• Board of Trustees/Mesa Directiva


    Vida Charter School's Board of Trustees oversees the functioning of the school. The current board members are:

    Los miembros de la Mesa Directiva supervisa el funcionamiento de la escuela. Los miembros actuales son:

    Josef Brandauer, President/Presidente (Term/Término 2017-2020)

    Josef Brandauer is a professor of Health Sciences at Gettysburg College with a PhD in Exercise Physiology. Josef’s undergraduate degree from Salzburg, Austria is in teaching Middle School English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Physical Education. As a native of Austria, Josef is fluent in German and fascinated by how different intercultural experiences shape learning. As a scientist, Josef is especially interested in helping students develop their love for scientific inquiry and discovery. He admires VIDA’s commitment to a multicultural and bilingual education for both native Spanish and English speakers and healthy lifestyles. Josef will bring a commitment to high academic quality and rigor, a background in grant writing and act as a bridge between VIDA and Gettysburg College. He would like to find creative ways to leverage new resources for VIDA to continue to grow and thrive.

    Josef Brandauer es un profesor de ciencias en salud en el colegio de Gettysburg con un doctorado en fisiología de ejercicio. El posgrado de Josef es de Salzburg, Austria y trata la enseñanza de Inglés al nivel secundario a hablantes de otro idioma (TESOL por sus siglas en Inglés) y la educación física. Como un nativo de Austria, Josef habla Alemán con fluidez y esta fascinado por como las diferencias interculturales forman la experiencia en el aprendizaje. Como científico, Josef esta interesado especialmente en ayudar a los estudiantes a desarrollar su pasión por la investigación y el descubrimiento de la ciencia.Él admira el compromiso de la escuela Vida Charter por la educación bilingüe y multicultural tanto para los nativos del español como para los parlantes de inglés y los estilos de vida saludable. Josef presentaría el compromiso hacia una académica alta en calidad y rigor por su experiencia en escribir becas y serviría como el puente de conexión entre Vida y el colegio de Gettysburg. A él le gustaría buscar maneras creativas para aumentar nuevos recursos para la escuela Vida con tal de continuar su desarrollo y éxito.  

    Cindy Bowen, Vice President/Vicepresidenta (Term/Término 2013-2016)

    Cindy Bowen is a Hanover resident who has worked in youth development for over four decades. She is an experienced teacher and has taught and directed early childhood programming in Pennsylvania and in Oslo, Norway. Cindy’s bachelor’s degree is in elementary education and she has continued coursework in early childhood education throughout her years of teaching. Early in her career, Cindy was active with Baptist International Missions and is involved in her church in Hanover, PA. Fluent in Norwegian and having lived abroad for almost twenty years, Cindy brings her experience in crossing language barriers and in navigating cultural difference to Vida’s board. Cindy is particularly dedicated to creating curricula and educational environments that help students reach ambitious academic and personal goals, while increasing and nurturing their capacity to learn. Cindy is committed to Vida Charter School because of Vida's unique and innovative mission statement and strategic position of impacting children and their communities.

    Gregory Murry, Treasurer/Tesorero, Finance Committee Chair (Term/Término 2017-2019)

    Gregory Murry is an Associate Professor of History and Director of the Core Curriculum at Mount Saint Mary’s University.   He received his Ph.D. in history from Pennsylvania State University in 2009.  Next fall, he will have four children at Vida.  He is a fervent supporter of bilingual education and hopes to see Vida thrive for many years to come.

    Jeanne Arnold, Governance Committee Chair (Term/Término 2017-2020)

    Jeanne J. Arnold was appointed as Chief Diversity Officer at Gettysburg College in August of 2014. Her priorities here include implementing an Inclusion Action Plan, a Campus Climate Survey and a Religious Inclusion Policy (finalized in January, 2016) for the college. She is also currently engaging faculty, staff, students and the broader Gettysburg community in the use of the Intercultural Development Inventory to enhance cultural competence.

