The Montgomery County Community College Foundation is proud to announce its new Foundation Board of Directors executive team.

Linda La Vay, of Upper Gwynedd Township, has been named the new Board chair and Christopher McDermott, of Lansdale, is the new Board vice chair. They have each been on the Foundation Board for two years.

Andrew James, of Collegeville, is the Foundation Board secretary and treasurer. James was first appointed to the Board in November 2016. He was elected as Board secretary in July 2021, then re-elected to Board treasurer/secretary in 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

La Vay takes the reigns from Joseph W. Gallagher, of Ambler, who has served on the Board since 2011 and as the Board chair from 2019 through June 30, 2024. Gallagher remains on the Board through June 2025. During his tenure as chair, Gallagher, an alumnus of the College, served as a co-chair, with his wife, Kathy, for the Futures Rising campaign, which raised $10.5 million for student scholarships and programs. He is also a major donor to the College.

La Vay retired in 2024, after more than four decades in the wealth management divisions of various local banking institutions, as a senior vice president.  During her last three years, she was heavily involved in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committees at both Univest Bank & Trust Co. and with the National Association of Estate Planning Councils, especially in learning and development and connecting with other DE&I professionals.

“I am excited and looking forward to raising additional funding for students at the College,” she said, “as well as the visibility of the Foundation and the good work it does for the College. We have an incredible Board behind us and it’s a very diverse Board. Many have been on the Board for two years or less. So, we have new people who bring new strengths with them.”

La Vay is a current member, previous board member and past president of the Montgomery County Estate Planning Council. During her career, she was an active member of the Philadelphia Estate Planning Council, the Eastern Montgomery County, Greater Montgomery County and Main Line chambers of Commerce.

“Hearing the stories of recipients of scholarships and the benefits of them is just amazing,” she said. “The little bits that can make a difference in being able to attend Montco could be as simple as a bus pass. Things like that made me want to get involved with the Foundation Board.”

McDermott is the senior vice president of commercial lending at Meridian Bank and has spent more than 45 years in the banking and finance industries.

He said he believes MCCC offers students a chance to earn a valuable education and the necessary experience that will ultimately lead to a fulfilling career in life.

“Preserving that is the mission of the Foundation,” he said.

McDermott is a previous member of the advisory board and was an executive committee member for the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill for 24 years, whose primary mission was to raise funds to support older members of the community as the community aged. He is a current member of the advisory board and finance committee member of the Norwood Fontbonne Academy in Chestnut Hill. He’s also on the board and treasurer for the Eastern Foundation, supporting scholarships for students graduating from the Eastern Center for Arts and Technology. McDermott also took a course at MCCC with his son, while his son was pursuing an associate’s degree.

“I saw what Montco could do,” he said. “I see what they do day in and day out and it motivated me to help. It’s exciting that we can actually help the College now, and into the future.”

The Foundation Board includes Kenneth D. Baker, Tanya Bamford, MCCC President Dr. Victoria L. Bastecki-Perez, Michele Brooker-Lee, Richard Buttacavoli, Paul Buttacavoli, Jaisri Chety, Jimmy Chong, Richard D. Cottom, Bill England, MCCC Board of Trustee Chair Varsovia Fernandez, Joseph W. Gallagher, Darrell W. Gunter, John Han, Frank J. Imperial, Jr., Manish Ingle, John A. Koury, Jr., Esq., Giovan Lane, Trustee Donald Lyons, Michael Moore, Brian Nelson, Allison Risko, Adam Schupack, Shannon Walko, The Hon. Joseph P. Walsh (Ret.) and Michael B. Yetter.

The Montgomery County Community College Foundation is an approved non-profit 501c3 organization that benefits Montgomery County Community College and its students through private philanthropy from individuals, groups, organizations, corporations, foundations, and more.

The Foundation functions through the efforts of the Foundation Staff and the Foundation Board of Directors. The Foundation staff is composed of College employees dedicated to the day-to-day operations of the Foundation, building relationships with philanthropic constituents, and aligning the resources of the Foundation with the needs of the College. The Foundation Board is composed of volunteers nominated and voted to the Board to offer strategic development of the Foundation, facilitate and assist in fundraising efforts, and govern on issues related to the policies and procedures of the Foundation. To learn more about the Foundation, visit the landing page.

The story was updated 10/2/2024.