Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees 2022–2023
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Board of Trustees Catherine Cloudman, President Katherine Armstrong ’04 |
Trustees Emeriti Charlton H. Ames
Betts Armstrong Thomas M. Armstrong Jane Batzell Nancy M. Beebe ’63 |
TRUSTEE PROFILES
Catherine Cloudman (President)
Catherine Cloudman serves as a strategic advisor and board member to public, private, and non-profit organizations. She served as a board member and chief financial officer at Village Fertility Pharmacy, a national specialty pharmacy for patients undergoing fertility treatment. Prior to Village, she was a founder and the chief financial officer of Apothecary by Design (ABD), a multi-site national specialty pharmacy and former parent company of Village.
In addition to her executive leadership experience in the healthcare industry, Catherine has provided consulting services to a wide range of companies since her early career at KPMG to present. She currently serves on the board of Kforce, a publicly traded staffing firm specializing in technology talent, as well as several private company boards, including Systems Engineering (an ESOP-owned IT services firm), Hussey Seating Company (a seventh-generation family-owned manufacturer of spectator seating), and Gorham Savings Bank (a community bank). Catherine has served on the boards of numerous non-profits and is the current president and board chair of Waynflete School, a K-12 independent day school. She has a dual degree in accounting and advertising from Syracuse University and an MBA from Boston College. Catherine resides in South Portland with her husband and three children, Sophie ’18, Ian ’22, and Becca ‘24.
Elonide Semmes (Vice President)
Elonide Semmes has been helping organizations tell their stories in memorable and distinctive ways for nearly forty 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.
Colin March (Treasurer)
Colin March grew up in Falmouth, 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 is now a commercial lender at TD Bank in Portland, where he covers a range of clients, including private schools, non-profits, manufacturing companies, and real estate investors. He volunteers on several committees with United Way of Greater Portland and is passionate about community service. 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.
Betsy Langer (Secretary)
Betsy Langer was born in Newport, RI. 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 four grandchildren. She lives in Yarmouth with her husband, Len, and is currently a trustee of the Yarmouth History Center.
Tim Soley (Member-at-Large)
Tim Soley was born in Baltimore, MD, and was raised in Camden. He received a BA from Wesleyan University in 1984 and established East Brown Cow, the commercial real estate investment, management, and development company, where he is currently the president and CEO, over 30 years ago. His longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship, excellence in urban design, preservation and activation of open space, and the exploration of new technology is evident in his work both at East Brown Cow and in the community. Tim serves on several committees of the nonprofit organization The Opportunity Alliance as well as on the Facilities Committee of the Maine Public board and on the boards of E2Tech and Elmet. Tim lives in Cape Elizabeth with his wife, Maria. They have two sons, Max ’19 and Jacob ’15.
Katherine Armstrong '04
Katherine 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 Cambridge, MA.
Krista Maywalt Aronson
Krista Maywalt Aronson is Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Psychology at Bates College. Her academic research focuses on illuminating how people come to understand complex social constructs like race and ethnicity, appropriate ways to discuss these topics with children, and the effective use of picture books to enhance intercultural relationships and self-understanding during childhood. In addition to her administrative role at Bates, Krista also directs The Diverse BookFinder and is an evaluator for the New England Commission of Higher Education, Inc. (NECHE). Originally from Rochester, NY, Krista lives in Falmouth with her husband David ’97 and daughters Sophia ’20 and Hope ’33.
Maria Garcia Canning
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Maria Garcia Canning, the parent of two alumnae, has served as a Class Parent, Parent Fund Class Agent, and on the Senior Gift Campaign Committee. She currently serves on the board of the Boothbay Land Trust and recently completed her term on the board of Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder (SSTS). Maria immigrated to the U.S. from Portugal in the 1970s with her family to pursue economic and educational opportunities, later earning a BA in International Relations with a concentration in Latin American Studies from Boston University. For many years, she worked in Cambridge, MA, for Associates for International Research (AIRINC) as a compensation analyst. After moving to Maine, she joined Diversified Communications in a business development role, helping to explore opportunities in Brazil. More recently, Maria is pursuing new passions at Maine College of Art, painting in her home studio, and using her personal experiences as an immigrant to support Portland refugees as they navigate the process of seeking asylum.