    Prior to joining Gettysburg, Dr. Arnold was the inaugural Vice President for Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) from 2008 – 2014. She also served as the Executive Director of Affirmative Action and as the Director of the African- American Resource Center at the University of Pennsylvania from 1995 – 2007. In addition, Dr. Arnold held an adjunct faculty appointment at the Graduate School of Social Work for three years. She earned her doctorate in Higher Education Management and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania as well as a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Welfare from Pennsylvania State University.

    Dr. Arnold serves on the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the Association of Black Women in Higher Education. 

    Francine Dutrisac (Term/Término 2017-2018)

    Ms. Francine Dutrisac is originally from Canada. She grew up in Ontario in a family where French was the mother tongue. English is taught to French-speakers, an hour a day starting in 3rd grade. Ms. Dutrisac possesses two Masters degrees: one in Teaching and Curriculum and the other in Library Science. She is fluent in French, speaks Spanish and Haitian. She spent three years in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, teaching students in a small English-speaking school as well as starting an Educational Resource Center for the Haitian National Department of Education, as part of a Canadian International Development Agency project.  

    In the United States, she has been working for the Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12 for more than twenty-five years where she has served as a preschool teacher, K-12 ESL teacher, Adult ESL Teacher, Parent Educator, Assessment Coordinator and currently serves as a Title III Staff Developer.  In her present role, she provides professional development for school entities on second language acquisition, ESL Methodology, effective teaching practices for English learners as well as facilitates sessions on culturally-responsive practices.

    Ms. Dutrisac accepted the position of trustee on the Vida Board of Trustees because she believes (also as supported by research) that the most effective way to become bilingual is in a dual immersion program like Vida Charter School offers its students.  She hopes to provide assistance in Vida’s implementation of its vision and mission with its emerging bilinguals.

    Donald Marritz (Term/Término 2015-2018)

    Donald Marritz has lived in Adams County since 1974. He recently retired after 40+ years as a legal aid attorney, representing low-income people in non-criminal matters. He has taught as an adjunct at Gettysburg College and Penn State-Dickinson School of Law and is the author of several pieces about the Pennsylvania Constitution. He has received special achievement awards from the Pennsylvania Bar Association and an Excellence Award from the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network.  He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and the University of Colorado Law School. Don has a long-term interest in public education and languages. He is a board member of the Adams County Library System and served for 10 years on the board of Manos Unidas. Both of his children attended the former Eisenhower Elementary School, which now houses Vida.

    Donald Marritz ha vivido en el condado de Adams desde 1974. Recientemente se jubiló después de más de 40 años como asistente representante legal representando a gente de bajos ingresos en asuntos no criminales. Ha enseñado como auxiliar en el colegio de Gettysburg y en la universidad de leyes en Penn State-Dickinson y es el autor de varias piezas sobre la constitución de Pennsylvania. Él ha recibido  premios especiales por sus logros departe de la asociación de abogados conocida como Pennsylvania Bar Association y el premio de Excelencia departe de Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. Se graduó del colegio de Swarthmore y de la Universidad de Colorado, la escuela de leyes. Don ha tenido un gran interés en la educación pública y en lenguajes. Es miembro del sistema bibliotecario del condado de Adams y ha servido como miembro de la mesa directiva de Manos Unidas por 10 años. Ambos de sus hijos asistieron a la escuela primaria de Eisenhower de la cual ahora es la escuela Vida.

    Rukhsana Rahman (Term/Término 2017-2018)

    Rukhsana has lived in Gettysburg since 1986 where she lives with her husband, 2 adult sons, a cat and 3 fish. Their daughter lives in California. All their kids are adopted, and Rukhsana practices as a radiologist at Gettysburg Hospital.

    Proud to call herself a 'Third Culture Kid,' someone who grew up outside her parents’ culture, Rukhsana was born in United Kingdom to parents of Indian decent and migrated in 1979 to America to pursue further career opportunities.

