The Little Falls Education Foundation’s mission is to support educational excellence in the Little Falls Township Public Schools through community involvement.
We are a leading provider of private funding to the District and a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.
We support innovative and creative educational programs and projects that are designed to enrich all 900 pre-K to 8th grade students enrolled in the District’s three public schools.
Our Board of Trustees consists of volunteers from all corners of the community and we operate independently of the Board of Education and both PTAs.
Michael P. Schiff, President
Janine Veteri Barone, Vice President
John J. Veteri, Jr., Esq., Treasurer
Casey Cordes Fronzuto, Esq., Secretary
Dorothy Cataldo
Karen Coussoulis
Cristina Puri
Meaghan Tullo
Dani St. Ledger
Reverend Emily Ratering-Youngberg
Michael Schiff is a licensed real estate agent with The Michael Schiff Team at Keller Williams Realty in Montclair and a Managing Partner with Highland Property Partners, LLC. Prior to his work with residential real estate, Michael worked as a commercial-property executive at Starwood Hotels & Resorts and at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Michael is passionate about education and learning. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, spent five years as a member of the Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassador Network and spent eight years as an Adjunct Professor with the NYU School of Continuing Education. Michael has also held leadership roles with the Cornell Hotel Society for eleven years, served a four-year term as a voting member of the Cornell Alumni Trustee Nominations Committee and is currently a member of the Passaic Valley Rotary Club. Michael has lived in Little Falls with his husband Tom Kazmark since 2007.
Janine Veteri Barone has been a resident of Little Falls for over 45 years graduating from both Little Falls Township Public Schools and Passaic Valley High School. She went on to graduate Seton Hall University with a bachelors degree in Finance. Janine proudly served on the Little Falls Board of Education for 7 years and was President in 2014 and 2015. Janine is very passionate and proud of her community and is involved in the Alliance for a Better Community, and the Little Falls Historical Society. Janine and her husband, Tom are the owners of Falls Creamery and the proud parents of two children - their son attends Harvard University and their daughter attends Fairfield University.
John J. Veteri, Jr. is a resident of Little Falls with a family history in the town that dates back to the 1920s. He is a corporate and real estate attorney in private practice. John is a member of the NJ and NY Bar. He was previously employed by Pricewaterhouse Coopers. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Seton Hall University, a Masters of Business Administration in Finance from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School. He is currently the President of the Board of Trustees of the Little Falls Historical Society and is a member of the Little Falls Historic Preservation Commission. John is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Passaic River Coalition, serving as Vice Chairman for three years and Chairman of the Land Trust for six years. He is a former trustee of the Passaic County Historical Society and the John Deehan Scholarship Fund at Seton Hall.
Casey is an attorney and Partner at Fronzuto Law Group located in Woodland Park, NJ. She specializes in complex litigation and the representation of public entities. Casey is a member of the bar in the state of New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor degree from Seton Hall University Law School. Casey and her husband, Ernie, moved to Little Falls in 2010. They have one son who attends school in the Little Falls Public School System. Through her involvement with the Foundation, Casey hopes to build upon its past success in order to provide the children of Little Falls with the best possible educational opportunities.
Dorothy is a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey with a degree in Business Management. She was a manager at a foreclosure contracting company where she has been employed for 24 years, and is now volunteering and working locally part-time. Dorothy moved to Little Falls in 2003 with her husband Dominic Cataldo, and have two children, Adrianna, who attends School #1 and Dominic who is a Junior at DePaul Catholic. Dorothy is as active member of the School #1 PTSA, LFFPA, LFAC, DePaul Catholic Gridiron, Little Falls Planning Board as well as contributing towards township clean up projects with NJ Clean Communities. She has served as President of Little Falls School #2/3 PTA from 2012-2016, and previously served as treasurer for the same. Dorothy and her family are active members of Our Lady of the Holy Angels Parish where she had also served as a catechist and has been part of the children’s liturgy committee.
Karen attended Passaic Valley High School and graduated from Montclair State University in 2001. She then began her career in Project Management working in the software industry. Karen started a non profit called wGt in 2000 serving those in need in the tri state area. Her passion has always been in helping people, volunteering and giving back to her community. Her daughter Sophia attends School No. 1 and they both love living in Little Falls and feel grateful to be part of such an amazing community.
Cristina is currently a school counselor in the Lincoln Park Public Schools, where she is starting her 18th year as a middle school counselor. She received her Masters from NYU and Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate from Montclair State University. Cristina and her husband have a son at School 2 who enjoys participating in various activities and sports through the Little Falls recreation department. She also serves as Secretary for the Friends of the Little Falls Library. As a longtime educator, Cristina strongly values community engagement and support for our students.
Meaghan grew up in Little Falls and attended the Little Falls public schools and Passaic Valley High school. Meaghan began working in the corporate world in 2010 and was a Production Manager with HH Global for 11 years prior to leaving to expand her photography business. Meaghan is the owner and head photographer of Meaghan Tullo Photo, est. in 2017. Meaghan is a Mom of 4 children. Emmalyn and Everett both attend school number 2. Meaghan is proud lifelong resident and is excited to give back to the children of our community.
Dani St. Ledger is the proud mother of two children who currently attend Little Falls Township Public Schools. She is an active member of the School 2 PTA and serves as the School 2 Program Chair. Over the past two years, Dani has been collaborating with Montclair State University to form a deeper partnership with the Little Falls Township Public Schools, facilitating the integration of both the Montclair State University STEM and Dance Programs into the Little Falls Schools. This includes Professors, their students, and the Little Falls teachers working closely together with the Little Falls students. She also had the honor last summer, to assist in the Montclair State University STEM summer camp program as a Parent Consultant. Dani believes that every child is born with a gift and contends that if, as adults we can realize what gift each child bears, then, we have helped to create a happy, successful human being.
Rev. Emily Ratering-Youngberg has ministered at a Reformed Church in the center of Little Falls for thirteen years. While she grew up on a Wisconsin alfalfa farm and was educated at a western Michigan college and seminary, Pastor Emily loves the history and the hustle and bustle of Little Falls. She is married to a Passaic Valley High School math teacher, and they have two children in Little Falls schools. Pastor Emily sits on the Little Falls Domestic Violence Task Force, which seeks to prevent and raise awareness of violence within families and households. On her days off, she likes to work on her compost piles and sew handbags out of reclaimed materials.
Chairperson: Meaghan Tullo
Members: Casey Fronzuto, Michael Schiff
Chairperson: Janine Barone
Members: Karen Coussoulis, Cristina Puri, Michael Schiff
Chairpersons: Casey Fronzuto & Meaghan Tullo
Members: Janine Barone, Dorothy Cataldo, Michael Schiff
Chairpersons: Janine Barone & Michael Schiff
Members: Karen Coussoulis, Meaghan Tullo, John Veteri
Chairperson: Dorothy Cataldo
Members: Janine Barone, Casey Fronzuto, Cristina Puri, Meaghan Tullo
Little Falls Education Foundation is a leading provider of private funding to the Little Falls, NJ School District and a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.