BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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 Valerie was raised in New Tripoli and is a graduate of Northwestern Lehigh - Class of 2005.  She has been an active board member since 2013 and currently serves as President and chairs the PR Committee.

Valerie has a B.S. in Business Administration from Cedar Crest College and an MBA from DeSales University. By day she is Director of Digital Marketing at 3Seed Marketing in Allentown. When not offering her skills in marketing, Valerie can be found behind a lense, photographing area families, children and couples as the Owner/Photographer of Valerie Betz Photography & Design. She enjoys live music, traveling and spending time with her children Grayson - Class of 2026 and Layluh - (future) Class of  2034.

Erin is a graduate of Northwestern Lehigh Class of 2005. She has been with the board since April 2018 and currently serves as the Fund Development Committee Chair in addition to her Vice President position. 

Erin has a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Government/Politics from Widener University and a Secondary Social Studies Certification from DeSales University. She is the Assistant Director of Registration and Student Records at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). Prior to LCCC, Erin worked at Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania for 10 years in several program, events,and camp related leadership positions. Outside of work, Erin can be found volunteering with the Lehigh Valley Road Runners Youth Committee, Weisenberg PTO, or Northwestern Youth Wrestling Booster Club. 

In her spare time, she enjoys exercise, the outdoors, cheering on her boys on the soccer field and wrestling mat, and spending time with her family. 

She resides in Orefield with her husband, Matthew, also a Northwestern Lehigh Class of 2005 grad and their two boys, Hunter (Class 2032) and Cael (Class of 2033).

Michelle graduated from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, and attended graduate school at Shippensburg University and Wilkes University obtaining master's degrees in English and education. She works as an Assistant Teaching Professor of English at Penn State Lehigh Valley.  Michelle is originally from Schuylkill County and moved to Northwestern Lehigh in 2000 with her husband, Eugene. They have three children who attend or have attended Northwestern Lehigh schools, Kelsea, a 2021 graduate, Jillian, and Ethan. Michelle has volunteered in multiple roles with the Weisenberg PTO, Girl Scouts in the Northwestern Lehigh area, Mercy School for Special Learning, and Boy Scout Troop 150. Michelle and her family also have three rescue dogs that keep them very busy.  

Michael Perinotti is in his inaugural year as a NWLEF board member. 

He was raised in the Allentown and Whitehall areas and graduated from Whitehall High School in 2002.  He continued his education at the University of Pittsburgh, studying accounting and competing as a student athlete wrestler.   Upon graduation, Michael returned to the Lehigh Valley and began a career in Finance at the Victaulic Company located in Easton.  He has worked his entire professional career at Victaulic, holding various positions in the Finance Organization.  He also earned an MBA from DeSales University during his professional tenure. 

Michael and his wife, Krista, and their three children, Mary, Maximus and Meadow, moved to the Northwestern Lehigh School District in 2018, residing in beautiful Lowhill Township.  Mary and Maximus currently attend Weisenberg Elementary School.

Michael also volunteers as an assistant wrestling and softball coach for his children’s youth teams.

Daniel Macaulay has lived in Northwestern Lehigh School District since he was 18 months old. He graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School and went on to study at Kutztown University while majoring in Criminal Justice. During this time he connected with his to-be-wife, another Northwestern Alumni, and began helping with her family’s business. He now resides with his wife Tiffany, son Colin, and daughter Reese in New Tripoli, PA.

   Daniel works as a Sr. Sustainability Specialist at BlueTriton Brands supporting the facilities and their sustainability goals. During the time off he enjoys spending time with his family being outside and relaxing while fishing, hiking, skiing, or golfing.

D.J. has been on the NWLEF Board since 2010 and served previously in various leadership roles including President. He actively co-chairs the clay shoot each year as well.

