In 2014, Matthew was appointed to serve on the Board of School Directors for the Marple Newtown School District. He was elected to a four-year term in November of 2015. He currently serves as President of the Board.
Matthew is a partner in the litigation department of Eckell Sparksin Media, PA., where he focuses on personal injury litigation, general civil litigation and municipal law. Matthew joined Eckell Sparks in September of 2013 after finishing a judicial clerkship with the Honorable John P. Capuzzi, Sr., in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas. In 2015, he was appointed as the Editor of the Delaware County Legal Journal. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Delaware County Bar Association.
Matthew is a member of both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey Bars. He has conducted CLEs and seminars on behalf of the Pennsylvania Bar Institute and the Delaware County Bar Association.
Matthew received his J.D. from the Widener University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. Matthew completed his undergraduate studies at the Pennsylvania State University, where he majored in Political Science and Journalism.
In his spare time, Matt enjoys attending Marple Newtown athletic events with his wife, Kelly, and their children, Luke and Emilia, who are at the heart of why Matt wanted to be a school board member. Matt wanted to ensure that the schools within the Marple Newtown School District are operating in the most effective way possible.
Barbara Harvey has been a Delaware County native her entire life. In fact, she is a 32-year resident of the Marple Township community. Along with her husband, Bill, Barbara has raised two children, both of whom attended Marple Newtown schools.
During the last 31 years, Barbara has volunteered much of her time contributing to the betterment of our community. Her list of involvement is as follows: The Marple Newtown School District Strategic Planning Committee—1996 , The Marple Park & Recreation Committee—2000-2004, The Marple Ethics Committee—2000-2004, The Marple Township Zoning Hearing Board—2005-Present, The Marple Newtown School Board—2013-Present, and The Delaware County Intermediate Unit—2014-Present. When asked why she volunteered all of those hours and days on committees and boards, Barbara said, “I wanted to be involved with Marple Township, a community where I am proud to live, and if I can help with that by giving back a little bit of my time, then I think it’s worth it.”
Tracy has been a resident of Marple Newtown for 22 years and currently lives in Newtown Township with her husband, Greg, and two children, Alexandria and John. Alexandria and John both attended Marple Newtown Schools and participated in local sports leagues.
Tracy, is a former sales executive, Newtown Township Committee Person, and member of the Newtown Township Parks and Recreation Committee. She has also volunteered for Newtown Edgemont Little League, in the surgical ward at Bryn Mawr Hospital, and for the Parent Teacher Organization in the District.
Tracy is currently employed as a manager at a local small business and continues to serve the community as a Marple Newtown School District Director.
When asked, she will tell you that her commitment to the Marple Newtown School Board is “about supporting the continuation of the incredible improvements we have seen in our local schools by putting the education of our children first, while being a responsible steward of our community’s tax dollars”.
Kathryn Chandless has been a member of the Marple Newtown School Board since December 2009.
Kathy grew up in northern New Jersey just outside of Manhattan. Her mother was an elementary school teacher for nearly forty years and her father served as a municipal judge for thirty-six years.
Kathy graduated from Georgetown University Law School in 2001 and currently has her own law practice handling a variety of matters including employment litigation, counseling and personal injury cases. She represents both small businesses and individuals in various legal matters.
Kathy moved to Newtown Square in 2004. She lives there with her husband Brandon and their five children. She has served as President and Secretary of the Newtown Square Rotary Club and is a member of the Newtown Square Business & Professional Association. Among other community service efforts, she volunteers as a Cub Scout den leader and “Popcorn Kernel” charged with organizing the scouts’ annual popcorn fundraiser.
Desiree is a 20 year resident of Newtown Township and has been volunteering for the school district since 2006. Along with her husband, Tom, Desiree has been raising two children, one of whom has graduated from MNSD and is now attending the University of Pittsburgh, and one of whom is currently a sophomore at Marple Newtown High School.
As a former resident of New Jersey, Desiree graduated from Montclair State University with a B.S. in Business Administration. After a successful career with companies such as Pillsbury, MetLife and Royal Caribbean International in sales and marketing, she decided to raise her family and take on responsibilities within their growing family business, Tomasco Landscaping Inc.
After moving to Newtown Square and becoming involved at Culbertson Elementary School and Newtown Edgemont Little League (NELL), Desiree knew that she had found her passion volunteering within the community. She has chaired and led over a dozen committees, events and fundraisers at Culbertson and served as PTO President, has been an organizer of NELL Day, and has served as an Assistant CCD Teacher for St. Anastasia in Newtown Square.
In her spare time, Desiree enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, hiking, and reading, and she has a particular interest in historic hotels within the United States. Her passion for a continued quality public education and serving her community has fueled her enthusiasm for School Board Director.
