Governance

The Board is comprised of current and former parents, grandparents, alumni, and community leaders who volunteer their unique talents and experiences to ensure the School’s continued success. The Board supports the School’s mission, oversees its fiduciary responsibilities, and assists the Head of School in carrying out the long-term strategic plan.

For the 2017-18 school year, the Board consists of 13 voting members:

The Finance Committee is comprised of Trustees and non-trustees. It meets regularly with the Head of School and the Business Officer and is responsible for overseeing the annual budget and financial affairs of the School. Members of the Finance Committee for 2017-18 are Ryan McDevitt (chair), Tammy Fox, and Tasha Seyler.

A Board member is elected to a first term of three years and may be asked to serve a second term of three years. After one year off, the Board member may be elected to serve an additional term.
What are the basic responsibilities of the Board? The Board is primarily responsible for the strategic aspects of the School such as selecting and evaluating the Head of School, ensuring adequate financial resources including fundraising of various kinds, providing proper financial oversight, building a competent Board, ensuring ethical integrity, and enhancing the School’s public standing.

The Head of School, rather than the Board, is primarily responsible for the operational aspects of the School such as selecting and evaluating the faculty, managing the day-to-day operation of the School, leading in the development of the School’s curriculum, acting as the School’s key liaison with parents, grandparents, alumni, Board members, and community leaders, and preparing the school’s annual budget including staffing needs and instructional resources and presenting it to the Board for its approval.

If parents have concerns about operational matters (e.g. faculty or staff members, the curriculum, the facility), then these should be discussed with the appropriate administrative member. If, however, the concern is with the Head of the School, then this should be brought to the attention of a member of the Board’s Executive Committee.

The Board governs itself according to its own TDS Board Bylaws.

The full Board meets on a monthly basis in August through December. In the new year, the Board meets every other month in February, April, and June. The Board may meet on or off campus, to receive and discuss reports from the Head of School and other administrators, Board Committees, outside consultants and students, when appropriate.

The Board has five standing committees: Finance, Trusteeship, Development, Facilities, and Executive.

The Trusteeship Committee is responsible for identifying, cultivating, and recommending individuals for future Trustee nominations. New Board members are selected based upon their positive commitment to the School along with the immediate and long term needs of the School. Members of the Trusteeship Committee for 2017-18 are Purnima Valdez (chair) and Kelley Keats.

Comprised of Trustees and non-trustees, the Development Committee is responsible for Board-initiated institutional advancement and fundraising, including the annual fund, capital campaign, auction, endowment funds, and gifts. Members of the Development Committee for 2017-18 are Sabrina Schneider (chair), Gabriel Kussin, and Jan Riggsbee.

The Facilities Committee is comprised of Trustees and non-trustees. This Committee along with the Head of School is responsible for reporting to the Board on the overall condition, adequacy, and management of the facilities. Members of the Facilities Committee for 2017-18 are co-chairs Tom Farin and Carroll Stone, Sharon Myers, Al Myers, and Sid Stone.

The Executive Committee is made up of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. Its primary role is to evaluate the Head of School on an annual basis. Members of the Executive Committee for 2017-18 are Kelley Keats, Purnima Valdez, Ryan McDevitt, and Sabrina Schneider.
Does the Board have any other committees? When the need arises the Board may create special committees such as the Strategic Planning Committee and the Diversity Committee.

From time to time, the Board creates a Strategic Planning Committee in order to review its previous Strategic Plans and Mission Statement and update them to reflect a variety of factors such as changes in enrollment, the parent body, the financial health of the school, technological advances, the community, and the local economy. The current Strategic Plan was approved by the full Board in April, 2015.

The Diversity Committee was formed in 2016-17 in order to ascertain the climate of Diversity and Inclusion at the school and determine areas for improvement. Members of the Diversity Committee for 2017-18 are Purnima Valdez (chair), Ali Carnes, April Wittman, Candace Morgan, David Idzi, Kate Newman, Kimberly Johnson, Lina Boytor, Lloyd Patillo, Rachel Hirschey, Shayla Higginbotham, Sherri Fulp, and Ted Rogers, Jr.
How does someone get nominated for consideration to become a Board member? To learn more about this process, or to recommend someone for the Board of Trustees, please contact a member of the Board’s Trusteeship Committee.  Board members are nominated by the Trusteeship Committee and elected by the full Board. New Board members are selected based upon the immediate and long term needs of the School, and for their commitment to the School.