Meet the Board
The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Sandy Spring Friends School (SSFS), whose primary responsibilities are to determine and maintain the character of SSFS, establish overall policy, conduct strategic planning, ensure the financial stability of the school, and assess the school's effectiveness in manifesting the mission, philosophy, and vision of SSFS.
In doing its work, the Board is guided by the Quaker testimonies of service, simplicity, equality, integrity, stewardship of the environment, and the peaceful resolution of conflict. The Board also endeavors to follow best practices of boards of trustees of independent schools. In this effort, the Board seeks guidance from the Friends Council on Education, the National Association of Independent School, the Association of Independent Maryland Schools, and the Association of Independent Schools of the Greater Washington Area.
To further promote the welcoming and nurturing learning environment at SSFS, the Board has developed statements on sustainability, anti-discrimination and diversity to help guide its own work as well as the broader School community.
As required in the Board’s By-Laws, a majority of the Board must be members of the Religious Society of Friends. Eight board members are appointed by the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, and four members are appointed by the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The Board of Trustees appoints the remaining members. Board members are appointed for terms of three years and may be reappointed for one additional term. The Board is organized with several officers including a Clerk, Assistant Clerk, Recording Clerk, and Treasurer. The Board organizes itself into several committees which assist in conducting its work.
Meet the Board
Barbara Andrews has worked in the education field in early childhood, elementary and before and after school for over 30 years. She has experience in the government, non-profit and school sectors. After working as a teacher in early childhood she attained an M.A. in Education and Human Development from George Washington University and a Doctorate in Education from George Mason University. She has worked as an administrator, a grants and professional development specialist, a college professor and a trainer with students and professionals in education. While she has worked with all age groups from infancy through adulthood, Barbara’s specialization has always been in early childhood education. She has worked with the NAEYC Academy in accreditation and with the local affiliate in Virginia; The Progressive Education Network and a local regional progressive educator’s network and currently serves on several boards and commissions as part of her work as the Administrator for Early Childhood Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Montgomery County, MD. Barbara has extensive experience presenting at local, state and national conferences.
As a birthright Friend, Barbara’s Quaker roots stem from her father, James Andrews, and family heritage. She was a childhood member of Scarsdale, NY Friend’s Meeting, graduated from Sidwell Friends in Washington, DC, was a member at Washington Friends Meeting (Florida Avenue) before moving to the Sandy Spring area and transferring membership to Sandy Spring Friends Meeting. Barbara also spent several years working with Children’s Creative Response to Conflict and had the pleasure of co-facilitating some training with Lee Stern at the then Sandy Spring Friend’s Elementary School and she has also done training at Friend’s Meeting School and other independent schools. Barbara’s parents stem from Philadelphia Quakers where James Andrews graduated from Germantown Friends and Haverford and was active with the Friend’s Service Committee during WWII. Family members have attended Oakwood, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges.
Gregory Arms graduated from West Virginia University in 1976 with a BS in Agriculture. He worked with horticultural crops on a family farm; ornamentals in his own greenhouse business; and trees for commercial landscape projects.
Gregory worked at The Omega Institute where he discovered a deep interest in the body-mind connection. He eventually studied massage and for the past 20 years Gregory has worked with clients and taught massage with an emphasis on Neuromuscular Therapy.
Gregory is a convinced Quaker and member of Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting. He has enjoyed sitting with Friends in New York, Maine, Washington, North Carolina, and Washington, DC. He served two terms as a Board Member for Friends Meeting School in Ijamsville, MD and served as the co-clerk of its Finance Committee. He is a former clerk of the Ministry and Council Committee of Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting.
His wife Valerie Tate and her sister Louise Hood graduated from Sandy Spring Friends School in the mid 70’s and their parents, Myra and Toby Tate, both taught at the school.
After finishing a large renovation on his mid-century modern house, Gregory is currently recreating a garden, managing family investments, and working with longtime massage clients.
Marion Ballard: Photo and bio coming soon!
Katherine Wingfield Barry joined the SSFS community in 2005. Since that time, she has been an active member, serving in multiple volunteer leadership capacities, including grade representative, division representative, LS Head Search Committee, and Clerk of the Parents Association. Katherine joined the board in 2014.
Katherine worked at the Child Welfare League of America for over ten years. During her tenure, she spearheaded program and policy initiatives which reduced the impact of alcohol and other drugs abuse on children and families involved with the child welfare system. Katherine is also on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Laps for Lexi and the Naples Manor Homeowners Association.
