Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees (BOT) is a dedicated group of widely talented individuals committed to preserving and improving Butler Montessori and its mission as an AMI Montessori School serving toddlers through young adolescents. The Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that the head of school has the resources, guidance and support needed to successfully operate Butler Montessori and the Butler Camp and Equestrian programs. Passionate about ensuring Butler Montessori’s continued success of providing an outstanding education on its exceptional campus classroom, the Board of Trustees meets regularly and carries its work forward through standing committees: Finance, Development, External Marketing and Buildings, Grounds and Stewardship. The Head of School, Business Manager and a staff/teacher representative (non-voting members) round out the Board.

Butler Montessori Board of Trustees – Voting Members

Name Freddie Gratz

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Passionate about education and helping nonprofits

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Finance Committee chair

Day Job Squire, Lemkin + Company LLP, Senior Auditor

Education Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia, M.B.A.

Shepherd University, B.S., Accounting and Business Administration

Name Janet McDonell

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Passionate about Montessori education, former Butler Montessori teacher

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Montessori expert

Day Job Loyola University, the Washington Montessori Institute, Director of Training at the primary level

Education Loyola University, M.Ed., Montessori Education
Ohio Montessori Training Institute, American Montessori Institute (AMI) Elementary Diploma; Montessori Teacher Training Institute of Northern California, AMI Special Education Diploma

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, B.A., comparative literature

Name Jim Merriam

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of four Butler graduates and interested in giving back to the school

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Buildings, Grounds and Stewardship Committee member, Master Electrician for 30 years; as a 20-year business owner, brings level-headedness and both technical and business expertise to the board

Day Job JKM Electric Inc., President/Owner

Education Walter Johnson High School, Bethesda, Maryland

Ferrum College, Ferrum, Virginia, Four-year electrical apprentice graduate (going to school two nights a week while working 40+ hours a week in the trade)

What I love about Butler Montessori “All of my children have excelled because of the education and values received during their years here.”

Name Christine Neigh

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of current students

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or expertise Development Committee Chair, Human Resources and Leadership Coaching expertise

Day Job Neigh Consulting, LLC, Owner

Education Johns Hopkins University, M.S., Strategic Human Resources and Organizational Development; Chatham University, B.A., Political Science with Minors in Economics and Philosophy; Company Certified Executive Coach

What I love about Butler Montessori “Our family is blessed and grateful to have found a wonderful community at Butler Montessori with a community that respects and nurtures our children, fosters our love of learning, and not only encourages but expects independence and responsibility.”

Name Lynn Perry Parker

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Passionate about education

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or expertise Provides legal counsel to Butler Montessori

Day Job LPP Law, Principal Owner and Attorney

Education The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Doctor of Law (J.D.); The George Washington University, B.A., Political Science with an Economics Minor

Name Kim Krause Schwalm

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of two Butler graduates

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise External Marketing Committee Chair; past President of Butler Parent Connection (BPC); creative, growth-oriented business builder with nearly three decades of marketing experience

Day Job Creative Synergy Inc., Copywriter and President

Education Loyola University Maryland, M.B.A., Marketing; Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, B.S., Mathematics and Statistics

What I love about Butler Montessori “Knowing my children had the best possible educational experience and environment during their years here from age 3 through 8th grade, which helped lay the foundation for them growing into responsible, independent and happy young adults.”

Name Deborah Sholtes

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of two Butler graduates

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Board of Trustees President

Day Job U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Tobacco Products, Program Analyst

Education Partnership for Public Service–Excellence in Government Fellows; Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, Senior Executive Fellows; Washington University in St. Louis, M.S., Engineering and Public Policy; Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, B.S., Environmental Geology

What I love about Butler Montessori “Butler Montessori allowed our family to follow the interests of our children and not the narrow requirements of a limited curriculum. The confidence my children gained has helped them both work towards realizing their dreams.”

Name Amy Silins

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of current students

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Finance Committee Member, expertise in Information Technology, Strategic Planning and Program and Portfolio Governance

Day Job Emergent BioSolutions, Senior Director, Project Management Office

Education University of Vermont, B.S., Computer Science with an Economics Minor

What I love about Butler Montessori “We are thankful to have found Butler Montessori. It has been a special place that has supported the development of our daughters’ whole self through experiential learning of academics, music, arts, nature and physical education. It has guided them toward independence and created the basis for education as a lifelong endeavor.”

Name Sandy Wright

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent of two Butler graduates

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Buildings, Grounds and Stewardship Chair

Day Job Perkins Coie LLP, International Trade Analyst

Education University of New Hampshire, B.A., Political Science and Economics

What I love about Butler Montessori “The creative, independent, yet collaborative, disposition that the education at Butler Montessori developed in my two young adult children.”

Butler Montessori Board of Trustees – Non-Voting Members

Name Scott Chidakel

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent to current Butler student

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Finance Committee

Day Job Butler Montessori, Business Manager

Education University of Maryland, B.A.

Name Lisa Daly

Connection to Butler/Interest in Serving on the Board Parent to current Butler student

BOT Role, Committee Membership and/or Expertise Staff Representative

Day Job Butler Montessori, Media and IT Specialist/Intermediate Math Teacher

Education Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, M.A.; Virginia Tech, B.A.

Name Laura Manack