Bethel Education Foundation

Sallita Ballard, her husband, and two children have enjoyed living in Bethel for the last 6 years. Being from the area, her family decided to call Bethel “home” due to the community and all that it offers. Sallita has been involved in the field of education in neighboring school districts for the past 16 years in the role as an early childhood teacher. As a newcomer to the Bethel Education Foundation, Sallita shares her expertise as it relates to the field of education with the board. She believes in the mission of the Foundation to “promote innovation, creativity, and excellence in learning” for the children and community of Bethel. Sallita serves as Vice Chair on the foundation board.

Patricia Cosentino has been an educator since 1983. She is currently the Principal of Bethel High School. She has been a member of the Bethel Public Schools for the past nine years, five of those years as the Principal of Frank A. Berry School. Prior to that Dr. Cosentino was Principal of Public School 206 in Queens, NY. Dr. Cosentino attended Western Connecticut State University for her doctoral degree and graduated in May 2008. Dr. Cosentino lives in Bethel with her son, Vincent. She and Vin moved to Bethel to be near her sister and three nephews who also live in Bethel. Pat is a big Yankee and a NY Giant fan. She loves to go to NYC, visit the museums, see a concert at Madison Square Garden or take in a Broadway Show. Ms. C. loves music; her favorite artists are Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi and Aerosmith.

Sue Canfield and her husband have lived in Bethel since 2003. Their three children attend the Bethel Public Schools. Sue served as PTO President for 2 years at Berry School, and is still very much an active member chairing many events at all schools. Believing in enriching a child's mind and developing their independence, she coached an Odyssey of the Mind team in 2009. She runs the QSP and Cookie Sales for Girl Scouts. Sue has also served on the Barnum Ball committee for the past several years. Originally from the U.K., she has gained her certifications for the Nursery Nurses Examination Board in Early Childhood Education. Believing in the mission of the Foundation, Sue hopes to bring more innovative programs and technologies to the schools.

Gladys Gonzalez and her husband have been living in Bethel since 2001. They have three children, two of whom attend the elementary school and the eldest attends the middle school. She has been active in the classroom and had previously co-chaired the annual book fair for 3 years. She was one of the founding members and an officer for the MOMS Club of Bethel, a member of the Bethel Newcomers & Neighbors Club, and a committee member of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at Walnut Hill Community Church. She enjoyed working for many years for non-profit organizations, as an education program coordinator for a professional orchestra and more recently in the development and counseling offices at a local school. Gladys is very excited to be involved with the Bethel Education Foundation and having a positive impact on the education of her children and those in her community

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Beth Gorry, along with her husband and two sons have lived in Bethel for eight years and is one of the founding members of the Bethel Education Foundation. She is a Vice President in the Advisory Services arm of MasterCard Worldwide. Beth enjoys spending her volunteer time focused on education related initiatives. She is very excited about the Bethel Education Foundation as an important source for educational innovation and the source for funding to see the ideas through to implementation. Beth serves as Secretary on the Foundation board.

Silvia Islam and her husband moved to Bethel in 2000. They have three children in three different Bethel schools. She is very active with the PTO and has chaired a variety of different events. Her belief in challenging children’s intellects has motivated her to coach teams for the Odyssey of the Mind competitions for several years. Silvia has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Pace University and a Master’s of Health Administration from WCSU. She joined the board of the Bethel Education Foundation after working on the Barnum Ball Committee and served as the chairperson from 2009-2010.

David Joseph and his wife, Bethel native Beth Spain Joseph, have been active in the Bethel community since 2000. They have two daughters – a sophomore at Bethel High School and a 8th grader at the Bethel Middle School. David has been a member of the Bethel Softball Association Board of Directors and is currently coaching in the senior league. He earned a B.S. in Biology from Indiana University and has worked as a research scientist at Boehringer Ingelheim for the past 17 years. David and Beth strongly believe in the foundation’s mission and look forward to supporting Bethel educators with the means to achieve excellence in learning for our community

Janice Jordan has been the Associate Superintendent of Schools in Bethel for the past four years, and she is one of the founding members of the Bethel Education Foundation. She serves as an ex officio director. She deeply enjoys working with the eclectic, passionate group of community members who comprise the Bethel Education Foundation. In addition, she relishes building support among the hardworking "special friends" of the foundation who are found in our community and school system. Dr. Jordan believes in the power of educational foundations to generate innovative ideas in teachers and administrators, and she's convinced that Bethel's foundation will do just that! Her hope is that the foundation will always be a unifying, positive force for Bethel and for all of the town's children and families. When Dr. Jordan is not at work in Bethel, she can be found with her husband, Jim Dyas, in Sherman or with her extended family in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Filomena Weiner and her husband have lived in Bethel since 2001. They have three girls, all of which currently attend the Bethel Public Schools. Filomena has been an active volunteer in the schools, both in the classrooms and with the PTO, where she served as Berry School PTO Treasurer for two years. Filomena has also been volunteering as the Cookie Manager for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop since 2003. Prior to motherhood, Filomena attended Rensselear Polytechnic Institute, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and worked for ten years as a power plant engineer for a government contractor. Filomena looks forward to serving on the board and working to provide additional educational opportunities for the students of Bethel.

Heather Wootton and her husband have lived in Bethel since 2000. Their three daughters attend three of Bethel’s schools. Heather is a past president of Bethel Newcomers and Neighbors Club. She has taught Junior Achievement at Berry School and is active in the PTO, chairing and volunteering for a variety of events and programs in the schools. In addition, Heather serves on the Parent Committee for the Western Connecticut YMCA Mako swim team in Brookfield where her two older daughters are members of the Mako team.Heather believes in the foundation’s mission to provide innovative programs and technologies that will enhance our children’s learning opportunities. With ten year of Marketing Communications experience she hopes to further promote foundation and its mission throughout the community.

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