Katherine grew up in northern New Jersey. She received a B.A. in Religion from Wesleyan University and earned a Masters in Social Work from Catholic University. She and her husband, Will, are raising three children - Matthew (a former SSFS student), Joshua (Class of 2021) and Elizabeth (Class of 2025).
Darryl Britt has been affiliated with Sandy Spring Friends School since 2012, when his youngest of three children, Mike ('18), started seventh grade. An avid supporter of education and the son of a teacher, Darryl spends much time inside and outside of work supporting academic growth through mentoring and intern opportunities for college bound high school and college students. Darryl, a native of Philadelphia, received a BS in Mathematics and MS Industrial Administration, both at Carnegie Mellon University.
Professionally, Darryl Britt is President and Founder of Apprio Inc., a provider of specialized technology solutions, focused at the intersection of federal health and homeland defense. With more than 30 years in business, his experience includes leading both technology and software product development organizations for public, private, and startup companies, following a prior management consulting career with Deloitte. Under Darryl’s direction, Apprio developed the federal government’s Disaster Medical Information Suite (DMIS), an electronic health record (EHR) and situational awareness solution used to manage medical care during federal disasters such as the Gulf Oil Spill and the Haiti Earthquake.
As a proud grandfather of 10, Darryl envisions a long relationship with Sandy Spring Friends School. Fostering the growth of SSFS capabilities, and proliferation of the “Let Your Lives Speak” motto, are central to Darryl’s support of the SSFS community.
Lauren Brownlee joined the SSFS board in 2014. Lauren was a "lifer" at Sidwell Friends School, graduating in 2001. She first visited Sandy Spring Friends School for a Quaker Youth Leadership Conference while in high school. She worked at Sidwell for seven years as Assistant Director of Auxiliary Programs and a history teacher, and she served as clerk of the Upper School Quaker Life Committee. She is a member of Bethesda Friends Meeting, where she is an active member of the Peace and Social Justice Committee. She is also a member of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting Peace and Social Concerns and Growing Diverse Leadership committees. She is also on the Quaker Palestine-Israel Network Steering Committee and the DC Peace Team.
Lauren graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Ancient Greek and Classical Civilization and from Georgetown with an M.A. in Global, International and Comparative History. She also completed the Friends Council on Education's Institute on Engaging Leadership in Friends Schools and had an article, "Recognizing Teacher Activism," published in the Friends Council book Leading in the Light: Celebrating 325 Years of Quaker Education. She is currently the Director of Social Action at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart.
Lois Clark Lois Clark joined the SSFS Board in July, 2017. Her three children are graduates of SSFS- Kelly (Class of 1985), Michele (Class of 1987) and Isaac (Class of 1993).
Lois earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Shippensburg University(PA) and a M.Ed in Reading and Special Education from Loyola College in Baltimore. She retired after teaching in the Baltimore County and Howard County public schools for 29 years. Currently, she teaches reading and First Year Experience classes at Howard Community College as an adjunct instructor.
Lois and her husband, Michael live in Ellicott City. She grew up in the Church of the Brethren and became a convinced Quaker in the early 70s. She has been a member of Sandy Spring Friends Meeting for 28 years and has served on numerous committees.
Tom Clouse joined the board in 2015. Tom received his B.A. in journalism from George Washington University, where he also completed law school and attained an M.F.S. in Forensic Science. Tom’s extensive experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications in the chemical arts and biotechnology includes technical expertise in small molecule therapeutics, biomarkers, and gene therapies. He also negotiates research and development contracts, patent and biological material license agreements and inter-institutional agreements to bring technologies to the marketplace. In this capacity, Tom has negotiated agreements with large pharmaceutical companies, small and mid-sized biotech companies, and not-for-profit research institutions and universities. Tom was appointed to the Board by the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting.
Jeff Eagle is an award-winning and Emmy-nominated writer, producer and director who has developed and delivered countless hours of content across theatrical, television and digital platforms. He currently leads AARP Studios as its Vice President and Executive Producer. In this role, Jeffrey supervises all the digital video production for AARP’s 38 million members and its affiliated charity, AARP Foundation. His personal emphasis on telling real multigenerational stories that inform, inspire and entertain has increased AARP’s viewing audiences on all digital and social platforms.
Jeffrey has had a successful 25 year career in television and documentary production in both Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA. Immediately prior to joining AARP in 2015, he served as the Executive Producer and Senior Director at Discovery Digital Studios, where his Discovery Channel interactive documentary, Whale Wars: Blood and Water, won several awards, including two 2014 Webby awards.
