Members/Officers and Bios

Jonathan A. Brassington is the CEO, co-founder, partner, and member of the Board of Directors at LiquidHub, a digital integrator that partners with businesses to improve customer engagement and drive growth. Bringing more than fifteen years of technology and innovation experience to his role, Jonathan has led LiquidHub to be consistently recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the greater Philadelphia and mid-Atlantic region, including recognition from Inc. 5000 and Philly 100. Prior to the establishment of LiquidHub, Jonathan was a partner at Broadreach Consulting, an Internet professional services firm. He is an avid technology strategist and speaker as well as an early stage investor in a variety of technology driven businesses. Jonathan is a leader in digital customer engagement and has previously worked with The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Business Journal, SmartCEO, and SmartBusiness—as an expert resource.

Jonathan has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Misericordia University and a master’s degree in telecommunications and operations from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Wharton Fellow and serves on the Board of Trustees of Misericordia University, Penn’s Abramson Cancer Center Director's Leadership Council (ACCDLC) and the Montgomery School. Jonathan is also a Board Member of The Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT) and he is on the Advisory Board of Temple University’s Fox School of Business. He also serves as a Board Member of Listen Logic, as a member of the Young Presidents Organization, and as a Trustee for the Paoli Hospital Foundation Board. Jonathan currently lives with his wife Linda and their two sons in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Harry Carpenter is in his second year of board service with Montgomery School. Harry and his wife Laura are the proud parents of 3 Montgomery School Alum, Catherine ’12, Jack ’13 and Abigail, ’17.

Harry is currently the CEO of Merit Service Solutions, an exterior maintenance company headquartered in Malvern. Prior to that, he was President and COO of Brightview. The majority of his career was spent with ARAMARK Corporation where he served for 25 years and his last role was President and Chief Operating Officer.

Previously, Harry has served on the board of Make-A-Wish as well as Japan based AIM Corporation.

Patty is an independent consultant, specializing in large-scale information systems implementation, change management, business process design, program management and organizational effectiveness. Patty has extensive experience with global pharmaceutical sales and marketing operations, customer relationship management, anti-bribery/corruption and compliance controls. Patty graduated from Temple University, studying business and computer science.

Patty is parent of Georgia Dahm ’15, who attended Montgomery School for 11 years (3 years old through 8^th grade). Patty was involved as class parent, golf outing chair with her husband Tony, and various school activities over the years. Patty, Tony and Georgia reside in West Chester, PA.

Maureen has been active in the Montgomery School Community and has chaired the Annual Benefit, the Book Fair and has served on the Advancement Committee. She is currently the chairperson for the Yellow Springs Art Show, and has chaired the show for the past seven years. She had previously been active with the Mill at Anselma. Her background includes an extensive career with Mars Electronics International (a division of Mars, Inc.) as Marketing Communications Manager. Prior to that she was in sales and was also a court reporter. Maureen is a graduate of Temple University. She currently resides in Chester Springs with her husband, Jim, and youngest daughter, Lisa, a graduate of the Agnes Irwin School, attends Gettysburg College. Her oldest daughter, Ashley, is a also graduate of Gettysburg.

Grant is the CEO and Founder of EIR Healthcare; a healthcare modular design firm based in Philadelphia, PA. Grant is a local, born and raised in the Philadelphia area. He is an alumnus of the Montgomery School, graduating in ’02 and served as the captain of the Greeks in his final year. He graduated from Devon Preparatory School and then Drexel University receiving a BSBA with dual concentrations in International Business in Marketing, with a German minor. He currently resides in Philadelphia, PA with his wife and three dogs.

