Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees 2025–26
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Board of Trustees Adam Edwards, President
Katherine “Kat” Armstrong ’04
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Trustees Emeriti Charlton H. Ames
Betts Armstrong Jane Batzell Nancy M. Beebe ’63 Roger Berle Gregory W. Boulos Nancy Brain Kate Burnham Elizabeth P. Carroll Catherine Cloudman
Tom Cronin ’78 Conan Deady Ben Devine
David Hadley Drake ’65
Nicole DuFauchard
Katie Glaser Getchell ’88 Maria Tymoski Glaser William Harwood Greg Hastings Hilary Huber Holm ’82 Luke Huber ’81 Kate Jeton Cinda Joyce Dale MacLachlan Lewis Gregg Lipton Diane Lukac Jan Macleod Sue McMullan Peter McPheeters Denney Morton Cynthia Orcutt Darrell Pardy Jed Porta ’99 Deborah Reed Ineke Schair Erica Schair-Cardona ’94 Mark Segar Deborah Sampson Shinn
Christopher R. Smith Tim Soley Susan Spagnola Sandy Spaulding Alice Spencer Mary Lou Sprague ’46 Ayres Stockly ’82 William A. Torrey Jeffrey Troiano Vin Veroneau |
TRUSTEE PROFILES
Adam Edwards (President)
Adam Edwards, originally from southeastern Massachusetts, received his bachelor’s in International Relations from Brown University in 2004 and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management in 2012. He has worked for companies ranging in size from mid-stage startups to Fortune 100 companies; with a background in finance, he has focused on influencing, communicating, and executing business strategies across multiple industries. As a former college squash player, he also has broad experience supporting multiple urban squash programs for kids in the New York City area. In search of a better quality of life for their growing family, Adam and his wife Jen moved to Yarmouth in 2014, having visited Maine just twice previously. Since then, Adam has had the pleasure of working in a finance capacity at two of Maine’s premier large companies—L.L.Bean and IDEXX Laboratories—while also continuing his support of youth squash as a director at Portland Community Squash. Adam and Jen have fallen in love with Maine and are excited to raise Cooper ’31, Harrison ’32, and Maisie ’36 as Mainers.
Elonide Semmes (Vice President)
Elonide Semmes has been helping organizations tell their stories in memorable and distinctive ways for nearly 40 years. She founded Right Hat, a branding design firm in 2002 to specifically help organizations that deliver a service, not just a product. Her women-owned business has been recognized for creating brands using a compelling mix of a provocative voice and fresh design. She likes nothing more than helping groups see their brand in a new light. Elonide is also a recognized global leader in legal services marketing. She is one of only 40 people to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the International Legal Marketing Association (LMA), where she recently co-led the LMA’s task force on artificial intelligence. She is a frequent speaker on the subject. Elonide was inducted as a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management in 2010 and is currently the President-Elect of the College. Elonide spent 20 years in Portland, Maine, before deciding to escape to New Orleans to avoid shoveling snow. Three of her four children attended Waynflete.
James Reese (Secretary)
James L. Reese is Associate Dean of Students for International Student Programs at Bates College advising the students on curricular and career progress as well as personal well-being on campus. James was born in Selma, Alabama and grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina until age 16, observing and participating in the civil rights drives in the South. He completed high school in Cherry Hill, New Jersey prior to attending Middlebury for a degree in American Studies. Although his current primary responsibility is advising international students, his work as a dean has encompassed many areas and oversight in student affairs, residence life, and student activities. He also has provided support and mentoring to BIPOC, transfer, and non-traditional students, helping them navigate the challenges of classes, policies, and decisions as well as complexities of diversity, equity, and inclusion. His dedication has earned him recognition for distinguished service as well as respect from students around the world. He lives in Lewiston with his wife, Soni, a professor at SMMC, and their two children, Ishan ’24 and Ayanthi ’26.
