​BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors are responsible for the long-term health and sustainability of Open Connections, oversight of our mission, and management of our financial affairs.
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Contact the entire Board of Directors HERE.

​JENNIFER POHLHAUS

BOARD CHAIR

Jennifer Pohlhaus is the Chair of the Open Connections Board of Directors and serves on the Executive Committee. Jennifer’s family has been a part of the OC Community since 2007. Jennifer has her Masters Degree in Public Administration from Villanova University and has worked as part of Instructional Technologies at the University since 1999. Currently serving as the Director of Multimedia Technologies, Jennifer has over 20 years of experience driving the development and use of academic multimedia content creation for on-campus and online programs. Jennifer is the mother of two OC alums.

ANTON ANDREW

BOARD MEMBER

Anton has been involved with OC since 2006, first as a parent, then a volunteer, then on staff from 2008-2016.  He previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors. Anton attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a B.A. in Political Science and then Hofstra University School of Law, earning a Juris Doctorate. Before becoming an active part of the OC community, Anton practiced criminal law in Miami and worked as a Senior Advisor to two Presidents at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. It was while at Cheyney University–a 5 minute drive from the OC campus–that he first began “dropping in to hang out” with his twin sons, who were in the Open Program at the time. Initially skeptical of OC, it was during these informal visits to campus that he got to see the OC philosophy in action and quickly became an advocate for self-directed learning and OC’s Process Conscious approach. Anton’s interests range from Social Justice (especially the politics of race and class) to Sports (whether as a viewer, or participant). Anton is the father of three youth, all of whom are OC alums.

Craig Rumbaugh

BOARD MEMBER

Craig is the parent of three OC youth. Along with his wife, Lizzie, his family has been involved with the OC Community since 2018. Craig graduated from Haverford College with a degree in Philosophy. It was at Haverford that he began to truly value the role self-directed education can have in helping one lead a more purposeful life. Craig’s professional life has centered on marketing research and strategy consultation for the healthcare industry. He has expertise in the design, implementation, and analysis of research; learning from markets and producing evidence-based insights with business-focused research deliverables that facilitate discussion, alignment, and decision-making in the strategic development and commercialization of brands. Craig joined the OC Board in early 2023, following his time on the OC Advisory Council. He is excited to continue working to help ensure the on-going success and growth of the OC Community.

Diane Webber

BOARD MEMBER

Diane has been part of the Open Connections community since 1998—as a parent, long-time facilitator, ad hoc committee member, grandparent, consultant, and now a member of the Board of Directors. As with so many of the best things in life, these roles often overlap. Diane holds an undergraduate degree in education, an MFA in Creative Writing, and has done graduate work in Semitic and Egyptian languages. She writes nonfiction and historical fiction for young people and dabbles in other genres. An educator for decades in a variety of environments, Diane is the founder and owner of Shared Living and Learning, through which she offers tailored support to families seeking to build a learning life outside of school that mirrors their priorities, and also coaches adults in their work with young people. Diane is the parent of three OC alums and the grandparent of 3 current attendees. 

JAMES TANGORA

BOARD MEMBER

James joined the OC board in 2021. James and his family have been involved with OC since 2010. James is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Drexel University and is the Head of the Department of Engineering, Leadership, and Society. He is also the Provost and Secretary of the Board for the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology. At Drexel, James runs the Laboratory for Biological Systems Analysis where they develop biorobotic and mathematical models of the locomotor and sensorimotor systems of animals. James is a co-founder of Drexel’s Peace Engineering program, and believes that it is the responsibility of engineers and scientists to work for the well-being of society. 

LISA HUIS

BOARD MEMBER

Lisa has been a part of the Open Connections family since September, 2000. Over the last two decades, she has been absorbing the wonderful OC philosophy directly from the multi-talented staff and her own three young people. She has facilitated or has been a co-facilitator in various programs, including a Groups, Choice, Shaping Your Life and the Open Program. Lisa has created many fabric- and pie crust-related projects on and off campus with collaborators of all ages. She is currently expanding her understanding of non-profit organizations. Lisa loves to be a connector of people and is currently working on the Committee of Trustees to strengthen the Board and ensure the future health of Open Connections. When she is not working on OC projects, Lisa loves spending time with her family, sewing, exercising and baking. Lisa is mom to 3 OC alums.