials through the American Purchasing Society.

 

Although Jennifer does not live in the immediate Harrisburg area, she feels it is important to engage with and get to know the community in which you work. She is a recent graduate of Leadership Harrisburg Area which only increased her philosophy of servant leadership. Her passion for supporting our youth to better their lives is evident in her career choice, and the organizations in which she commits her time and support. Jennifer has always been active in the districts in which her daughter attended and is now looking forward to supporting CASA in providing opportunities to youths in the area. Jennifer is also active in the Moose and Women of the Moose in her local community, an organization which is dedicated to caring for young and old, bringing their communities closer together, and celebrating life.

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Jennifer and her partner Tim Flaharty enjoy camping, kayaking, antiquing and traveling. They enjoy getting to know their new neighbors in their new hometown of Middleburg or exploring the local community.

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Elizabeth Mullaugh - emullaugh@casa-arts.org

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Elizabeth Mullaugh rejoined the CASA Charter School Board after a short hiatus, having served as a Past President and Trustee since 2013. As a member of the founding board of CASA, she is dedicated to its success and that of its students, staff and faculty. 

 

A long-time resident of the City of Harrisburg, Elizabeth has served on several non-profit boards, including the LBGT Community Center of Central Pennsylvania, Friends of the YWCA Greater Harrisburg, Harrisburg Parks Partnership, and Harrisburg Young Professionals.  She was once (long ago!) honored as a recipient of the Central Penn Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 and the YWCA Greater Harrisburg Tribute to Women of Excellence.  She is a proud graduate of the Leadership Harrisburg Community Leadership Series Class of 2000.

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Elizabeth is an attorney with McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC.  Her practice focuses on estate planning, administration and business succession planning.  She attended Boston College where she earned a B.A. in Economics, then returned to her native Pittsburgh to earn her Juris Doctor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. 

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Elizabeth and her partner Jeff Lynch enjoy travel, art and music, periodically hosting house concerts in their Midtown residence and attending live chamber music and jazz concerts as frequently as possible. In 2017, she and Jeff were honored to receive the Theatre Harrisburg Arts Award for their contributions to the cultural life of the Capital Region. 

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Christine Pavlakovich, SHRM-SCP - cpavlakovich@casa-arts.org

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Christine Pavlakovich (Christy) is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Centric Bank. In this capacity, Christy is responsible for managing the day to day and strategic operations of a multi-faceted HR department and as an ambassador of the Bank’s culture. Christy has worked as a human resource professional for more than 25 years developing and executing corporate strategies, building highly effective teams, driving sustainable programs that inspire a diverse workforce, and leading and influencing corporate-wide projects. Christy earned her Senior Certified Professional credential through the Society for Human Resource Management.  

 

Christy’s passion for people is not only evident in her career choice, but in her commitment to serving her community by volunteering her time and expertise to organizations who make an impact on the lives of our neighbors and youth. She values the importance of schools like CASA that support opportunities for youth to experience arts programs that are not commonly available in public schools. Christy also serves on the board of Vision Resources of Central Pennsylvania.  

 

As part of the team of female executives at Centric Bank, Christy has been recognized two times with a national “Top Team” award in banking by American Banker, through their Most Powerful Women in Banking program, and is a recipient of the YWCA Greater Harrisburg Tribute to Women of Excellence Award 2018.   .

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Elizabeth Reusswig- ereusswig@casa-arts.org