[Allentown, PA, June 12, 2023]: At its June 1, 2023 Board of Directors meeting, the Allentown School District Foundation (ASDF) elected two new Board Members and one Board Director Emeritus. Ms. Elizabeth Sewards and Dr. Humberto Ortiz were elected to fill seats vacated by Ms. Ellen Millard Kern and Mr. Daniel C. Bosket. Mr. Richard Button was elected in the Emeritus role.
Ms. Elizabeth “Liz” Sewards was born and raised in Allentown and graduated from William Allen High School (WAHS) in 2005. She attended Temple University and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor of science; then completed Thomas Jefferson University’s accelerated BSN program in 2011. While working at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she completed a master’s and Nurse Practitioner certification. Sewards spent four years working in a clinical research and ambulatory care setting as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Boston Children’s hospital. In 2019 Sewards had her first child and took a leave from health care to be a full time stay at home mother, relocating to Allentown in 2020. She enjoys finding new opportunities to give back to this city that gave her so much.
Dr. Humberto Ortiz was also born and raised in Allentown and graduated from WAHS in 2002. He went on to earn a BSN from Moravian College and an MSN from La Salle University. He received his Anesthesia training at Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia and is a board Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA). Dr. Ortiz was selected as a Jonas Scholar for the University of Alabama, a prestigious Nursing honor and full academic scholarship awarded to future nursing leaders. He went on to receive his Doctorate in Nursing Practice where his research focused on decreasing the incidence of abuse and misuse of prescription narcotics. He practices full time for Anesthesia Specialists of Bethlehem/ St. Luke’s University Health Network where he specializes in pediatric anesthesia. Dr. Ortiz and his wife enjoy coaching their 3 children in youth sports.
The status of Board Director Emeritus is reserved for former board members who have made significant contributions of talent, treasure and/or time to the Foundation. This year’s nominee has positively impacted students in Allentown through his longstanding commitment to the ASDF.
Mr. Richard "Dick" Button has been involved with the ASDF since its inception. He served two terms on the board, between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2015. Dick held various leadership and committee roles. During what should have been his last term, there was an unexpected change in leadership and Mr. Button was asked to serve as President from January 2015 until the end of that fiscal year. The board then elected Dick to serve as President, which he did from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2017.
Button has been the Scholarships Chair for many years and still maintains the records for the ASDF scholarships program. Dick meets with prospective scholarship donors, works with existing donors regarding the continuance of expendable awards, facilitates interactions with the high school guidance counselors, and helps the ASDF staff manage and maintain accurate records of the scholarships. He is invaluable to the organization.
In other business, the Board amended its by-laws to create the position of Immediate Past President which was immediately filled by Mr. Dan Bosket who has served as ASDF President since 2019 and was on the Board since 2015.
Bosket will serve as Immediate Past President for the coming year while Ms. Tonya M. Harris, Esq. takes the helm as president of the ASDF on July 1, 2023. Harris, a 1994 William Allen High School graduate and an attorney at PPL Services Corporation, previously served as the ASDF Vice President. Newly elected Vice President, Mr. Rob Schmidt, is a 1997 graduate of Louis E. Dieruff High School and serves as Chief Sales Officer for The Seltzer Group. The Rev. Mariah Tjeltveit and Ms. Ibi Balog were each re-elected to serve as secretary and treasurer for the 2023-2024 year.
All officer candidates, board members and emeritus board directors were nominated through a process managed by the Hon. Rashid Santiago, Governance Committee Chair. “The Foundation will benefit tremendously from the experience, enthusiasm, and commitment to education in Allentown that these volunteers bring to our organization. We also thank Ms. Kern and Mr. Bosket for everything they have done to improve the lives of students and teachers through their work with us,” said Executive Director, Dr. Julie Ambrose.
(Pictured first: Elizabeth Sewards and Humberto Ortiz; Pictured in the middle: Richard Button and Tonya M. Harris; pictured at bottom: Rob Schmidt)
About the Allentown School District Foundation
The ASD Foundation has a mission to encourage, promote, support and fund positive educational experiences for students in the Allentown School District. Since its founding in 2009, the Foundation has raised over $8.1 million for supplemental programming and conduit support for ASD schools. If you would like to learn how you can support the work of the Foundation with contributions or by volunteering, please contact Executive Director, Dr. Julie K. Ambrose, at 484-765-4121 or [email protected]. The mailing address is P.O. Box 328, 31 South Penn Street, Allentown, PA 18105, and the website is www.allentownsd.org/asdf.
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