Church Farm School, a private school in Exton that serves boys from a range of socio-economic circumstances who are seeking an extraordinary educational opportunity, has welcomed Tammy James, Mani Sabapathi, and Geoff Sheehan to its Board of Directors.

James has more than 25 years of faculty experience at West Chester University. She currently serves as the Faculty Associate for Student Engagement and Retention, a Professor in the Department of Health, and the Coordinator of COMPASS, an academic support and retention program that addresses the achievement gap for Black/Brown male students. A first-generation college graduate, she strongly believes in the power of teaching and learning.

In addition to teaching, James believes in service to community. She has served on the boards of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Chester County Maternal and Child Health Consortium, and the American Cancer Society. She currently serves on the Kent State Alumni Board of Directors and the NACADA/NCAA Advisory Board. James believes strongly in the mission of the Church Farm School and specifically its alignment with her work with the COMPASS Program at WCU. She holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in health education and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Kent State University.

Sabapathi is a nonprofit innovator in the areas of education and edtech, an impact investor, and the co-founder of a quant finance startup, Basis Point Global. Prior to pursuing impact investing and focusing on education outcomes in rural, underserved regions using technology, he worked at Prudential Financial for more than 25 years, most recently as a senior portfolio manager overseeing Global Bond Funds.

Sabapathi is a believer in education as a means to empower the next generation of leaders and help people cross social-economic boundaries. CFS’s mission aligns well with his desire to provide a high-quality education and also improve access to such education. He holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as bachelor’s degrees from the Wharton School and UPenn’s School of Engineering.

Sheehan has a longstanding relationship with Church Farm School, having served on its Leadership Council for many years and sponsoring, through Meridian Bank, a number of CFS events, including its two signature fundraising events: the CFS Gala and CFS Golf Classic. He is the senior vice president and head of commercial and industrial lending at Meridian Bank.

Sheehan lives in West Chester with his family and holds degrees from Penn State University and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

“My personal interest in supporting CFS started the first time I set foot on campus and met the boys almost 15 years ago,” he said. “CFS is a great education, but more importantly, it prepares the boys for life and changes the trajectory of their lives.”

CFS also bade farewell to retiring board members Mark Carroll, John Diederich, and Stephen Loney.

Learn more about Church Farm School.