Advisory Board

Audrey Schwenger joined the NFA Advisory Board in 2016 and is currently the Chair of the Development Committee.  Her two children Michael '12 and Abby '14 are graduates of NFA.  Audrey has a BBA in Risk Management from Temple University.  She is a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Joseph's Preparatory School and is Chair of the Mission and Culture Committee.  She has been an active volunteer in school and community organizations over the past 25 years.  

Ryan Abramson is the Director of Admissions at Holy Ghost Prep in Bensalem, and has overseen the admissions and marketing efforts at the school for over 20 years. From the days of print brochures, to digital advertising and SEO, Ryan has earned a reputation for always pioneering ways to introduce the school to an ever-expanding group of families. Ryan was elected to the Board of Directors for the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP) in 2019 and has participated in the Association’s 360 Assessment Program, which helps provide data-driven solutions to independent schools looking to grow their admissions efforts. In 2020, Ryan participated in the 360 Program at NFA and has remained actively supportive in the school’s enrollment and marketing efforts. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America and a master’s degree from La Salle University.

Beth Bailey is an alumni parent of three children who graduated from NFA. Her daughter started in Kindergarten and her sons started in the preschool Montessori program. As a family, they had a wonderful experience at Norwood Fontbonne. Many of their closest friendships developed with fellow parents of children who attended Norwood. Beth has been on NFA’s Board and the Facilities Committee for three years.  

She has been in the field of pediatrics for the past 40 years as a pediatric nurse practitioner. In her present position, she is the education director for our practice, and has run an educational conference that teaches medical professionals about various allergy/ asthma topics for the past 10 years.

Beth has served as the Chairwoman for the Women’s golf committee, Women’s Member Guest and Play for Pink Charity Tournaments at Whitemarsh Valley Country Club. She was a member of the committee overseeing the renovation of Whitemarsh Valley CC in 2018, as well as a member of the search committees for Whitemarsh’s General Manager, Head Golf Professional and Executive Chef.

Riley Beetner has been serving as NFA's Director of Institution Advancement since October 2021. Riley has extensive experience building corporate partnerships and supporting nonprofit.

Prior to coming to NFA, Riley served in Hendrick Automotive Group's Corporate Social Responsibility program as a program & engagement manager and later a senior manager. 

Sister Owen has a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in theology. Before her role in leadership, Sister Owen has ministered as an elementary school teacher for 15 years and a principal for 33 years in predominately inner-city areas. Sister Owen maintains balance in her life by spending time with family and friends, enjoying nature and gardening.

John N. Christen is a Senior Banker in the Commercial Mortgage Group of KeyBank Real Estate Capital and has spent over 25 years in the real estate finance industry. He is responsible for originating and placing commercial mortgage loans into the capital markets for the Northeast Region.

Prior to his start at KeyBank in 2014, John served as Executive Vice President in charge of Capital Markets Urban Retail Properties, LLC, Managing Director at LEM Mezzanine, Senior Vice President at RAIT Financial Trust, and a real estate capital markets underwriter and banker at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley. John began his career in the real estate consultancies of Ernst & Young, and Deloitte & Touche.

John is a graduate of Fairfield University, earning a B.A. in Writing and Political Science, minoring in French, and attended Université de Grenoble in France for one semester.

John belongs to the MBA, ICSC, and Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at Penn. He also serves on NFA’s Finance Committee of the Advisory Board.

John’s wife, Lizanne McGuinn Christen is a 1984 graduate of NFA, as are his children, John William “Will” ’11, Elena Maria ’13; and Katherine Elizabeth ’15. Lizanne has also worked as an aide in Junior Level Montessori, a substitute teacher, and has also coached JV field hockey.

Lynda Dennis, Esq. has  been a practicing attorney for close to 30 years.  Early in her career, she worked as a child advocate attorney, representing abused and neglected children for the Defender's Association of Philadelphia. Currently, she serves as Assistant Regional Counsel, in the Office of the General Counsel, for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she has worked in this capacity for 22 years. Lynda and her husband, Michael, have been married for 22 years and  have two daughters, Jordyn (a junior) and Eryn (a freshman), who are currently Millennium Scholars attending Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Her daughters attended Norwood-Fontbonne Academy from 2007-2014. During that time, Lynda was an active participant in the NFA PA.

