Meet the Board of Trustees.

• Currently, the Board has 23 members who are deeply committed to the School and its Mission.
• The composition reflects/is representative of the MICDS community.
  • It strives for gender balance. The 2023-24 Board includes 12 women and 11 men.
  • At least one-third of the Trustees are alumni/alumnae with representation divided between alumnae and alumni of the school. The 2023-24 Board includes 10 alumni.
  • At least one-half of the Trustees are current parents or grandparents. The 2023-24 Board is comprised of 11 current parents and nine parents of alumni.
  • The President of the School’s Parents Association and the President of the School’s Alumni Association serve on the Board.
• There is diversity in every way of the Board in professional experience and expertise, skills, and across race/ethnicity, gender, religion, socioeconomic background, and viewpoint.

How are new members of the Board of Trustees identified, vetted, nominated, and voted upon?

• The Committee on Trustees assesses Board membership needs, identifies skillsets, and gaps that need to be filled and seeks to identify and recruit varied professional experience and expertise including law, medicine, business, finance, marketing/communication, education, and not for profit.
• The Committee on Trustees solicits nominations from current Board members, Parents Association leadership, Alumni Association leadership, and other community members.
• To develop a pipeline of Board candidates, the Committee on Trustees recommends candidates for service on Board committees.
• When considering candidates, the Committee on Trustees looks not only at the current year Board composition but also projects skills and attributes needed three to five years out to take into account rotation off the Board.
• The Committee on Trustees vets and interviews Trustee candidates, ensuring that candidates are a good fit for the School’s needs and culture and will contribute to the School’s advancement and success.
• The Committee on Trustees proposes nominations to the Board of Trustees for consideration, and the full Board elects new Trustees.
• Trustees serve a three-year term and may serve two terms.

A prospective Trustee:

• Demonstrates a commitment to MICDS and its Mission.
• Puts the best interests of the School and Mission above individual, family, or personal interests.
• Brings professional expertise and ideally, previous experience on another board.
• Is an independent thinker who listens to and factors different viewpoints into his/her decision-making.
• Thinks critically and strategically.
• Seeks first to understand an issue.
• Demonstrates the ability to speak up and ask clarifying questions that cause others to think differently about an issue.
• Represents the MICDS community – the past, present, and future.
• Demonstrates discretion with sensitive or proprietary information, and has the ability to keep information confidential.
• Is a good School ambassador.
• Interacts well with a wide, diverse range of School constituents.
• Is solution-driven.
• Participates in the MICDS Fund and is committed to making MICDS a philanthropic priority.

• The Board hires, supports, partners with, evaluates, and sets compensation for the Head of School.

• The Board’s focus is long-range and strategic.
• Trustees act as ambassadors and fiduciaries of the School.
• The Board is responsible for the financial stability and long-term sustainability of the School.
• Trustees ensure that the School is in compliance with the applicable laws, regulations, and Board policies.
• Trustees are guardians of the School’s Mission.
• Trustees are keepers of the Strategic Plan – The Board works with the Administrative Team and through Board committees to support, promote, and monitor progress toward strategic priorities.
  • The Board undertakes formal strategic planning every five to seven years.
  • It sets annual goals tied to strategic priorities.
• The Board identifies and uses metrics to evaluate curricular and co-curricular programs and teaching to ensure that programming is superior and aligns with the Mission and Strategic Plan.
• The Board speaks with one voice as a whole Board, not as individual Trustees.
• Trustees attend community and campus events including Admission’s Open House, Commencement, the Faculty Recognition Ceremony, Board of Visitors Reception, and other events.

• The Board functions in a committee structure.
  • There are seven Board committees: Development, Collaboration and Inclusion, Committee on Trustees, Executive Committee, Facilities, Finance and Audit, and Investment.
  • Trustees generally serve on two committees.
    • Committees meet four to five times per year except for the Executive Committee which meets seven times per year, the Finance and Audit Committee which meets eight times per year, and the Development Committee which meets six times per year.
  • Occasionally, the Board forms ad hoc committees or task forces to study a particular issue. Most recently, task forces have considered long-term financial planning and tuition remission.
  • Committees include non-Trustees, faculty, and administrators.