James Higgins (Treasurer)
James Higgins is a co-founder and President of Chenmark, a family-owned holding company focused on the acquisition and ongoing management of small to medium sized businesses throughout the United States and Canada. At Chenmark, Mr. Higgins focuses on capital allocation, subsidiary company oversight, and the firm’s internal leadership development and shared services teams. Before founding Chenmark, he worked at Protege Partners, a global macro hedge fund; at Suttonbrook Capital Management, a multi-strategy hedge fund; and on the foreign exchange desk at Barclays Capital. Mr. Higgins graduated from Yale University with a BA in history where he also rowed Lightweight Crew. He lives in Cumberland with his wife and business partner, Trish, and their two children, Cate ’34 and JD ’37.
Kara Leopold (Member-at-Large)
Kara L.K. Leopold is an attorney by training and founded her own legal and compliance consulting firm serving professional service companies and investment firms. Kara received an AB from Duke University and began her career in the US Senate in Washington, DC. After receiving her JD from Columbia Law School, Kara practiced at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York, focusing on complex corporate and securities litigation, and at Nixon Peabody LLP. Kara’s nonprofit commitments have focused on education, youth, and community. Kara currently serves on the Parents Leadership Committee for Phillips Exeter Academy. She has served on the Friends of Fort Williams Park Board—as co-chair of the Education Committee and founding member of the Children’s Garden Committee—and on the Board of the Cape Elizabeth Education Foundation. Other volunteer work has included coaching youth cross-country, mentoring incarcerated women with My Sister’s Keeper, and committee work with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and the Portland Museum of Art’s Contemporaries. Kara currently lives in York with her husband, David, and three children, Thomas, Grant, and Alexandra ‘27.
Katherine "Kat" Armstrong '04
Katherine “Kat” Armstrong ’04 is an Executive Director with Russell Reynolds Associates, the executive search and advisory firm, where she leads the firm’s global Arts & Culture practice. Based in Boston, she specializes in working with cultural, educational, and social impact organizations. Prior to joining Russell Reynolds Associates, Katherine was with Dunleavy & Associates in Philadelphia where she specialized in providing professional services to nonprofit organizations, leading engagements focused on strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. Katherine grew up in Scarborough and attended Waynflete from kindergarten through senior year. She received her BA in art history from Bowdoin College. She and her husband, Alexander Martin, live in Winchester, Massachusetts.
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Jessica Boger
Jessica Boger grew up in California and spent her professional years in Washington, D.C., before happily settling in Falmouth, Maine. After exploring a career at the Environmental Protection Agency in the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, she received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and then went into private practice with Baker Botts LLC, practicing government contracts. During that time, she also worked as an adjunct professor teaching Alternative Dispute Resolution at Georgetown University Law Center and volunteered at the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. Jessica has most recently served as an Executive Committee Member on the Board of Trustees for Imagination Stage and founded and served on the Board of the Friends of W Street Park. She also enjoys volunteering her time with her children’s schools, Preble Street, and Portland Adult Education. Jessica and her husband, Greg, have two daughters, Eleanor ’32 and Margaret.
Jonathan Culley
Jonathan Culley is the Managing Partner of Redfern Properties, a Portland-based real estate developer focused on multi-family housing and mixed use projects. He has extensive business, investment, and real estate experience. He co-founded Redfern Properties in 2005 and is responsible for the overall activities of the firm. Prior to Redfern Properties, Jonathan was a Senior Associate at Boeing Ventures in Seattle. Jonathan previously served as Board Chair for Avesta Housing, the largest nonprofit affordable housing provider in Northern New England. He also serves on the Board of the Quality Housing Coalition. Jonathan holds an A.B. and an M.B.A., both from Duke University. Jonathan and Catherine have three children—Myles ’23, Fallon ’25, and Quinn ’27.
Kate Daly
Kate Sinding Daly is an environmental lawyer and advocate, currently in the role of senior vice president for law and policy at the Conservation Law Foundation. Immediately prior to CLF, Kate was the inaugural executive director of NorthLight Foundation, which focuses on advancing equitable and enduring solutions for environmental and human health. Earlier roles include senior advisor to the president and senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council and partner in the specialty environmental law firm of Sive, Paget & Riesel. Kate is a graduate of New York University School of Law, the School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University, and Barnard College. Kate relocated to Falmouth, Maine from New York City in 2022. Together with her husband Patrick and twin daughters Lily and Mika ’29, all of whom are gratefully taking advantage of Maine’s many splendors.
