Our Board of Trustees
As stated in Article II of the Bylaws, Friends School is governed by a Board of Trustees. The board's major responsibilities include supervision of the head of school, policy making, financial oversight, strategic planning, and institutional advancement. The board has a fiduciary responsibility to uphold the mission of Friends School in service to today's children and to ensure a vibrant Friends School for future generations.
Membership:
The board consists of thirteen trustees, the majority of whom are members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); they are appointed by State College Friends Meeting in consultation with the board's Committee on Trustees (Governance Committee.) The other trustees are parents or individuals from the community who have an interest in Friends education.
Terms:
Each board member serves a term of three years. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms but may be reappointed after a one year absence.
Currently the board includes the following trustees:
Membership:
The board consists of thirteen trustees, the majority of whom are members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); they are appointed by State College Friends Meeting in consultation with the board's Committee on Trustees (Governance Committee.) The other trustees are parents or individuals from the community who have an interest in Friends education.
Terms:
Each board member serves a term of three years. Members may serve no more than two consecutive terms but may be reappointed after a one year absence.
Currently the board includes the following trustees:
Elizabeth Pennock
Elizabeth Pennock is a Friends Meeting attender and a Quaker since birth. Her profession as a music teacher from elementary through high school has given her valuable insight into the many aspects of learning that occur for students of different ages. During her long career in teaching, she taught in several states, plus four years in India.
Pennock believes that a Friends School education is more than book learning. "It is learning to respect others and to always give your best to your classmates, school, community, and society in general," she says. "Friends philosophy stresses that each person is special and has something unique to offer. A small class size in our Friends School makes it possible for the teachers to really get to know the students, and to be able to help them achieve their potential. It is our goal to provide a peaceful place to learn and work in harmony with each other. Our goal of providing a quality education and developing leadership and social skills will be essential for each student's future role in the community."
Pennock previously served two terms on the Foxdale Retirement Village Board. In addition to her professional experiences as a musician and an educator, she also has developed a passion for photography. Furthermore, she has an interest in conservation and environmental issues.
Katy Cleary
A lifelong Quaker and member of the State College Friends Meeting, Katy Cleary is familiar with Friends schools as she attended a Quaker boarding school for all four years of high school. Cleary is also an alumni parent of the school.
“I think one of the most valuable things the school does is integrate the Quaker testimonies of SPICES into the school day,” she says. “The kids live the testimonies, it becomes part of who they are, and then they take it with them when they leave the school. The same goes for the community, whenever the school does a community event it highlights one or more of the testimonies showing the community that there is a peaceful, respectful way to live that is relevant in today’s world.”
Cleary has been married for 37 years and has three grown children and one grandchild. She works at Tait Farm Foods in the office, and spends her free time weaving, knitting, and sewing.
James Dillard
James Dillard’s service to the school’s Board of Directors is informed by his work as a professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State. There, he also served for a time as the head of his department. In addition, he previously served as the director of the Center for Communication Research at the University of Wisconsin. Both positions gave him insight into organizational functioning and inter-organizational relations, which are helpful in his work with the board.
Dillard is the proud parent of Quincy K. S. Dillard, currently a 7th grader at the State College Friends School. “Friends School is unbeatable for bringing students, teachers, and parents together to form a future-oriented, values-based community,” he says.
Outside of work, Dillard enjoys reading fiction, saying he believes it can be a means of self-improvement. He also enjoys running and mushroom collecting.
Scott McGrail-Peasley
Scott McGrail-Peasley has been a Quaker his entire life. He grew up outside of Philadelphia as a member of the Gwynedd Friends Meeting and attended The George School in Newtown, PA, graduating in 1972. He is now a member of the State College Friends Meeting.
“I appreciate how the State College Friends School strives to not only provide a challenging academic foundation but also nurture every student to become active and contributing members of our larger community,” says McGrail-Peaseley. “Guided by the Quaker principles including peace, equality, integrity, service, and stewardship, the school helps prepare students to become active and caring contributors to their local and world communities.”
McGrail-Peasley’s 33-year career was as a corrosion control specialist. He and his wife Kate built their home in Gum Stump, PA, starting in 1984, and continue to work on it. The couple raised two children and has four grandchildren. Their son and his family live in Phoenixville, PA, and their daughter’s family lives in The Gambia, Africa.
McGrail-Peasley served on the board of the Milesburg Boy Scouts of America and the Bald Eagle Area Parents Responsibility in District Education. He also coached and umpired in the Wingate Girls Softball Association and AYSO soccer teams, and helped initiate the Bald Eagle Area School District’s girl’s soccer team. He served on the Boggs Township Planning Commission.
McGrail-Peasley enjoys growing his own fruits and vegetables, boiling maple syrup, and raising livestock. “I especially appreciate a meal that we are able to produce completely from our property,” he says. “Other hobbies include woodworking and collecting/operating model trains.
