The Board of Trustees of the San Marino Schools Foundation (“Foundation”) announced that after an extensive search, Christopher E. Kealey will lead the Foundation office as the new Director of Development. Chris brings over 20 years of non-profit leadership experience to the role, and was recently the Director of Development for the Caltech Y. In his 10 years at the Caltech Y, Chris was instrumental in doubling the endowment, increasing annual contributions by over 150%, and raising $1.4 million in major gifts.
“We are excited to have Chris on board to help lead the Foundation to the next level of success. Local funding remains critical in ensuring the exceptional public education we have come to expect for our children here in San Marino. The community is wonderful in supporting the schools, but we can always strive to do better in providing our students with the tools to compete,” states Peter Koh, 2014-2015 Foundation President.
In discussing joining the Foundation, Chris Kealey commented “My wife, Heather, was raised here in San Marino and is a graduate of San Marino schools. We still have many close relationships to this amazing community and I know how much the schools are valued here. It is wonderful that parents and the community choose to donate to the Foundation and thereby fund nearly 10% of the District annual budget. I look forward to working with the Trustees, the District and the donor community to ensure continued funding success.”
The Foundation expresses its gratitude to Colleen Fitzpatrick and Johann Diel for their many years of service to the Foundation. During Colleen’s 18 years with the Foundation, approximately $40 million was raised to benefit the students in San Marino Unified. Both Colleen and Johann have established a solid structure upon which the Foundation will move forward. We wish both well as they pursue new challenges in their future endeavors.
For information or to make a donation, please contact the Foundation office at 626-299-7014 or visit the web site at www.smsf.org.
