Christopher Wells
President
Christopher is a graduate of Oakmont Regional High School and a lifelong resident of Ashburnham. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Oakmont Youth Basketball League and the Board of Incorporators for the Worcester Housing Alliance. He is involved in coaching youth basketball and baseball. Christopher and his wife, Jennifer, have three children in the Ashburnham Westminster Regional School district. He has been active in fundraising for the Massachusetts Special Olympics, local sports programs, North Central MA Community Foundation, the Jimmy Fund and many other organizations. Christopher is the Executive Vice President at DS Graphics Inc. in Lowell, MA. He is a graduate of Tufts University with a dual degree in Economics and Spanish. He is proud to be a product of the Ashburnham-Westminster community and is committed to helping the youth of our community achieve their goals.

J. Michael Sunderland
Vice-President
Michael worked for 33 years as an educator in Gardner and Ashburnham-Westminster. He has held positions as a social studies teacher, reading specialist, and building administrator. He served as principal of Overlook Middle School for four years before retiring in 2006. Michael, his wife Deborah, and their daughters moved to Westminster in 1986. Their children are all graduates of Oakmont. In addition to his professional duties Michael has been a member of the Westminster Lions since 1997, held Deacon and Trustee positions in the First Congregational Church of Westminster, was a member of the Oakmont Booster Club, co-founded the Westminster Biddy Basketball program, and chaired the Magical Maze Playground Committee, among other community activities. He looks forward to helping the staff and students of Ashburnham and Westminster attain academic excellence through his association with the Foundation.

Kenneth Caron
Treasurer
Ken is a semi-retired CPA with 50+ years in accounting and continues to be associated with Reagan & Co LLP. In his service to not-for-profit organizations, he was Treasurer of Nashua Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Childrens Aid and Family Services and continues as Treasurer for the Fitchburg High School Alumni Association, Fitchburg Sister Cities (Foreign Exchange Program), Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority (Industrial Development) and the Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District.

Beth D’Onfro
Secretary
Beth moved to to the center of Westminster 20 years ago to raise her family after a career in computer software training in Portland, Oregon and Boston. Her youngest daughter will graduate from Oakmont this spring. She has been on 2 school councils, involved with the Friends of Forbush Memorial Library and is presently serving her second term on the Library Board of Trustees. She is a past board member of WAVE (Westminster Ashburnham Value Education). Beth graduated from Miami University with a B.A. in physics.

David M. Christianson, Jr.
Director
Dave grew up in Ashburnham and is a 1979 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School. He and his wife Lynn have 2 children in college, both of whom also graduated from Oakmont. As a product of our local schools, Dave is committed to giving back to the schools and communities that gave him his start. Ensuring the quality of public education in our school district is one of his highest personal priorities. He is a member of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School Committee, and has been its chairperson since 2004. Over the years, Dave has served on several town committees, and has been active as a coach and fundraiser for various youth sports and school support groups. He is also currently the chair of the Mount Wachusett Community College Business Advisory Board. Dave is a founder and Chief Financial Officer of Concordant, Inc., a provider of professional IT services for the healthcare industry. Dave received his A.B. in Political Science from Boston College, and his M.S. in Management from Fitchburg State College.

Luci Hynes
Director
Luci and her husband Rob moved to Westminster 5 years ago because they knew there was something special about the schools there. She joined the Foundation primarily because she believes the community has a responsibility in aiding our dedicated teachers provide our children the best possible educational experience. Luci has 2 children, Lucas (10), who attends Westminster Elementary School and Cathryn (6), who attends Meetinghouse School. She enjoys being part of their school experience, whether it be volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning a field trip, or sitting on the bleachers to watch a baseball game. She received her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Rutgers and her M.A. in Biological Sciences from St. John’s University. Luci has been a quality assurance professional in an number of industries for over 20 years and recently started working as a QA Lead at Bristol Myers Squibb in Devens.

Robert Latour
Director
Bob grew up in Gardner where he married Phyllis and started a family. Ten years ago Bob and Phyllis moved to Ashburnham to raise their family. They were impressed with the school system and liked what Ashburnham and Westminster had to offer to a growing family. Bob has coached his children and others from Ashburnham and Westminster in Soccer and also assisted in a number of different sports. His two children have grown up in the Ashburnham Westminster school system. His daughter, Emily, is currently at Oakmont and his son, Justin will be graduating from Overlook this spring. Bob graduated from the University of Lowell and received a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He has been fortunate to work close to home in a number of engineering and management positions. Recently he has completed his MBA from Assumption College. Bob is currently involved with a new company, Propell Energy, located in Jaffrey, NH. Propell is a wholly owned subsidiary of New England Wood Pellet. Bob understands the financial strains the school system faces and believes the Ashburnham Westminster Foundation for Academic Excellence is focused to help aid in the academic achievement of all the children from the two towns.

Cathy McDonald
Director

Cathy McDonald was born and grew up in Springfield, MA and graduated with a degree in nursing from Fitchburg State College. She has been employed at Criterion Early Intervention for the past 18 years. Her two daughters attended Westminster Elementary School, Overlook Middle School, and graduated from Oakmont (in 2003 and 2005). While her daughters were at Oakmont, she was a member of the Oakmont School Council. She is an active member of St. Edward's Parish in Westminster and a volunteer at the Ashburnham-Westminster Community Food Pantry.

Gary McDonald
Director

Gary McDonald grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ before moving to Foxboro, MA. He graduated from Fitchburg State College and has worked in medical device field for the past 25 years. His two daughters, Ashley and Erin, were 2003 and 2005 graduates of Oakmont Regional High School. He is an active member of St. Edward's Parish in Westminster and a volunteer at the Ashburnham-Westminster Community Food Pantry. He is also a memeber of the Liquor Commission in Westminster.

Jennifer Shenk
Director
Previously active in land preservation in Westminster, Jennifer welcomes the opportunity to work with community members who are committed to promoting academic excellence.  Jennifer has three children who have graduated from Oakmont and three others who are currently students at Meetinghouse and Westminster Elementary Schools and Overlook Middle School. A graduate of Franklin Pierce College with a B.A. in graphic design and sociology, Jen previously worked for Little, Brown and Company Publishers in Waltham, MA. She is currently Editor of Community Vine, a bi-weekly electronic newsletter and website for and about Westminster and the surrounding area.

Dr. Ralph Hicks
Director
Dr. Hicks has been Superintendent of the Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District since 2011.