About | Governance | WIS

Governance

IN THIS SECTION


The information below outlines the key aspects of Washington International School's governance.

What is the WIS Board of Trustees?

The Board is the School’s governing body.

WIS was founded in 1966 as a not-for-profit corporation, with no shareholders or owners. The founders established an initial Board and specified that the Board would elect new trustees, and thus be self-perpetuating. This is the governance model for most US independent schools.

WIS Articles of Incorporation

More information on the structure, role, and composition of the Board can be found HERE.

Each year members of the Board are asked to complete a questionnaire certifying their financial independence from the school; that document can be found HERE.

The Board bylaws are available HERE.

WHO ARE THE TRUSTEES AND HOW ARE THEY SELECTED?

Trustees are unpaid volunteers from varying professional, cultural, and geographic backgrounds. They believe in and support the WIS mission.

They represent no constituency. In some cases, individual trustees devote hundreds of hours a year to the School. The majority are current WIS parents, but trustees also include WIS alumni, parents of alumni, and friends of the School.

The selection process is outlined HERE, and information about current trustees can be found below.

What does the Board do?

The Board’s responsibility is to ensure the long-term success of WIS as an institution. Its primary activities include monitoring the School’s financial management, fundraising, strategic planning (2020 Strategic Plan), setting high-level policies (available HERE), ensuring the School has adequate physical resources, and the hiring, support, and evaluation of the head of school.

The Board relies on the head and the administration — as education professionals — for guidance on many of these issues. Committees and task forces carry out much of the Board's work, and several of those committees and task forces benefit from the participation of School administrators and non-trustee parents.

The committee charters are available HERE and more information about the functions of the committees is available HERE.

Where can I see the Strategic Plan?

CLICK HERE to read the 2020 Strategic Plan.

What does the head of school do?

The head of school is the chief executive officer of WIS as well as the voice of the School and the liaison between the School and community.

The head oversees the academic program and manages the School, with responsibility for operational matters including faculty and staff hiring/termination, vendor selection, student admissions, student discipline, space utilization/allocation, scheduling, and snow days.

The Board entrusts operational matters to the head, and the Board does not hear appeals by members of the community. The head is a non-voting, ex officio member of the Board of Trustees.

To view our Senior Leadership Team and Board Members, please select an option below:

Senior Leadership Team

Meet the Board

NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

The School admits qualified students without regard to race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, mental or physical disability, age, or any other status protected by applicable law, including the DC Human Rights Act, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School.

The School likewise complies with all applicable laws in the selection of its Board of Trustees and in the administration of its educational, admissions, scholarship and loan, athletic, and other School-administered policies and programs.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

The senior leadership team is composed of the following individuals:

SUZANNA JEMSBY | Head of School

Ms. Jemsby began her tenure at WIS after six years serving as Head of School at The Galloway School in Atlanta. At Galloway, she was recognized for strengthening the academic program and enrollment, and upgrading the school’s fundraising, marketing, and fiscal planning.

Prior to Galloway, Ms. Jemsby was Executive Director of the Center for the Advancement and Study of International Education (CASIE), an educational non-profit that provides professional development training to independent and public schools across North America. 

Altogether, she has three decades of experience at international and independent schools in the U.S. and Europe—including Frankfurt International School, Internationale Schule Frankfurt-Rhein-Main, and Atlanta International School—and deep knowledge of the IB program. In addition to her native English, she speaks Swedish, German, and French—and is now working on increasing her proficiency in Spanish.

Ms. Jemsby earned BA and MA degrees in Modern and Medieval Languages at the University of Cambridge, U.K. In 2015, she became a Fellow in the Head of School Program of the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University. Suzanna also attended the London College of Music, and is an avid cellist. She and husband Bjoern have three daughters, one who has graduated from WIS and two in the Upper School.

