Grants Committee

The purpose of the Grants Committee is to evaluate all grant proposals on behalf of the Foundation. The committee evaluates each proposal using criteria approved by the Ashburnham Westminster Foundation for Academic Excellence Board of Directors. The committee findings and recommendations are delivered to the full board for final approval.

BethAnne McManus

BethAnne McManus grew up in Westminster and raised her three children in Ashburnham, where she continues to reside. BethAnne, and subsequently her children, attended AWRSD schools. She also spent many years as a substitute teacher in the school district. She is a licensed real estate agent at a local Ashburnham agency. She is also employed by Cushing Academy in Ashburnham and at the Forbush Memorial Library in Westminster, both of which provide her with insights into the interests of today’s youth.

Serving on: Grants Committee

David Uminski

David Uminski retired after a 35 year career at Oakmont Oakmont Regional High School in June 2021. During that time, he taught History for 19 years, served as Assistant Principal for two years, and was Principal the last 14 years. Additionally, he coached ice hockey, field hockey, baseball, and track. He served on the MIAA Ice Hockey and Field Hockey Committees and was a member of MIAC. He earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Teaching History at Fitchburg State College. He is an alumnus of the MSAA’s Leadership Licensure Program (LLP), where he earned his administrator certification and a second master’s degree from Endicott College. He is an adjunct professor in Fitchburg State’s Educational Leadership and Management Program. He currently lives, with his wife Carolyn, in Ashburnham. They have three grown children.

Serving on: Grants Committee

Gwen Farley

Gwen Farley and her family moved to Westminster in 1998 for the community and the schools. Gwen was a member of the Westminster PTO, the Westminster Elementary School Council for two terms and served on the School Committee for 15 years. She has two children who are Oakmont graduates and her youngest graduates from Oakmont in 2023. She became a member of the foundation’s Board of Directors as a result of being the Chair of the School Committee. After her term on the School Committee, Gwen chose to continue serving on the foundation board after seeing all the great work and opportunities it gives our school community. Gwen has a Biology/Chemistry degree from Lake Forest College, IL and an MBA from Fitchburg State University. Gwen has spent her career working and managing Quality & Research Laboratories.

Serving on: Grants Committee

Jeff Boudreau, Vice President

Jeff moved to Westminster in 1995 and has been involved in community service since moving to Town. Jeff received Bachelor’s Degrees from Fitchburg State and Anna Maria College and served five years in College Admissions offices before starting a career as a Firefighter. Jeff first served on the Westminster Fire Department as a Call Firefighter and left that after becoming a Career Firefighter for the Town of Maynard. After his Call Firefighter service, Jeff joined the Westminster Advisory Board and served as the School District Liaison. After two years, he ran for AWRSD School Committee and was elected to five terms and served 12 years. After his School Committee service, Jeff joined the board of the Foundation to continue to give back to the Community. Jeff and his wife Karla, a Monty Tech Teacher, have raised two children, Kevin, a 2017 Graduate of Oakmont, and Abby who attended AWRSD schools through High School.

Serving on: Finance Committee, Fundraising Committee, Grants Committee

Dan Stango

Dan moved with his family to Westminster in 1991. One of the defining reasons to pick Westminster was the quality of the school system. His daughters both attended Ash/West schools and are graduates of Oakmont. Dan grew up in Dunmore, PA and has a degree in Business Administration from Penn State University. He has been in the financial services industry for most of his career. He was a member of the Oakmont School improvement Council and served as president of the Ashburnham/Westminster Rotary Club. He has served on the Westminster Advisory Board. He was the Rotary chairman for the project that installed lights on Oakmont’s athletic field. He has been recognized for his service to Oakmont High School and was recently elected to the Oakmont Sports Hall of Fame for his civic contributions. He joined the Foundation so he can help the district maintain its high degree of academic achievement.

Serving on: Grants Committee

Luci Hynes

Luci and her husband Rob moved to Westminster in 2006 because they knew there was something special about the town and its schools. She joined the Foundation primarily because she believes the community has a responsibility in assisting our educators in providing the best possible educational experience to our children. Luci has 2 children, Lucas, who attends Oakmont, and Cathryn, who attends Overlook Middle School. She enjoys being part of their school experiences, whether it is volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning a field trip, or sitting on the bleachers to watch a baseball game. She currently coaches girls’ softball. Luci received a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Rutgers College and an M.S. in Biological Sciences from St. John’s University. Luci has been a quality assurance professional in a number of industries for over 20 years and is currently works from home as Clinical Submission QC Expert for Novartis.

Serving on: Events Committee, Grants Committee

Diane Stango

Diane has been a resident of Westminster for over 20 years. She is the mother of two young women who attended school in the district and graduated from Oakmont. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Political Science. She has worked her entire career for the federal government, Social Security Administration, and currently holds the position of technical expert. She has served on the Oakmont School Advisory Council and is active in her church. Quality education is a passion of Diane’s and she sees her work on the foundation as a way to enhance the experience of our current students.

Serving on: Events Committee, Grants Committee

Jennifer Shenk

Jennifer is a founding board member and is enthusiastic about AWFAE and working with community members who are committed to promoting academic excellence. Jen has six children, four of whom have graduated from Oakmont. Jen graduated from Franklin Pierce College with a B.A. in graphic design and sociology. Jen is very involved in the community in Westminster. She is a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty North Central. She previously worked for Little, Brown and Company Publishers in Waltham, and was Publisher and Editor of Community Vine, an electronic newsletter and website for and about Westminster.

Serving on: Events Committee, Grants Committee