CFO Kathy Chery Steers Financial Success

New Chief Financial Officer Kathy Chery, an expert in education and nonprofit management, comes to GDS from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she served as the Assistant Vice President for Financial Strategy and Planning. Throughout her career, she has stewarded school finances into surpluses, developed systems efficiencies, and managed teams and budgets of up to $170 million. Kathy looks forward to advancing GDS—one of the youngest schools she has worked with—into its next chapters in mission-aligned ways.

A Strong Start

In her first job as a charter school business manager at age 24, Kathy managed a $4.5 million renovation. An accountant by training, she assembled a team of experts and collaborated with architects and builders to make the best decisions for the school. She ensured the project was completed on time and even orchestrated a seamless campus relocation.

Turning Around Turn-of-the-Century Schools

In addition to her work at the RISD, Kathy has helped shape the finances of other storied schools, all founded between 1860 and 1909, including: the Cambridge School of Weston and the Chestnut Hill School (both in Massachusetts) and the Westover School of Connecticut. Kathy reversed one school’s operating deficits, developed a 20-year strategic capital spending plan at another, and innovated financial aid policies to draw in students from all economic segments. Her financial aid plan was singled out for its excellence by a top leader of the National Association of Independent Schools at a national conference for business officers.

Beyond School

When not at School, Kathy enjoys spending time with her husband, Josny, and their two children, GDS Hoppers Lia and Mona. Kathy and her daughters watch high school and college basketball together. When she’s feeling creative, she sometimes makes soaps and lotions at home. As they settle into their new home, Kathy and her family look forward to exploring DC’s monuments and museums.