Shamit Grover
Shamit Grover is a co-managing partner of Vesper Company and managing partner of Andalusian Credit Partners. Vesper Company partners with entrepreneurs to scale content, technology, and services companies with strategically aligned capital and active support. Andalusian Credit Partners provides direct lending solutions to US middle market companies. Previously he was a managing director in the Private Capital Group of MSD Partners where he led or supported the firm’s investments across tech-enabled, business, and financial services. Prior to joining MSD Capital, Grover was at Merrill Lynch, where he worked in the global private equity and mergers and acquisitions groups. He received his B.S. from Harvey Mudd College (double major in engineering and economics/CMC) and currently serves as a trustee of the college. He lives in Maine with his wife, Kara, and their two children, Rowan ’32 and Blue ’36.
Cricket King
Cricket King has been designing families’ living spaces for over 30 years. A graduate of Miss Porter’s School and Washington University with a BA in Art History, Cricket worked in both the San Francisco and Boston Design Centers before taking a design position at Dell Mitchell Architects in Boston. In 2002, she left her home state of Massachusetts to settle down in her husband’s home state of Maine and started her own design firm in Portland specializing in residential projects. Cricket is a long-time supporter of land conservation. She co-founded and served as President of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation Associates and also co-founded Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Race for Open Space. As a volunteer Cricket has served for more than a decade on the Board of Directors for the Kennebago Lake Camp Owners Association and annually participates in the Lake Stewards of Maine lake monitoring program. She finds energy in all kinds of outdoor recreation from paddle boarding (sometimes with the family dog) to skiing to fly-fishing. Cricket lives in Portland with her husband and their two children Emma ’24 and Gus ’26.
Matt LaCasse '05
Matt LaCasse ’05 is an entrepreneur and investor in the food industry. He earned a degree in mathematics from Yale University in 2010 after graduating from Waynflete in 2005. Shortly after marrying Lizzi Ackerman and relocating to Colorado, they founded Birch Benders, a nationwide natural foods brand. As co-founder and former CEO, Matt has gained extensive experience in the food industry, holding board seats with companies such as Serenity Kids and Arterra Pet. Along with Lizzi and their two children, Waylon and Frost, Matt enjoys traveling, skiing, and adventuring. Originally from Scarborough, ME, he now splits his time between Big Sky, MT and Cape Elizabeth, ME. Matt continues his family’s legacy at Waynflete with Waylon ’38.
Betsy Langer
Betsy Langer was born in Newport, Rhode Island. She was a member of the first co-ed class at Colgate University, graduating with a major in English and a minor in Biology. Betsy has taught at a variety of public and independent schools over the past 42 years, including Waynflete. During her career, Betsy has served as English and history department chairs, Academic Dean, Curriculum Design Coordinator, and Women’s Athletic Director. Betsy is the proud mother of three children and has seven grandchildren. She lives in Yarmouth with her husband, Len, and is currently a trustee of the Yarmouth History Center.
Edward Li
Edward Li grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Master in Public Health from the University of New England. He is currently Head of Health Economics & Outcomes Research and Oncology at Sandoz, Inc. Previously, he spent 15 years working in academia, most recently as a full tenured professor where he fulfilled various service roles such as chair of the college faculty assembly and as a member of the Board of Directors for the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association. Ed lives in Scarborough with his wife, Kin, and are the parents of twins: Kaleb ’28 and Elijah ’28.
Giovanna Gray Lockhart
Giovanna Gray Lockhart is the Executive Director of the Frances Perkins Center, an organization dedicated to inspiring future and current generations to utilize government in achieving social justice and economic security for all. Prior to this role, Lockhart ran her own strategic consultancy for executive-level clients and held senior roles at several venture-backed coworking companies. She also served as a fundraiser for both the Dean and Obama presidential campaigns, senior advisor to US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and was the Washington Editor of Glamour Magazine during the 2016 election cycle. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the award-winning national non-profit StoryCorps and is an angel investor in several women-founded companies. A New Jersey native, Lockhart attended Princeton Day School as a scholarship student. She is a graduate of Connecticut College where she was a Gender and Women’s Studies major and the goalie for the Division 3 ice hockey team. She lives on Cousins Island with her two children, Beatrice ’33 and Gus ’34.
