Amanda Adkins

I am not a native of Cincinnati and with the number of school options available, I investigated many schools. Montessori education at The New School Montessori was the overwhelming first choice. I love that TNSM truly follows the Montessori practice of ‘following the child,’ and have seen this in action when Aidan had a shift in what she was excited about learning. I look forward to interacting with the amazing New School community and to serving on the Board in the coming year.

I am an Occupational Therapist currently working with pre-primary children, school-age students, as well as the elderly. My daughter, Aidan, started at The New School Montessori as a three-year-old and is currently in the (6-9-year-old) classroom. I am currently the Board Vice President, Chair of the Committee on Trustees, and Co-Chair of the Development Committee.

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Mike Domka

My wife Catherine and I have three children. Our family has been part of The New School Montessori community since 2003. During that time, two of our children have graduated from The New School and a third has just entered into the preprimary program. While we have always embraced the Montessori approach, our experience with The New School Montessori has made us advocates for TNSM. The New School distinguishes itself from other programs through the cumulative leadership, participation and acceptance of ideas and individuals, which all members of the community demonstrate. Children, parents, teachers, staff, volunteers, our Director and the Board all contribute in meaningful ways to the development of our children and in turn to each other. I have witnessed this over the past eight years at the school and within my own children. We have placed high expectations on ourselves to create the best possible environment for our children to develop and grow as individuals and members of this community.

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Bob Gilbreath

My wife Stephanie and I have two TNSM students – Grace in the 9- to 12-year-old classroom, and Ella in the 6-to 9-year-old classroom. Among my duties as a member of the Board, I am active on the Development Committee with a focus on the marketing of the school. One of the things I love most about the school is that it truly is an amazing community—we have gotten a great education for our children and have met a fun and diverse group of fellow parents. By day,



I am Chief Strategy Officer at Possible Worldwide, one of the largest global digital advertising agencies. At Possible, I lead the company’s Strategic Planning organization. When not working or playing with the girls, I enjoy running, writing and fixing up our 167-year-old house in Clifton.

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Datha Harrison

My partner, Lisa Butler, and I have two daughters at TNSM. Claire started in the preprimary at age 3 in 2004 and Emma followed a year later. I joined the Board in 2005 and am currently President of the Board and Co -Chair of the Development Committee. I am honored to be a part of The New School Montessori community and to serve on its Board.

I am an account executive for American Solutions for Business, a distributor of customized print, promotional products and business forms. A native of Indianapolis, I have lived in Cincinnati since 1995.

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Sarai Hedges

My husband Mario and I are parents of two boys at TNSM. Both boys started in the preprimary program at age 3 (Luka began in 2006 and Niko in 2009). My husband and I are dedicated to supporting the nurturing environment and the exceptional individualized academics that drew us to and has kept us in the TNSM community.

I am a statistics professor at the University of Cincinnati and have experience in project management. I was a former Board member of a non-profit daycare and am involved in continuous improvement as a Six Sigma Green Belt. In joining the Board, I will use my experience and skills to ensure that current and future generations of children may benefit from the experiences at TNSM that provide wonderful memories and solid foundations for their lifetimes.

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Tammy Maring

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Thanks to my parents, I had the great privilege of attending a Montessori school from preschool through 8th grade. I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and my Master’s degree from the Medical College of Ohio. I currently work as an Occupational Therapist in local nursing homes and hospitals. I live in Anderson Township with my husband, Scott, and our children Matthew and Christopher who both attend The New School Montessori.

I enjoy being part of a group of committed, energized parents who take so much pride and ownership in their children’s education. TNSM seamlessly blends an academically rigorous program with love and compassion. I am honored to give back to a school community that has enriched my children’s lives in so many ways. I know when I drop my kids off at TNSM, they are being cared for and nurtured, as they would be at home with me.

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John Neyer

My wife, Sara, and I are the proud parents of two TNSM "works in progress," our daughters Hope and Kate. From our first tour of the school, I have been so impressed with the complete child-centered nature of the staff and of all decisions made at the school. The commitment to meeting each child where he or she is right then is abundantly evident in the way it has helped our girls reach their full potential at every stage.

I am a life-long, eighth-generation Cincinnatian, currently living in Amberley Village. Professionally, I am CEO at Neyer Management, the region's largest manager of commercial real estate and also a partner in a variety of real estate and operating businesses. At work, I manage the finance and operations of 170 different business entities. I look forward to sharing some of that exposure and experience with the TNSM community. I see it as my role to provide a strong platform so TNSM’s wonderful educators can focus their energy doing the child-centered work they do so well.

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Dean Oester

The New School's Montessori-based curriculum is a shining jewel in Cincinnati and has been, and continues to be, a great experience for our children. TNSM, like all private schools, faces an ever-changing set of expectations and challenges. I am particularly interested in the implementation of a facilities plan that addresses the current and future needs of the TNSM community.

I am employed by Cognis Corporation as a Business Development Manager for Functional Products with current responsibilities in the areas of mosquito control and oil recovery. I have a BA from Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. I did post graduate work at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA where I met my wife Dee. We live in Columbia Township with our son, Garret, a TNSM alum now at Walnut Hills High School, and our daughter, Hope, a happy denizen of TNSM’s Annex. I’m enjoying my second term as a Trustee and am currently leading the Facilities Committee.

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My husband, Michael Schwartz and I have three children, Adam, Samantha and Abby Schwartz. Adam and Samantha are proud alums of TNSM and currently attend Walnut Hills. Our youngest, Abby, is very excited to move to the annex.

We found The New School Montessori in 1998 when we were looking for a preschool for Adam and we have been a part of this community ever since. TNSM has been a nurturing, supportive, creative environment for our children. I have served as a volunteer for many projects at TNSM, including serving as a board member, and I am excited to join the board again.

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Mark Raider

I am a professor in the History Department at the University of Cincinnati and am married to Dr. Miriam Raider-Roth, who is a professor in the College of Education at UC. We have three children and live in the North Avondale community. Our oldest children, Jonah and Emma attend Walnut Hills High school while Talia attends TNSM.

We have had wonderful experiences with independent progressive schools, first in Albany, New York, and now in Cincinnati. We are thrilled to be part of the New School community. We know Talia is getting a terrific education in a nurturing environment that values diversity, social responsibility, and intellectual growth. I am looking forward to serving on the Board and working with other parents, supporters, and community members to help build and sustain TNSM in the years ahead.

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Bruce Swift

My wife, Kristy, and I are the proud parents of Katherine and Charles who are in the TNSM preprimary program. We believe our children are very fortunate to have exemplary teachers at TNSM, and we have been impressed by the academic progress our children have made. Our whole family has benefited greatly from TNSM’s approach to fostering the whole child.

I am currently Vice President Shared Services with Catholic Health Partners. In my 19 years with CHP I have held several positions including financial analyst at the former Mercy Hospital, Hamilton and Director of Finance with CHP’s Southwest Ohio region. My degree in finance is from the University of Florida. I am happy to serve on the TNSM Finance Committee and look forward to an opportunity to participate on the Board.

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