EdCoWNY's Board of Directors 2024-2025

Interim Board of Directors:

Dr. Christopher Fulco, Board President - President, St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute

Joleen Dimitroff, Board Vice-President - Principal, Cardinal O’Hara High School

Patti Stephen, Board Treasurer - President, Buffalo Prep

Katherine Spillman, Board Secretary - Principal, Mount St. Mary Academy

 

Board of Directors Posting:

EdCo’s current mission is: To better prepare our students for the future, The Education Collaborative of Western New York provides its unique partner schools with opportunities for collaboration, a forum for sharing ideas, and a structure for advocating the values of private education. Partner schools offer quality education to area students and provide excellent choices to families seeking an independent school experience.

The EdCo Board of Directors has recently approved a new strategic plan that paves the way for expansion, enabling the organization to partner with additional schools, organizations, and institutions to positively impact more students. As part of this plan, EdCo is actively seeking new Board members who will work alongside staff to implement the strategy and help redefine the organization’s mission and vision, shaping the future of its educational efforts in the WNY region.

Industry

Education/ Non-Profit

Position

Volunteer Board Member

Expectations of Individual Board Members

We expect each board member to:

  • Be familiar with the organization's mission, policies, programs, and needs.
  • Diligently read and understand the organization’s financial statements and board materials in advance of meetings.
  • Serve as active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and fully engage in identifying and securing the financial resources and partnerships necessary for EdCo to advance its mission and collective purpose.
  • Leverage connections, networks, and resources to develop collective action to achieve EdCo’s mission.
  • Prepare for, attend, and conscientiously participate in board meetings.
  • Engage in learning opportunities to better understand the community the organization serves.
  • Respect the experiences of all who bring their voices and lived experiences onto the board and into the boardroom and the organization.
  • Honor our institutional values

We are actively seeking individuals to join the Board from both EdCo Partner Schools and the WNY Community as our goal is to create a 50/50 balance on the board between partner school representation and community representation.  Further, we are looking for mission-aligned individuals with strong collaboration, communication, implementation, strategic skills, and a commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

While not a requirement, we encourage individuals from EdCo Partner Schools and the WNY Community with the following backgrounds to apply:

  • K-16 Education
  • K-16 Education Leadership
  • DEI
  • Legal
  • Marketing
  • Development/ Fundraising
  • Accounting/ Finance
  • Grant writing
  • Mental Health/ Social Work

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

To achieve our goals, fulfill our mission, and realize our vision, we understand the importance of including individuals with diverse perspectives across all dimensions - cultural, ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, ability, and beyond. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and lived experiences, we can ensure more thoughtful decision-making and maximize the impact of our work.

We are publicly recruiting for board positions to ensure that we move beyond our immediate networks and honor our ongoing commitment to creating a board that is diverse in its composition, inclusive in its culture, and equity-focused in its approach to how it views its mission, its work, and the communities it serves.

Interested candidates are encouraged to send their CV/resume and a letter of interest to Eric Yarwood (eyarwood@edcowny.org) by October 25, 2024.

Please reach out if you have any questions.