Doug is Chief Financial Officer for Ralexar Therapeutics, Inc. and Velicept Therapeutics, Inc., two development stage pharmaceutical companies. In addition, Doug is a founding Partner, CFO and COO of Nexeption, LLC, a company that provides development and management services to its portfolio of pharmaceutical companies. Between 2004 and 2013, Doug held the CFO position at Ception Therapeutics and then Ceptaris Therapeutics. Prior to that, he spent nearly 20 years working at a number of commercial and investment banking institutions in the Midwest. A native of Wisconsin, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance, Investments and Banking from the University of Wisconsin – Madison before earning his MBA from the University of Chicago. Doug joined the Montgomery Board of Trustees in 2015 and served on the Finance Committee in the 2015-16 school year. Doug currently serves on the Executive Committee and as Co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He and his wife, Jean, live in Chester Springs with their son Fritz (Montgomery School ’15), daughter Ava (Montgomery School ’17) and golden doodle Lucy.

Paul is the President and Cofounder of DataCeutics, a specialty Functional Service Provider supporting clinical trials with technical expertise in biostatistics, statistical programming and clinical programming. He graduated from the State University of New York at Albany with a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemistry. Paul and his wife, Susan Braithwaite-Gilbert, have lived in Downingtown since 1999 and have 3 children. Spencer (’17), Elsa (’21), and Perry (’24) all currently attend the Montgomery School.

Dan is the General Manager of Europe at Veeva Systems. Before working at Veeva, Dan was a senior executive with IBM’s management consulting division focused on Life Sciences. He grew up around the corner from Montgomery in Chester Springs. Dan is an alumnus of the Friends Central School in Wynnewood, PA where he concurrently attended the University of Pennsylvania Young Scholars program. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelors of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Dan and his wife, Penny, have lived in Downingtown since 2004 and have 3 daughters. Abigail (’18), Isabelle (’21), and Katherine (’23) all currently attend the Montgomery School.

Kristine Ilaria is a seasoned executive with experience leading strategy, finance, and acquisitions. She currently works at Stryker, a leading medical technology company, as Director of Strategy & Business Development across its Orthopaedics businesses. She is passionate about causes that improve children’s lives, especially education and healthcare. She holds a B.A. in Psychology & Political Science from Drew University and an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University.

Kristine and her husband, Dan, reside in the local area with their son, Aaron (Montgomery Class of 2024), and daughter, Emerson (pre-school).

This is Sally's third year at Montgomery as Head of School. She joined the Montgomery School community after four years as Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management and External Relations at The Agnes Irwin School in Villanova, PA. Her children Charlie '20 and Maggie '23 attend Montgomery. Sally and her family reside in Phoenixville.

Jeffrey Lipson, the Executive Director of Layer 8 Security, is an experienced entrepreneur, a Reserve Marine Colonel with over 25 years of military service and an avid technologist. After merging his managed IT services firm, SaberSource, with Lantium, Jeff went on to serve an active duty tour with the Marines at the National Security Agency. A career intelligence and communications officer, Jeff is a recognized subject matter expert in the fields of information assurance and cybersecurity, and has a Master’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University. Jeff currently serves on the Board of Directors for Immaculata University’s Cybersecurity Program. Jeff is equally active in philanthropy by serving as an involved member of the Philadelphia Committee for the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and actively supports the National Wounded Warrior Cyber Academy.

Steve Lisk became the tenth Head of School at Lancaster Country Day School in July 2008. Across twenty-seven years in independent schools, he has served also as a division head, department chair, dorm head, classroom teacher, advisor and athletic coach.In his first eight years at LCDS, Mr. Lisk has led the school through strategic enrollment growth, programmatic development, and enhanced professional development. From 2003 – 2008, Mr. Lisk led the Upper School (grades 9-12) at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton, FL. Earlier, Mr. Lisk served as the History Department Chair at the Kent School in Kent, CT. Mr. Lisk began his school career at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA. Starting as a history teacher, coach of football and basketball, and dorm parent, he spent a total of twelve years at this all-boarding school of over 400 students in grades 9-12.

Mr. Lisk attended the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, where, as a Morehead Scholar, he majored in Political Science. Later, he also studied at North Carolina State University where he earned an M.A. in History. Mr. Lisk currently serves as the Board Chair for the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools (ADVIS) and on the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) Commission for Accreditation. With his wife, Kirke, he has two sons, ages 17 and 15.

Michele joined the Montgomery Community in 2016 when her family relocated to Pennsylvania from Connecticut and her daughters enrolled at the school.

