Officers & Board of Directors Biographies
Robert J. Gildea,
Superintendent of Schools
Robert J. Gildea is Lower Dauphin School District’s sixth superintendent of schools. He has been with the district since October 2023.
Prior to coming to Lower Dauphin, he served as superintendent of schools in the Hollidaysburg Area School District since 2013. In addition to serving as superintendent, he was the Cyber Academy Director and Athletic Director in Hollidaysburg Area School District from 2012-13 and was an elementary school principal from 2000-2012. He served as an elementary school teacher in Hollidaysburg in grades 3 and 5 from 1990-2000.
A native of Hollidaysburg, Dr. Gildea graduated from Hollidaysburg Area High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s degree and elementary principal certificate from Saint Francis University. He earned a doctor of education in administrative leadership studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2012.
Dr. Lia Belanger Book, President
Lia Belanger Book lives in Conewago Township in the farmhouse where her husband grew up, and is the only person in her family who did not graduate from Lower Dauphin. Her favorite things include spending time with her family (she has two sons), spinning and knitting wool from the farm flock, enjoying homegrown produce and anything chocolate. She has been an owner of Londonderry Animal Hospital since 1999 and is grateful for the opportunity to give back to the community that has supported her family for many years.
Jen Kastelic, Vice President
A graduate of Lower Dauphin, Ms. Kastelic went on to play field hockey and obtain an undergraduate and Master’s degree from the University of Louisville. Upon graduating from Louisville, she returned to Lower Dauphin and began teaching Health and PE at the Middle School, as well as coaching field hockey. In addition to working with the Foundation, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, baking, reading and serving on various committees in the community that help support organizations that she is passionate about. She is proud to say she graduated from LD and couldn’t be happier to continue to be a part of it as a staff member.
Marie C. Weber, Secretary
Mrs. Weber taught in the Lower Dauphin School District from 1976 until her retirement in June, 2011. She was the string instructor and orchestra director at the middle school and high school for her entire tenure and at the elementary level during the first 19 years in the school district. While working in the district, Mrs. Weber served as music department coordinator. Mrs. Weber continues to serve as the conductor of the pit orchestra for Lower Dauphin High School Musical. As an educator, she serves on the board of PMEA District 7, PADESTA and DCMEA. Currently, she is serving as DCMEA representative on the PMEA District 7 Executive Board. In the community, Mrs. Weber also serves on the Central Pennsylvania Symphony Board.
Katie Jeffries,
Treasurer/Program Manager
Katie graduated from Lower Dauphin and went on to earn her BS in Healthcare Administration and her MS in Human Resource Management. Katie's full time job involves working for an organization that represents faculty and coaches who strive to provide quality higher education for students in Pennsylvania. She also serves as the treasurer and board member for BunnyPeople, a domestic rabbit rescue in the area. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and her pets, cooking, watching documentaries and reading.
Amy Clark-Grubb
A long-time resident of Hummelstown, Amy lives with her husband Steven and younger son Conor, a student at Gettysburg College. She came to the Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation via her older son Logan, who as a former board member, thought her organizational and creative talents would serve as a benefit to the Foundation. A chemistry teacher with over 30 years of classroom experience, who has served as an academic and extracurricular advisor, Amy looks forward to using her expertise to work with the Foundation as they continue to provide opportunities for students in the district.
Lauren Leshak-Espenshade
She is a lifelong resident of Lower Dauphin School District, having graduated from LDHS in 2003 and now a mother of two students in the district. Lauren's fulltime job is working closely with pharmaceutical companies and biotech firms to help them bring their life-changing drugs to market as quickly as possible with the goal of extending cancer patients' lives. Lauren also immensely enjoys volunteering within the school district through programs like Girls on the Run and Junior Achievement and is thrilled to support the Falcon Foundation on its mission.
Kathy Darowish
Having moved to South Hanover Township in 1982, she has loved living in the Lower Dauphin School District. Working with the teachers and athletic departments, her 3 children received an exceptional education and continued learning at Phi Beta Cappa colleges. Because of this, she wanted to ensure an exceptional education for everyone who lives in the LD community. She tells graduates that they have the basics to succeed in any dream they follow.