D.J. has been a resident of New Tripoli since 2001 with his wife, Wendy, and daughter, Reece.  He has also been involved in other community activities including P.I.E. (Partners in Education) and  has been a NYAA soccer coach.  D.J. has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA in Management/Finance from DeSales University.  He has been a product manager at Victaulic since early 2013.  Prior to Victaulic, D.J. worked at Lutron Electronics for 19 years in several management positions.  D.J. enjoys many activities, including hunting, camping, running, biking, kayaking, and fixing whatever is needed on his small horse farm. 

Jeffrey Zellner attended Northwestern Lehigh High School, graduating in 1999.  Upon Graduation, He attended Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, graduating in 2004 with a degree in business, and  his Master’s Degree in 2014 from DeSales University. 

Jeffrey has been an employee of Bear Creek Mountain Resort since 2005, working in all areas of the resort. He has overseen all marketing and public relations efforts since 2015, acting as the lead in all revenue generation as well as financial analytics for the company.  

His biggest passion is people and helping enhance the community. Through his diverse experience, he has learned the value of interpersonal relationships as a driving force for business and community.  His commitment to bettering the business community is evident by his involvement within various business organizations. He currently sits on The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber Board of Governors as well as The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber’s finance committee and has involvement with The Young Professionals Business Council of The Lehigh Valley, LGBT Business Council, Discover Lehigh Valley as well as other community organizations.  

Jeffrey currently resides in Breinigsville, with his wife, Shannon, step-daughter Lilly, and Daughter Ella, who is currently a student at Weisenberg Elementary School, part of the Northwestern Lehigh Class of 2030. 

Kristen Grim has been a resident of the Northwestern Lehigh School District since 2007 with her husband Paul and their daughter, Kamarie, currently at the middle school. Although not originally from the Lehigh Valley, Kristen earned her B.S. in Psychology at Kutztown University and her M.Ed. in School Counseling at Lehigh University. She is currently a High School Counselor in the East Penn School District where she has been involved in coordinating the Shave for the Brave fundraiser and is the Advisor of the high school GSA. Outside of her work as a School Counselor, Kristen can be found taking her daughter to piano, dance or on the NYAA softball field. Kristen is also involved in local charity organization, the Lehigh Valley Conquer Chiari Walk Across America where she works to raise funding and awareness for rare neurological disorder, Chiari Malformation. As a part of the NWLEF Board, Kristen is looking forward to helping to continue the amazing work the foundation does for the students of Northwestern Lehigh.  

  Clare was one of the initial members of the board when the NWLEF was formed. Over the years she served in several roles including Allocations Chair and Board President. While she stepped away from the Board for a few years, she continued volunteering on the Allocations Committee, specifically organizing our annual Teacher Mini Grant Program. In 2023, Clare rejoined the board and is once again chairing the Allocations Committee. Clare began her career in education, and while she branched out into a variety of careers and industries, she found herself returning to education-based roles. She currently manages Marketing and Professional Learning for Eduplanet21, an educational technology company based in PA. Clare's two sons, Brett and Dillon graduated from Northwestern in 2016 and 2020, and she is happy to be giving back to the district that was part of their foundation for success. When not working or volunteering, Clare can be found baking, reading, or on the Pickleball court.

 New to the community and newer to the board, Amanda Smith moved to the Northwestern School District in 2021 from Virginia. Amanda received her Bachelor of Science from James Madison University and received her Master of Public Administration and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration. Amanda is the Executive Director of Advancement Services & Strategic Data Management in the Office of Philanthropy at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

She lives in Fogelsville with her husband Nathan and son Cooper (Class of 2029). You can find her most weekends on the ball field. 

 A 2004 Northwestern Lehigh graduate, Greg joins the board with extensive private sector management and non-profit experience in multiple industries including, public safety, emergency services, education, real estate management, municipal government, and other fields.

As President & CEO of Omega Protective Services, Greg has been responsible for making the Lehigh Valley a safer place to live and raise a family for over 15 years by providing security guard and marked vehicle patrol services to local communities and businesses. Outside of the security industry, Greg owns and manages several rental properties throughout Eastern PA.

