UCFSD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- Building Secretary / Unionville Elementary School
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- Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Special Education Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School / Teacher - Special Education
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- Assistant Director of Finance
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- Office Manager / Unionville High School
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- Advisor
- Director of Communications & Community Relations
Typically we meet on the second Wednesday of each month in the UCF District Administration Building, main conference room. We would love to hear your ideas.
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- Spanish Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- French Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Supervisor
- Supervisor of Food Servic
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- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- Member of the Board
- Curriculum Chair
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- Special Education Teacher / Hillendale Elementary School / Teacher - Special Education
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- Chairman
- Member of the Board
- Vice President Communications
- Vice President of the Board
Erin Talbert moved to southeastern PA after graduation from Penn State, Schreyer Honors College. With the business consulting firm, Accenture, Erin advised clients on communication, strategy, and change management. In her years at AstraZeneca, Erin worked in a number of different areas including marketing, managed markets, and sales. She now owns and runs Brandywine Outdoor Living, LLC, an outdoor design firm.
A resident of Pennsbury Township, Erin has two children. Her husband, Tony, is a 1994 UHS graduate.
An active community volunteer, Erin was appointed by Kennett Square Borough and Kennett Township to the Kennett Area Park Authority Board whom owns and runs Anson B. Nixon Park. She was elected to the Schreyer Alumni Society Board of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State and ultimately served as Alumni & Student Engagement Committee Chair, and also helped grow the Unionville Crew program at the high school. She is also co-chair of the UCFSD Community Scholarship fund.
Elected in 2019, Erin is committed to understanding and balancing the needs and concerns of students, parents, teachers, staff, administrators, and residents. She believes that we all have stakes in providing our children with the best public education possible and aims to serve as an informed, thoughtful, and decisive intermediary.
Job Titles:
- Academic Intervention Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Reading Specialist / Pocopson Elementary School / Reading Support
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- Transportation Specialist
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- Manager of Building Maintenanc
- Manager of Building Maintenance / Maintenance / Facilities
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- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School / Science
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- Member of the Board
- Policy Chair
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- District Applications Specialist
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- Instruction Support Team Coordinator / Unionville High School
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- Office Manager / Hillendale Elementary School
Jody Allen, elected to the Board in 2023, attended Chadds Ford Elementary School and Unionville Middle School before graduating from Tower Hill School. After earning a BA in Biology from Brown University, Jody returned to Chadds Ford and began his 20+ year career with Barnes & Noble by opening the original store in the Concord Mall. He then managed several B&N stores in New York City before opening the company's new flagship store in Manhattan, which he ran for seven years until moving to Morocco where his daughter was born. He and his wife Melissa moved back to Chadds Ford to raise their daughter who is a student at Chadds Ford Elementary School.
Having grown up in Chadds Ford, Jody appreciates our top-notch school district, beautiful open spaces, rich history, and strong cultural institutions. Since returning home in 2018, he has been very active in local community organizations, serving as a Judge of Elections until he ran for UCFSD School Board. He also serves as a Board Director and the Treasurer of the Chadds Ford Township Residents Association, where he has organized events such as the semi-annual roadside clean-up, Citizen of the Year award ceremonies, Township holiday tree lighting and decorating events, and the first-ever flag retirement ceremony held at the Brandywine Battlefield Park.
Job Titles:
- Superintendent of Schools
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- Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Capital Projects Coordinator
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- District Technology Technician
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- Reading Specialist / Hillendale Elementary School
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- Teacher / Pocopson Elementary School
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- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School / Science
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- Administrative Assistant
- Secretary to the Superintendent
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- Supervisor of Information Systems
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- Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent
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- Teacher / Hillendale Elementary School
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- School Counselor / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- Supervisor of Transportation
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- Teacher / Charles F Patton Middle School
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- Secretary to the Director of Facilities
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- Assistant Director of Human Resources
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- Member of the Board
- Resident of Birmingham Township
Mary Kate Loomis is a resident of Birmingham Township and was elected to the Board in 2023. She grew up in Chadds Ford and is a proud alumni of the UHS class of 1997.
