Barbara Conroy

Co-founder & President

Barb is a former public school elementary teacher who now enjoys volunteering in the classroom and with the PTA. As a classroom teacher, Barb regularly applied for teacher grants through the education foundation serving the school where she worked. Barb and her husband live in Cary with their two daughters who both attend Apex-area WCPSS schools.

Diane Talley

Vice President

Diane is a contract psychometrician with Facebook and independent consultant with Talley Consulting, LLC. She holds a Ph.D. in educational measurement from UNC Chapel Hill. In the field of measurement, Diane has focused her career on industry credentialing programs and IT education and assessment. Her passion in these industries is performance-based testing and education and assessment innovations. Diane has lived in Cary, NC for three years and has two students in Apex Public Schools (AMS/AHS).

Aspen Ambrose

Secretary

Aspen works in Audit analytics for First Citizens Bank. She holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from Rutgers University where she also played on the Big Ten volleyball team. She holds an additional Masters of Business Administration from Colorado State University. Aspen is very passionate about giving back to the communities she has lived in and looks forward to helping serve the public schools and local community of Apex. She moved from Cary to Apex in 2024 with her husband and two children. 

Jeannie Rovira

Treasurer

Chani Jain

Teacher Grants Chair

Chani Jain brings over 10 years of experience in managing federal grants, with a strong background in program evaluation, compliance, and strategic planning. A resident of Apex for the past nine years, she is an advocate for education, equity, and inclusion. Chani is passionate about leveraging funding opportunities to drive sustainable and measurable community impact and support initiatives that strengthen local systems. Outside of her professional work, she enjoys dancing, hiking, and exercising as ways to stay energized and balanced.

Jack Otepka

Fundraising Chair

Jack is the owner of 621 Productions, LLC in downtown Apex. He has held many board positions over the years - most recently as Vice President of the Apex Downtown Business Association. Jack strives to help local schools and the community in any way he can. He is married and has two children that attend Wake County Public Schools.

Leslie Lockhart

Communications Chair

Leslie is the owner of local community engagement and marketing platform, Positively Apex! She loves all things Apex, including the Apex Public School Foundation. She helps spread the word about good things going on in Apex, and plans many events in the area monthly. She has helped with previous APSF events like the Are You Smarter Than an Apex Student? night, and is thrilled to be on the board. She lives with her husband Jim, daughter, and four cats! Cats are like an addiction in the Lockhart household these days, but the inn is now full!

Andrew Blanchard

Director

Andrew works as a financial advisor for Thrivent Financial. He majored in Chemistry at James Madison University in Virginia and received a Masters Degree in Organic Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He formerly served as an Air Force officer. Andrew and his wife live in Apex with their two daughters who attend Lufkin Road Middle School.

Jessica Conklin

Director

Jessica Conklin is the owner of Cherry Tree Genealogy and a former public school teacher. She majored in Elementary Education at the College of William and Mary in Virginia and received a Masters Degree in Teaching and Learning from National University in La Jolla, California. In addition to APSF, she also serves on the board of the Wake County Genealogical Society. She and her husband have lived in Apex since 2018, and their two sons attend Salem Elementary and Salem Middle schools.

Marie Himes

Director

Marie is a research scholar and Director of the New Literacies Collaborative at NC State University's Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. She formerly taught middle and high school English and social studies in public schools in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Germany. Marie and her husband, Scott, live in Apex with their daughter who attends Scotts Ridge Elementary. 

Ashley Pirhalla

Director

Ashley Pirhalla is a local real estate broker and committed public school advocate serving as President-Elect of the Apex Public School Foundation. She brings years of volunteer experience and a passion for supporting students, teachers, and school programs. Ashley is the proud parent of a student at Middle Creek High School, where her daughter is part of the Adobe Digital Media Academy. She believes strong schools are the heart of thriving communities and is dedicated to building meaningful partnerships that advance educational excellence across Apex.

Andre L. Smith

Director

Andre is an accomplished educational leader with a Master of School Administration from Western Carolina University and a Bachelor of Science in Fitness and Wellness from Oakwood University. As the Assistant Principal at Hilburn Academy since August 2018, Andre has a wealth of experience in various leadership roles within the educational sector. His career spans several key areas of leadership, including strategic, instructional, cultural, and managerial leadership.

Throughout his career, Andre has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving school environments by managing the School Improvement Plan process, conducting classroom observations, supporting professional learning teams, and fostering communication and collaboration among staff, students, and the broader school community. His work also includes refining hiring processes, enhancing schoolwide schedules, and cultivating a positive school culture.

In addition to his administrative roles, Andre has also contributed to the educational community by co-chairing the WCPSS Division of Principals and Assistant Principals, presenting at new AP onboarding sessions, and participating in state-level initiatives to rewrite Principal and Assistant Principal standards. His professional certifications include School Administration, Physical Education, and Special Education, all recognized by the North Carolina DPI Professional Licensure. Before his current role, Andre served as an Assistant Principal in the Johnston County School District, a Behavior Support Teacher at Oberlin Middle School, and a Special Education Teacher at Chocowinity Middle School. He also has experience as a PE Teacher and Coach at Spruce Creek High School.

Brian Adkins

Director

Brian is an engineer and IT executive with a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech. Since retiring in 2020, he has been volunteering with nonprofits nationwide to help them adopt new technology to make their operations run easily, efficiently, and inexpensively. Brian has lived in Apex since 1999 with his wife, Deanna. They have three children, Sam, James, and Zoe who have all attended Apex-area public schools.