Foundation Board

A volunteer board of directors governs the Wildcat Foundation. In accordance with our by-laws, the foundation may have a full board complement of 21 volunteer directors. Permanent members of the board include the MASD Superintendent and CFO, the President of the MASD School Board of Directors, the President of the Mechanicsburg Education Association, and the Foundation’s Executive Director (non-voting). These permanent positions ensure that the Wildcat Foundation continues to make appropriate decisions that complement the district’s efforts.

The board meets at 7:30 a.m. at the MASD District Office on the first Friday of most months.

If interested in serving on the governing board or in another volunteer capacity (event planning, marketing & communications committee, or other volunteer support) please email the executive director or call 717-691-4505.

Andrea Allessie

Andrea was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania and graduated from Hershey High School. She then attended Millersville University and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education of Social Studies.

Andrea has worked at Members 1st for the past 7 years, all of which have been spent serving the Mechanicsburg community. She is currently the Branch Manager of the Market Plaza branch on Market Street in Mechanicsburg.

Andrea is a member of the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce, West Shore Young Professionals, and the West Shore Chamber of Commerce. She looks forward to further serving the Mechanicsburg Community as a foundation board member.

Dr. Andrew Bitz | MASD Superintendent

Dr. Andrew Bitz is the Superintendent of the Mechanicsburg Area School District having served the community in various roles since 2003. Following his career as a Mechanicsburg high school math teacher and track coach, Andy moved into administration first as a high school assistant principal before shifting to the elementary level. He served as the principal of Broad Street Elementary and then led the effort to open Elmwood Academy as the school’s first principal. In 2020, he took on the role of Assistant to the Superintendent, providing academic leadership to the district and began as Superintendent in 2024.

Dr. Bitz completed his undergraduate studies and principal’s certification at Shippensburg University. At Temple University, Andy earned a Master of Education in 2003 and in 2024 completed his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.

Andy and his wife, Jen are the proud parents of three Wildcats: Maddie (MASH class of 2025), Austin (MASH class of 2028), and Kate (MASH class of 2031).

Through his years in the Mechanicsburg community, Dr. Bitz has established himself as a leader with a passion for all students to find success in our schools and beyond.

Jonathan Boles | MASH, '03. President

Jonathan was a 2003 graduate of Mechanicsburg before going on to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to complete his BS in Sport Administration. Jonathan spent twelve seasons with the Harrisburg Senators Baseball team in many capacities, with the most recent being the Assistant General Manager. A career change led Jon to the role of Territory Manager for Procter & Gamble.

Jonathan and wife Kristen, reside in Mechanicsburg and have two young sons and future Wildcats.

He was elected to the board in July 2019 and couldn't be more proud to have the opportunity to contribute to the overall well-being of the district and its students.

Mike Byerly

Michael B. Byerly, AVP, Investment Advisor Representative, started with Orrstown Bank in 2007. Starting as a management trainee, he moved to Branch Executive Officer, and then to his current role as an AVP Investment Advisor Representative. He graduated from Lycoming College with a double major in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and Economics. He holds a series 7, 66, and Life and Health Insurance licenses. He is currently a member of the Mechanicsburg North Rotary Club and sits on the advisory board for the Salvation Army in Carlisle. Additionally he is the Treasurer/Board Member for the Mechanicsburg Learning Center.

Christopher Cowan | President, Mechanicsburg Education Association

Chris is a 4th grade teacher in Mechanicsburg at Elmwood Academy teaching math, science, and social studies. He has been teaching in Mechanicsburg for almost 20 years, spending most of this time in 3rd grade at Northside until moving to Elmwood to be a math content specialist 5 years ago. Chris received a Bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree from Millersville University.

When Chris is not teaching in the classroom, he is active as the President of Mechanicsburg Education Association (MEA). He enjoys going on trips with his wife and 2 children to various destinations, running, golfing, and working out. Both of Chris’ children attend MASD at the elementary and middle school levels. The president of MEA has a permanent seat on the foundation governing board.