Brandon Cohen '99
Brandon Cohen ’99 grew up in Falmouth, Maine and is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, MA. An entrepreneur at heart he started his professional career as the owner of a small marina and snowmobile business in Western Maine. After several years Brandon transitioned into his first role in employee benefits as a sales executive in New York, NY with a national insurance carrier. Eventually missing Maine, Brandon returned and went on to be the Director of the Sales Team for Maine’s largest health insurance carrier. Throughout Brandon’s various roles he has always had a true passion for relationships and helping organizations achieve their goals. Brandon is currently the President and Owner of Head Light Benefit Group, an employee benefits brokerage and advisory firm. Through his work he has advised businesses of all sizes from local to national brand names throughout the United States. He is also one year short of being a “lifer” having attended Waynflete beginning in first grade. Brandon lives in Cumberland with his wife and two boys.
Ben Devine
Ben Devine was born in Portland, Maine. He received his A.B. from Bowdoin College (1983); his J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law (1987); and his M.P.A. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University (2010). Ben is a founding partner at the commercial real estate firm Great Island Development in Boston, Massachusetts and is a private equity investor at Devine Capital LLC. He currently serves on the Boards of the Maine College of Art; University of Maine School of Law; The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts; and is a member of the Urban Land Institute (Silver Council). Ben lives in Falmouth with his wife, Sheila, and their daughters Grace ’20 and Maeve ’22.
Nicole A. Dufauchard
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Nicole A. DuFauchard has been the Head of School of the Advent School in Boston since 2013. Before her time at Advent, she served as the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. Nicole holds a BA in Political Science and International Affairs, and an MA in Organizational Communications and Development with a concentration on Cross-Cultural Communications. Nicole has spent the last 20 years exploring equity and access in education. Nicole works with school and nonprofit boards across the country to engage in equity and justice work and serves as a mentor for administrators and faculty of color and women aspiring for school leadership roles with NAIS and AISNE.
Nicole is a faculty member for the NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute and a board member and chair of the Trustee Committee for AISNE. She is a member of the Elementary School Heads’ Association (ESHA) Membership Committee Member on Diversity and the ESHA Annual Conference Chair for 2016; and a Partner for the Planning Committee for the 2017 Progressive Educators Network Annual Conference. Nicole is an adjunct faculty member at Longy School of Music.
Nicole is a Global Ambassador for the Queen Morta School in Vilnius, Lithuania, and is also a member of the corporation of the Community Music Center Boston. Nicole lives in Boston with her husband Ray, their son Raymond, and their French bulldogs, Miles Morales and Biggie Smalls.
Adam Edwards
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.
Edward Li
Edward Li grew up in New Jersey and graduated from Princeton Day School in Princeton, NJ. 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 Director of Health Economics and Outcomes Research 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 has more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of business, politics, media, and gender equity. She runs her own strategic consultancy, advising executive level clients on philanthropy, advocacy and communications. Prior to the pandemic, Lockhart held senior roles at venture-backed coworking companies, The Wing and The Riveter, where she led strategy, impact, and strategic communications. In May 2020, she wrote about her experience as an executive and mother, running a company while suffering with COVID-19 for CNN.
Lockhart was a fundraiser for both the Dean and Obama presidential campaigns. She served as senior advisor to her mentor, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and with her support founded the New York Women’s Collective, a political giving group that has contributed over $1,000,000 for Democratic women candidates. Lockhart covered the 2016 election cycle as the Washington editor of Glamour Magazine. She is a trusted advisor to women running for office across the country. 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 resides on Littlejohn Island with her two children, Beatrice (’33) and Gus (’34).
Jed Porta '99
Jed Porta ’99 began working for his parents at Migis Lodge at age 12 and grew up gaining experience in all facets of the operation before attending and graduating from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. He has been the General Manager at Migis Lodge since 2009 and is also a Managing Partner for Migis Hotel Group, which owns and/or operates eight properties across Maine and Massachusetts. Jed was a “lifer” at Waynflete starting in EC in 1984 and attending through his senior year.
Justin Schair '01
Justin Schair ’01 is a partner at Matrix Private Capital Group, a private equity and asset management firm based in New York, and heads the Casco Passage entities, which are business and real estate holding companies.
