Board of Trustees

Lisa McConagly

Lisa Serro McGonagly is a lifelong resident of Hudson County and a native of the Country Village/Greenville section of Jersey City. She is a graduate of St. Dominic Academy, the College of Saint Elizabeth, Jersey City State College (now NJCU), and attended a Post-Graduate program in Education at Seton Hall University. Mrs. McConagly has spent 30 years in the field of teaching, assessment and educational leadership, including private, public and parochial education, focusing on middle school and high school special needs populations.

In addition to spending time with her family and friends, Mrs. McConagly actively volunteers with several community and church-related organizations that serve youth, the poor, the homeless and the elderly.

Mary Golden

In 2005, Mary Golden retired from the Jersey City Public School District. During her career, she was an elementary school teacher for 25 years and later a Reading Specialist/Reading Recovery Teacher. At that time, she was an active member of the Jersey City Education Association (JCEA), serving on the Executive Board. She is currently a member of the Hudson County Retired Educators and the New Jersey Retired Educators Association.

Ms. Golden is a founding member and secretary of the Redstone Neighborhood Association (RTNA), an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all who live within its boundaries. She is also Vice President of the Soaring Heights Charter School Board of Trustees.

Jane Mercante

Jane Mercante, a retired educator, taught public elementary school in Jersey City for 35 years. Her classroom teaching experience spanned kindergarten through eighth grade. She also taught Basic Skills, Gifted and Talented, and Reading Recovery.

After retiring, she evaluated pre-schools in Abbott districts for several years. An avid golfer, Ms. Mercante serves on the Governance Board of the Women’s Golf Association of New Jersey, of which she is a founding member and past chairperson. She is currently Recording Secretary of the Soaring Heights Charter School Board of Trustees and has served in this capacity since 2004.

Irene Guirguis–Roberts

Irene Guirguis-Roberts is currently an employee of the Jersey City Public School District where she has worked for 26 years. She is a Master Teacher for the Early Childhood Department, and was a Reading Recovery Teacher and teacher of first, second, third and sixth grades.

Mrs. Guirguis-Roberts is also involved in her home community of Bayonne, serving as a PTO board member at Nicholas Oresko School where her youngest son currently studies. She was awarded the “Sharing and Caring Parent Volunteer Award” for the 2014 school year and has been involved in planning and organizing several rallies in support of Bayonne public school teachers.

As an original member of the communications study group which spawned Soaring Heights Charter School, Mrs. Guirguis-Roberts has a vested interest in the success of the school. She was also involved in the development of the school’s charter as a member of the Board Curriculum Committee.

JoAnn D’Auria

JoAnn D’Auria worked as office manager at Patwood Roofing for over 27 years. There she did everything from putting together the unionized payroll to preparing public state bid bonds for schools. Mrs. D’Auria was also in charge of Affirmative Action Manning reports for the state, and she is well-versed in the business and legal aspects of running a school. As the Board’s Community Representative, JoAnn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Soaring Heights where her daughter has taught since 2001. She maintains that her love for Soaring Heights is derived from her daughter’s love for working at the school.

Mrs. D’Auria is now retired and spends time both at the gym and trying out new recipes.

Jaswinder Dhah

Jaswinder Dhah joined the Soaring Heights Charter School Board of Trustees in January 2017. She is the mother of three children who currently attend, or who graduated from, Soaring Heights. When she was invited to join the Board of Trustees, she couldn’t refuse. Mrs. Dhah feels it is an honor to work alongside such dedicated Board members, and she definitely wants to do all that she can to make Soaring Heights Charter School the best place possible for her children and for future generations of children.

Catarina Bilotta

Catarina Bilotta has served as Soaring Heights’s Treasurer since October of 2008. Ms. Bilotta received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Georgian Court University in 2006. She continued at her alma mater and received an M.B.A in Business Administration in 2008.

Prior to her tenure at Soaring Heights, Catarina served as an administrative assistant to the Business Administrator of the Aberdeen Matawan School District. She also served as Board Secretary for the Educational Services Commission of Morris County. Ms. Bilotta holds many certifications, including Qualified Purchasing Agent and School Business Administrator.

Angelo Vilardi

Angelo Vilardi has served as the Business Administrator at Soaring Heights since the school’s opening in 1997. Dr. Vilardi received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University, an M.A. in Educational Administration from Montclair State University and a B.A. from Seton Hall University.

Aside from his position as Business Administrator at Soaring Heights, Dr. Vilardi has served in many different roles in the field of education - as Business Administrator for four other school districts and as Superintendent of Schools for the Mendam and Mine Hill Township School Districts. Dr. Vilardi holds many certifications, including School Administrator, School Business Administrator, and Principal/Supervisor.

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