Welcome to the New SCH Trustees

It is our privilege to welcome the newest members of the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy Board of Trustees, who will serve for a three-year term. 

Read about our leadership team and get the full list of our members of the Board of Trustees, here.

We asked our newest members of the board to talk about what they hope to contribute to the school's health and future, as well as what they are most looking forward to in their new roles. Here's what they had to say.

Anuj Goswami
Parent
General Counsel, Gennao Bio, Inc.

Anuj co-chaired our Center City Admissions Committee and served on the Next Generation Challenge fundraising committee for McCausland Lower School and Campaign for the Commons, the Horizons at SCH Exploratory Committee, and as a Horizons at SCH board member. Outside of SCH, Anuj is general counsel at Gennao Bio, Inc., a gene therapy biotech startup. Before joining Gennao Bio, he was a partner at Ballard Spahr LLP in their Business and Finance Department. Anuj and his wife, Anjali, live in Center City. Their daughter, Ariya, is in the Class of 2026, and their son, Arjun, is in the Class of 2024.

“My children have continued to thrive due to their academic, leadership, and athletic experiences at SCH, and have been further enriched by unique programs such as CEL and robotics. Having the opportunity to serve on the board affords me the chance to give back to SCH as we work to achieve our short and long-term goals and to ensure our continued success in providing an enriching educational experience for current and future SCH students that exceeds the very best private schools in the area.”

Edward J. McDevitt III '93
Alumnus, Parent
Senior Vice President, Wealth Management, UBS

Ed graduated from CHA in 1993 where he excelled equally in the arts, athletics, and academics. At Hamilton College, Ed played and started on the football team for four years and majored in economics. After college, Ed worked as a trader with Goldman Sachs and several hedge funds in New York City before moving to Boulder, CO, in 2006. Ed was an avid triathlete, winning his age group in four Ironmans and qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships nine times. He returned to Chestnut Hill in 2018 and is now a senior vice president in Wealth Management at UBS. The co-chair of the Campaign for the Commons, he is passionate about fundraising for the project to develop a state-of-the-art wellness and community hub for SCH. Ed and his wife, Isabel, have a daughter, Sophie, in the Class of 2024, and a son, Charlton, in the Class of 2026. 

“As an alumnus and as a parent, I am passionate about SCH as a regional leader in excellence—a cutting-edge academic, athletic, and civic-minded institution. As a board member, I want to apply my skill sets in finance and business development to collaborate with and support the administration to create conditions and resources to ensure that SCH can continue to thrive and offer quality experiences to students of all backgrounds and interests.”

Mary Shaifer '87
Alumna, Parent
Head of CLO Business Development, Senior Analyst, Columbia Threadneedle Investments

Last summer, Mary and her family moved from Los Angeles to Chestnut Hill to join the SCH community. Mary is the head of CLO Business Development, senior analyst with Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Her husband, Chris Murphey, is a screenwriter. Mary and her husband are the parents of three SCH students: Conor in the Class of 2025, Sarah in the Class of 2027, and Clare in the Class of 2027. In addition, Mary's father, Carl Shaifer, served as a Springside trustee, and her sister, Kathryn Shaifer, is a member of the Class of 1986.

“In partnership with the head of school and Board of Trustees, I particularly look forward to advancing SCH’s mission to nurture students’ knowledge of themselves and the world. When I was a student at Springside, Elaine Weinstone taught art history as a lens through which students could better understand history, culture, politics, and religion. I have carried that lesson with me in the years since and have appreciated opportunities to gain new perspectives.”

Thomas H. Watkins Jr. '78
Alumnus
Financial Advisor, Lincoln Investment

Tom is vice president of the CHA Alumni Association, providing leadership and support for all school initiatives. A member of the 1977 football team, Tom was inducted into the CHA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. Outside of SCH, Tom, a Duke University and La Salle University (MBA) graduate, is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment. Most recently, he participated in the SCH head of school search process, served on his reunion committee, and assisted with all athletic and DEI fundraising events. Tom's father, Dr. Thomas H. Watkins Sr., was a member of the Chestnut Hill Academy Board of Trustees, and his brother, Todd R. Watkins, is a member of the Class of 1983.

“Some of my fondest life experiences happened while attending SCH, and they have carried me throughout my life and helped me become the man I am today. I look forward to being visible at school events, sports, plays, and more, as well as interacting with the SCH community at large. I hope to show that the SCH board is not a nebulous entity but a clear and well-defined body that exists to serve the school.”