Colin March
Colin March grew up in Falmouth, Maine. He received his bachelor’s from American University in 2003 and master’s from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in 2005. He lived in London for nine years working for Morgan Stanley and Citibank, serving clients throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2015 he moved to Houston with his family, before returning to Maine in 2019, more than 20 years after he first left. Colin now runs the commercial banking division of KeyBank in Maine. He volunteers on several committees with United Way of Southern Maine, serves on the board of Maine & Co, and the advisory boards of North Atlantic Capital and CEI Ventures. During the course of his life, he has studied, worked, or volunteered in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Italy, Lebanon, and England. Colin and his wife, Roberta, live in Falmouth with their son, Luca ’27 and have a daughter, Isabella, who is a college student in Texas.
Justin Schair '01
Justin Schair ’01 is an investor and Managing Partner of Acadia Capital Group, a private equity and asset management firm.
A Maine native, his work spans business, journalism, and politics. Formerly, he served as Partner and co-head of Private Equity for New York-based Matrix Private Capital Group. He has led reform-centric campaigns and political organizations, including serving as finance director for U.S. Senator Angus King. For over a decade, he served as a Director of the Rural Futures Fund and currently serves as a Trustee of the University of New England.
Justin is a graduate of Hofstra University where he holds a BA in journalism and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Justin is a member of the class of 2001. He and his wife, Payal, have two daughters, Emilia and Noa.
Peg Smith
Peg Smith is partner at Pierce Atwood in Portland, Maine, with a practice that includes all aspects of real estate law, including commercial and residential conveyancing, leasing, and title review and analysis. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School and holds a BS in Nutrition from Penn State University. Peg worked for several years in the field of nutrition prior to attending law school and remains passionate about the connection between food and health. Childhood summers spent hiking and camping in the Canadian woods, in addition to many hours spent reading and writing stories as child, fueled a lifelong commitment to both the outdoors and education, which she has channeled into past board service for Catherine Morrill Day Nursery, the Maine Advisory Board for the Trust for Public Land, The Telling Room, and her current position as a Trustee for the Chebeague Island Library. Originally from Pennsylvania, Peg lives in Cumberland with her husband Brad, an entrepreneur and fundraising consultant, and two daughters, Elle ’27 and Evie ’29. When she’s not at work, Peg can usually be found at Sunday River, on Chebeague Island, in her garden, or on her yoga mat.
Jane Swenson '02
Jane Swenson ’02 grew up in Saco and attended Waynflete from grade 3 on. She holds a BS in Early Childhood Education from Boston University and an MA in Early Childhood Studies from Roehampton University. Her career in early childhood education brought her to Quito, Ecuador, where she worked in a bilingual elementary school, and eventually to London, where she ran a kindergarten in South Kensington. After a brief stint in Singapore, Jane and her husband Dana returned home to Maine, where she swapped education for marketing and digital strategy at the local retailer Little. Jane lives in Portland with her husband and two children, Georgina ’33 and Liam ’37. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the midcoast, volunteering with Planned Parenthood, taking long walks outdoors, and finally learning how to ski.
Jos Thalheimer
Jos Thalheimer is from Baltimore, Maryland. He attended NYU and earned an undergraduate degree in Religious Studies as well as master’s degrees in Public Administration and Social Work. Following college and graduate school, he worked in philanthropy with families who were transitioning philanthropic wealth down to younger generations. Upon moving to Maine in 2012, he founded and ran Riverweb, an organic farm in western Maine which raised livestock and grew crops for individuals, restaurants, groceries, other farmers, and food banks. During this time, he served on the Western Mountains Committee of the Maine Community Foundation. He moved to the Portland area in 2025 with his wife, Larissa, and they are proud parents of Ivy ’36.