• Trustees are Board members first; they are careful to separate themselves from their particular roles as parents, grandparents, and alumni.
• Board members guard against conflicts of interest, whether personal or business-related.
• Board members consider the interests of all stakeholders in the community.
• Trustees participate actively in important School events and fundraising efforts.
• The Board conducts an annual new Trustee orientation, ongoing Trustee education and evaluation, and board leadership succession planning.

• Day-to-day operations and management of the School; this is the Head of School’s job.
• Curriculum development/academic decisions or evaluations
• Student discipline
• Personnel matters
• Faculty recruitment and retention efforts
• Admission
• Facilities management
• Athletics and arts

• The Board Chair and Vice Chairs serve a term of two years.
• The Committee on Trustees considers candidates for Board leadership and proposes a leadership slate to the full Board for discussion and review. The full Board elects Board leadership.

Strategic Plan. Working with the Administrative team and through Board Committees, support, promote, and implement initiatives envisioned by the School’s Mission statement and 2015-2022 Strategic Plan.

• Keep the Mission and Strategic Plan at the forefront of Board deliberations and decisions.
• Identify and rely upon metrics to evaluate curricular and co-curricular programs and teaching to ensure that they are superior and align with the Mission and Strategic Plan.
• Review progress of Strategic Plan priorities.
• Lay necessary groundwork for creation of the next strategic Plan.

Culture and Wellbeing of Community. Advance and sustain a culture of community centered on kindness, dignity, and respect, where every student, family, faculty, and staff member feels a sense of belonging and connection.

• Support the Head of School in his efforts to make MICDS the “happiest school” in St. Louis.
• Working with the Administrative team and through the Collaboration and Inclusion Committee, support and evaluate efforts to prepare students to thrive in a global and diverse world.
• Support School efforts to address the issue of racism and to strive for its elimination from our community.

Good Governance Practices. Ensure that the Board of Trustees is high-performing and fully current regarding best practices in independent school governance.

• Ensure strong, open communication between Head of School and Board.
• Continue to improve Board function, communication, and effectiveness.
• Manage Board of Trustee imperatives:
  • Act as responsible fiduciaries of the School, accepting responsibility for the financial stability and financial future of MICDS.
  • Ensure all Trustees serve as ambassadors for the School, particularly in support of the Head of School, Parent-School Partnership, and as advocates of respect, trust, and inclusion across the MICDS community.
  • Ensure all Trustees, as School leaders and ambassadors, participate in the MICDS Fund and make MICDS a philanthropic priority.
  • Provide opportunities for programmatic review and discussion during meetings.

Financial Sustainability. Ensure that the School has a secure and diverse funding base that supports annual operations, strategic priorities, and physical plant maintenance, repair, and replacement.

• Assess evolving enrollment trends and changing applicant pool dynamics across the St. Louis region and the impact these trends may have on marketing, tuition, financial aid, and other operational and budgetary considerations.
• Assess and prepare to implement new financial aid strategies that create levels of support for more families who would like to choose MICDS.
• Evaluate effectiveness of Ram Relief Fund efforts, managing this commitment against the budget and future demand for financial aid.
• Identify strategies for ensuring adequate funding for PPRRSM reserves.
• Begin development of a long-range plan for targeted investment and funding projects.

COVID-19 Response. Stay abreast of developments at School and in the community regarding COVID-19, and be vigilant and prepared to support the School, as needed, in its response.

• Ensure Board members are regularly informed regarding the health and safety of our School community in the face of COVID-19.
• Support the Administration in managing COVID-19 impact on enrollment and budget and in other areas of the School, as needed.

Please click on the respective board member’s name to view his or her profile.

• Andy Condie ’82, Chair
• Jason Brauer ’94, Vice Chair
• Mike Andrew, Second Vice Chair and Treasurer
• Charmaine Ansari, Secretary
• Susannah Danforth
• Nikki Doughty
• Joe Gira ’89
• Lindsey Herzog Shipley ’07
• John Lochhead
• Alaina Maciá
• Jill Spitzfaden Meyer ’92
• Kara Mikulec
• McKay Baur Mills ’92
• Rufus Moore, Jr.
• Daphne Morgan
• Chonda Nwamu
• Julie Ralph
• Mike Riney ’04
• John Sedgwick ’05
• Annie Sloane
• David Steward II ’95
• David Weiss ’81
• David Yuan