The Board of Directors oversees the overall operation of the Foundation. This voluntary Board, which includes members with broad-based experience in business, non-profit administration, finance, marketing and development, works in close conjunction with the President and Executive Director to insure that the Foundation fulfills its mission and operates in a fiscally responsible manner.
Currently the Board is comprised of eight members, however, it is anticipated that this number will expand over time as the organization continues to grow and evolve.
Chris Grundner
Founder and President
Chris is a native of Buffalo, New York and grew up in a suburb called Clarence. After high school, Chris attended The State University of New York College at Fredonia where he graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1992. After working for three years in both the retail and banking industries, Chris then got his MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he graduated summa cum laude and fourth in his class in 1997. During his time at SMU, Chris worked part-time with Towers Perrin consulting and as a teacher’s assistant in the business department.
Post-MBA, Chris stayed in Texas and worked for two years for The Sabre Group, then a subsidiary of American Airlines, holding positions in Marketing Strategy, Product Management and Business Development. Chris then moved to Wilmington, Delaware where he worked in Business Development for Bank One Card Services (now JPMorgan Chase), eventually becoming a Senior Vice President and the Director of Business Development for Co-branded Credit Cards. Some of the partnerships that were consummated under Chris’ leadership include Disney, Starbuck’s, Amazon and Volkswagen.
Chris lives in Wilmington, DE with his golden retriever Coty.
Susan Morisson
Vice
President and Development Chair
Susan has over thirty years of experience in the design and implementation of public awareness, education and training programs for the New York State Departments of Education, Labor and Health.
Through this experience, Susan has proven skills in non-profit administration, cross-system collaboration and community capacity building. Susan holds an MS from the State University of New York at Buffalo and is currently the Director of the Erie County Community Collaboration Partnership and an adjunct faculty member in the School of Educational Administration at Canisius College.
Susan, who is also Chris’ mother, currently lives in Buffalo, NY and has another son, Keith.
Thomas P. Jule
Treasurer
Tom is a graduate of the University of Delaware, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. While at Deloitte & Touche in Philadelphia, Tom obtained his CPA license and managed three SEC clients in the Philadelphia area.
Tom then spent the next 20 years working for Rapidforms, Inc., New England Business Systems (NEBS) and Deluxe Corporation, developing an expertise in all aspects of direct marketing. During this period, Tom held positions including Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Marketing.
Tom's wife Eileen Kerr Jule died November 8, 2004, after courageously battling through her first tumor in September 1994, and a recurrence in May 2004. Known as Queen Eileen amongst friends and family, she was a best friend, loving wife of 14 years, and an adoring mother for Alec and Bradley Jule. With and eye to fashion and an interior designer, Eileen loved decorating the house and making sure the boys were “best dressed”. Tom Jule is a soccer dad, and manages direct marketing for Corporation Service Company (CSC) headquartered in Wilmington, DE.
Sarah “Janie” Truitt
Secretary
Sarah, known to the world as Janie, grew up in Maryland, but calls Delaware home having attended K-12 in the Indian River School District in Southern Delaware. Janie received her B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Smith College. After working for several years in various marketing and analysis positions in France and in Washington, D.C., she attended the University of Virginia where she received an M.B.A. in Marketing from the Darden School of Business.
After graduation, Janie was recruited by IBM into their Financial Services Consulting Group in Charlotte, NC. In 1999, Janie returned to Delaware to join WingspanBank.com where she launched the bank’s home equity business. This proved to be a fortuitous move since this allowed Janie to be near her family when her brother, Tom, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in August of 2000. Tom, after a valiant fight, unfortunately lost his struggle and passed away on August 10, 2001 at the age of 38. It is to him that Janie dedicates her efforts with the Foundation.
Janie currently lives in Wilmington, DE where she works for JPMorgan Chase.
Kirsten A. Osland
Fundraising Chair
Kirsten grew up in Canada, but moved to the United States to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Psychology at the University of Buffalo. After graduating with honors, Kirsten was selected to join Wachovia Bank’s Management Training program in Atlanta, GA. In 1999, Kirsten joined First USA in Wilmington, DE as an Internet Relationship Manager within Wingspanbank.com. Kirsten later returned to Wachovia to manage Business Card acquisitions within the Southeast until the portfolio was sold in 2001, when she moved to Washington, DC to join the international airline-owned Commercial Card, UATP, as the Manager of E-Commerce. Kirsten stayed in the airline industry until 2003 when she was recruited by Citibank where she worked as the Vice President of Marketing for both the CitiBusiness Card and later, Citi Home Equity.
In 2007, Kirsten moved to the Wilmington area with her son, Haakon, and husband, a close friend of Chris & Kelly’s, Kevin Osland, where she took a position as a Director within the Strategic Partnership & Alliances group within Barclays.
Kevin M. Sullivan
Marketing and Public Relations Chair
Kevin serves as Senior Director-Credit Card Partnership Development at Barclays in Wilmington, DE. Previously, he has served in a variety of marketing and sales roles at JPMorgan Chase, MasterCard International, American Express, Doremus Porter Novelli PR and Biggs-Gilmore Advertising in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Sullivan received a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina in 1986.
He serves on the parents advisory committee for the YMCA of Delaware youth sports program, is a mentor at the EastSide Charter School in Wilmington and volunteers for the Wilmington Little League. He lives in Wilmington, DE with his wife, Danielle and their three children.
Wendy C. Hoffman
Board Member
Wendy C. Hoffman joined the Chester County Bar Association in 2002 as Director of Finance and Administration and in January 2005, she was appointed Executive Director of both their association and their foundation. Wendy’s energy and leadership have taken the bar association to new heights with increased membership and record attendance at programs and events. Her recruitment of new sponsorships and development of non dues revenue sources has allowed her bar’s budget to surpass the $1,000,000 mark in 2007. Wendy works with local organizations such as The Chester County Community Foundation and The Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester, as well as the Hoopsters Club at Unionville High School.
Wendy’s husband, Steve, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2002 after they were married just 3 years and were enjoying a wonderfully blended family with 6 children. Steve’s faith, courage, and positive mental attitude were apparent to all and many of his friends and family had no idea of all he endured during his 5 year courageous battle with the disease that took him from us far too soon in February of 2007 at the age of 46.
Wendy attended Notre Dame College in Manchester, New Hampshire and obtained several National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) licenses. She was a Securities Trader for Delaware Trust Co. and later was a Stock Broker with Drexel, Burnham Lambert in Dallas and with Morgan Stanley & Co. in Chicago. After enjoying nine years at home raising her three children, Wendy returned to her career in banking and financial management in the Philadelphia area. In her spare time, Wendy enjoys traveling, sailing, decorating, piano, learning about wine, and spending time with her children, Blake, Jacqui and Garrett.