NATASHA BHALLA | Associate Head of School
Ms. Bhalla attended WIS for her primary school years, after her family moved to the United States from India. She earned a BA in English education at Virginia Tech and an MEd in social foundations of education at the University of Virginia. Before returning to WIS in 1999 to teach English, Ms. Bhalla spent three years teaching English in the Alexandria City Public School system. She was the WIS Middle School Principal from 2010-2016, after serving as the Assistant Principal for several years.
MARISA ALFORD | Director of Advancement
Ms. Alford ‘01 joined the Advancement team in 2014. This alumna returned to WIS with nearly ten years of development experience, first at the Manhattan Theatre Club, then at New York City Center, and, just prior to WIS, at Studio Theatre in Washington, DC. She obtained her BA in American Studies from Yale University.
RANDY ALTHAUS | Middle School Principal
Mr. Althaus came to WIS in 2014, after seven years at Jefferson Middle School in Arlington, VA. He is a Spanish speaker and was chosen to be a Fulbright-Hayes Scholar in Ethiopia. His education credentials include a BA from University of California, Berkeley in Linguistics, and an MA from Georgetown University in Teaching English as a Second Language.
KIMBERLY A. BENNETT | Director of Marketing and Communications
Ms. Bennett earned her BA with distinction in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia and her MBA from Georgetown University. Prior to joining WIS in 2008, she worked in international education at the US-China Education Trust and in strategic communications at The Kamber Group. While employed by the U.S. Department of Defense, she lived in East and South Asia. Ms. Bennett is reasonably fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has also studied French, Hindi, Russian, and Spanish.
CLAUDIA CÁRDENAS | Chief of Staff
Ms. Cárdenas is originally from Houston, Texas. She received her MAT from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She taught Middle School math for six years in local public and charter schools, where she earned the Teacher of the Year award for the 2020-2021 school year. She moved to DC in 2021 and transitioned into school administration before joining WIS in March 2022.
MARY HASTINGS MOORE | Director of Admissions and Financial Aid
Ms. Hastings Moore holds a BA and MA in art history from George Washington University. Before joining the WIS staff in 2003, she worked for over 12 years in marketing and sales for two telecommunications service companies. She also worked for five years in the membership office of the American Association of Museums.
ELISE HEIL | Director of the PDC @WIS
Ms. Heil is an experienced school leader with expertise in working with urban communities. Her experience centers around providing equitable and accessible learning opportunities for a diverse community of scholars. Prior to joining WIS in 2024, Ms. Heil was Chief Academic Officer for the Consortium of Catholic Academies of the Archdiocese of Washington. She began her teaching career as a middle school math teacher at the Sacred Heart School, moving into the role of principal after four years. She earned her BA in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MEd from Notre Dame of Maryland University.
ZARMINA HOTAKI | Upper School Principal

Ms. Hotaki joined WIS as Upper School Principal in 2023. She grew up in Northern Virginia and has over two decades of experience in education and counseling. She holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, a Postgraduate Certificate in Mind, Brain, and Teaching and a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Her doctoral research focused on a holistic approach to dual language learning. 

Ms. Hotaki served as a Secondary School Principal at the Qatar Leadership Academy and as Assistant Principal at The Saudi Academy of Washington, DC. She has held leadership and teaching roles at International Baccalaureate World Schools and has supported learners in an acute care psychiatric hospital in Northern VA.

JAVID MAJDI | Director of Information Technology
Mr. Majdi earned his BS from George Mason University. Prior to joining WIS in 2017, he worked as a Cloud Support Engineer at Amazon Web Services. Previously, he worked in various positions at different IT firms as a Senior Network Engineer, Solutions Architect, and IT Manager. He holds numerous industry-standard IT certifications such as Microsoft, Cisco, AWS, IBM, and Jamf.
SARAH MERIANOS | Director of Extended Learning

Ms. Merianos joined WIS as the Director of Extended Learning in 2023, with almost two decades of experience in educational program development and management. She previously served as the Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs at the Green Acres School in Maryland, and Director of Summer Programs at the Madeira School in Virginia. 

Prior to her work within the independent school community, Ms. Merianos designed, managed, and facilitated programs focused on intergenerational learning experiences at The National Building Museum, the Sam & Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts & Crafts, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

From 2006-2013, Ms. Merianos directed a large sailing and watersports camp for Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, spending many adventurous summers on Cape Cod. She holds a BFA in Art Education from Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and a MA in Nonprofit Management from Claremont Graduate University.

LYNDA MILLER | Primary School Principal

Mrs. Miller joined WIS in 2019 after four years as Lower Primary Principal at Atlanta International School. Prior to AIS, she was Deputy Primary Principal at Vienna International School in Austria for eight years and spent thirteen years teaching in public primary schools in her home country of Australia. 

