Meet the School Board

Robert F. Kircher, Jr. - Board President

Robert Kircher Photo
Mr. Kircher was appointed to the School Board in March 2005 and is currently serving his 18th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mr. Kircher has been a Brentwood Resident for 46 years and is married to Christine (Brucker) and has two children:  Robert Kircher, III and Kelsey Kalpakis.  Mr. Kircher and his wife have always held a passion for the Brentwood community, especially our schools.  As per Mr. Kircher, "We have a small district that is the envy of larger districts and professional educators.  Brentwood provides every child an opportunity to excel and stand out!"

Board Member Term:   Current term ends December 2023.

Committee Appointments:  Renovation/Construction, Negotiations, SE Area Authority (District Rep)

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Union carpenter and project manager, retired 2012

Roger Gaughan - Board Vice President

Roger Gaughan Photo
Mr. Gaughan was appointed to the Board in July 2010 and is currently serving his 13th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2023

Committee Appointments:  Policy & Planning, Buildings & Grounds (Chairperson), Renovation/Construction (Chairperson), and Athletics (Chairperson)


Donna J. Werner - Board Secretary

Donna Werner Photo
Mrs. Werner was elected to the School Board in November 2001 and is currently serving her 22nd year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mrs. Werner is married to Eugene Werner and has three children:  Stephanie, Nicole, and EJ, and six grandchildren.  Mrs. Werner has held many other Volunteer or Board member positions within the community including:  Past President and Board Member of the Brentwood Park Initiative, past member of the Brentwood VFD Ladies Auxiliary, Past President St. Sylvester's PTG, Brentwood Athletic Boosters, and the Brentwood Dukes Association.  Mrs. Werner states "I am especially proud of the accomplishments of our students over the years and have watched so many Brentwood students grow and accomplish great things over the 20 years I have served on the School Board.  The Brentwood School District may be small but what it lacks in size it makes up for in heart, compassion and great accomplishments."

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2025

Committee Appointments:  Community Services (Chairperson), Buildings & Grounds, Athletics, Personnel, and South Hills Area School District Association (SHASDA) representative

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Credentialed Epic Trainer for Allegheny Health Network.  Prior to this Mrs. Werner was a practice manager for AHN Primary Care Office and independent orthopedic surgery office in the South Hills.

Gary Topolosky - Assistant Secretary

Gary Topolosky Photo
Mr. Topolosky was elected to the School Board in November 2007 and is currently serving his 16th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mr. Topolosky is married to Megan and has one daughter:  Elizabeth.  Mr. Topolosky has held many other Volunteer or Board member positions including:  5th grade Sunday school teacher at Zion Lutheran in Brentwood, Mon Yough Chorale member since 2017 and sang the anthem at homecoming in 2018 and 2019, former Borough councilman for Delmont Borough in Westmoreland County.  Mr. Topolosky is especially proud that he has assisted with multiple Brentwood Education Association (BEA) and Brentwood Education Support Personnel Association (BESPA) contract negotiations since joining the Brentwood Board of Directors.

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2025

Committee Appointments:  Health, Safety & Transportation; Personnel (Chairperson); Negotiations (Chairperson); South Hills Area School Districts Association (SHASDA) alternate representative

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Patent lawyer for 36+ years, former in-house counsel for Alcoa.  Mr. Topolosky started his own practice in December 2005.


Richard Briner - Board Member

Richard Briner Photo
Mr. Briner was appointed to the School Board in July 2003 and is currently serving his 20th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mr. Briner is married and has two grown daughters and is active in various industry groups.

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2023

Committee Appointments:  Health, Safety & Transportation (Chairperson); Budget & Finance; Policy & Planning, Curriculum & Technology; Negotiations; SE Area Authority (alternate representative)

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Employed in the banking and investment management industry with experience in foreign and domestic regulatory compliance.


Kristie Kraeuter - Board Member

Kristie Kraeuter Photo
Mrs. Kraeuter was appointed to the School Board in April 2016 and is currently serving her 7th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2025

Committee Appointments:  Budget & Finance (Chairperson), Community Services, Public Relations, and Athletics


Brian Rea - Board Member

Brian Rea Photo
Mr. Rea was appointed to the School Board in February 2020 as a Brentwood School Board Member.

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2025

Committee Appointments:  Budget & Finance, Policy & Planning (Chairperson), Curriculum & Technology, and Personnel

David Schaap - Board Member

David Schaap Photo
Mr. Schaap was appointed to the School Board in August 2006 and is currently serving his 17th year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mr. Schaap is married to Virginia (Ginnie) and has three children:  Christina, Eliza, and Paul.  Mr. Schaap has held many other Volunteer or Board member positions including:  President of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit Board of Directors, President of the Mon-Valley Special School Board of Directors, Board member of the Steel Center Career and Technical Schools, President-Elect of the Pennsylvania School Board Association, taking office January 1, 2022, then becoming President of the association in 2023, and is the Pennsylvania School Boards Association legislative delegate for the Brentwood School District.  Mr. Schaap states "Brentwood is a small district within our county but its excellent staff, teachers, and administrators make Brentwood an excellent place to raise your children."

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2023

Committee Appointments:  Public Relations, Renovation/Construction, Curriculum & Technology (Chairperson), Special & Private Schools (Chairperson), Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) Legislative Representative

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Founder and president of Selah Publishing Co., Inc., an ecumenical church-music publisher and is also the organist/choirmaster at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh.


David Tinker - Board Member

David Tinker Photo
Mr. Tinker was appointed to the School Board in May 2020 and is currently serving his 3rd year as a Brentwood School Board Member.  Mr. Tinker is married to Michele (the voice of the Brentwood Spartan Marching Band) and has two daughters.  Mr. Tinker has held many other Volunteer or Board member positions including:  Softball and basketball coach, serves on the Brentwood Zoning Hearing Board, the Brentwood Athletic Association Board, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Western PA board, the AFP PAC board, is the marketing, awards & communications committee chair for AFP International, and serves on the ethics committee of the Grant Professionals Association.  In addition, Mr. Tinker was recognized in the inaugural class of Distinguished Fellows of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) with only 15 Distinguished Fellows around the globe.  He has also been honored as the Outstanding Fundraising Executive by the AFP Western PA chapter, is a Certified Fundraising Executive, and an AFP Master Trainer.  Mr. Tinker states that he is especially proud of "The many different opportunities kids have to participate in the music and arts programs in the District."

Board Member Term:  Current term ends December 2023

Committee Appointments:  Community Services; Public Relations (Chairperson); Buildings & Grounds; Health, Safety & Transportation; Special and Private Schools (alternate representative)

Current Career / Past Experiences:  Vice President of Advancement for Achieva.  He has also been an adjunct professor of informatics in the Master of Information Strategy, Systems and Technology Program at Muskingum University since 2001 and is an associate of Goalbusters Fundraising Counsel.  He has been fundraising for more than 30 years.


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