AMS Announces Newly Elected Board Members

Earlier this spring, members of the American Montessori Society took part in elections for our Board of Directors. The results are now in! We are pleased to welcome the following individuals to our board, effective July 2019.

Board-Nominated Slate

The Board-nominated slate ensures that the board includes persons with expertise in needed specialties. The recipients of the Board-Nominated Slate are:

Geoffrey E. Bishop

Executive Director and Founder
Nature’s Classroom Institute and Montessori School
Mukwonago, Wisconsin
AMS-credentialed (Administrator)
Résumé

Janet H. Bagby, PhD

Senior Lecturer, Department of Educational Psychology
Baylor University
Waco, Texas
Résumé

Sharon J. Damore, PhD

Educational Consultant and Adjunct Professor
Chicago, Illinois
Résumé

Professional Directors

Professional Directors are Montessori-credentialed teachers and administrators who provide professional expertise in their given areas. The recipients of the Professional Directors positions are:

Luz Casquejo Johnston, EdD

Assistant Professor/Program Director
Saint Mary’s College of California
Moraga, California
AMS-credentialed (Elementary I)
Résumé

Nancy Lindeman

Director and Assistant Professor
Institute for Montessori Innovation, Westminster College
Salt Lake City, Utah
MIA-credentialed (Early Childhood); MEPI-credentialed (Elementary I, Elementary II, Administrator)
Résumé

Chair of the Heads of Schools Section

The Chair of the Heads of Schools Section serves as a liaison between other heads of AMS-member schools and the AMS Board, helping to ensure that their needs, interests, desires, and concerns are heard and considered by our governance body. The Chair of the HOS Section is an active head at a full-member or accredited AMS school with 5 or more years of experience as a head. The recipient of Chair of the Heads of Schools Section is:

Debbie Senoff-Langford

Head of School
Jarrow Montessori School
Boulder, Colorado
AMS-credentialed (Elementary I)
Résumé

Chair of the Teachers Section

The Chair of the Teachers Section serves as a liaison between other member teachers and the AMS Board, helping to ensure that their needs, interests, desires, and concerns are heard and considered by our governance body. This person also shares information with the board about current Montessori teacher practices. The Chair of the Teachers Section is a practicing, credentialed Montessori teacher with 5 or more years in the classroom of a current AMS member school in good standing. The recipient of the Chair of the Teachers Section is:

Candace Proctor

Lower Elementary Curriculum Coordinator
The Montessori Academy of Arlington
Arlington, Texas
AMS-credentialed (Elementary I)
Résumé

Congratulations to all of these revered individuals. We look forward to working with you to empower humanity to build a better world through Montessori!

What Does the Board Do?

The Board of Directors is the policy-making body of the American Montessori Society. It is empowered to formulate policies and to amend the bylaws as needed to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities and to ensure a vigorous future for the organization. New directors are elected annually by AMS membership, helping to ensure that their voice is heard in the governance of our organization.