Greg is also passionate about philanthropy and giving back to the Lehigh Valley community which has contributed so greatly to his success. In 2021, he founded the Gregory J. Kuhn Family Foundation; a 501c3 which provides scholarships and educational resources to local high school students. Greg also serves on the board of directors for the Community Music School of the Lehigh Valley, The Cay Galgon Life House, and The East Allen Township Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

In his spare time, Greg enjoys volunteering as a firefighter for Kutztown Fire & Rescue, coaching youth soccer, and spending time outdoors.

 Sarah was born and raised in the Lehigh Valley, attending neighboring East Penn School District. Upon graduation she entered the workforce full time and concurrently earned a B.S. in Business

Administration from Albright College. She has worked in healthcare operations for 15 years, currently working as a Director of Operations at St. Luke’s University Health Network. 

Sarah and her family are new residents of Northwestern Lehigh having just completing the build of their new home in Lowhill Township. In addition to her full-time career Sarah dedicates time to the local youth, serving as a member of the Community Justice Panel, a certified diversion program that aims to divert first time juvenile offenders away from the criminal justice system leading to lower recidivism rates. In addition she is a community advocate for children and adults with special needs. 

In her free time Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan and 2 sons, Hunter & Beckham, at their 44-acre farm.

Jim Warfel is a 2022 addition to the Board. Jim was raised in Lower Bucks County and relocated to the Lehigh Valley in 1980. He completed as B.A at LaSalle University in Political Science/Education, a M.A. at the College of New Jersey in Special Education and an Ed.D. in Special Education Administration at Temple University. He served in the US Army in Vietnam and enjoyed a 46 year career in public and

higher education. 

Included in his career were 15 years in the Northwestern Lehigh School District having served as the first Assistant Superintendent in the district and having had the privilege and pleasure of serving as the first principal of Northwestern Lehigh Middle School. 

Jim and his wife Mary are residents

of Lynn Township. Their two sons reside in Bethlehem and have blessed them with six grandchildren who greatly enrich their lives. Mary and Jim are active in the Lynn-Heidelberg Historical Society and volunteer at the Lowhill Food Pantry. They are actively involved in supporting the Community Music  School of the Lehigh Valley where Jim currently serves as Vice President of the Board. Dr. Warfel is deeply grateful for his experience as an administrator in the NWLSD and for his connections to the Northwestern community. He welcomes the opportunity to be of service to the schools through his involvement on the NWELF Board.

Katie Straughn has lived in Northwestern Lehigh School District since she was born. Katie graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School and obtained a B.A. from Bloomsburg University majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Interpersonal Communication. She is married to another Northwestern Alumni Mike (Class of 1999). They reside in New Tripoli with their 2 boys Benton (Class of 2035) and Maddox (Class of 2039).

Katie works as a Human Resources Business Partner at NFI Industries supporting (5) Distribution warehouses along with (4) Transportation facilities extending from Shoemakersville through Weisenberg area. During her time off she enjoys spending time with her family and friends going wine tasting, or vacationing to the beach & lake.

 Amy Kinnon grew up in nearby Northampton. She spent her 20s traveling and working in Marketing for several high-tech companies. When first moving back to PA in 2002, she opened her own business. In 2007, Amy and her husband purchased a home in Northwestern School District to raise their children. Around that time she began working as the Director of Photo Operations for Dan's Camera City in Allentown. In August 2020, Amy excitedly took the position as Development Director for the NWLEF. She tremendously enjoys finding ways to help fund education for the Northwestern Lehigh School District. When she is not working, she enjoys the outdoors of the beautiful community with her family. She can be found hiking with her son Gabe (Class of 2022) or catching one of her daughter's softball games at the rec fields (Lily - Class of 2026). You can also find her leading her Girl Scout troop at Ontaulanee Park or camping in the woods. Sometimes she just enjoys just taking in the amazing views of Bake Oven Knob from her deck.