Bruce Knox
Bruce Knox is a practicing Quaker and member of the Friends Meeting. He values the State College Friends School because he believes “it is a great place to instill and reinforce Quaker values.”
In addition to his work with the Friends School Board of Directors, Knox has provided service to the boards of the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Centre Lifelink, and Foxdale Village. He also has been a Boy Scouts leader and a camp counselor.
In his spare time, Knox enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, reading, canoeing/kayaking, and doing photography.
Jim Frost
Jim Frost has a special connection to the State College Friends School as the parent of a daughter, now in 6th grade, who has attended the school since she was in 1st grade. He says, “Friends School, of course, provides a top-notch academic experience, but I particularly love how Friends is centered around, and takes care of, the whole child, not just the academic aspects.”
Frost is uniquely suited for membership on the school’s board of directors given that his background includes a masters degree in policy analysis with a thesis, titled “The Promise and Problems of Systemic Educational Reform.” He also brings his current expertise as a statistician to his work as a board member. He is particularly interested in helping the board to assess school-related numbers.
In his free time, Frost and his family enjoy traveling around the world and experiencing other cultures. In doing so, they have had the privilege of visiting countries on five continents.
Ann Sidone
Now retired, Ann Sidone was a sign language interpreter and instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences Disorders at Penn State. There, she taught American Sign Language and deaf culture. “Teaching at the postsecondary level showed me the value of creativity combined with strong academic preparation; interpreting taught me to listen for the message beneath the words, which is invaluable in clerking a meeting,” she says.
Sidone is a member of the Friends Meeting, and, therefore, has a special appreciation for the value of the education the Friends School provides. “Especially in today’s world, we need the combination of strong academics, compassion, and the values embodied by the SPICES that comprise the State College Friends School education,” she says.
Besides serving on the Board of Directors of the Friends School, Sidone also has served on the Board of Directors of Foxdale Village, the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Claudia Wilson
As a teacher for most of her professional life, Claudia Wilson provides a unique perspective to her work on the Friends School Board of Directors that considers the welfare of the Friends School’s teachers. Prior to retiring, Wilson had worked first in a day care program and then as a Head Start teacher in Mifflin County. She also taught language arts at Our Children’s Center Montessori School. She spent the majority of her teaching career as a public school educator in the Penns Valley School District. In addition, she worked as an office manager for several small, local businesses.
A member of the Friends Meeting Worship and Ministry Committee, Wilson is familiar with the particular benefits of a Quaker education. She says, “It provides an alternative education program that celebrates the individual child—regardless of religious, cultural, or gender background—and provides an experience based on the Quaker testimonies that can be embraced by everyone.”
In addition to the Friends School Board of Directors, Wilson also serves on the boards of the Park Forest Preschool and the Acoustic Brew Concerts. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, and kayaking with her dog Griffin. She also has taken up beekeeping and traveling with her pop-up camper, “Poppy.”
Marianne Stevens
Bio available upon request.
Administrative Staff
Head of School
Associate Head of School
Director of Advancement
Elizabeth Pennock is a Friends Meeting attender and a Quaker since birth. Her profession as a music teacher from elementary through high school has given her valuable insight into the many aspects of learning that occur for students of different ages. During her long career in teaching, she taught in several states, plus four years in India.
Pennock believes that a Friends School education is more than book learning. "It is learning to respect others and to always give your best to your classmates, school, community, and society in general," she says. "Friends philosophy stresses that each person is special and has something unique to offer. A small class size in our Friends School makes it possible for the teachers to really get to know the students, and to be able to help them achieve their potential. It is our goal to provide a peaceful place to learn and work in harmony with each other. Our goal of providing a quality education and developing leadership and social skills will be essential for each student's future role in the community."
Pennock previously served two terms on the Foxdale Retirement Village Board. In addition to her professional experiences as a musician and an educator, she also has developed a passion for photography. Furthermore, she has an interest in conservation and environmental issues.
Katy Cleary
A lifelong Quaker and member of the State College Friends Meeting, Katy Cleary is familiar with Friends schools as she attended a Quaker boarding school for all four years of high school. Cleary is also an alumni parent of the school.
“I think one of the most valuable things the school does is integrate the Quaker testimonies of SPICES into the school day,” she says. “The kids live the testimonies, it becomes part of who they are, and then they take it with them when they leave the school. The same goes for the community, whenever the school does a community event it highlights one or more of the testimonies showing the community that there is a peaceful, respectful way to live that is relevant in today’s world.”
Cleary has been married for 37 years and has three grown children and one grandchild. She works at Tait Farm Foods in the office, and spends her free time weaving, knitting, and sewing.
James Dillard
James Dillard’s service to the school’s Board of Directors is informed by his work as a professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State. There, he also served for a time as the head of his department. In addition, he previously served as the director of the Center for Communication Research at the University of Wisconsin. Both positions gave him insight into organizational functioning and inter-organizational relations, which are helpful in his work with the board.
