FIE Announces Four New Board of Trustees Members
March 26, 2025 | Foundations in Education | News
Foundations in Education is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its Board of Trustees. Joining the Board are Thomas Cassidy of New Canaan, John Corraro of Shelton, Kara Klein of Armonk, New York, and Joseph Matthews of Fairfield.
Executive Director Holly Doherty Lemoine stated, ”We are exceedingly grateful to the talented new members of our Board of Trustees. I often say this is the best board I have ever worked with throughout my non-profit career. I am thankful to Tom, John, Kara and Joe for continuing this tradition of greatness by adding to the joy and sharing so fully in our mission to help make our Board even stronger.”
Tom Cassidy was a Corporate Finance banker at several leading financial institutions for over 40 years. He retired from US Bank in 2024 where his most recent role was Head of the Sponsor Finance Group. Prior to joining US Bank in 2015, Tom was a Partner at CoveView Advisors, a corporate finance advisory boutique, and prior to that a Managing Director and Head of Healthcare Leveraged Finance at BNP Paribas. Tom holds a Degree in Economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
John Corraro has served on the Foundations in Education Finance Committee since 2023. He is a financial planner at Barnum Financial Group and was awarded Fairfield County’s 40 under 40 list in 2019. John holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Manhattan College.
Kara Klein is the Executive Director of the Gerstner Philanthropies in Armonk, New York. On the team since 2006, Kara serves as President overseeing the investment portfolio, estate planning, and family office services. Prior to her work with the Gerstner family, she was a management consultant advising Fortune 500 financial companies on strategic sourcing and outsourcing projects. Kara holds a B.A. from Cornell University in Economics and Government and an MBA from Columbia University where she graduated Beta Gamma Sigma.
Joe Matthews is a Senior Institutional Consultant and Strategic Partner at Morgan Stanley. He has been recognized by On Wall Street magazine as a Top 100 Branch Manager in 2016 and 2017 and a Top 75 Branch Manager in 2018. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Joe was a branch manager and Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch. Joe graduated from Fairfield University with a B.S. in Accounting and an M.A. in Organizational Communication. He currently is an adjunct professor at Fairfield University, teaching courses in Economics.
Foundations in Education is the Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano’s vision to support the Diocese of Bridgeport’s ongoing mission to advance Catholic education in Fairfield County. The primary purpose of this non-profit initiative is to support Catholic education in the Diocese of Bridgeport by providing tuition assistance, grants to educators to promote innovation in the classroom, and professional leadership development in addition to other education-based programs.
Board Chair, Joe Purcell, remarked, “We are thrilled to welcome this incredibly talented group of individuals to Foundations in Education’s Board. They bring a wealth of diverse talents and perspectives towards helping us in our mission to promote excellence in Catholic education and to advance Bishop Caggiano’s vision of ensuring no child who wants to attend our schools is denied the opportunity. We look forward to their insights and leadership in helping us to achieve those goals.”
The four new members join the existing Board of Trustees: Chair Joe Purcell, David Cappiello, George Coleman, Lisa Ferraro, Tim FitzPatrick, Leslie Lopez, Andrea Maldon, Anne McCrory, Tom McDevitt, Tom McInerney (Past Chair), Dr. Julia McNamara, Michele Mitola, Joe Rahtelli II, Geoff Raker, Bernard Reidy, Allison Reiling, Barbara Ripp, Henry Rondon, Jennifer St Victor-de Pinho, Paula Summa, Sr. Mary Grace Walsh, and Holly Doherty-Lemoine, ex officio.
For more information about Foundations in Education, visit www.foundationsineducation.org.