MEET THE TEAM
Our board consists of administrators, educators, parents, and individuals committed to supporting the academic success of our children in the Kennett Consolidated School District.

Susan Gaughan
President
Susan works for J Mark Group and has one graduate from Kennett and another currently at Kennett High School. She has been the Program Director of the Blue Demons Girls Lacrosse program since 2014, and launched many new youth and adult sports, arts and music programs for the Kennett community. She joined the KEF board in 2018.

Erin Bernberg
2nd Vice President
Erin, a senior scientist at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, has volunteered throughout KCSD for 12
years. She is excited to use her role in KEF to help strengthen and promote the positive impact that KCSD
staff and students have on the Kennett community. She and her husband are the proud parents of two
KCSD students.

Michael Cari
Treasurer
Mike is married, a father of two, Sam and Hollister, and an orthodontist in the community. A long supporter of the KEF, he has been on the board since 2018.

Kendra LaCosta
Secretary and Scholarship Co-Chair
Kendra joined the board in 2021 after her last of three children graduated from Kennett High. She thoroughly appreciates the great education they all received from KCSD and is excited to give back to this warm community. She works at OneMain Financial and has been involved in many roles with the individual schools and the district.

Niki Harvey
Board Development Advisor
Niki is the proud parent of two children in the Kennett Consolidated School District. Education is her purpose and passion in life, and she is committed to serving all children. Niki is currently the Assistant Superintendent,
Elementary Education, of the Avon Grove School District

Ann Schlitz
KEF Advisor
Ann is the parent of two Kennett High School graduates and currently has a daughter in the district. She has been involved with event planning for several non-profit organizations and has been active with KEF since 2016. She loves seeing the impact that KEF has on the students and educators in the district and in the Kennett community.

Heather Connolly
Immediate Past President
Heather is the VP of Development for Operation Warm. She is passionate about giving back to her community and has volunteered for KEF for over 10 years. She understands the impact and value of innovative teacher grants. She is the mom to two great Kennett Kids.

Meghan Spero
Board Member
Meghan has built a dynamic career in the private club industry holding various leadership roles and currently serving as Director of Development and Communications at Wilmington Country Club. She is also a Program Mentor at the University of Delaware’s Lerner College of Business and serves on two national committees for the PGA of America. A proud Bancroft parent of two, Meghan is passionate about community engagement and making a meaningful impact through service.

Kevin Austin, Jr.
Finance Committee
Kevin Austin, Jr. is a proud KCSD parent and the spouse of a KCSD educator. He currently serves as a Digital Account Executive at Hibu, where he specializes in sales and account management in the Wilmington, Delaware area. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Network Security from Wilmington University and an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He is eager to support KEF’s efforts in securing community sponsorships that benefit Kennett schools.

Corina Bacon
Fundraising Events
Corina joined KEF after retiring from Bank of America where she held positions in recruitment, education, and project management (where she managed complex technology system upgrades). Corina & her husband Nate have two daughters in KCSD. Since leaving banking after 20 years she has enjoyed spending time volunteering in the girls classrooms, schools events & planning fundraising events in the community.

Barbie DeCarlo
Innovative Grants Chair
Barbie is a Retired Educator. Her career spanned 35 years in Kennett. She spent 15 years teaching at Mary D. Lang and 20 years as the Principal of New Garden.

Neil Erickson
Treasury Committee
Neil is a 2017 graduate of Kennett High School and an aerospace engineer at Boeing.

Kelly Figueroa
Communications Committee
Kelly serves as the Instructional Technology Coach at KCSD and has worked in the district for the last eighteen years. She and her husband Eric have two children in Kennett Schools. She is passionate about opportunities to help serve others in our community.

Claire Finfrock
Sponsorship Chair
Since 2017, Claire has enjoyed her position with Operation Warm, and previously served as Recreation Coordinator for Kennett Area Park and Recreation Board (KAPRB) for 12 years. Claire and her husband Mark have 5 graduates of KCSD. Claire will assist with KEF sponsorships, and looks forward to participating on a variety of KEF committees.