Michele leads the Communications and Marketing function for Triumph Group, a global leader in manufacturing and overhauling aerospace structures, systems, and components. Prior to that she spent 10 years at United Technologies Corporation working in a variety of communications roles across the company’s six business units. She began her career in the field of Development, working for organizations including Cornell Medical School, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and the University of Chicago.

Michele received her bachelor’s degree in Religion from Dartmouth College and a master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University. Michele and her husband Marlon live in Chester Springs with their daughters Linden (Montgomery ’24) and Anissa (Montgomery ‘26). She also serves on the Board of Custom Collaborative, a non-profit that aims to make a difference in the lives of underserved and immigrant women by creating opportunities in the fashion industry.

Alex is Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at Pfizer Inc., where he leads the Pfizer legal group responsible for mergers, acquisitions and late-stage licensing. Prior to joining Pfizer, Alex was an attorney at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston, where he represented clients in corporate matters in the life sciences, technology, energy and financial industries. Alex received his undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard and graduated from Suffolk University Law School, where he served as a writer and editor for the law review. After law school, Alex served as law clerk and legal counsel to the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Alex and his wife Celeste, who is active in the MSCA, moved to Collegeville in 2004 from the Boston area and joined the Montgomery family in 2010 as the parents of Harris ’13, Sophia ’14 and Owen ’18. Alex was formerly pro bono legal counsel and corporate secretary of Homeless Empowerment Project, the publisher of Boston’s homeless newspaper. Alex serves as an alumni interviewer for the Harvard College admissions office and he is also the Den Leader for Owen’s Cub Scout pack. In the summer, Alex and his family happily volunteer in the Montgomery School garden.

Saroj Ramdas is the Director of CMC Biopharm Regulatory Advocacy, Strategy & Policy at GlaxoSmithKline based in Collegeville, PA. She is passionate about putting patients first and leads strategic initiatives focused on industry alignment regarding pharmaceutical development topics, drives strategic approaches from a regulatory perspective to enhance product development and engages globally with respect to Health Authority policy and regulations. She is an active leader in various pharmaceutical industry trade organizations and is the Scientific Director of The Wanda Bilec Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer. She has a B.S. in Chemistry from The College of William & Mary and a M.S in Biochemistry from The Medical College of Virginia. Saroj and her husband Naresh joined the Montgomery family in 2012 when their son Siddarth joined Middle School who is currently at AIM Academy, class of 2019. Their second son Inan is currently a member of Montgomery’s class of 2019.

Morreen Rukin founded Creative Restaurant Solutions, Inc. in 1997 and Combined Resource Solutions, Inc. in 2006. Both companies focus on helping other organizations improve the employment experience to ensure high levels of engagement, productivity, and profitability. Recognized as a dynamic consultant and leader, Morreen has built a team of experts who consistently deliver results with their industry knowledge, creative approaches, and dedication to superior customer service.

Before starting CRS, Morreen acquired 25 years of deep and diverse experience in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, retail, and restaurants. She has applied the hands-on experiences garnered along the way to help organizations improve the employment experience through initiatives that focus on retention, productivity, and profitability.

Morreen earned her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from University of New Hampshire and also holds a Master’s in Education with a focus on Education and Instructional Design from Pennsylvania State University. An advocate for giving back, Morreen and her family have been recognized as a top fundraiser for Alex’s Lemonade Stand (a children’s cancer research foundation) and have raised nearly $210,000 in the past 13 years. Morreen is fortunate to manage the Michael B. Rukin Charitable Foundation in memory of her father which furthers her interest in philanthropy. She also co-authored Dream, Inc. – Million Dollar Business Strategies from 32 Successful Philadelphia-Area Entrepreneurs. The Philadelphia Business Journal recognized Morreen as one of the Women of Distinction in 2007 and she was recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s “Best 50 Women in Business” in 2009. Under Morreen’s leadership the CRS team was recognized as a Philly 100 Winner in 2016, 2017, and 2018 by the Entrepreneur’s Forum of Philadelphia and the Wharton Small Business program. Additionally, Morreen was a recipient of the 2017 Enterprising Women of the Year Award.