Beatrice Turner
Beatrice Turner, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, is the Director of Workers’ Compensation at the State of Maine’s Office of Employee Health and Wellness within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS). In this key role, she oversees the operations and strategic direction of the workers’ compensation office, ensuring its success and impact. Beatrice brought her extensive workers’ compensation experience to DAFS in March 2021, after dedicating 17 years to the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board Advocate Division. There, she was a passionate Employee Advocate, fiercely defending the rights of injured workers with unwavering commitment. Beatrice holds an AA in Criminal Justice and a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Maine at Augusta, a JD from the University of Maine School of Law, and an MBA from Husson University. Outside her professional life, Beatrice is deeply committed to her community. She has served as a Class Parent and currently serves as Treasurer for the Parents Association and as a member of the Parent Admission Network at Waynflete. She is also actively involved in supporting her children’s extracurricular activities, where she remains an enthusiastic and dedicated volunteer. Beatrice and her husband, Rick, live in Portland with their two children, Alexis ’27 and Hudson ’31. When she’s not at work, Beatrice enjoys immersing herself in dance-related activities or cheering passionately for her children and their teammates on the sidelines.
Khalilah Ummah '04
Khalilah Ummah ’04 grew up in Litchfield, Maine, and started at Waynflete in sixth-grade. She went on to Tufts University where she played basketball and double majored in Psychology and Child Development. After receiving her BA, she attended Harvard Graduate School of Education where she obtained her Ed.M. She worked as a financial aid advisor in Boston after graduation to support Boston students with the financial aid process. She later moved to Washington, DC, and took on a role as Program Manager for a nonprofit where students were able to start their own businesses while also receiving college access and readiness support. After four years in that position, Khalilah worked with middle school students in an afterschool program. She was the Center Director at a middle school in DC and ran the mentor and academic program during the school year and a five-week summer program. Khalilah currently works for the School District of Philadelphia as a College and Career Readiness Coordinator. Khalilah currently works for Mastery Charter School as a Dean of Students for ninth-grade.Khalilah is also the JV head coach for the girls’ basketball team. Outside of work, Khalilah enjoys traveling, eating, spending time with family, exercising, playing basketball, and getting lost in a good mystery.
Geoff Wagg (Head of School)
Geoff Wagg was appointed Head of School at Waynflete in 2013. He grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and graduated from Phillips Academy. He received his BA from Connecticut College and his EdM from Teachers College, Columbia University. Geoff has served in a variety of administrative posts, including Head of Upper School at The Episcopal Academy outside of Philadelphia for ten years. Earlier, Geoff served as the Director of Technology and Department Chair at The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, and was a history teacher and technology coordinator at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York.
Geoff started his career teaching history at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Early in his career, Geoff focused on helping schools find appropriate ways to integrate emerging technologies into their programs. He served for many years on the National Association of Independent School’s 21st Century Curriculum/Technology Task Force. More recently, Geoff has turned his attention to faculty professional growth and evaluation. He helped launch the Folio Collaborative, conducted research on the topic during his Klingenstein Head of School Fellowship in 2016, and has spoken at regional and national conferences. Geoff is active in regional and national associations. He is a board member for the Association of Independent Schools of New England and the Head’s Network. He and his wife, Alice Starr Wagg, have three children, Henry ’22, Emily ’20, and Nick ’18.
Alex Wight '00
Alex Wight ’00 is the founder of Crown Jewel, a seasonal, sustainably-focused seafood restaurant off the coast of Portland, Maine on Great Diamond Island. Alex’s culinary career began on the media side, working for prominent publications such as Vogue, ELLE Decor, and Saveur magazines. She then attended the Institute of Culinary Education and began working in esteemed kitchens across the world, including db Bistro Moderne and Degustation in New York and Martín Berasategui in Spain. After gaining ample culinary experience, Alex returned to working in food media for the Food Network and Martha Stewart Living, where she was a recipe tester, developer, and food stylist. In 2012, Alex took on her first solo venture when she created Flanagan’s Table, a dinner series in Buxton, Maine, in which she organized monthly communal barn dinners and donated a portion of the proceeds to Maine Farmland Trust and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. Alex graduated from Colgate University where she was a religion major and international relations minor. She lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and three children, Bo ’30, Ford ’33, and Hayes ’35. During her “off” season, Alex dedicates time to family, cooking, traveling, and yoga.
