Virginia Beach Friends School is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees speaks as one voice with unity.
The roles and responsibilities of members of the Board of Trustees are:
- To hire and supervise the Head of School.
- To actively support and promote the school’s mission, vision, strategic goals and policies.
- To be informed about current operations and issues by being well prepared for and attending regular meetings.
- To set Board of Trustees and Head of School policies based on long-range strategic planning.
- To keep all board deliberations confidential.
- To guard against conflicts of interest, whether personal or business related.
- To bring to the Head of School, or to the Board of Trustees Clerk, an issue of importance to the school, and must refrain from responding to the situation individually.
- To contribute to the development program of the school, including strategic planning for development, financial support, and active involvement in annual and capital giving.
- To be accountable to the school for sound financial management. Each trustee has this responsibility, not just the treasurer and finance committee.
- To promote a strong bond between the School and the Virginia Beach Friends Meeting.
The roles and responsibilities of members of our Board of Trustees do not include:
- Becoming involved directly in specific management, personnel, or curricular issues.
- The specific needs of a particular child or constituency.
Board of Trustees Members
Jean Crawford
Jean was the Clerk of Virginia Beach Friends Meeting for three years. She has been a long term member of the Meeting and serves on several committees. She found her way to the Quakers in the 1970’s. She moved to Virginia Beach after graduating from Stratford College and has lived in the Tidewater area permanently since 1979. Presently, she lives in Chesapeake with her daughter, Bree.
Jean is a psychotherapist and an educator having been in private practice for over 30 years and has taught at Old Dominion University in the Counseling Ed. Dept. She holds a doctorate in education from Northern Colorado University. Her interests have given her opportunities to be a child advocate, a Fellow of Guided Imagery and Music, and an international workshop leader.
Her work with children has been some of the most satisfying work of her career.
Kelly Disharoon
Kelly Disharoon is a Virginia Beach native and has a rising 2nd grader at Friends School. After graduating from Longwood University she enjoyed a career in athletic development at Old Dominion University for 8 years. She now owns and operates an embroidery business, Short & Sweet Monograms. Kelly currently sits on the board of directors at the Princess Anne Country Club and is also an active member of the Junior Virginia Beach Garden Club. Kelly resides in Bay Colony with her husband Mike Disharoon and two young sons Press 7 and Stallings 4.
Chris Dotolo
Chris is a Norfolk native and attended Norfolk Academy for 12 years. After playing baseball at Virginia Wesleyan, Chris played professional baseball for 5 seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization. After his playing career, he coached Division 1 college baseball for 15 years as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College, St. John's University (NY), and as the head coach at Hofstra University (NY). He then worked in the Development Office at Norfolk Academy for 5 years before moving into a career as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Virginia Beach.
Chris has a Master's Degree in Sports Administration from George Mason University and a Master's Degree in Financial Planning and Law from Regent University (2021). He has extensive fundraising experience and is the Chair of the Business and Finance Committee as well as an advisor on the Development Committee for the Friends School. He has 3 daughters; Gina, Savanna, and Maria and resides in Virginia Beach.
Kevin Emerson
Kevin is a native of Virginia Beach and graduated from Norfolk Academy. Kevin attended Washington & Lee University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration. He started his career with Price Waterhouse in Norfolk in 1994 and is a Certified Public Accountant.
In 2005, Kevin joined McKesson Corporation, a diversified healthcare services company, and has held various senior finance and accounting roles, including Controllership roles, leading M&A and Integration activities, serving as a Business Unit CFO, and now serves as Senior Vice President, Finance Operations where he oversees key enterprise initiatives. These roles have taken him from San Francisco, CA to Richmond, VA, Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX, before landing him back in Virginia Beach.
Kevin and his family live at the oceanfront and enjoy being active and spending time at the beach. He has two children at Norfolk Academy and his wife Meredith, who also grew up in Virginia Beach, is a Real Estate Agent with Atkinson Realty.