Mrs. Miller earned a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor of Education from Charles Darwin University in Australia and a Masters of Education (Leadership and Management) from the Open University in the United Kingdom. She has also earned a Certificate in International School Leadership from the Principal's Training Centre and was awarded Teacher of Exemplary Practice in Australia.

FLOREAL PEDRAZO | Director of Athletics

Mr. Pedrazo joined WIS in 2020 after two years as area manager at SoFive, Inc. where he established new business locations for indoor athletics facilities in Maryland. His responsibilities included fiscal planning, marketing, hiring, and implementing management teams at the new centers. 

Prior to that, he worked at several athletics organizations, including the German Soccer Association and numerous universities (as soccer and tennis coach). He coached the James Madison University Men’s Soccer Team as the players participated in several NCAA tournaments, including the final eight appearances in 2018. Altogether he has over 10 years of experience in the sports industry. In addition to English, he is fluent in Spanish and a native German speaker.

Mr. Pedrazo earned his BA in Business Management at Birmingham Southern College and has a MS in Sports Management from Georgia State University, where he competed in D1 soccer as captain of both university teams. He and his partner Catalina have two daughters.

DALE TEMPLE | Director of Facilities and Operations
Prior to his arrival at WIS in 2013, Mr. Temple became Facilities Director of the Association of American Medical College in Washington, DC. He served as Facilities Director at the Seattle Country Day School from 1999-2010, where he supervised all aspects of the daily facility operations while also managing the school's large capital projects. Earlier in his career, he worked for the IKEA N.A. Group and for the University of Idaho. He received his BS from West Chester University and his CFM from the University of Washington.
CAROLINE WOOD | Director of Human Resources

Ms. Wood came to WIS in 2019 after more than four years at the Galloway School in Atlanta, GA, where she served as director of Human Resources. Ms. Wood previously worked at the City Schools of Decatur in Decatur, GA, where she managed all aspects of human resources for nine schools and more than 700 employees.

Ms. Wood began her career in education in the classroom as a second-grade teacher. She earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching from Emory University and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of Rochester. Her work experience also includes working in investor services for Morgan Stanley in New York City and a firm in Washington, DC.

ALDAINE WYNTER | Director of International-Mindedness, Diversity, and Inclusion

Mr. Wynter joined WIS in 2023, taking on the responsibility of becoming the School's first-ever Director of International-Mindedness, Diversity, and Inclusion. Previously, Mr. Wynter served as the Assistant Head of Pastoral and Operations at Wetherby Senior School in London. His responsibilities also extended to managing Wetherby's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives.

His work with diversity and inclusion began during his tenure at Dwight School London (his post prior to Wetherby); from 2020–2022 he was the Global Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, developing and executing strategies and programs for Dwight campuses in London, New York, Shanghai, Dubai, and Seoul.

Prior to moving into leadership roles, Mr. Wynter was a mathematics teacher. He has served as a mathematics examiner for the IB's Diploma Exams, and has also spoken at an IB conference on the subject of developing anti-racist strategies. He received his BEng in Robotics from the University of Plymouth and his MA in Social Justice & Education from University College London.

MEET THE BOARD

The Head of School and one of the WIS Parents Association co-presidents are ex officio members of the Board.

KEVIN BATTEH: 2024–2027

Industry/Expertise: Partner, Delta Strategy Group; financial services (legal, regulatory, government affairs)

Board Committee: Governance

WIS Connection: Kevin has three children enrolled in the WIS Spanish program; they are members of the Classes of 2027, 2029, and 2033.

LEANNA BEABER: 2019–2025 (Vice Chair)

Industry/Expertise: legal (securities, finance, governance)

Board Committees: Co-Chair, Governance; Advancement

WIS Connection: Leanna has two children enrolled at WIS, in the Classes of 2031 and 2033.

DAVID BRIGSTOCKE: 2022–2025

Industry/Expertise: financial services (finance, strategy, risk management, operations)

Board Committees: Finance; Chair, Investment Subcommittee

WIS Connection: David and Head of School Suzanna Jemsby serve together on the Magdalene College (Cambridge University) Foundation Board.

MELISSA BURNETT: 2018–2026 (Chair)

Industry/Expertise: design (interiors and decorative arts)

Board Committees: As Board Chair, Mel sits on all committees.

WIS Connection: Mel's son is a member of the Class of 2030.