Donnie Despines

Donnie was born and raised in Ambridge, Pennsylvania. He and his family moved to Mechanicsburg in June of 2015. He and his wife Tanya are blessed with two sons, Jordan (MASH Class of 2021) and Donovan (MASH Class of 2027).

Donnie is a 2000 Graduate of Washington & Jefferson College where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and an Entrepreneurial Studies Certificate.

He is the Assistant International President at the Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BRCF). He also serves on the executive board for the North American Railway Foundation. Prior to relocating to Central Pennsylvania and working for the BRCF, Donnie was a Locomotive Engineer for Norfolk Southern. He has over 22 years in the railroad industry. Early in his professional career he worked in sales and finance.

In his spare time, he enjoys coaching, golfing, spending time with his family, cooking, eating out and sipping a glass of wine or two, and most importantly enjoying life.

Being involved in the community is important to him. He is extremely excited to have the opportunity of serving the community on the Wildcat Foundation Board.

Courtney Farinelli | MASH, '09

Courtney grew up in Mechanicsburg and graduated from MASH in 2009. After high school, she earned a degree in Public Relations from Penn State University.

She's now the manager of H2L Studio in Mechanicsburg where she teaches fitness and oversees daily operations. You can also find her helping in the Farinelli Construction office alongside her in-laws and husband. She has three young children and is looking forward to raising them in the Mechanicsburg School District. Her passion to give back to the community drives her love of all philanthropy efforts.

David Gongora

David Gongora is the Assistant Director of Corporate Talent Acquisition at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R). David oversees the execution and day-to-day operations of high-volume, college, and professional recruitment initiatives across all company properties. Having joined the HE&R team in 2019, David was instrumental in the recruitment initiatives and execution of the Hersheypark Leadership Development Internship program during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. David also dedicates his time to HE&R employee resource groups, including the MERGE Employee Resource Group (Multi-Ethnic Resource Group for Everyone), Milton Hershey School Project Fellowship, Military and Veterans Group chair, and proudly sits on the company's DE&I Council.

David is a U.S. Air Force veteran (retired) with 24 years of Honorable Active Duty service. He is the proud husband of Christie and father of two MASH children, Cortez (19) and Gabriella (15).

Jeffrey Green

Jeff is the Business Manager and Superintendent at the Carlisle Barracks Golf Course where he has held that title since 2015. After graduating high school in the north suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio, he attended Penn State where he got his bachelor's degree in Turfgrass Science in 1999.

Jeff started working on a golf course when he was 13. Due to his lack of talent for playing golf, he decided to pursue a career of maintaining golf courses. He currently serves on the Central Pennsylvania Golf Course Superintendent Association as a board member and past president.

Jeff met his wife, Angie, who is from Carlisle, at Penn State and they have lived in Mechanicsburg since 2005. Their daughter, Avery, is a sophomore at MASH.

He enjoys playing golf, attending sporting events, spending time with friends and family and Penn State football.

Mary Heimbuch

Mary was born and raised in Mechanicsburg and is a graduate of Trinity High School. After college, Mary moved back to Mechanicsburg and started working in the banking industry. Mary is currently a Mortgage Loan Originator with Fairway Mortgage Company. Mary is also serves as the Treasurer of the Mechanicsburg Chamber of Commerce.

Mary and her husband, Mike, have three sons currently enrolled in Mechanicsburg Area School District: Aiden 8th grade, Jackson 5th grade and Deacon 1st grade.

Julie Huff

Julie has lived in Mechanicsburg with her husband, Russ for over 30 years. They have three children, Mike, Katie and Greg who all graduated from Mechanicsburg Area School District and now have a granddaughter attending Shepherdstown Elementary.

Julie graduated from Shippensburg University in 1975 with a B.S. in Computer Science. After working for AT&T as a computer programmer/analyst for three years she decided to stay home with her children. When her children entered school she was an active volunteer and decided she would pursue a teaching career. Julie received her elementary teaching certificate from Wilson College and joined the Mechanicsburg Area School District in 1995 as a second grade teacher. Throughout her career in Mechanicsburg she served in a variety of positions including Supervisor of Elementary Curriculum and as the Assistant Superintendent. Julie retired from the District in January 2020 after serving almost 25 years in education.