Mary Kate received a BA in History from Penn State University. She worked in the banking industry for 10+ years before getting married and starting a family.
A committed volunteer, she has served on the Pocopson Elementary PTO for the past three years, two as Co-President, a Girl Scout Leader, as well as on multiple committees within the district.
Mary Kate and her husband Gaston have two daughters who currently attend Pocopson Elementary. She currently works as a substitute teacher in the UCFSD Elementary Schools.
Job Titles:
- Teacher / Unionville High School
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
The May Fair, once known as May Day, was first held on May 21, 1949 at Chadds Ford Elementary School. Today, the May Fair is a fun day for our students and a time for our entire school to reflect on our community's rich history.
The May Fair was once known as May Day. It was first held on Saturday, May 21, 1949 and included events such as square dancing, crowning of the May Queen, and the May Pole Dance. The May Fair continues today and still features many of these activities. Our annual May Fair is not only a day of fun for students, but also a time for our entire school to reflect on our rich history, which we hold so dear.
Job Titles:
- School Psychologist, 504 Coordinator / Unionville Elementary School
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- Director of Curriculum & Instruction
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- Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Assistant Athletic Trainer / Unionville High School
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- Director of Communications & Community Relations
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- Administrative Assistant
- Administrative Assistant for Curriculum & Instruction and Student Activities
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Facilities Chair
Rashi Akki founded Ag-Grid Energy LLC in 2016 with a vision to convert agricultural and organic waste into renewable energy, compost and support local area practices that lead us towards a sustainable environment. Prior to launching Ag-Grid Energy LLC, she worked for 20 years at a chemical company DuPont. She held positions in central R&D, DuPont Titanium Technologies, Nonwovens and Industrial Biosciences. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University, M.S from the University of Connecticut and Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Master Grounds Mechanic / Maintenance / Facilities
Job Titles:
- Special Education Teacher / Unionville Elementary School / Teacher - Special Education
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- Technology Data Assistant
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- Cafeteria Manager / Hillendale Elementary School
- Cafeteria Manager by School
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- Member of the Board
- Physician
- Personnel Chair
Steve Simonson was elected to the Board in 2013. He currently serves as the chairman of the Personnel Committee. Prior to this, he served on the Pocopson Township Planning Commission for four years.
Steve is a physician with over 25 years of experience in medical practice and the pharmaceutical industry. He is currently the Sr. Vice President and Chief Development Officer at a biopharma company. He earned his MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Steve completed his post-graduate training and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He also earned a Master of Health Sciences degree in Biometry from Duke University.
Steve and his wife Ruth live in Pocopson Township and have been residents of UCFSD since 1996. They have two sons, both of whom graduated from the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. Their sons' experience in the district schools left them well-prepared for higher education. One is completing a medical degree at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia; the other is studying biomedical engineering at Penn State University.
Job Titles:
- Food Services Office Manager
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- Teacher / Unionville High School
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- Advisor
- Assistant Superintendent
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- English Language Learner Teacher, Spanish Teacher / Pocopson Elementary School
Victoria (Tory) Baratta was elected to the Board for Region B in 2019, Vice President in 2021 and President in 2022. She has lived in Birmingham Township with her family since 2007.
Tory has advocated for children her entire life. After graduating from Denison University in 1990, she worked for the Connecticut State Department of Education with the Beginning Educator Support and Training (BEST) program and on a grant for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. These programs focused on collaboration, mentorship, and developing the highest standards in teaching. She earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2001. She has worked as a school psychologist supporting students, partnering with parents, and developing wellness programs for classrooms in Connecticut, Ohio and Pennsylvania. She has also taught graduate and undergraduate classes as an adjunct at Widener University.
Tory has been married to her husband, Mike, since 1997. They have five children who have attended UCFSD schools since Kindergarten. Her children have a diverse set of interests, talents, and needs and she appreciates that each has received a quality and responsive education in our district. Tory has volunteered in the classroom, in Girl Scouts, and as a URA coach over the years. She views serving on the UCFSD School Board as an opportunity to combine her personal and professional experiences to serve her community in a meaningful and impactful way.
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Assistant