Who We Are
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Our mission is to engage our community as public school advocates and to raise funds and resources to support innovation and education excellence in the Chatham County Schools.
Our vision is to maximize community investment to ensure the Chatham County Schools are leaders in education equity, program innovation and graduating 21st century students ready for career or college.
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Community investment builds stronger schools.
Strong school districts willingly embrace change.
Well-trained educators with access to continuing professional development lead students to stronger student achievement.
Strong public education is the bedrock for a thriving local economy.
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Brittany Sandefur, Executive Director
Brittany leads the Chatham Education Foundation's mission to engage the community as public school advocates and to raise funds in support of innovation and educational excellence in Chatham County Schools. She oversees all aspects of the organization — from fundraising and grant writing to strategic planning, partnerships, and staff leadership — working closely with the Board of Directors to ensure CEF's investments make a lasting impact for students.
Cate shapes how CEF shows up in the community — leading social media, e-newsletters, press releases, and all things branding to keep our story consistent and compelling. She brings creativity and a passion for education to everything from donor communications and promotional materials to event marketing and program storytelling.
Emily Boynton, Finance Manager
Emily keeps CEF's financial operations running smoothly, managing donation processing, bookkeeping, donor records, and financial reporting with care and precision. Her work behind the scenes ensures that every gift is acknowledged, every record is accurate, and the Foundation has the financial foundation it needs to fulfill its mission.
Chatham Reads Team
Kathy Havens, Chatham Reads Program Manager
Kathy manages the day-to-day operations of Chatham Reads, CEF's literacy initiative that connects K-8 students across Chatham County with the books and resources they need to read on grade level. She leads strategic partnerships with schools and community organizations, oversees the Books on Break program, and drives CEF's broader commitment to literacy — including grant writing and data analysis.
Heather Bochicco, Chatham Reads Program Specialist
Heather works alongside Kathy to bring Chatham Reads to life on the ground, supporting the planning and execution of Books on Break and other book distribution events across the county. She manages book donations and inventory, recruits and coordinates volunteers, and builds the community relationships that keep books flowing to kids who need them.
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Executive Committee
Mary Lou Huisking, Chair — Retired special education teacher
Dr. Angela Quick, Vice Chair — RTI Education
Dr. Ashley Patterson, Secretary — Higher education accreditation consultant
Angela Fowler, Treasurer — Accountant, BDO USA
Board Members
Diana Hales — Former Chatham County Commissioner
John Holdsclaw IV — President & CEO, Rochdale Capital
Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins — Educator, Author, Speaker
Hadley Kirkland — Self-employed
Mary Kolek — Retired school superintendent
Susan Lee — Genasys
Rev. Brent Levy — Pastor, The Local Church
Manjiree Nikam — Former healthcare executive
Stephanie Powell — Retired lawyer
Maria Pulido — Operations Coordinator, LatinxEd
Julie Ricker — Former elementary teacher
Dr. Randy St. Clair — Principal, Seaforth High School
Ex-Officio Members
Dr. Jayme McPhatter — Instructional Program Facilitator, Office of Excellence and Opportunity, CCS
Dr. Kelly Batten — Superintendent, CCS
Jane Allen Wilson — Chatham County Board of Education
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Our Impact Together
This year, CEF invested $151,965 into Chatham County Schools. Behind every number is a student who got to stay in school, a teacher who got the tools they needed, or a family that made it through a hard season.
From a first grader who went from struggling to thriving with the help of sound mats and magnetic wands, to exceptional children stitching fleece blankets for shelter animals, to 16 educators bringing new skills back to their classrooms — your investment touched every corner of this county.
10,060 books. 2,400 kids. Seven schools.
This year, Books on Break visited seven Title 1 and rural elementary schools, putting brand-new books into the hands of pre-K through 5th grade students before summer break. Kids could also choose from 650 children's magazines donated by publishers — because sometimes the path to loving reading starts with a magazine about dinosaurs or soccer.
Chatham Reads distributed 8,500 gently used books to community partners, supported eight mini libraries across the county, and launched two new initiatives — a partnership with CORA Food Pantry where children receive a free book at SNACK! meal sites, and read-aloud sessions at YMCA and county summer camps.
“Our public schools in Chatham are resilient and thriving because of you.”