Dillard is the proud parent of Quincy K. S. Dillard, currently a 7th grader at the State College Friends School. “Friends School is unbeatable for bringing students, teachers, and parents together to form a future-oriented, values-based community,” he says.
Outside of work, Dillard enjoys reading fiction, saying he believes it can be a means of self-improvement. He also enjoys running and mushroom collecting.
Scott McGrail-Peasley
Scott McGrail-Peasley has been a Quaker his entire life. He grew up outside of Philadelphia as a member of the Gwynedd Friends Meeting and attended The George School in Newtown, PA, graduating in 1972. He is now a member of the State College Friends Meeting.
“I appreciate how the State College Friends School strives to not only provide a challenging academic foundation but also nurture every student to become active and contributing members of our larger community,” says McGrail-Peaseley. “Guided by the Quaker principles including peace, equality, integrity, service, and stewardship, the school helps prepare students to become active and caring contributors to their local and world communities.”
McGrail-Peasley’s 33-year career was as a corrosion control specialist. He and his wife Kate built their home in Gum Stump, PA, starting in 1984, and continue to work on it. The couple raised two children and has four grandchildren. Their son and his family live in Phoenixville, PA, and their daughter’s family lives in The Gambia, Africa.
McGrail-Peasley served on the board of the Milesburg Boy Scouts of America and the Bald Eagle Area Parents Responsibility in District Education. He also coached and umpired in the Wingate Girls Softball Association and AYSO soccer teams, and helped initiate the Bald Eagle Area School District’s girl’s soccer team. He served on the Boggs Township Planning Commission.
McGrail-Peasley enjoys growing his own fruits and vegetables, boiling maple syrup, and raising livestock. “I especially appreciate a meal that we are able to produce completely from our property,” he says. “Other hobbies include woodworking and collecting/operating model trains.
Bruce Knox
Bruce Knox is a practicing Quaker and member of the Friends Meeting. He values the State College Friends School because he believes “it is a great place to instill and reinforce Quaker values.”
In addition to his work with the Friends School Board of Directors, Knox has provided service to the boards of the Centre County Youth Service Bureau, Centre Lifelink, and Foxdale Village. He also has been a Boy Scouts leader and a camp counselor.
In his spare time, Knox enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, reading, canoeing/kayaking, and doing photography.
Jim Frost
Jim Frost has a special connection to the State College Friends School as the parent of a daughter, now in 6th grade, who has attended the school since she was in 1st grade. He says, “Friends School, of course, provides a top-notch academic experience, but I particularly love how Friends is centered around, and takes care of, the whole child, not just the academic aspects.”
Frost is uniquely suited for membership on the school’s board of directors given that his background includes a masters degree in policy analysis with a thesis, titled “The Promise and Problems of Systemic Educational Reform.” He also brings his current expertise as a statistician to his work as a board member. He is particularly interested in helping the board to assess school-related numbers.
In his free time, Frost and his family enjoy traveling around the world and experiencing other cultures. In doing so, they have had the privilege of visiting countries on five continents.
Ann Sidone
Now retired, Ann Sidone was a sign language interpreter and instructor in the Department of Communication Sciences Disorders at Penn State. There, she taught American Sign Language and deaf culture. “Teaching at the postsecondary level showed me the value of creativity combined with strong academic preparation; interpreting taught me to listen for the message beneath the words, which is invaluable in clerking a meeting,” she says.
Sidone is a member of the Friends Meeting, and, therefore, has a special appreciation for the value of the education the Friends School provides. “Especially in today’s world, we need the combination of strong academics, compassion, and the values embodied by the SPICES that comprise the State College Friends School education,” she says.
Besides serving on the Board of Directors of the Friends School, Sidone also has served on the Board of Directors of Foxdale Village, the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Pennsylvania Advisory Committee for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
Claudia Wilson
As a teacher for most of her professional life, Claudia Wilson provides a unique perspective to her work on the Friends School Board of Directors that considers the welfare of the Friends School’s teachers. Prior to retiring, Wilson had worked first in a day care program and then as a Head Start teacher in Mifflin County. She also taught language arts at Our Children’s Center Montessori School. She spent the majority of her teaching career as a public school educator in the Penns Valley School District. In addition, she worked as an office manager for several small, local businesses.
A member of the Friends Meeting Worship and Ministry Committee, Wilson is familiar with the particular benefits of a Quaker education. She says, “It provides an alternative education program that celebrates the individual child—regardless of religious, cultural, or gender background—and provides an experience based on the Quaker testimonies that can be embraced by everyone.”
In addition to the Friends School Board of Directors, Wilson also serves on the boards of the Park Forest Preschool and the Acoustic Brew Concerts. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, and kayaking with her dog Griffin. She also has taken up beekeeping and traveling with her pop-up camper, “Poppy.”
Marianne Stevens
Bio available upon request.
Administrative Staff
Head of School
Associate Head of School
Director of Advancement