Christopher Dezzi co-founded The Dezzi Group with his mother, Eleanor Dezzi, in 1996.  From 1996 to 2013, Mr. Dezzi served as the Vice President of the firm.  In 2014, Mr. Dezzi became President of the firm and expanded the capabilities of the firm to include strategic partnership development.  Since 1996, Mr. Dezzi has served as an advisor and volunteer to various campaigns at the federal, state and local level.

Mr. Dezzi sits on a variety of boards and committees throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond.

In 2001, Chris Dezzi was recognized by the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of Philadelphia’s “40 Under 40.”

Mr. Dezzi’s profile appears in “Triumphs of the Human Spirit” a book which details profiles of cancer survivors.

In 2014, Mr. Dezzi was awarded the “Ambassador of Hope” award from the City of Hope National Cancer Center for his service to the City of Hope and the cancer community.

Mr. Dezzi is a graduate of La Salle College High School. In 1996, Dezzi received his BA with dual majors in Political Science and English from La Salle University. Dezzi holds an MBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.  He currently resides in the Miquon section of Montgomery County with his wife and daughter.

A parent of two NFA graduates, Maureen Furletti is a Catholic educator with Master of Religious Education from Loyola University New Orleans focusing on youth ministry, curriculum development, and interdisciplinary theology. She is currently serving as a theology teacher at Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

Robbie Brennan Hain  recently retired as Director of Annual Giving at the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, a position she held since 2008. Prior to that, she served for eight years as Director of Development at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, a sponsored work of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Chestnut Hill. Previously, she worked in a variety of development and alumni relations positions at the University of Pennsylvania.

During her time at NFA, Robbie worked with the Advisory Board and the administration to plan and implement the Reaching Our Dream Capital Campaign to raise funds for the construction of the Commons Area and the renovation of James Anthony Hall. She also directed the NFA Annual Appeal, increasing receipts by 289% and donor numbers by 115% during her tenure.

From 2012 until 2016, Robbie served as a member of the Board of Directors at Mount St. Joseph Academy, and chaired the Board from 2016 to 2018. During her term, she began her role as a member of the Mount’s Development Committee, a position she continues to hold. Robbie and her husband George are the parents of two NFA graduates: Courtney ’01 and Jackie '04. 

Kathryn Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University of Delaware, with a minor in History, where she also completed a semester abroad in London. Mrs. Henry continued her studies earning a Masters of Education in Special Education, Summa Cum Laude at West Chester University and completed her studies in administration at Edinboro University in fulfillment of the requirements for Pennsylvania K-12 Principal Certification.

Mrs. Henry has extensive classroom teaching experience in elementary school as well as serving as a Middle School Math and Science teacher. In addition to her teaching experience, Mrs. Henry served as an instructional coach and Assistant Principal at Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School. Since 2018 Mrs. Henry has been an administrator at Northwood Academy in Philadelphia. Mrs. Henry exudes a passion for education, strong expertise in curriculum and instruction and commitment to her faith.

Deborah Hughes, SSJ, presently serves as the Sponsorship Coordinator for the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Prior to this, she was the Social Service Minister for the Priests of the Sacred Heart for three years in Holly Springs, Mississippi. She has held several other positions over the years that include serving for 17 years as the Superintendent of Schools for the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi and prior to that, 10 years as the Coordinator of Ministry for Elementary Education for the congregation. Sister Deborah earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Chestnut Hill College, a master’s degree in American History from Catholic University and a master’s in educational administration from Boston College. Sister Deborah joined the College Board of Directors in 2018 and is a member of the Academic Affairs Committee and the Student Life Committee.

Claudia Huot Taylor is an attorney at law.