    She was a board member for 6 and half years and past co-president of the Gettysburg YWCA as well as 2016 co-recipient of Adams County MLK Living the Dream award, with her husband. Rukhsana is passionate about education and believes that good educational opportunities are the way to empower people around the world and eliminate poverty, despair and wars. Rukhsana and her husband co-founded a non-profit foundation, Friends of UNZA (University of Zambia) in 2012 with its major objective being to provide educational support. In her spare time Rukhsana loves to sit in her garden listening to birds and watching the sunset. She also enjoys reading, knitting, and above all travelling.

    Melissa Rosenberger (Term/Término 2017-2020)

    Melissa Rosenbergerand her family joined the Vida Charter School community in 2011. Her family lives on a small farm in Gardners. She graduated from Trinity High School in Camp Hill and the University of Pittsburgh where she studied Sociology and Hispanic Studies. Over the years, she has provided Vida with school wide programs focused on anti-bullying and body rights. She has facilitated and assisted in the coordination of two grant funded evidenced-based programs at Vida, The Incredible Years Program / Dinosaur School and Strengthening Families. Last year, she organized a series of friendship circles for the 5th and 6th graders.  Melissa serves on the Wellness Committee at Vida and has assisted in the revisions of the Bullying Policy. In the Adams County community, Melissa assists families in planning for healthy and positive futures!

    Melissa Rosenberger y su familia se unió a la escuela Vida Charter y su comunidad en el 2011. Su familia vive en una granja pequeña en Gardners. Ella se graduó de la preparatoria Trinity High School en Camp Hill y de la universidad de Pittsburg donde estudió sociología y estudios Hispanos. Durante los años, ella ha proveido a la escuela Vida con varios programas enfocados en anti-acoso y derechos del cuerpo. Ella ha dirigido y asistido en la coordinación de dos programas de fondos de becas basados en evidencia, estos se llaman en inglés The Incredible Years Progam/ Dinosaur School y Strengthening Families. El año pasado, ella organizó una serie de círculos de amistad para los grados 5o y 6o. Melissa es parte del comité de bien estar en Vida y ha ayudado en las revisiones de la póliza de acoso. En la comunidad del condado de Adams, Melissa ayuda a familias a planear futuros ¡saludables y positivos!

    Board Meetings/Reuniones de la Mesa  

    Meetings of the Board are open to parents, staff, and the public. The Board will have scheduled meetings at 120 East Broadway, Gettysburg, PA beginning with Executive Session at 6:00 PM and regular Board Meetings at 6:30PM on:

     Las reuniones de la mesa están abiertas para los padres, el personal y el público. La Mesa Directiva tendrá reuniones programadas en la calle 120 East Broadway, Gettysburg, PA comenzando con la sesión ejecutiva a las 6:00PM en: 

    2016 meetings:

    November 21, 2016 

    December 19, 2016

    2017 meetings:

    January 23, 2017

    February 27, 2017

    March 27, 2017

    April 24, 2017

    May 22, 2017

    June 26, 2017

    Minutes

    Board of Trustees meeting minutes beginning August 26, 2013 are available via our Highbar site.

    Minutes prior to August 2013 can be requested by submitting a Right to Know Request to info@vidacharterschool.com.  Requests are typically filled within three business days when school is in session.  Requests received during holidays or the summer may take 5 to 10 days. 

    Minutos

    Los minutos de la junta de la Mesa Directiva, comenzando con los minutos del 26 de agosto del 2013 están disponibles en nuestro sitio Highbar. 

    Los minutos antes de Agosto del 2013 se pueden pedir por entregar una solicitud de Derecho a Saber a info@vidacharterschool.com. Las solicitudes típicamente se responden entre tres días de negocio cuando la escuela está en sesión. Aquellas solicitudes que se reciben durante los días feriados o en el verano toman de 5 a 10 días.