Board of Directors and Leadership
Leadership
Rebecca Fowler, Executive Director
As Executive Director, Rebecca is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations and fundraising efforts for Horizons, while also establishing the strategic vision and priorities for the program. Under her leadership, the LCDS site has graduated its first 8th-grade cohort and launched a high school mentor program. Before joining Horizons, Rebecca spent 20+ years in the marketing and communications profession with notable companies including: Fig Industries as a Public Relations Strategist, Charter Homes & Neighborhoods as the Director of Marketing and Communication, and WGAL-TV 8 as the Assignment Manager. She is a natural team leader and possesses the unique ability to craft concise messages in order to effectively achieve goals. Rebecca has led teams to earn national awards, launched branding strategies, and increased brand awareness. She has led professional development sessions at national conferences, most notable the International Builders Show (with Charter Homes) and the Horizons National Conference. Rebecca holds a BA in Broadcast Communication from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Horizons is thrilled to welcome Brooklyn Smith-Jones to our team. Brooklyn’s educational philosophy closely aligns with Horizons’ mission; she firmly believes in the power of education to transform lives, in educational equity and in holistically preparing each student for a lifetime of success. Brooklyn has served as a mentor, Teacher, and Dean of Students in various educational institutions including the School District of Lancaster, the KIPP Public Charter School network and Lancaster Country Day (Horizons program). She was the recipient of the KIPP Indianapolis Public Charter School ‘Teaching Excellence Award’ for Academic Ownership, and was responsible for leading district-wide equity initiatives during her role as an Equity Working Group Facilitator. Brooklyn holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. At Horizons, Brooklyn will oversee the strategic and programmatic direction of the High School sector, including academic and college readiness initiatives, and the development of customized educational coaching/mentoring that meets the needs of each Horizons High School student.
Board of Directors and Officers
Dr. John P. Shand, Board President
J.P. Shand, MD is currently a practicing psychiatrist for WellSpan Philhaven in downtown Lancaster. He is actively involved in teaching and writing on psychiatric topics. He met his wife in the first grade at LCDS and moved back to Lancaster in 2018 after completing a forensic psychiatry fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his wife have a son and enjoy being actively engaged in the LCDS community.
Christopher Dye, Vice President
Christopher Dye spent 43 years combined at Hartford Financial Services Group and Westfield Insurance in the field of commercial property/casualty underwriting. A native of Nassau County on Long Island, New York with a BS in geological sciences from SUNY Geneseo, Chris and his wife Mary have two grown children and one granddaughter, Alexandra.
John Ford, Board Treasurer
John Ford is the business manager at LCDS. A Certified Management Accountant, John served as the chief financial officer and controller for The Murry Companies for 18 years. He has served on the West Earl Township Board of Supervisors since 2003. He and his wife Carol have a daughter who graduated from LCDS in 2017.
Grace Zimmerman, Board Secretary
Grace Zimmerman is a Commercial Relationship Manager with Fulton Bank, and is responsible for managing a customer portfolio and developing new business within Lancaster County. Grace was born and raised in Lancaster, and is proud to have been a lifer at Lancaster Country Day School. She graduated from Dickinson College in 2013 with a double major in International Business & Management, and Spanish. Grace is active in the Lancaster community, and currently serves on the advisory board for the Women in Business Mentoring Program through the Lancaster Chamber.
Dr. Todd Trout
Dr. Todd Trout joined the LCDS faculty in 1999 as a chemistry teacher. In 2008 he became Assistant Head of Upper School. He currently serves as Interim Head of Upper School. He and his wife Laura, also a science teacher at LCDS, have a daughter (Emma ’25) and a host daughter (Sarah ’17) who both attend LCDS as well. Dr. Trout’s leadership connects Horizons with its outstanding and dedicated volunteer corps of Upper School students.
Michelle Gallo
Michelle Gallo is the Director of Human Resources for Chester County. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in both non-profit and for-profit environments, working in operations and in human resources. With more than fifteen years of management experience, a Masters's Degree in Business Administration, SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications, and a love for the Lancaster community and all it has to offer, she appreciates the important role this program plays for our students and the community at large.
Erin Dimitriou Smith
Erin Dimitriou Smith is the owner of Triou Marketing, a Marketing/Advertising and Corporate Event Planning firm. She is also a part-time Professor and Program Director of Marketing. She lives in Lancaster with her husband and two young boys. Born and raised in Lancaster County, she has a passion for giving back and is engaged in several organizations that benefit her local community.
Michelle O'Donnell
Michelle O’Donnell is the Director of College Counseling at Lancaster Country Day School. Before coming to LCDS, Michelle worked in college admission for nearly 10 years. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Mount St. Mary’s University and currently serves on the college advisory board for Franklin & Marshall College and Colorado School of Mines. Deeply committed to professional development, she has presented at numerous state and national conferences on a wide variety of topics in college admission, and she is currently the Dean of the PACAC Summer Institute. Michelle completed the Leadership Lancaster Core Class program in 2024. She lives in Lancaster with her senior rescue dog, Gracie.
Cathy Dommel
Cathy Dommel is a teacher at the Warwick School District. Most recently, she moved into the position of Gifted Teacher and STEM Facilitator. Cathy has spent her entire career working with children, prior to teaching she was a caseworker for a foster care agency. Cathy earned a BA in Psychology with a music minor from Elizabethtown College, a Post Baccalaureate Teaching degree and a Masters in Education from Millersville University. She is the Vice President for the Skyline Swim Team, and a coach for Girls on the Run.
Catherine Haddad
LCDS Student Board Members
Junior and Senior students from Lancaster Country Day School are invited to apply to be a student board member. These students act as liasons between the board of directors, and the students of our host school. Each summer, more than 50 students from Lancaster Country Day School serve as volunteers in our classroom and in the pool during swim lessons.
Elizabeth H '25, McKenna K '25, Keira A '25