Board Members

Board Members

The foundation’s board is made up of individuals with decades of expertise in financial aid and college admissions.

Mary Blair

Mary Kay Blair
M.A., B.S. in Education

Mary Kay is a Counselor and Advisor with over 20 years of experience in Higher Education Administration. Her expertise is in Admissions, Financial Aid, Career Counseling and Academic Advising. As President of Blair College Counseling, she has experience in assisting students in their college search process and counseling them on obtaining funds to finance their education. Mary Kay matches students to appropriate schools to maximize their educational experience. She Identifies the right educational path for students, whether it be two-year, four year or technical education. She has exceptional organizational skills, a high energy level and the ability to work with all types of students.

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Richard Blair
M.S., B.S.

Richard graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a degree in Computer Science and a master’s in information technology. He has over 30 years of experience in the Information Technology and Information Security field.

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Richard Blair
Edwin Cowell

Edwin Cowell
M.A., B.S.

Edwin "Ed" Cowell is the Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA. Ed has a rich and varied experience in education, with over 25 years of teaching and leadership experience.

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Peggy Pruden
A.A.

Peggy is a native of Martinsville, Virginia. She graduated from Averett College with an Associate of Arts degree and later attended Virginia Commonwealth University. Peggy worked at VCU for 32 years. She was a Financial Aid Counselor for 15 years.

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Peggy Pruden
Brian Richardson

Brian Richardson
M.Ed., B.A.

Brian is originally from Fairfax County, VA. Brian began his educational journey at Virginia Wesleyan University, receiving his BA in Sociology. Brian went on to receive his M. Ed. in Education Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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Donielda Tripp-Leino
M.Ed, B.S. in Physical Education

Donielda has a progressive history in the public, private and non-profit sectors as an advocate for change through education and training. She is currently a Transfer Advisor at Virginia Commonwealth University and spends her out-of-office time teaching aqua aerobics at the YMCA of Greater Richmond.

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Donielda Tripp-Leino