What is the Board of Trustees?
The Board of Trustees 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.
Who are the members of the TDS Board of Trustees?For the 2019-20 school year, the Board consists of 14 voting members:
Tammy Fox
Vice Chair
Alumni Parent ’18 & Current Parent ’20, ’25
Ryan McDevitt
Treasurer
Finance Committee Chair
Current Parent ’23, ’25
Sabrina Schneider
Secretary
Current Parent ’21, ’23
Sheryl Blackwell
Development Committee Chair
Current Parent ’23
Shayla Higginbotham
Current Parent ’25
Kimberly Johnson
Current Parent ’22
Kelley Keats
Trusteeship Committee Chair
Current Parent ’18, ’21
Sachin Patel
Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair
Current Parent ’27, ’28
Tasha Seyler
Current Parent ’25, ’29
Tom Farin
Facilities Committee Chair
Grandparent ’20, ’23
Gabriel Kussin
Alumnus ’01
Jan Riggsbee
Community Leader, Former Head of School
Tim Tinnesz
Community Leader
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2019-20 are Tammy Fox, Purnima Valdez, Ryan McDevitt, and Sabrina Schneider.
The Diversity & Inclusion Committee was formed in 2016-17 in order to ascertain the climate of Diversity and Inclusion at the school and determine areas for improvement. The committee focuses on curriculum, recruitment/retention, community engagement, and assessment.
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.