Julie is excited to continue serving MASD as a board member of the Wildcat Foundation.

Jeff Pratt | Executive Director

Jeff Pratt was born and raised in Central Pennsylvania and is a 1992 graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Jeff and his wife, Toni, moved to Mechanicsburg in 2003 and have two children who have been raised in the Mechanicsburg Area School District - Eli, a recent graduate, and Asha, a rising ninth grader.

Jeff is excited to be the Wildcat Foundation’s fourth Executive Director after a journalism career of 28 years at The Sentinel newspaper in Carlisle, the last eight years as the community newspaper’s executive editor.

Leading a newspaper that valued highlighting the stories of people in the Midstate communities, he is excited to turn that focus to the foundation’s mission to provide support to the students, faculty and staff of the district.

Jeff’s community involvement has been tied to youth sports where he coached baseball and basketball for more than 12 years. He previously served for 10 years on the board for the Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball Association and also served as a board member for the Capital Area Science and Engineering Fair.

Greg Longwell | MASH, '03. MASD CFO/Assistant Treasurer

Greg Longwell is the Director of Business Operations/CFO for Mechanicsburg Area School District. He is a graduate of Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School. Following high school, he received a bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University. He would later attend Shippensburg University, earning a Master’s in Business Administration.

Greg began his professional career in public accounting, where he worked on financial audits for non-profit organizations and local governments. In 2010, he left public accounting to begin a career in school finance, where he accepted a position as Business Director for Newport School District. In 2016, Greg left his position with Newport School District to accept a position with Mechanicsburg Area School District.

Greg is married to Megan (Albert) Longwell and they are the proud parents of four children, who are/will attend Mechanicsburg Area School District. He enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.

Benjamin Moll | Treasurer

Benjamin (Ben) grew up in Bucks County Pennsylvania and is a 1995 graduate of Pennridge High School. He attended Lock Haven University, where he majored in both Finance and Accounting, with a minor in Economics; earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1999. In 2005, Ben earned both a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters of Health Administration from Penn State University.

Ben’s entire career has centered within the health care industry. The first eight years of his career was spent at ‘for-profit’ and ‘not-for-profit’ health care providers; specializing in health care finance, auditing, patient accounting, and Medicare reimbursement policy. In 2007, Ben transitioned to the public service side of the health care industry by becoming a civil servant – performing increasing roles and duties in auditing, reimbursement, and program management within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Initially he was part of the U.S. DHHS, Office of Inspector General (OIG), and currently is part of the U.S. DHHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Ben is happily married to Erin (Logan) Moll (a 1994 MASH graduate). They are the proud parents of three children: Sarah (a 2020 MASH graduate), Christopher (MASH class of 2023), and Elyse (MASH class of 2028).

Ben and Erin enjoy living in Mechanicsburg, and both have extended family living in the Mechanicsburg Area School District (MASD) that believe: it’s “A Good Place to Live”.

Ben is honored to be serving on the Board of Directors for the Wildcat Foundation, and proud to be contributing to strengthening the education, culture, wellness, and athletic programs of the MASD.
Information forthcoming

Aïchatou Hassane Noma | Vice President

Aicha joined the foundation board in winter, 2020 after having previously volunteered with the 10th Annual Golf Outing and Community Day. She is a data analyst and research specialist with over ten years of experience, and currently works as a statistician for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Prior to that, she has taught courses in economics and economic development at Bucknell University and worked for the World Bank in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Aicha holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Computer Information Systems and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of New Hampshire. She moved to Mechanicsburg in 2014 with her husband and they are raising two daughters. Their oldest is in 3rd grade at Broad Street Elementary; their youngest is a preschooler.

She has been overjoyed to discover a west African immigrant community in Harrisburg. She volunteers as a translator when needed as she speaks four languages.

Gareth Pahowka | Secretary

Gareth joined the foundation board in August, 2020 but is not new to Mechanicsburg Area School District. As an attorney with Stock and Leader's School Law group, he concentrates his practice in all areas of public education, with a focus on labor employment and collective bargaining matters, and serves as MASD's solicitor.

