BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meghan Newberry, Board Chair
Since elementary school, Meghan has had a passion for education. Although she does not teach second grade, as she once thought she would, her career path has provided her with numerous opportunities to train, coach, and support.
Currently, Meghan is a Leadership Development Coach at CSC in the Digital Brand Services division where she focuses on global leader development, as well as creating, supporting and implementing strategic initiatives.
Prior to CSC, Meghan was the Director of Communication, Alumni Engagement and Development Support for Leadership Delaware, Inc. (LDI), a program she graduated from in 2015. Her career journey has also included roles in leadership, training, fulfillment, project management, and customer service.
Meghan has been fortunate enough to be surrounded by incredible mentors throughout her career and feels passionate about sharing her lessons learned through serving as a mentor to youth and young leaders in the Delaware community. In addition to serving as Board Chair at First State Montessori Academy, Meghan also sits on the Advisory Board of Make-A-Wish (Delaware), is a member of the CSC Gives Back Taskforce, and CSC’s Strategic Equity Alliance (SEA).
In addition, she owns, and is the lead photographer for, Meghan Newberry Photography. Photography is a passion which allows her to capture special memories for families and give back to the state in a unique way. She lives in North Wilmington with her husband, two young sons, and their sweet pup!
Lindsay Abraham
Lindsay was elected to the Board of Directors of First State Montessori Academy in December 2023. As a lifelong Delawarean, she was excited when FSMA opened, blending an authentic Montessori education into a public-school atmosphere in Wilmington. She was thrilled when her first child entered FSMA as a kindergartener in 2017.
Lindsay has a background in clinical laboratory science and received her Bachelor of Science from University of Delaware. She worked in clinical chemistry, hematology, and microbiology labs for Christiana Care, St Francis Hospital, and Astra Zeneca prior to supporting the NanoDrop product line for Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2011.
Lindsay lives in Wilmington with her husband and their three kids. She is a passionate community member serving on committees for her neighborhood, swim team, Delaware Art Museum, the North Brandywine Swim League, and FSMA PTO. She also volunteers on deck as a certified Stroke & Turn Official for USA Swimming. In her spare time, she enjoys being outside hiking, running, swimming with her kids, and reading on the beach.
Matthew Bender
Matthew Bender joined the FSMA Board in August 2023. He currently serves as a Vice President of US Credit Card Product Management at Citigroup. During his career, Matthew has held leadership roles in financial services focusing on management, marketing, and business planning. He also has extensive corporate experience mobilizing volunteer groups and leading charitable fundraising and outreach activities.
Matthew graduated cum laude with a BA degree in Economics and German from the University of New Hampshire. He also earned an MBA degree in Marketing and International Management from the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Rochester.
Originally from New England, Matthew lived in several parts of the United States and overseas before relocating to Wilmington in 1999. Since his arrival, he has established roots in the community and embraces it as his adopted hometown. He and his wife are believers in the benefits of a Montessori education, and they are delighted their son – and the Wilmington community – can enjoy them at FSMA.
Matthew lives with his family in Greenville. In his spare time, he enjoys pursuing outdoor activities, traveling on family vacations, and coaching youth sports.
Emily Burton
Bio coming soon.
Kristen Gideon
Kris is a passionate social good entrepreneur based in Wilmington, DE, holds a solid educational background in Biology. With expertise spanning entrepreneurship, nonprofit co-founding, and leadership encompassing workforce development, human resources, and strategic planning, Kristen has over seven years of experience in founding a local startup that has had a significant statewide community impact. Her extensive study of various learning styles fuels her enthusiasm for the Montessori approach. Serving as a board member, she aims to leverage her entrepreneurial experience to introduce fresh ideas and support the existing strategic plan.
Originally from New York, Kristen is proud to call Delaware home. She resides in Wilmington, DE, with her husband and two wonderful little boys, Malachi and Noah. Kristen enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She and her husband share a true passion for traveling and believe it’s the best form of learning. They have made it a priority to travel to several new countries a year, and their two children have experienced world traveling since they were babies.
Anabelle O’Malley
Anabelle O’Malley, an FSMA teacher representative on the board, lives in Wilmington and has a 19 year old son who is currently studying at the University of Delaware. Anabelle has been an educator for over 30 years. She received both her Master’s Degree and Bachelors in Education from the University of Delaware. Anabelle has taught preschool through third grade, including Multi-Age, Gifted and now Special Education. Her passion has always been Literacy Education and she served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Delaware teaching reading courses to undergraduates. Presently, she works with K-3 children to support them with their reading, math and social/emotional skills. She has taken countless hours of professional development so that she can provide the most current research based practices for her students. But, most of all, she loves building relationships with the children and their families and sharing in their learning journey. She has been at FSMA since 2016 and truly feels that this is her home.