Previously, Jeffrey produced television, documentary and educational content for A&E, HBO, Warner Bros., Paramount, Disney, Marvel, NBC Universal Studios and the SyFy Channel. He has also produced a variety of documentaries, digital content, and live events for the American Film Institute.
Jeffrey and his family are very involved members of the Sandy Spring Meeting. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons at Sandy Spring Friends School, Xander and Griffin. In the past, Jeffrey has served as a Middle School representative and been a part of the Athletic Committee. Jeffrey and his family have also been involved with SSFS's International Homestay Program as they have hosted several students for the past few years. Jeffrey looks forward to being a part of the SSFS Board to support the growth of this very special school.
Toni Evans taught Middle School Science at Sandy Spring Friends School for 21 years, from 1993-2014. Her husband Bruce taught Theater Arts in the Upper School from 1994-2014. Their daughter Sarah attended SSFS through 1999 and daughter Anna graduated from SSFS in 2008. Toni is thrilled to return to SSFS in the capacity of trustee.
Toni graduated from Earlham College in 1979 with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. She was a founding member of Community Friends School of Crossville, Tennessee, and served on the Board and as Head of School. She taught at Thornton Friends School from 1989-1993. She served on the board of Friends Elementary School until it merged with Sandy Spring Friends School. She is a convinced Friend and attends Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting.
Hamid Faruqee has been a part of the Sandy Spring Friends School community since 2003 when his daughter Serena ('16) started kindergarten. His son Siraj ('20) started at Sandy Spring Friends School in 2006 in pre-kindergarten. Hamid and his wife Susan have served as a welcoming family for new students. Susan has also been actively involved with Sandy Spring Friend’s Celebration of Science event since 2008.
As an economist, Hamid works in Washington, DC, as a senior staff member at the International Monetary Fund where he has served for over 22 years. He is currently head of regional studies in the Western Hemisphere Department and also leads the IMF mission assisting the government of Paraguay. Hamid also serves in IMF mentorship programs for junior staff.
Hamid graduated from Williams College with B.A. degrees in mathematics and economics and received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Princeton University. He was also a lecturer at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and recipient of the teaching prize at Princeton. Born in Dhaka, Hamid travels to Bangladesh every other year to visit his extended family.
Christopher (Chris) J. Gearon is an independent writer who has been making health, money, and education issues understandable for consumer and professional audiences for over 25 years. Since 1999, he has operated his own writing and communications business. His clients include AARP, U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger's Retirement Report, the Washington Post, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other notable associations and organizations.
Chris and his wife, Jean (a clinical psychologist), are the proud parents of Jake (Class of 2015) and Kate (Class of 2018). The family has been associated with SSFS for more than a decade.
Daryl Ellen Gincherman '87 joined the SSFS board in the summer of 2017. She has been an active volunteer in the SSFS parents association since joining the school community, and served as a division representative to the middle school for the past two years.
Daryl made a mid-life career change and is now working happily as a licensed counselor practicing psychotherapy in a private practice in the Rockville area. Prior to that, Daryl worked for over 20 years in non-profit management, with a focus on maternal and child health.
Daryl enjoys the outdoors and loves hiking, skiing, and taking in natural beauty in a variety of settings. Daryl has been a life-long soccer fan and player and continues to play in women’s adult leagues whenever she can find the time. Yoga and meditation are newfound passions which she uses to fortify her mental and physical well-being.
Daryl grew up in Maryland and is an alumni of Sandy Spring Friends School (class of 1987). She received a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992, a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and a Masters in Clinical Counseling from Johns Hopkins University in 2013. She has two children at the school - Maya (Class of 2021) and Ella (Class of 2023).
Kip Imlay ‘71, Assistant Clerk, describes his three years at SSFS as the most profound and positive institutional experience of his life. After Barry Morley and Phil Howard provided him an introduction to metaphysics and philosophy, Kip graduated with honors from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, in 1975 with a B.A. with honors in Philosophy. He received his J.D. from the American University’s Washington College of Law in 1978 and has practiced communications law since then, representing clients before the Federal Communications Commission. Kip and his wife Rita Kruhm live in Cloverly, MD, and spend weekends at their retreat in western Maryland. Kip plays the great highland bagpipes in solo competitions and with the MacMillan Pipe Band, and is an active outdoorsman and ham radio operator.