Michael Finnegan
Emeritus
Michael is the former VP of KEF and is a current Emeritus Board Member. He has been on the KCSD School Board since 2017 and has served as Treasurer and Finance chairs. He is the Director of LabWare Holding Inc. since 1993 and serves on numerous other non-profit boards.

Lisa Gately
Board Development Committee
Lisa currently works for Citibank as a Global Product Manager in Deposits and Investments and has worked in the banking sector for the last 25 years. Lisa and her husband have three kids in the Kennett school district.

Bob George
Emeritus
Bob George, Class of '64, with Rudy Karkosak and Skip Reynolds started up KEF in 2000 and was President of the Board for the first 8 years. His brothers and sister and four children graduated from Kennett and there is a Family George award for the most innovative and creative graduating senior.

Cybil Housh
Teacher Appreciation Chair, Scholarship Co-Chair
Cybil is a 18 year veteran educator, teaching 15 of those years in the KCSD. Cybil coached for seven years both with Kennett Area Parks and Recreation Board (KAPRB) and at KMS for the Girls Field Hockey and Lacrosse programs. She also enjoys volunteering in the Kennett community for local events. She has two children; her daughter is currently a student at KHS.

Rudy Karkosak
Emeritus
Rudy is proud to part of a group of dedicated individuals who believe in the mission of the Kennett Education Foundation. We are committed to providing innovative grants for teachers, scholarships for graduates of KHS, and recognizing outstanding teachers in the school district.

Barry Ritz
Sponsorship Chair
Barry is the U.S. Vice President and Head of Regulatory, Scientific & Medical Affairs for Nestle Health Science, the health and wellness division of Nestle. He and his wife Kendall, an MD specializing in Functional Medicine, love living in Kennett Township and have two daughters thriving in the Kennett Schools.

Betsy Sterling
Communications Committee
Betsy is a parent of three children in KCSD. She is currently a Senior Assessment Specialist at Discovery Education. Previously, she was an ESL teacher in Seoul and NYC, a K-5 classroom teacher, and an instructional coach. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction.

Brooke Vail
Spring Soiree Co-Chair
Brooke is a former educator with a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She and her husband Jeff are proud parents of two Kennett Middle School students, Jack and Cooper. She is passionate about volunteering and supporting educational opportunities.

Gemma Erickson
Board Development Committee
Gemma is a 2017 graduate of Kennett High School and a Registered Dietitian. She enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering her time with the Kennett Education Foundation as well as Kennett Area Community Service.

Grace Jennings
Community Grants Chair
Grace is a 2015 graduate of Kennett High School. She is an attorney specializing in structured finance transactions at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.
Andy Augustine, Emeritus
Michael Finnegan, Emeritus
Bob George, Emeritus
Bud Pierce, Emeritus
Dr. Kimberly Rizzo Saunders, Ex Officio
Dr. DeAngelis, Ex Officio
Edward Wood, Finance
Kathryn King, Ex Officio (KEA)
Tricia O’Loughlin, Ex Officio (KEA)
Additional Board Directors and Associated Friends
Bob George, 2001-2006
Karl Bennett, 2007-2008
Janice Reynolds, 2009
Elizabeth Stinson, 2010-2012
Rudy Karkosak, 2013-2020
Alison Biloon, 2020-2021
Ann Schlitz, 2021-2023
Heather Connolly, 2023-2024
Past
Presidents
Student Board Members
Grecia Bedolla, 2025
Liam Gately, 2025
Daniel Tafolla Garcia, 2026
Quinlan Williams, 2026
Melanie Alvarez, 2027
Poppy O'Brien, 2027

Join Us
We invite you to join us in our commitment to the students of the Kennett Consolidated School District. We promise you will find it to be a very rewarding experience. There is no better foundation upon which to build the future of our community.











