Meet the Board of Trustees

The governing body of the school

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the school. The Head of School reports directly to the trustees. This structure, with the trustees at the top of the school’s organizational chart, is typical of independent schools.

Gordon has twenty trustees. Some are alumni, but most are parents of Gordon students or of a graduate. They meet monthly during the school year.

The board has three obligations:

1. Maintaining and supporting the school’s mission
2. Overseeing the financial health of the school
3. Selecting, evaluating, and supporting the Head of School

The trustees’ work is primarily long term planning, with decisions that are implemented over periods ranging from eighteen months to five, ten and even twenty years. The day-to-day work of running the school is left in the hands of the staff, teachers and administrators.

An expanded set of frequently asked questions is at www.gordonschool.org/governancefaqs

Help build the board

Know someone who would be great for Gordon's board? Interested in nominating yourself? Please use our board nomination form.
 

The 2025-2026 board

Damian Ewens, '90, Board Chair

What do you like best about Gordon?
What I appreciate the most about Gordon School is its founding principle of nurturing heart and mind with equal care and our belief that an inclusive, diverse community engaging with a curriculum rooted in multicultural practice builds the skills and community needed in the world today.

Tell us something about yourself or your family.
My favorite thing to do is to go surfing which is an exhilarating and frustrating sport where one patiently waits to join a packet of energy that has traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles and will exist for only a few seconds.

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Isaiah Osofisan ’00, Vice Chair
 

 

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Prema O’Brien, Treasurer

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I’m fortunate to have two kids at Gordon. They’re six years apart, giving me a good perspective on the range of experiences at Gordon.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
How Gordon embodies its value of joyful learning while upholding academic excellence. The warm, friendly, inclusive community. The focus on the environment – through fostering love of nature with outdoor classrooms and enabling our kids to make changes in the world that they can see.
 
Share a Gordon memory.
I love walking my kids into school in the morning - the music’s going, school leaders and staff are greeting everyone, maybe bubbles are floating by. Sara, doing crossing guard duty in the morning, usually does something silly with my daughter; Clare, Assistant to the Head of School, has a dance move she does with my son. Such joy!

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Sarah Chace Cotter '97, Secretary

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I am a Gordon "lifer", nursery through eighth grade, and I have three children currently at the school, in third grade, sixth grade and eighth grade.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
Definitely the teachers and staff. The consistent thread through the Gordon I remember in the 1980s and 1990s and the current Gordon are the thoughtful, kind and nurturing adults. 
 
Share a Gordon memory.
Memory Maps with Mrs. Whinery in the seventh grade! I wonder if I can still remember every country?

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Nicole Archibald

What is your connection to Gordon? 
I am the proud mom of three current Gordon students, with one in each division of the school. I have served on the Family Engagement Committee for the past three years and am excited to chair that committee this year. 

What do you like best about Gordon?
We moved to Rhode Island from Georgia during the pandemic, with a rising third grader who we were worried about transitioning to a new school and a new preschooler, and feel so incredibly lucky to have found Gordon during a period of such intense transition for our family. Our sons immediately connected with their classmates and teachers, and we felt so comfortable from day one. The sense of community and belonging here is so special, and the focus on social and emotional learning and diversity, equity and inclusion makes Gordon a truly welcoming environment.

Share a Gordon memory.
Our whole family loved attending the evening "moon party" as the culmination of fourth grade's month-long moon study in science class - the fourth graders shared so many things that they had learned throughout the unit, we made homemade Galileo telescopes, and even the younger siblings got to take turns looking through the big telescope. It was such a fun example of how Gordon brings learning to life for our kids and was a great way for the parents and families to gain deeper insight into some of their schoolwork.
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Rachel Caldwell

What is your connection to Gordon? 
I am the proud mom of spirited twins in eighth grade and a rambunctious fourth grader. This is my ninth school year as a Gordon parent. I have enjoyed working with the Gordon Giving committee, as well as volunteering at the Book Fair and Carnival. 

What do you like best about Gordon?
Gordon meets my children where they are and, with clear intention and purpose, helps them grow and stretch. The teachers inspire thoughtful, compassionate and brave learning. I tell my three girls everyday how extraordinarily lucky we are to be part of the Gordon community.

Tell us something about you or your family.
Our children were born adventurers (despite Mom’s fear of heights). We are often found following their lead down ski slopes, the latest surfing adventure, cheering them on at swim meets, and traveling to new places.

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Harmony Conti Bodurtha

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
My daughter is a Class of 2023 Gordon alumna and my son is a current Gordon eighth grader. I have served as a volunteer at Gordon since we joined this community in the fall of 2016. I am currently a co-chair of the Gordon Giving Committee. 