Kip is proud to have maintained close ties with SSFS over the years: “The school has done as fine a job educating our daughter Bonnie (Class of 2003) and our son Ashton (Class of 2008) as it did for me. It provides a constant source of inspiration spiritually and culturally, and a source of comfort when we need it. SSFS is a community that is always open, welcoming and available to its alumni.”
Jodi Leeser, Clerk, has been affiliated with Sandy Spring Friends School since 2002. In 2012, she was appointed to the Board of Trustees by Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting.
Jodi has been associated with Quakerism since the late 1980s and was married under the care of Byberry Monthly Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Largely due to the influences of Sandy Spring Friends School, Jodi became a convinced Quaker in early 2008. Jodi’s additional volunteer commitments at SSFS have frequently included positions within the Parents Association. She has been a grade representative and has both served on the Auction Committee as well as clerked it.
Jodi is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. She and her husband, David, have two children. Their daughter, Lexie, is a member of the Class of 2017. Their son, Harry, graduated from SSFS in 2014.
Tanya Lehky '74 joined the SSFS Board of Trustees in 2017. She is a neurologist and neurophysiologist who has worked at the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health for over 20 years. As Chief of the Electromyography Section, she is engaged in many clinical research projects seeking to better understand the role of the peripheral nervous system in disease. She is also an associate professor at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD and has mentored many neurology residents and clinical neurophysiology fellows through the years. She is a graduate of Bard College (’78) as a dance major and received her MD from Georgetown University ('85).
Tanya joined Adelphi Friends Meeting at age 13 being drawn to the simple Quaker ways. She is an alumnus of SSFS '74. She and her husband, Ed Eisenstein, are active members of SSFM having both taught in 1st day school and served in SSFM committees. Their adult daughters, Sabrina and Ariana, were both part of the SSFM community growing up.
Lai-Fong Leung has been affiliated with Sandy Spring Friends School since 2000. Her son was a lifer at SSFS. He graduated in 2012 and considers SSFS as his home away from home. Lai-Fong joined the Board in 2015.
Lai-Fong was born in Ho Chi Ming City, Vietnam, grew up in Vientiane, Laos, and immigrated to the United States in 1974. She finished high school at Herndon High, and went on to receive her B.A. in Chemistry at the University of Virginia and M.S. in Computer Science at George Washington University.
Lai-Fong joined IBM in 1983. She is a Senior Software Engineer. Over her thirty-plus years with IBM, Lai-Fong has worked on a variety of complex technical jobs from developing sonar software for the Department of the Navy, to testing and integration, software architecture, and client enablement. Recently, Lai-Fong worked on a proof of concept e-Commerce solution that led to an award by the USAID for its Procurement and Supply Management system.
Lai-Fong grew up in a Buddhist household with a strong Confucian leaning. She became a Christian in college. She is always drawn by SSFS’s motto, “Let Your Lives Speak.” She hopes that her multi-cultural background and her experience as an international student when she came as a tenth grader to the United States will help her serve the SSFS community with sensitivity and understanding.
Bob Mikkelson joined the board in 2014. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Bob graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a BS Mass Communications. Bob came to Washington in 1974 as an intern for Senator Hubert Humphrey and later joined Jimmy Carter’s 1976 Presidential Campaign. Bob then served as a Special Assistant to the FAA Administrator. An entrepreneur at heart, Bob founded Winged Vision Inc., a provider of live aerial television coverage for major sporting events. A six-time Emmy award-winning cameraman, Bob is best known for his aerial camera work covering the PGA tour from the MetLife blimp. His camera work for the past 30 years has also included the Olympics, World Cup Soccer, NFL football, The Triple Crown, and countless other major events. Winged Vision crews currently provide aerial coverage for approximately 170 events per year. Bob is a 2013 Distinguished Alumnus Minnesota State University Moorhead, and a Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame 2016 inductee.
Bob has served on the Strategic Planning, Advancement and Branding Committees and currently serves on the Finance Committee. Bob and his wife Lisa have been involved with SSFS since 2008 and are the parents of Jane Mikkelson (2019) and two SSFS alums, Eddie (2017) a freshman at American University and Julia (2015) a junior at the University of Hartford. Lisa has served as a Middle School Division Representative. Bob and Lisa call Laytonsville, MD, home.
Ken Pollack joined the Sandy Spring Friends School Board of Trustees in July, 2013. Ken is Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of American Capital, Ltd., an investment firm focusing on middle market private equity, leveraged finance, real estate, energy and infrastructure and structured products. At American Capital, Ken oversees legal services for its and its affiliates’ investment activities and regulatory compliance matters. Prior to joining American Capital, Ltd., Ken was associated with Arnold & Porter, LLP, where some of his proudest accomplishments were in pro bono matters focusing on disability rights and urban renewal.