Hank Ghittino
Hank Ghittino is a long time member of Virginia Beach Friends Meeting where he has served on various committees, as treasurer, and is presently an Overseer and Trustee of the Meeting and a member of the Joint Property Task Force. Hank also served as a Meeting member during the School’s Long Range Planning process. Although raised in Queens, NY, Hank has called Tidewater, particularly Virginia Beach, home since 1970. He graduated from Tidewater Community College, James Madison University, and took graduate course work at Old Dominion University. His two step-children attended Friends School for a time in the early 1980's
Hank is a professional geologist, retired from a thirty-six year career as a hydrogeologist. During his career he worked in the environmental sections of local, regional, and international consulting firms. He spent his last seventeen working years with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality in the groundwater resources management program, which is a permitting program that regulates groundwater based public and private water supply systems, individual industries, and agricultural and golf course irrigation.
Inde Hawkins
Inde is the Manager of Network Operations and Critical Facilities Engineering for Cox Communications. She has responsibility for 47 critical facilities and the network within across Virginia, Florida, and Georgia. Core responsibilities are network and power design. Prior to engineering, Inde had a tenured career in Procurement for both Cox and previously, Joy Global. She has been a successful and innovative leader in her industry and is a proud supporter of Women in STEAM roles as 1 of 20 women in her field out of an organization of 300+.
Inde’s leadership motto is “get out of the way so they can shine." She leads her teams with transparency and motivational encouragement by guiding with stories, not directives.
Inde has been highly engaged in supporting Diversity, Inclusion and Equity efforts. She has built partnerships throughout her organization, company, and community to make certain all voices are heard and that we truly experience one another and the beauty that makes us who we are. She believes bringing diverse backgrounds and perspectives to all aspects of business and life is how we can truly overcome any obstacle set before us.
Inde and her family spend time between Virginia and their home state of Pennsylvania.
Mark Paccione
Mark Paccione is the Chief Investment Officer and Chief Operating Officer for Curi Capital, an independent RIA based in Raleigh, NC. As Chief Investment Officer, Mark oversees Curi Capital’s Investment Committee, asset allocation framework, and investment strategies. As Chief Operating Officer, Mark overseas operations and trading for the second-fastest growing RIA in North Carolina. Prior to joining Curi Capital, he spent 14 years with CAPTRUST Financial Advisors, the largest Independent RIA in the country, as Senior Director of Wealth Management playing a significant role in the firm’s growth. Mark’s time in the investment industry began in 1998 and included several years as a market maker on the Pacific Coast Options Exchange and several years with one of Morgan Stanley's top wealth management teams. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Economics from Wake Forest University, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®), and Behavioral Financial Advisor (BFA™) designations. Mark currently serves on the Board of Trustees at William Peace University, is an Advisory Board member of Magma Capital, and is the former President of the CFA Society North Carolina.
George Polizos
George is a native of Norfolk and credits the four years he attended Friends in the 1960’s as fundamental to his academic, character and spiritual growth.
George is a graduate of Norfolk Academy, Washington & Lee University and the Mason School of Business at William & Mary. He brings to Friends a professional background in marketing and communications as well as a 20-year career in life insurance, health insurance and long-term care planning for families and business owners. George serves on the Advancement Committee and is dedicated to helping the school be a positive force in the community for the next generation.
In addition to his work for Friends, George is a director on Norfolk’s Economic Development Authority and is a member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral Parish Council.
Joanne Young
Joanne is the Property Improvements Coordinator for Siebert Realty. She specializes in vacation home furnishings and renovation projects in Sandbridge. She is a native of Virginia Beach and a graduate of Norfolk Academy and Randolph-Macon Woman’s College.
Her journey with Friends School began as a parent in 2006. She served on the Board of Trustees from 2010-2014 and rejoined in 2017. She has held the position of Assistant Clerk and President of the Board of Trustees and has served on the following committees: Buildings & Grounds, Advancement, the Committee on Trustees and the Head of School searches that hired both Michael Barclay and Greg Angilly.
Joanne and her husband Jamey have two children, Patrick and Allison. Patrick attended Friends School 7th-12th grades and graduated in 2014. Allison is a graduate of Norfolk Academy, class of 2016. The Youngs continue to be the host family to a Serbian exchange student, Miodrag Dronjak, who attended Friends School in 11th grade and graduated in 2016. Miodrag has a work visa and calls Virginia Beach his second home. All three children have graduated from college; Appalachian State University, Washington & Lee University and The College of William & Mary, respectively.
The Friends School is a special place for children to grow in a safe and neutering environment that allows them to be their best selves. It is for this reason, Joanne dedicates to the service of this school.