Welcome

Board of Trustees

    • UPLAND_20210119_071

Comprised of Esteemed Alumni, Current and Past Parents as well as Community Visionaries, Upland Country Day School's Board of Trustees offer a diverse range of perspectives in order to strategically execute the mission and principles of The Upland Way.

List of 7 items.

  • William "Bill" W. Wylie, Jr.

    President

    Bill Wylie, father of Stuart ‘95 and Peyton ‘99. A lifelong Chester County resident, Bill attended the University of
    Delaware, earning a degree in Finance, to become a principal, officer, and manager of an investment firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, and charitable institutions in Philadelphia. Bill served as an Upland Trustee when Stuart and Peyton were in school and rejoined the Board in 2016. Bill firmly believes that Upland Country Day provides a rigorous
    academic experience in a small school setting that encourages and supports the development of the whole child through full participation in the arts and athletics. Achieving their individual potential is a natural byproduct of focusing on teamwork and the well-being of others, preparing children to be leaders at their next schools. He is pleased to be able to contribute to an institution that has been so prominent in the life of his family.
  • Luke Bowen, '98

    A 1998 graduate of Upland, Luke is the co-founder and co-CEO of Evil Genius Beer Company. Evil Genius is one of the largest and fastest-growing craft breweries in the US, distributing over 80 brands, to more than 25,000 retailers, in 11 states.

    In addition, Luke has co-authored internationally published research in Advertising Strategy, Best Practices in Market Research, and Corporate-Social Responsibility. He also regularly speaks and lectures in the Business School at Villanova University.

    In 2019, the Philadelphia Business Journal named Luke one of Philadelphia’s Forty Under 40. He is also a member of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, The Brewers Association, The National Beer Wholesalers Association, and The Union League of Philadelphia.

    Luke holds a Master’s in Business Administration with honors from Villanova University.
     
  • Ambrose Carr

    Ambrose and his wife, Elizabeth, are current Upland parents to Maisie '24 and Libby '28.  Ambrose is a partner in the firm of Prosperian Wealth Management. He is a retirement specialist.  Ambrose and his family live in Wilmington.
  • Anthony J. Drexel Cadwalader, '79

    Journalist and Community Volunteer

    Tony is an alumni of Upland and a graduate of Lake Forest College. He currently resides in Unionville and has been involved in many of Upland’s Alumni activities including Winter Weekend and the Phone-­-a-­-thon. Tony is currently president of Drexel Media Company LLC, an Internet publishing and new media company. He is a former award-­-winning journalist with The Kennett Paper and The Daily Local News. He has worked with the Chesapeake Publishing and the Journal Register Company, where he rose to become editor as well as head of advertising design. Prior to that he was in real estate in New York City, converting residential apartment buildings to condominium and co-­-op entities, and later with Emlen-­-Wheeler/Prudential Fox-­- Roach outside Philadelphia doing residential and commercial sales.

    Tony is currently on the executive committee of the Drexel Family Initiative at Drexel University, which seeks to provide scholarship opportunities for financially disadvantaged students who have shown a commitment and spirit of giving back to their community. A cancer survivor, he has done charitable work with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life and is a supporter of Shine, a group affiliated with The Cancer Program of The Chester County Hospital and Health System. Additionally, he has actively helped launch or financially supported many social and non-­-profit organizations, such as the Young Friends of the Brandywine and the Brandywine Conservancy, the Buck & Doe Trust, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and, the Woodlands Cemetery in Philadelphia.
  • Pattie Morgan Miller

    Pattie has worked in the Technology Sector for leading cyber security firms including, RSA Security, Symantec, Veritas, Cohesity, and most recently Okta.  She received her BS in Math/Computer Science from the University of Richmond and earned a MS in Systems Engineering from Widener University.  Her husband, Jake, has a farming and landscaping business and is starting a whiskey distillery.  Their daughter, Ashley ‘14, started at Upland in the 1st grade.  After graduation matriculated to Lawrenceville ‘17, UVM '23 and is currently getting her master's in Journalism at Columbia University.   Pattie has been active in many community causes, specifically in the areas of preservation, the environment, open space, and education. She has held board seats for the Kennett Library, S.A.V.E., the Junior League of Wilmington, and her alma mater, Sanford School. She and Jake live in Kennett Square.  
  • David Harrington

    Treasurer
    CEO, Seamark Capital

    David Harrington is a native of Wilmington, Delaware and is currently an Upland Trustee and Board Treasurer. He is the head of the finance committee and served on the search committee for Head of School. He is the parent of three Upland grads, Andrew, Lindsay and Ian. David is a managing partner and founder of Seamark Capital in Chadds Ford, which is a long/short equity fund. He graduated from the Salisbury School and has a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Lawrence University.
  • Nancy Wood