Secretary- ex officio/ Sisters of Saint Joseph, NFA Norwood Receptionist

Dr. Ryan Killeen is a native of New Jersey. Dr. Killeen began his journey in Catholic education in St. Rose Parish, Belmar, NJ. At St. Rose he first encountered the Sisters of St. Joseph and he credits that experience with shaping and forming his spiritual and personal formation and fostering an educational philosophy and world view informed by the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph.

After attending St. Rose Grammar School and High School, Dr. Killeen attended The College of New Jersey where he completed a Bachelors in Art Education and teacher preparation. He also completed two semesters of study abroad at Maynooth University and University College Dublin, Ireland.

Upon graduation Dr. Killeen returned to his alma mater, St. Rose High School as an Art and Humanities teacher. Over ten years, he served in many roles including five years as Assistant Principal. Dr. Killeen earned a Master Degree in Educational Administration in the Seton Hall University Catholic School Leadership program. For those ten years he was gratified to serve side by side with the Sisters of St. Joseph. 

For eleven years Dr. Killeen  served as Principal of St. Paul Catholic School of Princeton. During his tenure the school grew and expanded program offerings. In 2012 St. Paul School was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education. In 2013 the school expanded to provide a Preschool for 3 and 4 year old children. In 2017 Dr. Killeen successfully defended his dissertation in completion of a doctoral degree in Education Leadership Management and Policy at Seton Hall University. His research focused on mission and leadership in Catholic elementary education. 

Dr. Killeen and his wife reside in Mercer County, NJ with their two children. They are active members of St. Paul Church.

Dr. Killeen was very enthusiastic about the opportunity to return to his roots in ministry with the Sisters of St. Joseph when he was appointed as President to lead the vibrant, innovative community of Norwood-Fontbonne Academy in 2018. Dr. Killeen led NFA through the launch of a new governance model and the creation and implementation of the strategic plan, Directed Toward Tomorrow. During his tenure, NFA has completed major capital improvement projects throughout campus. has begun implementation of an ambitious campus plan, celebrated its 100th anniversary and formed a formal Montesorri partnership with Chestnut Hill College.

In October of 2023, Dr. Killeen was welcomed as an Associate in Mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.
 

Since 1990, Sister Marjorie Lawless has been gracing our campus with her wisdom, calming presence, and adoration for our NFA students and families. From a calligraphy lesson to a science module to a loving interaction with animals, Sr. Marjorie has found unparalleled ways to impact hundreds of students walking through the doors of our school.

Before joining NFA as a Montessori teacher, Sr. Marjorie was pursuing a career in science. Her love of that field and passion for learning only grew as Sr. Marjorie joined our staff as a JLA-level Montessori teacher in 1990.

Over the next 30 years, Sr. Marjorie would continue to serve as a mentor to so many – and in so many different ways. Her famous phrase, “You need to ‘Ohio’ that”, which stood for Only Handle It Once, became an often-used phrase across campus. Her knowledge and wisdom didn’t just benefit our campus then – she’s still a reliable pillar of our community.

Judy Lloyd and her family have been a part of the NFA community for 10 years, beginning when her daughter, Emmy, who is a member of the Centennial Class of 2021, enrolled in the Gate House at age four. They chose NFA for many wonderful and unique reasons, however what stood out most for Judy is the Service-Learning and the integration of the Sisters of Saint Joseph mission across NFA’s programs. 

Throughout Emmy’s time at NFA, she has served as Wreath Sale Coordinator, Plant Sale Coordinator, Contact Parent, Lunch Room Duty, Annual Fund Co-Chair, and NFA Parent’s Association Co-Chair.

Judy, and her husband, Ted, Emmy, and their Labrador Retriever, Scout, live in Erdenheim, Pa. They enjoy time together walking and skiing in the Wissahickon, sharing stories around their backyard fire pit and one of Judy’s favorite activities — birding in the many nature preserves in this beautiful area of Pennsylvania.

Centric Bank, Senior Vice President for Commercial Lending

Director of Business Operations

Parent of Krista ’00, Regina ’02, and Dona ’11
Upper Darby Bell Telco Federal Credit Union, Staff