Board of Trustees
Board of Trustees 2024–25
|
Board of Trustees Adam Edwards, President
Katherine “Kat” Armstrong ’04
|
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 Tom Cronin ’78 Conan Deady Ben Devine
David Hadley Drake ’65 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 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.
Catherine Cloudman (Vice 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), and Zachau Construction (a commercial construction firm). Catherine has served on the boards of numerous non-profits and is the current president and board chair of Waynflete, 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.
Colin March (Treasurer)
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.
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.
Cricket King (Member-at-Large)
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.
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.
.
Maria Garcia Canning
Maria Garcia Canning, the parent of two alumni, 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, Massachusetts, 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.
.jpg)
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.
Nicole A. DuFauchard
Nicole A. DuFauchard has been the Head of School of the Advent School since 2013. Her career work spans the full spectrum of education from early childhood to her work in student affairs and development in both public and private universities across the country.
Nicole has spent the last 20 years exploring equity and access in education. Nicole is a well-sought out consultant that works with school and nonprofit faculty, administrators, and boards across the country to engage in equity and justice work. She also serves as a mentor and facilitator for Administrators and Faculty of Color and Women aspiring for school leadership roles with the National Association of Independent Schools and the Association of Independent Schools of New England.
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 is a faculty member for the National Association of Independent Schools’ Diversity Leadership Institute and was a former executive board member and chair of the Trustee Committee for the Association of Independent Schools of New England until 2023.
Nicole is also a board member for Waynflete in Portland, ME; Belmont Day School in Belmont, MA; Brooklyn Friends School in Brooklyn, NY; and Chair of the City on the Hill Charter School Foundation Board in Boston, MA. Nicole was an executive committee board member of the 1911 Heads’ Association, Membership Committee Member on Diversity, and the ESHA Annual Conference Chair for 2016. She served as a Partner for the Planning Committee for the 2017 Progressive Educators Network Annual Conference and the National Anti-Racist Teaching Institute in 2021. She is a founding executive board member for Schooling for Hope in Massachusetts.
Nicole is an adjunct faculty member at Longy School of Music and has produced curriculum, assessments, and strategic planning for over 20 schools and nonprofits. Nicole is a diversity, equity and inclusion coach and consultant across the country. She has worked with numerous organizations to support their equity and inclusion efforts. With her work with Nashville and Cincinnati Symphony, Shelter Music, Landmarks Symphony, Beacon Academy, and the Whitby School, Nicole believes that organizations can live fully in mission through the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Nicole is a Global Ambassador for the Queen Morta School in Vilnius, Lithuania; a member of the corporation of the Community Music Center Boston; and a Board Member for the Boston Cultural Council. She lives in Roxbury with her partner, son, and two French Bulldogs (Miles Morales Davis DuFauchard and Biggie Smalls aka Frank White).
.png)
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.
James Higgins
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.
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.
Kara Leopold
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.
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.
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 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.
Elonide Semmes
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.
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.
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.
Warren Valdmanis
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.
.jpg)
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.
