Board of Trustees
2022-2023
Brian Griffith, President - bgriffith@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
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.
Brian currently serves on the board of The Professional Institute for Instructional Coaching (TPIIC) and Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School (Secretary).
Christopher S. Healy, Vice-President - chealy@casa-arts.org
Christopher S. Healy is the Vice President of the CASA Board of Trustees and the proud parent of a 2020 CASA graduate who is now a sophomore at Temple University, studying to earn her BFA in Dance. Chris has served on the CASA Board since 2017 and had previously served as President of the Board of Directors at the Londonderry School in Harrisburg, PA. All three of his children attended the Londonderry School and he has a passion for serving in leadership roles in the schools his kids attend. Chris has taken this approach to their education since his children were very young. He believes that by taking a proactive and intentional participation in his kid’s education, he can have a positive impact on their educational journey in partnership with the teachers and administration. He also tries to inspire other parents to take a bigger role in their kid’s education by encouraging more active involvement.
Christopher and his wife, Hollis Healy, have been in the Harrisburg area since 1994 and are actively involved in their communities. Chris serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for Community Aid, the thrift store operation that is based in Mechanicsburg. Hollis is one of the new owners of the Hershey School of Dance in Hummelstown. She has been a dance teacher since she was 14 and all three of her children grew up in Hershey School of Dance – a passion for the arts runs deep in the Healy family.
Dawn Mull, Treasurer - dmull@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
Dawn holds a bachelor’s degree in professional accountancy from Penn State University and is a member of the Institute of Management Accountants.
Emily Klauer Sullivan, Secretary - esullivan@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Karen Degenhart - kdegenhart@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
Dr. Richard Fry - rfry@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
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.
Alicia McDonald - amcdonald@casa-arts.org
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.
Elizabeth Mullaugh - emullaugh@casa-arts.org
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.
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.
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.
Christine Pavlakovich, SHRM-SCP - cpavlakovich@casa-arts.org
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.
Fina Salvo - fsalvo@casa-arts.org
Fina Salvo joined the CASA family as a Trustee in 2017 and currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees. She is passionate about education, arts, economic development, and community impact. Fina believes CASA is a rare and winning combination. "Our team of educators is committed to propelling CASA students to achieve excellence in academics and the arts. It is a privilege to watch CASA students succeed, accomplish their goals, and create themselves,” she says.
Professionally, Fina serves as the Director of Marketing at Boyer & Ritter LLC, one of the most respected accounting firms in central Pennsylvania. Her focus on extending the firm’s brand through thought leadership, increased visibility, client service, and community engagement have won acclaim for her co-workers and the firm and has enhanced the visibility and reputation of the Boyer & Ritter brand significantly.
Fina transfers her professional skills in branding, strategic problem solving, and communications to a vast collection of volunteer projects in the nonprofit and community sector. She also serves on the United Way of the Capital Region Women’s Leadership Network Advisory Council and the Resource Development Committee; Leadership Harrisburg Area Public Relations Committee; the Member Engagement Committee for Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation, and numerous event planning committees for these nonprofits and others.
Fina lives life with authenticity, conviction, and compassion. She is the dedicated, proud mother of twin girls and plays a volunteer role in their activities as often as she is able. Additionally, she enjoys fitness activities and exploring the world through travel, food, and art. Fina earned her bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, is a graduate of the Leadership Harrisburg Area Community Leadership Series class of 2016, and is a recipient of the YWCA Greater Harrisburg Tribute to Women of Excellence Award 2020.