Before entering the practice of law, Mr. Pahowka was a middle school social studies teacher in the Gettysburg Area School District.   During law school, Mr. Pahowka was a legal assistant in the Chief Counsel’s Office of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

An active member of his community, Mr. Pahowka was named the 2014 Big Brother of the Year of Pennsylvania by the Big Brothers Big Sisters State Association and in 2017, the Central Penn Business Journal named Attorney Pahowka one of Central Pennsylvania’s Forty Under 40 award recipients for his commitment to business growth, professional excellence, and community service.

John Rupp | MASH, '81. MASD School Board President

Mr. Rupp holds the position of Board President and is the Board contact for Facilitiesfor the Mecahnicsburg Areas School District, School Board of Directors. John represents Region 3, which includes Mechanicsburg Wards 1 through 5. He is a life long resident of Mechanicsburg and is a graduate of Mechanicsburg Area School District.
John and his wife, Kathy, have three children, all Mechanicsburg graduates. They chose to live in the Mechanicsburg area for the sense of community and the excellent reputation of the Mechanicsburg Area School District.

“I am privileged to serve as a School Director of the Mechanicsburg Area School District. I will strive to provide the best quality of education to all of our students, in a manner that is fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.” The president of the MASD School Board of Directors has a permanent seat on the foundation governing board.

Elizabeth Shearer

Elizabeth is the Department Chair for the Health Professions Department at York College of Pennsylvania. She started at York College in 1999 teaching Anatomy and Physiology.

Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, she lived in South Carolina where she graduated from Clemson University with a BS in Biological Sciences and an MS in Zoology.

Elizabeth moved to Mechanicsburg in 2021 where she lives with her husband, Craig, and two sons - both graduates of MASH. Go Wildcats!

Jennifer Shockey

Jenn was born and raised in the central Pennsylvania area, graduating from Lower Dauphin HS in 2000. After high school, she earned a degree in Marketing from Penn State University in 2004. She currently lives in Mechanicsburg with her husband, Brad (also a PSU grad). Their two daughters - Mackenzie and Lily - both attend the Mechanicsburg Area School District where they are in 9th and 7th grades.

Jenn has spent most of her career working for Bayer Healthcare in its Women’s Health Division. Having spent most of her 17 years with the organization in sales and leadership, her current role focuses on strategy and project management for the organization.

Outside of work, Jenn enjoys traveling with her family, playing golf, and cheering her girls on at sporting events. She also is a head coach for a local travel softball team, bringing her experience as a letter winner at both the high school and collegiate level.

Jenn is very excited to join the Wildcat Foundation and give back to the Mechanicsburg community.

Dip Smith | MASH, '09

Dip was born in London, UK and raised in Mechanicsburg. He is a proud 2009 MASH alumni who went on to graduate from Temple University with a major in Entrepreneurship. Upon graduating, Dip moved to Mifflin County to manage his family business in Hospitality. In 2019, Dip moved back to the area and changed careers from an interest in sustainability and land development. Dip is currently working in McClure Company as a Project Developer focusing on renewable energy systems and other energy efficient solutions.

Dip resides in Mechanicsburg with his wife and dog. He is actively engaged in community cultural events and enjoys giving back through the Wildcat Foundation. Dip is an avid traveler and loves wildlife. His favorite place is Masai Mara Wildlife Reserve in Kenya, Africa.

Timothy Wendling

Tim is the Assistant Township Manager for Upper Allen Township. He recently served 11 years as the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) Charter School located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Prior to joining CASA, he was the Principal of Steelton-Highspire Elementary School. His previous professional experience includes teaching middle school and high school social studies for six years in the Steelton-Highspire School District.

He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, his Master’s Degree in Education, and received his teaching certificate from Kutztown University. He received his administrative certificate from Cabrini University, and in 2020, he obtained his Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from the Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit.

Tim has been a member of the Mechanicsburg community for the past seven years and is excited to serve on the Wildcat Foundation board. He and his partner live in the borough and have a son that attends Broad Street Elementary School.