Board of Directors

During his professional career, Tim was a legal advisor to businesses and boards on strategic and critical legal matters, transformational changes, and legal department management. He spent over three decades as an in-house counsel, including nearly 20 years in general counsel roles in both private and public company environments, and has deep experience in general corporate and legal function areas.

Betsy Cahill is an author, civic volunteer, and historic preservationist.  In addition to co-authoring a book on Shakespeare with Joseph Papp, she has written for both Commonwealth and America and contributed to a volume on religious disaffiliation. After an early (offstage!) career in the Off-Broadway theater and at the New York Public Library, she stepped away to spend time with her young children, devoting her energies thereafter to her community.

Jack Cassidy serves as Managing Director of BCRE and Chief Executive Officer of Burlington Capital Multifamily Equity Fund VI, as well as a Managing Director of Burlington Capital. From 2005 to 2007, Mr. Cassidy was the Chief Executive Officer of America First Apartment Investors, a publicly-traded multifamily REIT. Before that, from 1987 to 2005, he was with Burlington Capital, where he headed the real estate group, served as fund manager for America First Multifamily Investors (ATAX), and was President of America First Properties Management Company. His extensive experience in fund, asset, and property management includes acquiring and financing nearly $2 billion in real estate assets over 35 years, and managing property portfolios exceeding 100,000 multifamily units.

Cheryl D. Cromwell is the Executive Director of Charleston RISE, a grassroots parent leadership organization she helped launch in 2017 and has led since 2023. Under her leadership, Charleston RISE has mobilized over 280 advocates to demand high-quality education for all students in Charleston County, with a focus on underserved communities.

A Charleston native and parent, Cheryl brings extensive experience across education, social services, and community organizing. She has developed parent leadership programs, such as the Charleston RISE Parent Fellowship, to equip families with the tools and confidence to advocate for their children’s academic success.

William Dunn is a retired partner from PricewaterhouseCoopers.   He currently serves on a variety of charitable boards throughout the Charleston area.

He believes that all members of society deserve quality educational opportunities.  He supports Cristo Rey Charleston High school because it is an effective way to deliver education to those who would otherwise be unable to gain access to a college preparatory program. He is particularly supportive of the school because it links a quality education with enrichment through work study.

Colleen Fulkerson serves Felician Services, Inc., the corporate member of the Our Lady of Hope Province of the Felician Sisters of North America, as SVP Strategic Governance, Leadership, and Knowledge Management. Prior to joining Felician Services, Colleen served as the K‐12 Assessment Director for a not‐for‐profit educational management organization partnering with Chicago Public Schools.

Conor Heaton serves as the Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President of Growth of the Cristo Rey Network. In this role, he oversees all legal matters for the organization, and leads growth strategy, guiding all pending feasibility studies and supports schools in launch and the first years of operation.  Prior to Cristo Rey, Conor practiced as a trial attorney in Chicago, where he was active in the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, and was recognized as a “40 Under Forty” by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company as one of Illinois’s up-and-coming attorneys in 2015.

A native of Pittsburgh, Dave Graf relocated to Kiawah Island, South Carolina, in March 2020 after spending over 30 years in Atlanta, Georgia. He has recently retired after nearly 40 years in the enterprise and healthcare technology sectors, with experience at companies such as PeopleSoft, Oracle, Workday, Castlight, and Accolade, where he held both sales and sales management roles.  Dave graduated from Villanova University in 1984 with a degree in Marketing.

William Kunkel is a distinguished member of the Cristo Rey Charleston Board of Directors and Cristo Rey Institute (CRCHS’ religious sponsor). A proud graduate of Creighton University and Harvard Law School, William spent most of his life growing up and working in Chicago, Illinois. William is deeply committed to the Cristo Rey mission and brings valuable experience from his service on several related boards.

Melissa C. Levesque has nearly 30 years of leadership experience across the nonprofit, financial, grantmaking, and economic development sectors. She is recognized for her strategic vision and ability to guide teams to exceptional performance.

Currently, Melissa serves as Vice President, Strategic Operations and Chief of Staff at the Charleston Regional Development Alliance (CRDA).

Miriam Brackett-Santos is the Director of Human Resources at the Diocese of Charleston since 2024. Miriam brings extensive management experience in Catholic education, having worked with both independent and diocesan Catholic schools.

Her previous roles include Assistant Principal at a K-12 Catholic school in Mexico City with 1,000 students, and President and Principal of Everest Academy, an independent, Catholic K-8 school in Lemont, IL.

Shawn Saulsberry, a Charleston native with a 30-year career in technology, strategy, and program management at companies like Bank of America, Ernst & Young, and Oracle. In 2019, Shawn returned to Charleston to provide high-quality consulting services at a more accessible cost through his company, the Saulsberry Group. He specializes in helping businesses with strategic transformation through Business HealthChecks, Design Thinking, Strategic Planning, and Transformation Management.

Reverend Bill Stanfield, a leader and the CEO of Metanoia, as well as the associate minister of St. Matthew Baptist Church, is deeply committed to the community he serves. He plays a pivotal role in the redevelopment of the historic Old Chicora campus, which will soon house Cristo Rey Charleston High School, a project very close to his heart. Residing on Success Street with his wife and two sons, Bill’s dedication to education is evident in his decision to join the CRCHS Board of Directors.

Shenita B. Vanish is the Founding President and CEO of Cristo Rey Charleston High School (CRCHS).  Shenita has nearly 30 years of experience in the nonprofit and social service sector. Before joining CRCHS, she served as President and CEO of a nonprofit that provides education, social and recreational programming and supportive services for youth, adults, seniors, and families in affordable housing communities in metropolitan Washington, DC. Shenita began her career at McDonald's on Hwy 52 in Moncks Corner and is a graduate of Berkeley High School in Moncks Corner.

David White joined Border States on August 1, 2016; he served as president prior to being promoted to CEO on April 1, 2020, serving in that capacity until retiring March 31, 2024.

David joined the Border States Board of Directors in 2016 and continues to serve as Board Chair. In 2024, David joined the boards of ACCO Engineered Systems, and Alterman, Inc.