Jessica DeHart
Mrs. DeHart has served on the Falcon Foundation board since 2013 in various roles. Currently a social/emotional middle school teacher at Lower Dauphin's Price building, she is married with two children, Ellie (16yrs old) and Chase (13yrs old). She spends most of her free time driving to and from various sporting activities that her kids are involved in. When not at sports events they we are watching sports on TV as they are avid Philadelphia sports fans!
Chrisi Eberhard
She has been a teacher for 27 years and a community member of the Lower Dauphin School District. She attended Millersville University for her undergraduate degree and Penn State University for her graduate degree. Her two children have graduated from LDSD and are currently attending college. She became a part of LDFF years ago as a way to give back to the LD community and school district.
Faith Fausnight (Student Board Representative)
A junior at Lower Dauphin High School, Faith is the Historian for the 2025 Class Council and a member of the National Honor Society and 4 other honor societies. She is a member of cross country, track and swim teams while participating in the musicals and dramapalooza.
Ethan Kurtz (Student Board Member)
A senior at Lower Dauphin High School, Ethan is the editor-in-chief of the Falcon Flash newspaper at LDHS and plays on the varsity lacrosse team. He also is the vice president of the Spanish Honor Society, a member of five other honors societies, a member of the Chick-fil-A Leadership Academy and a member of the Class Council.
Lauren Baiocchi
Lauren graduated from Lower Dauphin and continued on to Slippery Rock University to play soccer and graduate with a BS in Exercise Science. She then completed her Physical Therapy Assistant degree at Central Penn College while working at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute and meeting her now husband, Kyle. She has worked for Drayer Physical Therapy Institute and Bayada Home Health as a Physical Therapy Assistant and Documentation and Coding Specialist since graduating from school. In addition to working with the LDFF, she enjoys spending time with her three children, Izzy, Carter and Parker; walking and playing with her dogs; attending shows at the Hershey Theater with her mom and sisters; assisting in activities and committees at her church; and traveling and spending time with the rest of her family and friends. She is excited to continue assisting in the Lower Dauphin community with the Foundation and raising her three children in the school district that she grew up in!
Jenny Slatt
A graduate of Lower Dauphin School District, Mrs. Slatt attended Lock Haven University earning a degree in Recreational Therapy & Psychology. She then earned a master’s degree in Education/ Special Education at George Mason University. Mrs. Slatt has more than 20 years of teaching experience in Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania schools. She also coordinated The Career Studies Program at Penn State Harrisburg that provided inclusive post-secondary educational opportunities for individuals with intellectual and other disabilities. She is currently the Education and Human Services teacher at The Milton Hershey School in their Career and Technical Education Department. She lives in East Hanover Township with her three children and her husband. Jenny is excited to be a part of The Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation and use her position to positively impact the opportunities that are provided for students in the district.
John Snowden
John has two children who graduated from Lower Dauphin (2019 and 2021) and is a Lower Dauphin graduate himself (1982). He earned a BS in Anthropology from Franklin and Marshall College and a Diploma in Accounting from Elizabethtown College. Through the years, he has owned several businesses and was President of the Elizabethtown Area Chamber of Commerce. John has also served as Secretary for the Elizabethtown Preservation Association. He is excited to join the LDFF and contribute his talents to growing the organization.
Pam Waters
As a member of the board, she has worked with the Falcon Fling committee, created and ran the Family Fun Day event, and currently chairs the Governance committee and the Musical Dinner Theatre sub-committee. She currently lives in East Hanover township with her husband, David. She has two adult children and two attending Penn State. A fifth-grade teacher at Londonderry Elementary School, she enjoys playing tennis, pickleball and soccer, kayaking, hiking, jogging, reading and doing anything crafty or creative in her free time. Her latest aspiration/preoccupation is to try hang gliding!
Cathy Wreski
Cathy Wreski has been on the Board of Directors since the LDFF's inception in 2006. She was also the PTO President of Londonderry Elementary and the President of the LD Field Hockey Boosters prior to joining the BOD. Cathy is currently a field hockey umpire and enjoys the travel it requires. Her husband, Bob, runs the clock at LD field hockey and lacrosse games. Their children, Jessica, Bobby and Becky, are graduates of LD. Bob and Cathy enjoy golf, fine food, travel and time with friends, family and grandchildren.