Anabelle has served in leadership positions in a variety of ways throughout her life, beginning in high school where she was on the Student Council, to her involvement with the Talleyville Jaycees and later serving on her son’s Boy Scout Executive Board as well as the Conrad School of Science’s PTO Board. She is excited to represent the FSMA faculty in her new role on the Board.
When she isn’t in the classroom, Anabelle loves spending time with her son, being at the beach, cooking, paper crafting, playing with beauty products, shopping and hitting the gym.
Matt Petrin
Matt Petrin was elected to the FSMA Board in Sep 2020. He is a CPA with over 26 years of experience in Financial Services, most recently as Controller and then as Head of Business Planning and Analysis at Mercury Financial. Matt lives in North Wilmington with his wife and two children who are currently enjoying a Montessori education at FSMA. In addition, Matt has been serving on the Citizens Budget Oversight Committee for the past year. He also serves on the Siegel JCC Board of Directors.
Matt is originally from Indiana but has been a happy Delaware resident since 1989. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Purdue University. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, basketball, chess, travel and playing with his children.
Rikki Petruccelli
Rikki joined the Board of First State Montessori Academy in 2024. Rikki is a Strategic Portfolio Manager with Enterprise Technology at CSC. A growth-minded and decisive influential leader, she is constantly seeking to understand why we do what we do, and how we can do it better in the context of people, processes, and strategic direction.
A graduate of the University of Delaware (UD), Rikki has enjoyed diverse career experiences with the Division of Youth and Family Services, Restaurant Management, people leadership, and project management prior to her current role.
In addition to her role with FSMA, Rikki is the Logistics Chair for the Ronald McDonald House Wine Women and Shoes charitable event, Membership Advisor for the Alpha Xi Delta panhellenic sorority at UD, facilitates leadership development on behalf of CSC with IT Works, and jumps at the chance to be involved with and support a number of other charitable opportunities in the area.
She lives in Hockessin, DE with her husband, Jim, and sons Jimmy (FSMA student) and Leo, along with their two rambunctious pups. She loves spending time with family and friends, is a voracious reader, and nurturing a growing passion for baking homemade bread.
Becky Phillips
Becky was elected to the Board of Directors of First State Montessori Academy in 2019. Before joining the board, she approached the school about volunteering on the planning committee for the 5 year celebration fundraiser, and since then has immersed herself as an advocate and proud parent of a student at the school. Before joining the board of directors at FSMA, Becky served on the Board of Directors for Cancer Support Community of Delaware (CSCDE) for 5 years.
Her passion for work in philanthropy spans across her personal and professional life, working as a Director in Institutional Advancement for Nemours Children’s Health since 2017. She enjoys building relationships with corporate partners while making a positive impact on the lives of patients and families at Nemours.
A Delaware native, Becky resides in the city of Wilmington with her husband and two children and chocolate lab, Pelle. When she is not fundraising for a great cause, she enjoys taking walks with her family, hosting friends for dinner, and traveling to the beach!
AliShah Watson
AliShah is a passionate advocate dedicated to the empowerment of underserved communities particularly in black and brown neighborhoods that are culturally deficient. She is the founder of Culture Restoration Project, Inc., a nonprofit based in Wilmington, Delaware that serves nearly 400 youth per year with in-school and out-of-school enrichment. AliShah has served as Executive Director since its inception and built an organization that is committed to providing culturally competent educational and arts-based programs and services to the community.
In addition to her work with Culture Restoration Project, AliShah is also the co-founder of Asaawa Consulting, LLC, a Wilmington-based company specializing in community-based cultural consulting and education. Leveraging her educational background in Africana Studies and Ethnic and Cultural Studies, she brings a wealth of knowledge to support community engagement and advocacy.
AliShah’s commitment to community service extends beyond her organizations. She previously served as an Advisory Board member for community outreach and engagement at the University of Delaware’s Africana Studies Department. Her expertise has been instrumental in developing curriculums and youth enrichment programs that prioritize self-understanding and healthy cultural norms as essential components of building thriving communities.
As a devoted wife and mother to two remarkable daughters, 6-year-old Orisha and 1-year-old Oyana, AliShah embodies family and community values. Her role as an educator, curriculum writer, and advocate reflects her unwavering dedication to cultural and social development.