LEAH CHANG: 2023–2026

Industry/Expertise: author and historian

Board Committees: Advancement; Governance

WIS Connection: Leah has two childern currently enrolled (Classes of 2026 and 2029) and a Class of 2022 graduate.

RACHEL FIRSCHEIN: 2021–2027

Industry/Expertise: Raymond James & Associates, Executive Director of Taxable Fixed Income Sales and Trading

Board Committees: Advancement; Finance; Investment Subcommittee

WIS Connection: One of Rachel's daughters is a member of the Class of 2031; her older daughter attended WIS through Grade 10.

WESLEY FLAMER-BINION: 2021–2027

Industry/Expertise: Toronto-Dominion Bank, Director of Credit for the Bank's Investment Portfolio

Board Committee: Co-Chair, Facilities

WIS Connection: Wesley is a proud WIS graduate!

ALFONSO GARCIA MORA: 2024–2027

Industry/Expertise: International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group); Vice President for Europe, Latin America, and Caribbean

Board Committee: Finance

WIS Connection: Alfonso has three children enrolled at WIS—in the Classes of 2026, 2034, and 2035—and is also the parent of two alumni (Classes of 2018 and 2021).

LORENZO GIORGIANNI: 2023–2026

Industry/Expertise: Tudor Investment Corporation, Partner and Global Head of Research

Board Committees: Finance; Investment Subcommittee

WIS Connection: Lorenzo's children are WIS alumni, from the Classes of 2021 and 2024.

CRISTINA GOMEZ: 2023–2026

Industry/Expertise: Gartner, Practice Vice President, Marketing & Communications Research Practice

Board Committees: Co-Chair, Governance; Advancement

WIS Connection: Cristina's two daughters are enrolled at WIS, in the Classes of 2033 and 2036.

SCOT HAGERTHEY: 2024–2027

Industry/Expertise: Environmental Protection Agency, National Program Director for the Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program

Board Committee: Advancement

WIS Connection: Scot's son is a member of the Class of 2029.

SOPHIE HAWKINS: 2020–2026

Industry/Expertise: investment banking and asset management

Board Committees: Advancement; Facilities

WIS Connection: Sophie's children are WIS alumnae, from the Classes of 2022 and 2023.

RENATA HESSE: 2019–2025

Industry/Expertise: Sullivan & Price Litigation Group (antitrust, intellectual property)

Board Committees: Facilities; Governance

WIS Connection: Renata's two children are in the Classes of 2025 and 2026.

NICHOLAS HILL: 2023–2026

Industry/Expertise: Bates White Economic Consulting, Partner

Board Committee: Advancement

WIS Connection:  Nicholas is a WIS alumnus (Class of 1991) and has a son in the Class of 2036.

ROHIT KUMAR: 2021–2027

Industry/Expertise: PwC, Principal and Co-Leader, Washington National Tax Office

Board Committees: Chair, Advancement

WIS Connection: Rohit's daughter is a member of the Class of 2028.

EDGAR NEHME: 2019–2025

Industry/Expertise: Keystone Group, Chief Investment Officer

Board Committees: Chair, Finance; Investment Subcommittee

WIS Connection: Edgar's children are WIS alumni, from the Classes of 2021 and 2023.

NANDINI OOMMAN: 2019–2025

Industry/Expertise: global health, gender, and development

Board Committee: Advancement

WIS Connection: Nandini's children are WIS alumni, from the Classes of 2019 and 2022.

MYRA RIGGS: 2020–2026

Industry/Expertise: American Express (compliance, insurance, risk management)

Board Committee: Finance

WIS Connection: Myra has two sons attending WIS, in the Classes of 2027 and 2031.

FLAVIA ROSEMBUJ: 2024–2027

Industry/Expertise: World Bank, Senior Climate Change Specialist

Board Committee: Finance

WIS Connection: Flavia has a child enrolled in the Class of 2028.

MIGUEL SAVASTANO: 2019–2025

Industry/Expertise: International Monetary Fund, Deputy Director of Monetary and Capital Markets Department

Board Committee: Co-Chair, Facilities

WIS Connection: Miguel's children are WIS alumni, from the Classes of 2017 and 2022.

CARLO SDRALEVICH: 2023–2026

Industry/Expertise: International Monetary Fund, Assistant Director and Chief, General Resources and SDR Division, Finance Department

Board Committee: Governance

WIS Connection: One of Carlo's sons is a member of the Class of 2027.