    Nancy is an Upland alum, daughter of an alum, and granddaughter of a founder (Nancy Penn-Smith Hannum). She is also a parent of Oram ‘21 and Averell ‘23. A lifelong resident of Unionville, PA, Nancy graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 1996 and then Gettysburg College in 2000. After living abroad, she returned home. In 2004 she married Crosby Wood (who in his childhood attended PreK at Upland for a little while). Together they manage New Heritage Properties, a real estate investment company that they founded in 2007. Nancy has been active in the community for many years and is always willing to open their home "Brooklawn" to support causes such as open space and other organizations that protect the country way of life. She is excited to continue the family tradition at Upland. 

List of 6 items.

  • E. Bradford "Brad" DuPont, Jr.

    Brad is a former history teacher and the current boys' lacrosse coach at Tower Hill School. He previously worked in the Alumni and Development Office also at Tower Hill.   He received his B.A. from Williams College and an M.A. in history from the University of Delaware. Brad is on the Board of Directors for Centreville Layton School.
     
    Brad lives in Chadds Ford and is the father of Upland alum, Scott '13.
  • Julie Gardner

    Julie is a past parent of Aidan Young '20, who sadly passed away when he was 11 years old. She is a graduate of Garrison Forest School and Georgetown University. Julie received her Master of Social Work degree from Catholic University, after which she worked as a psychotherapist in educational, clinical, and private practice settings and served as a founding Director of the Adele Lebowitz Center for Youth & Families. Since moving to Chester County, Julie worked for La Comunidad Hispana in Kennett Square for several years as an operations manager and then became the Executive Director of S.A.V.E. Trustee there. Following Aidan's death, Julie spent several years in Germany, where she studied and was certified as a practitioner of Animal Assisted Interventions. Julie is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Transformative Studies with California Institute of Integral Studies. Her research interests include play and play-based learning, embodied cognition, ecopsychology, and the Human Animal Bond. Her mother, Nina Gardner, served as a Trustee for one term while Aidan attended Upland. Julie lives in London Grove Township. 
  • J. Charles Gerbron, Jr. '95

    A 1995 graduate of Upland Country Day School, Charlie is a partner in the law firm of MacElree Harvey, Ltd. where he focuses his practice on litigation and land use related matters. Before beginning his legal career, Charlie taught English and history and coached soccer, hockey, and lacrosse at Upland from 2003-2005. Charlie has been an active member of the Upland Alumni Association for many years and has served as the Association’s President since 2014. Charlie is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School, Georgetown University, and the Villanova School of Law. He lives in Kennett Square with his wife Meredith '97 and their three daughters, Charlotte '29, Caroline '32, and Georgie.
     
     
  • Steven Friedemann

    Owner, Meander Fin Creative Studio

    Steve and his wife, Melissa Watson, became Upland parents in 2012; Eliza and Henry '22; Naomi '24, and Simon '27. Steve is a graduate of the University of Delaware and leads a brand consulting studio, Meander Fin Creative, where he specializes in environmental graphic design and brand strategy. He recently completed 12 years of service on the Board at Fairville Friends School in Chadds Ford, serving in executive roles for the majority of his time there as a Trustee. Steve joined the Upland Board of Trustees in 2016 with a focus on strategic planning, campus facilities, and marketing/branding.

    Steve is passionate about smaller schools that offer a more intimate learning experience, that value character and purpose, that inspire students, and exceed the expectations of parents. He is grateful to serve as a Trustee at Upland Country Day, a place where everyone sings, everyone performs, everyone skates, and everyone plays.
     
  • Mary Pat Fralick

    • Mary Pat is a former parent with three children who graduated from the School in 2007, 2011, and 2016. She has served as a trustee of the School since 2003. During that time, she chaired numerous board committees, served as Board Chair from 2013 to 2018, and chaired the School's three most recent head of school search committees. Mary Pat has been part of the Upland community since 1999 and was active in the Parents’ Association as Treasurer and chaired several UPA events. She has had a successful career in the Healthcare IT industry and is currently the Chief Operating Officer at MediQuant.  She co-founded Elumen Solutions in 1989 and acted as a Managing Director until it was acquired by CTG in 1999. In 2002, she co-founded Vitalize Consulting Solutions, where she served as CEO, CFO and COO until the company was purchased by SAIC. Mary Pat holds an MBA from St. Joseph's University and a BA from Rutgers University, where she majored in economics.
  • Elizabeth Vannote

    Lizzie Vannote lives on a farm with her husband, Burl ‘97, and daughter, Liza ‘33, just a stone’s throw from Upland Country Day School. Lizzie is a Principal at Brown Advisory where she provides tailored advice to individuals and charitable organizations to help them achieve their estate planning, philanthropic and financial objectives. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Boston University School of Law, Lizzie asserts that the most formative years of her education were those spent at The Well School: a progressive independent day school Peterborough, New Hampshire which she attended from kindergarten through 8th grade. Lizzie also serves as a member of the board of the Buck and Doe Trust and a Trustee of the Cheshire Land Preservation Fund.

