The primary responsibilities of the Board of Trustees are to establish, from time to time reexamine and refine, the institutional identity, mission, and core values and beliefs about education that define the nature of the school, as outlined in the Blueprint.
Based on this foundation, the board selects and supervises a day-to-day Head of School, whose job is to select and supervise the school’s faculty and staff, admit students and families, ensure that they are provided with an authentic Montessori program and kept safe (physically and emotionally), oversee the school’s financial resources and physical plant, and nurture a sense of community among children, teachers and staff, parents, and friends of the school. Thirdly, the board establishes policies and makes decisions that are consistent with the school’s core values as set forth in this blueprint, and ensures that day-to-day operating policies established by the Head of School are likewise consistent with the school’s core values as set forth in the blueprint.
Kristen Stocker Holder - President
Kristen is the newly elected President of the Board of Trustees and is a local realtor with FaderRE. She’s a passionate ambassador for the Montessori approach and is especially proud of her work here at TMS on the Adolescent Program Steering Committee. Kristen is wrapping up her first year on the Board of Trustees and is thrilled to be spearheading a new era of board service at TMS. She is a current parent with daughters in the Adolescent, Lower Elementary and Toddler programs.
Lauren McConville - Vice President & New Member
Lauren serves as the Board’s Vice President. She is a partner at the national healthcare communications consulting firm Jarrard, Phillips, Cate & Hancock where she’s the practice lead on national and academic health care systems. Her formidable background in strategy and management consulting is a welcome addition to the table. Lauren is a theater lover and former Montessori student from Chicago, and her husband, Pat, is a proud TMS alum! They are current parents with a daughter in Children’s House and a son in the Toddler program.
John Carstens - Treasurer
John is the Treasurer of the Board as well as a 5th year veteran member. He’s the Vice President of Excalibur Group and is the Dean of the Engineering Technologies Division at Forsyth Tech. John has been the Board’s resident ‘Numbers Guy’ for the duration of his tenure and continues to serve as the Finance Committee Chair.
Dr. Daniel Yohannes - Secretary & New Member
Dr. Daniel Yohannes is the Secretary of the Board is the CEO of a startup hemp textile company, Renaissance Fiber, LLC, and founder of Yohannes Pharmaceutical Consulting. He has previously served on the boards of Sawtooth and the United Way of Winston-Salem. Daniel’s a former parent of TMS and big fan of the Montessori model. He is especially excited about the possibility of broadening TMS’s scope of influence in order to introduce the elements of a Montessori education to underrepresented groups across the Triad.
Dr. Diane Griffin
Dr. Diane Griffin is a 5th year veteran member and a former President of the Board of Trustees. She is the Program Coordinator for International Business at Forsyth Tech and has recently completed a PhD in Calculus. Diane is a former Montessori parent and enjoys spending time outdoors at her home on High Rock Lake.
Steve Stocker - New Member
Steve Stocker is the founding partner and CEO of Investment Partners, LTD, a wealth management firm based in New Philadelphia, OH, and brings decades of financial management experience to the table. He has a broad background of community engagement and board service and has served a variety of community institutions like the YMCA and United Way. This is the first board on which he’s had the pleasure of serving alongside his daughter, Kristen. Steve is a current grandparent; he and his wife, Ginny, come to Winston-Salem for their grandchildren fix and to enjoy the extended golf season.
Guiding Documents
- 2018-990-Montessori Children's Center, Inc
- 2019 Government Copy Montessori Children's Center
- 2020-990 Montessori Children's Center, Inc - Public Inspection Copy
- Montessori Children's Center Inc. 7-31-2017 - FS
- Montessori Children's Center, Inc. 7-31-2018 - FS
- Montessori Children's Center, Inc. 7-31-2019 - FS
- Montessori School of Winston-Salem Bylaws (Amended 6-24-14)
