BILL'S STORY
CHRISTINE'S STORY
I was born and raised in Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, the youngest of four children and a graduate of the public school system. My mom was a teacher and my dad was a veteran and small businessman. They taught me the value of education, hard work, and public service. I earned my BA in East Asian studies at Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) in 1986, where I was captain of the football team. I was among the first Western exchange students to attend Beijing University under China’s new Open Door Policy, then continued my Chinese studies after college at The Stanford Center in Taiwan on a full scholarship. After returning to the U.S., I earned an MBA in Finance and an MS in Accounting from the NYU Stern School of Business, and my CPA license while working for a major accounting firm in New York City. That foundation led to a 30-year career in financial services during which I traveled and lived all over the world, working for various high-profile companies in senior-level positions. In 1996, my wife Jessica and I decided to settle in Fairfield when a job brought us back to Connecticut. After the birth of our oldest, John, we kept our house during an overseas rotation because Fairfield is where we wanted to settle and raise our family. We returned permanently and were blessed with the births of Teddy and Gillian. In 2010, Teddy became ill with a rare type of cancer and passed away. The Fairfield community rallied around us and that support meant the world to us, solidifying our bonds in Fairfield. “Team Teddy Osborn Hill School,” first organized by parents of our local Scouts, became the Gerber family’s annual fundraising event, raising more than $1.4 million for pediatric cancer research since 2010. I have served on the RTM, Fairfield’s legislative branch, for the last 10 years, and in 2019 received my Master’s degree in Public Health from GWU. I fulfilled my practical work requirement with the Fairfield Health Department and had my Master’s paper published in the Springer research journal “Current Pediatrics Reports.” My wife Jessica is in her twelfth year serving as a member of the Fairfield Board of Education. John and Gillian are proud graduates of the Fairfield Public School System. We live in the Osborn Hill area with our rescue dog Zelly.
Born and raised in New York, my husband Bill and I chose Fairfield to raise our family and have called it home for 27 years. I’m currently serving my sixth year on Fairfield’s Board of Education (BoE). I served as Chair from 2018-22 and as the BoE representative to the Board of Health from 2020-22. I currently serve on the BoE’s Facilities Committee and as the secretary of the Finance Committee. In addition, I represent Fairfield on the Cooperative Educational Services Representative Council and served on the Fairfield CARES Community Coalition. Over the past six years, I’ve been the BoE’s liaison to PTA Council, Roger Sherman Building Committee, RTM liaison, and have represented the BoE as a member of the town’s capital planning working group. I have strived to be a strong advocate for Fairfield’s families and schools, and I was previously a member of the PTA executive boards of Dwight Elementary School, Tomlinson Middle School, PTA Council, and SEPTA and I was the PTA President of Roger Ludlowe Middle School and Fairfield Ludlowe High School. I was honored to receive the Connecticut Association of Schools Volunteer Recognition Award in 2017. I’ve also been an active member of the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County for over 10 years and was the first chair of the League’s School Partnering Committee – solidifying a relationship between the League and Bridgeport Public Schools. I received the JLEFC’s Service Award in 2005 for my efforts in building community. I double majored in English and political science and received my Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University. My professional background is in management consulting and I’ve served as administrator for numerous professional associations and planned corporate events across the world. Currently, I work part-time as an Accounts Receivable Coordinator for the South Norwalk Boat Club. My daughters Katherine and Julia are graduates of the Fairfield Public Schools, and my son John is currently a sophomore at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. In our spare time, we can be found at the beach, on a boat, in the kitchen, or around a campfire with family and friends.