List of 6 items.

  • Phoebe Driscoll Fisher, M.D.

    Phoebe is a pediatric anesthesiologist at A.I. duPont for Children.  She earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College and her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.  Phoebe completed her surgical internship at Georgetown University Hospital and her fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  
     
    Her philanthropic work focuses heavily on land preservation.  She has served on the board of both the Cheshire Hunt Conservancy and S.A.V.E.  Phoebe has supported Upland in countless ways from chairing auctions to organizing Paperchase fundraisers, and hosting several Finnish exchange students.  
     
    She is also an active member of the Chester County horse community.
     
    Phoebe is the mother of former Upland students Jack and Lydia ’12, Phoebe ’19,  and Oliver 
    "Busby" who attended Upland until 2
    nd grade.  She is married to Rush, '76.  Phoebe and Rush reside in Unionville.
  • Michael C. Goeller

    Mike and his wife, Janice, have three children who graduated from Upland:  Meredith (Gerbron) ‘97, Michael ’00, and Matthew ‘04.  Meredith, Matthew, and their son-in-law, Charlie Gerbron ‘97, also taught for several years at Upland.  Mike was a member of Upland’s Board of Trustees from 1992 to 2002.

    Mike and Janice have six granddaughters, five of whom (Ava, Lila, and Cecilia Goeller and Charlotte, and Caroline Gerbron) are currently students at Upland.

    Mike is a graduate of the University of Delaware (BA), Dickinson School of Law (JD), and Temple Law School (LLM).  He is General Counsel, Vice-President, and an owner of Hatzel & Buehler, Inc., an electrical construction company with 19 offices throughout the east and mid-west.
     
  • David Hoffman, M.D.

    David Hoffman, M.D. 
    David has been a Board-Certified family physician since 1993.  He and his wife, Carol, are co-owners of Paradocx Vineyard in Landenberg.  David completed his undergraduate in biology at Bucknell University. He attended Jefferson Medical College and completed his residency at the Medical Center of Delaware.  He is a member of the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing & Research Board and a previous board member of the Pennsylvania Wine Association. Dave is the father of David '20 and Wyatt '23.  He also hosted Finnish exchange students, Nestori Leinonen '20 and Severi Leinonen '22. 
  • Rodman Moorhead

    Rodman Moorhead is a Portfolio Manager on the Multi-Cap Equity team at Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. Prior to joining Tocqueville, he spent four years at Bourgeon Capital Management as a Senior Research Analyst. He holds a B.A. degree in Painting from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. He also is an alum of The Taft School. In the spring of 2020, Roddy and his wife Brooke moved their family from New York City to Chester County. Their son Quinn is in Upland’s Class of ‘30, and Chase is in the Class of '34. The Moorheads have long ties to Upland: Roddy’s mother, Alice Kerr Moorhead, was in the class of 1954 at Upland, and her mother played a large role in the School’s establishment.
  • Mary Jean "MJ" Stenz

    MJ is currently a Kindergarten teacher in the Coatesville Area School District.  She is a former principal Caln Elementry School.  She earned a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from the University of Maryland and an M.S. in Education from Penn State.  An alum of Upland, MJ's daughter Taylor '15 is also an Upland graduate.  MJ lives in Kennett Square with her husband, Mark.
  • Peter C. Thayer

    Head of School, Radcliffe Creek School

    Peter has more than 41 years of experience working in independent schools. He is currently the Head of School at Radcliffe Creek School, a K through 8th grade independent school in Chestertown, Maryland, serving neurodivergent and neurotypical students from 9 different counties. Previously, he served as the Head of St. Anne’s Episcopal School, Head of Middle School at Lancaster Country Day School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Admissions Director at Kent Denver School in Englewood, Colorado, and started his career as an English teacher and college guidance counselor at the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Thayer attended Episcopal Academy, then located in Merion, Pennsylvania. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Williams College and a Master of Arts in English from Middlebury College Bread Loaf School. He and his wife, Francie, have three grown children, each involved in independent school education.