A Maine native, his work spans business, journalism, and politics. He has led reform-centric campaigns and political organizations, including serving as finance director for U.S. Senator Angus King. Prior to his work in investment management, Justin served as the U.S. Press Officer for Concern Worldwide, an international humanitarian relief and development organization with operations throughout the world. He serves on the boards of the University of New England and the Emanuel and Pauline Lerner Foundation.
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 a daughter, Emilia.
Deborah Sampson Shinn
Deborah Sampson Shinn and her daughter (Waynflete ’13) moved to Portland more than fifteen years ago, drawn by family summers in the area. She graduated from Middlebury College and received an M.A. from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University. Deborah was involved with the Waynflete Parents Association (president 2009-10), served as head of the school’s Arts Committee, and has been active in various fundraising activities throughout the years. She has a strong background in museum work, having served for many years as curator at Cooper-Hewitt, the Smithsonian’s Design Museum. She has also worked at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Museum of the City of New York. Deborah received two Presidential Design Awards. She was also an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design in New York City and continues to teach and tutor students as a volunteer at Portland Adult Education.
Christopher R. Smith
Christopher R. Smith, a native New Yorker, graduated from the Buckley School in New York and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. He received an A.B. from Harvard College in 1995 and a J.D. from Emory University School of Law in 1998. Following law school, Chris served as a clerk to Judge Howard D. McKibben, then Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, before moving to Maine in 1999. A partner at Verrill Dana, LLP, in Portland, and a member of the firm’s Executive Board, Chris serves as corporate counsel to business and nonprofit clients, representing them in mergers and acquisitions, board governance, shareholder relations, and other compliance and transactional matters. A former chair of the Business Law Section of the Maine State Bar Association and member of Phillips Academy’s Alumni Council, Chris also has served on the boards of several area organizations, including Victoria Mansion, a national historic landmark in Portland; Prouts Neck Country Club; Maine Historical Society; and the Institute for Family-Owned Business. Chris and his wife, Anne, live in Scarborough and have two children, Eugenia ’28 and Alden.
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 on behalf of Catherine Morrill Day Nursery, the Maine Advisory Board for the Trust for Public Land, and her current position on the Board of Directors for The Telling Room. 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.
Jeffrey Troiano
Jeffrey Troiano, born and raised in Maine, earned a BA in Business Administration from St. Michael’s College in Vermont. After working in the financial services industry in New York and Chicago, Jeff returned to Maine to develop his family’s accounting practice and later founded Charter Oak Capital Management, a wealth management firm. Jeff currently acts as the managing partner and chief investment officer for Charter Oak. A strong advocate for community service, Jeff currently serves as president of South Church Affordable Housing Project. Jeff has served previously as president of The Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation, Director of the Kennebunk Portside Rotary, director of Cocoons Day School Scholarship Fund, President of Webhannet Golf Club, and Treasurer of Arundel Paddle Club. In addition to his tenure as a Waynflete Trustee and chair of the schools Investment Subcommittee, Jeff was the Chair of the Board of RSU 21, and of Children’s House Child Care Program. Jeff lives in Kennebunkport with his wife, Abby, and two children, Justin ’06 and Olivia ’16.
Khalilah Ummah '04
Khalilah Ummah ’04 grew up in Litchfield, ME, 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. She works with high school students to provide college and career exposure opportunities and support for post-secondary success. Khalilah is also the JV head coach and Varsity assistant coach for the girls’ basketball teams. Outside of work, Khalilah enjoys traveling, eating, spending time with family, and getting lost in a good mystery.
Warren Valdmanis
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Warren Valdmanis is a Partner at Two Sigma Impact, the social impact fund under the broader Two Sigma umbrella. Previously, he spent over 14 years working in Bain Capital’s private equity business and also helped launch their first social impact fund. During his tenure with Bain Capital Private Equity, Warren spent five years in Asia and Australia where he helped to extend the Asia Fund’s capabilities and opened the Bain Capital Sydney office. Prior to joining Bain Capital, he was a Manager at Bain & Company covering a wide variety of industries across Bain Capital’s North American, European, and South African operations. Warren received a BA cum laude in Economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He also serves on the Boston Advisory Board of the Posse Foundation, an organization that helps highly capable individuals from non-traditional backgrounds gain entry into competitive colleges. He lives in Maine with his wife, Kristin, and their four children: Lizzie ’23, Ian ’25, Anna ’28, and Teddy ’30.
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.