Having grown up in Nashville, Tennessee, Ken earned his bachelor degree in International Relations from Tufts University and his law degree from Vanderbilt University.
Ken and his wife, Ann, are the proud parents of three boys. Two of their children, Jared (Class of 2021) and Miles (Class of 2021), have attended SSFS since Kindergarten.
Cynthia Raposo became part of the Sandy Spring Friends School community in 1997 when her daughter, Mariana Furey ('10), entered Kindergarten. She soon became actively involved in the Parents Association, serving as a grade and division representative and volunteering to assist with various school activities, including running the ”general store” at Winterfest and performing in and supporting the community plays. Her most memorable experience was traveling as a parent chaperone with Ligia Molina-Gorton and a group of Middle School students to Guatemala in 2006 to visit Mi Refugio.
Professionally, Cynthia is an attorney, who recently retired after practicing for 31 years. Her expertise is in intellectual property, litigation and general business. Her most recent position was Senior Vice President, Legal at Under Armour, Inc., where she worked for over 10 years, building the legal team from the bottom up.
She has served on the Board of the Maryland Humanities since 2013, and is an active supporter of the Sandy Spring Museum.
Cynthia graduated from Emmanuel College with a B.A. in Russian language. She received an M.A. in Slavic Language and Literature from Brown University, and a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Deborah Rose joined the SSFS Board in 2015. She is the product of an excellent, progressive, public school education in Scarsdale, New York—home to a large farming community of Friends in the early 1700s that still today harbors a neighborhood known as Quaker Ridge.
Deborah is a chronic disease epidemiologist, with over 20 years’ experience designing and analyzing modules of the National Health Interview Survey. Her husband, Jan A. J. Stolwijk, is a biophysicist, retired university professor, and former Dean of the Yale School of Public Health. Their daughter Sarah was an enthusiastic member of the Class of 2013 at Sandy Spring Friends School, and is an equally valued member of the Class of 2017 at Yale University.
Deborah’s interests include singing (she sang alto with board member Laurita Portee in the chorus of the SSFS Community Play production of The Mikado in 2012), and encouraging sustainable development in Yamoransa, Ghana. She is co-chair of an international conference on National ID Numbers, to be held in Boston next fall.
Deborah earned a B.A. in Culture in Behavior, an M.P.H, and a Ph.D in public health from Yale. She earned an S.M. in population studies from the school of public health at Harvard, where she currently holds an appointment as a Visiting Scholar. She is intrigued by Head of School Tom Gibian’s question “What Does Better Look Like?” at Sandy Spring Friends School.
Phil Schwarz '63 is a member of the Sandy Spring Class of 1963, the first class at the school. He then received his B.A. at Earlham College in history with international study in Germany and Austria. He subsequently spent two years in Iran with the Peace Corps, where he taught English and played basketball for the city team in Iran's top league. After the Peace Corps, Phil received an M.A. in International Relations from South Carolina.
Phil pursued a career in international insurance with Chubb and AIG. He spent more than 32 years overseas. He and his wife, Barbara, have lived in Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Dubai, and London.
He and Barbara are now retired, splitting their time between Arlington, VA, and Cocoa Beach, FL. They have one son, Jay, a lawyer working in Washington D.C.
Santosh ("Sonny") Sharma is a Senior Software Consultant at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD. He has supported Fixed Asset Management, Oracle Business Portal, and various NIST Financial Applications during his time there. Prior to that, Sonny worked at Mantech International, Northrop Grumman, and Active Data Systems as a software consultant.
Sonny got his Bachelor of Engineering degree at Delhi University, India and a Master of Engineering at Mississippi State University. He also got an MBA degree from University of Maryland at College Park.
Sonny and his wife, Manjul, are proud parents of Rohan Sharma ('16) and Richa Sharma ('22).
Cynthia Richie Terrell graduated from Germantown Friends School in 1982 and Swarthmore College in 1986; she has Quaker roots that date to the 1600s. She worked on congressional and presidential election campaigns before co-founding the non-profit FairVote with her husband in 1992. While raising three children, who now attend Sidwell Friends School, she has served on the national board of the American Friends Service Committee, FairVote, Sandy Spring Friends School, and on the boards of a number of local organizations. She is an active member of Bethesda Friends Meeting, where she is involved with a number of committees and has served as clerk of the Quaker Life committee in the Middle and Upper schools at Sidwell Friends School.