What do you like best about Gordon? 
The Gordon community. I immediately feel the warmth of Gordon's welcoming atmosphere every time I step foot on campus. And, I know my children feel that way too. 

Share a Gordon memory.
There are so many to choose from, but perhaps my favorite thus far was the Class of 2023 graduation ceremony. 

Share a fun fact about yourself. 
My daughter and I share a birthday. Best gift ever!

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Tanya Booker

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
This is my fourth year as a Gordon parent. I currently have a fourth grader and a first grader.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
The community at Gordon is amazing! We were welcomed to Gordon with warmth and sincerity from day one. We are not just a number but rather we are part of the Gordon family. Diversity and inclusion are intentional and celebrated. At Gordon, differences are embraced and valued as something that makes us better as a whole. My children are seen, they are heard.  
 
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I’m told my most unmistakable feature is my laugh! 

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Jackie Delamatre, GCA Representative

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I was not even married to my husband, Ben Cooper ’90, when his mother, Bonnie Cooper, told me she’d love for her grandchildren to someday go to Gordon.

As we didn’t even have kids yet (and lived in NYC), this seemed to be jumping the gun a bit. But, as they say, mothers always know best! And so here we are with two Gordon students: one a graduate and another in sixth grade.

What do you like best about Gordon?
I can’t imagine finding a more thoughtful, intelligent, and sensitive group of parents. Every caregiver I meet at Gordon cares about their community and wants to make a positive impact on the world we live in. I am so grateful that my girls are being raised amongst these role models for how to live a life driven by these values.

I am also continually impressed by the way Gordon interprets progressive education. Teachers at Gordon fully understand that the power of progressive education is in deep, student-centered, joyful, and rigorous learning. Their project-based, hands-on approaches do not sacrifice skill-building or accountability.  Finally, Gordon is the place I trust above anywhere else to care for the social-emotional needs of my kids and their classmates.

Share a fun fact about yourself.
I was a museum educator in New York for nearly twenty years - teaching at and writing curriculum for modern and contemporary art museums including MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney.

I am from New Orleans and wish the Northeast got days off for Mardi Gras, my hands-down favorite holiday!

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Rebecca Garfield, faculty trustee

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
Our family moved to Rhode Island for Gordon because of Gordon's mission. I felt passionately that Gordon was the right community in which to raise our young children and I sensed that I would be both inspired and challenged by my colleagues to continue growing as an educator. I am entering my eighth year as a Gordon faculty member. I taught fifth through seventh grade humanities and eighth grade Spanish before settling into teaching fifth and sixth grade Spanish. I also serve as a fifth grade homeroom teacher and co-facilitate the White Anti Racist Community for faculty and staff. My husband, Jean Paul Aracena Oliver, and I have had the privilege of seeing our children blossom at Gordon; both children started in Nursery, and now one is headed into fifth grade and the other into third!
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
What I love most about Gordon for my students and my own children is how it nurtures a sense of self that is rooted in deep empathy, curiosity and joy. Gordon students seek understanding and connection far beyond the confines of the classroom. Gordon is a place of hope and inspiration, and it feels reassuring to send Gordon graduates out into the world knowing that their choices and contributions will be informed by their experiences here. I also love how strong our sense of community is at Gordon; it's hard to capture in words, but the feeling is palpable. I have never before worked in such a supportive and collaborative professional learning community-- and I consider our Gordon parents a part of it!

Share a fun fact about yourself.
I left my small home town in Maine determined to learn from different perspectives and broaden my understanding of the world. During my junior year abroad in Valparaíso, Chile, I fell in love with a Chilean university student with whom I had very little in common. After a seven-year courtship involving many snail mail letters and phone cards (and eventually Skype calls), we were married in my favorite place in the world: Cuttyhunk Island. All of Paul's familia is still in Chile, and we speak Spanish at home so that our children can maintain that important connection.

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Ryan J. Mitchner

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
My wife Natasha Mitchner-Soares and I have a third grader who has attended Gordon since Young Kindergarten.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
The architectural design stood out when we visited Gordon years ago to begin our daughter's education journey. The height of the welcome desk is set for a child or young person, adults must adjust to it. As an educator, the attention to detail, the fact that we adults must adjust to where the kids are at and not the opposite was a powerful first impression.

The safe and inclusive environment promoted by the school is in alignment with efforts and actions, which has been nice to experience and observe since becoming a member of the Gordon community. This was something very important to my wife and I, as we removed the benefit of an independent school education in our decision and focused on our daughter's social emotional well-being.

Finally, our daughter had an immediate connection and at three years of age began telling everyone about her school with the gator. We had to tell her not yet, but let's be positive that it will be your school.
 