Morreen lives in Downingtown, PA with her daughter, Sydnie '18.

Staci joined the Montgomery School community in 2013 when her son enrolled in fourth grade. At Montgomery, Staci has served on the Board’s Executive and Advancement Committees, and the Financial Task Force, and has Co-Chaired the Annual Fund.

Currently, Staci is the U.S. College Mentor and Scholarship Coordinator for the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation based in South Africa. Prior to moving to Pennsylvania, she held fundraising positions at charter schools in the South Bronx, New York and administrative and teaching positions at Prep for Prep in New York, Groton School and Concord Academy in Massachusetts, and Bowdoin College in Maine. As a volunteer, Staci has been a trustee at Bowdoin College, Belmont Day School, and The Children’s Center of Groton. As a Bowdoin volunteer, she served on her 25th Reunion Committee and as President of the Alumni Council. Staci earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching from Brown University and her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College.

Staci and her husband Chris, the Assistant Head of School at Church Farm School, live on the CFS campus in Exton with their children Crawford’18, a freshman at St. Andrew’s School, and Camille, a sophomore at Pomona College.

Joshua Stewart is an Account Manager at Excellis Health Solutions, a Life Sciences partner company specializing in compliance and ERP consulting. Prior to his current position, Joshua was an Integrated Delivery Systems Account Lead with Merck and Co., focusing on delivering Population Health Centered solutions to major Health Systems in the Philadelphia area. Joshua is a 12-year veteran of the US Navy where he served as a Nuclear-Submarine Officer on two forward-deployed fast-attack submarines. His shore tours included teaching Leadership and Ethics at the US Naval Academy, and standing up a capstone practicum for submarine-bound midshipmen. He holds a BS from the Naval Academy, MS in Human Resource Development and Leadership from the Naval Postgraduate School, and an MBA from Penn State. Joshua acts as a Character Ambassador for the Travis Manion Foundation.

Joshua is a 1992 graduate of The Montgomery School. He, his wife Kelly, and children, Lincoln (7) and Jasmine (5), reside in East Norriton, PA.

Christopher Tompkins has served for 30 years in independent schools. Tompkins has served as a middle and upper school teacher, director of admissions and financial aid, college counselor and Head of School. Tompkins authored The Croton Dams and Aqueduct, the forward to Behind the Walls, and an article on diversity in Second Home. He has also written numerous articles on independent schools, including a feature article on merit aid and net tuition revenue in the Spring 2016 edition of the NAIS Independent School Magazine. Tompkins served on the NAIS SSS Task Force from 2005-2011, was on the board of ADVIS from 2010 - 2015, and president from 2013 - 2015. In 2013, Tompkins received the Everett E. Gourley Award from the Enrollment Management Association. He is a regular speaker on the independent school circuit and was a founding trustee of the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals.

Tompkins holds a BA from Colby College, his MSSc from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, and certificates from Cornell, Harvard, Richmond, and the Klingenstein Center of Columbia University.

Christine graduated from Cornell University with Bachelor Degrees in Biology and Psychology and worked as a Development Officer before returning to Cornell to get her MBA, concentrating in Marketing. After graduating with her Masters, she moved to the Philadelphia area to work for Merck & Co., Inc., where she was a Director of Marketing. Christine now spends her time supporting organizations that she is passionate about: Montgomery School, Cornell University, and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Christine has held a number of leadership/board positions in a number of volunteer organizations. She just concluded co-chairing her college reunion campaign and is currently an elected member of the Cornell University Council. Christine also co-chairs the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassadors Network made up of more than 300 volunteers and speaks with high school seniors applying to Cornell. Christine is a past vestry member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Glenmoore and served as the Rector’s Warden for two years. She is also actively involved in the Outreach missions at the church. At Montgomery, Christine serves on the Enrollment Committee and can be found volunteering for numerous events. Most recently, she co-chaired the 2015 Annual Benefit. Christine and her husband, Harry, reside in Chester Springs with their son, Harry (Montgomery School ’21).