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I am a serious person who does not take himself seriously, all the time. Also, I enjoy cooking, baking, and working in my yard.

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Frank Previti

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
Our son entered Gordon in the fourth grade and is now an eighth grader.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
It bugs me to use the same answer of “village” and “community”, as everyone else, but what can I do?! Hands down, the people of Gordon are the most incredible, passionate, caring, and, most importantly, genuine individuals our family has come across. I am humbled each day to have the opportunity to participate in this environment and I will never take it for granted. I suspect that many members of our community feel the same way, and that is why it works.
 
Share a Gordon memory.
There are too many to choose from… and they are accumulating. Giving our kids the opportunities to make memories is one of the most important things we do as parents, the Gordon community is the perfect vessel for that. I’m sure that there will be some favorites by the time my son graduates, but until then, we are truly focused on enjoying and appreciating each experience as it comes.
 
Share a fun fact about yourself.
I’m a BBQ nut, always experimenting with some new rub or marinade. As long as it is not bolted down to the table, I’ve probably tried putting it in a smoker or over an open flame. 

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Besenia Rodriguez

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I am a parent to a recent graduate and a fifth grader. At Gordon, I have served on the Design Team for the 2018-19 Strategic Planning Process and co-chaired the affinity group for Parents of Students of Color from 2019-2023. I currently co-chair the Board’s Education Committee.

What do you like best about Gordon?
What I like best about Gordon is that, through the multicultural curriculum as well as the inclusive community of care that permeates all interactions, my children and I can each bring our full selves to Gordon spaces. We love to be among Gordon folks!

Tell us something about yourself or your family.
Although at heart, I may always be a city person, one of our family's favorite places in R.I. is the Fantastic Umbrella Factory in Charlestown (plot twist: it is not an umbrella factory). We fell in love with this place while living in South County. With emu, goats, and chickens and a stunning bamboo forest, it was a wonderful rediscovery during the challenging months of social distancing.

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Jennifer Sherer

Tell us about your connection to Gordon.
I am the parent of a graduate and the chair of the Education Committee.

What do you like best about Gordon?
I like that Gordon teaches children to think, to consider other perspectives, and to build their own individual identities.

Share a fond Gordon memory.
I love watching the children run, skip, and smile their way into Gordon each morning. What would the world be like if every school was able to elicit that much love and magnetism each day from so many children?

Tell us something about your family.
I have four amazing children, three of whom have flown the coop and are making a life for themselves. Jeremy, McKenzie, and I like to be outside with our dog, watching the osprey hunt and the hummingbirds drink.

Share a fun fact about yourself.
My favorite place to be is on the Salmon River in Idaho-you are surrounded by astounding beauty and movement, and all that matters is the present moment.

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Krystle Tadesse

Tell us about your connection to Gordon.
I am a current parent of a fifth grader and first grader. This is my sixth year as a Gordon parent. I also serve as the co-chair of the Trusteeship Committee.

What do you like best about Gordon?
I love the community at Gordon. Everyone is incredibly welcoming and goes out of their way to make you feel included. I also love that Gordon “walks the walk.” It is easy for institutions to claim commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Gordon has truly made that commitment and it is reflected in every facet of the school.

Share a fun fact about yourself.
I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. My parents moved there from Texas when I two years old and I lived there until I left for college. Most of my immediate family still lives there, so we try to visit at least once a year.

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Karan Takhar ’05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Alexis Thompson

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
My partner Sarah and I have sent two kids at Gordon: one is a graduate, and the other is a seventh grader. Both have been here since Nursery!

Share a fond Gordon memory.
My family has been lifted up by the community at Gordon many times in many ways.

Fond memories include watching the whole school cheer on Damon Ray playing the school song on piano at the all school assembly- one of many times I’ve cried on the bleachers at those events!

Another, that will stay with me always, was the enveloping hug and reassurance from Julie Parsons the day after the 2016 election  with the quiet words “we’ve got this, and WE’VE got your kids.”

What do you like best about Gordon?
The people!

Share a fun fact about yourself.
I REALLY do not like crumbs, and would do well to have a go-go-gadget dustbuster attachment on my right arm. 

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Ted Trafton '94

Tell us about your connection to Gordon.
I first learned about Gordon as a student when I was four years old (Class of '94) but my wife, Courtney, and I are now the parents of a fourth grader and a Kindergarten student. I also serve as the chair of the Investment Committee.
 
What do you like best about Gordon?
What I like best about Gordon is the commitment to encouraging curiosity. Don't just seek an answer but explore it and see if there are competing or better ways to answer the question. I also really value the school's multicultural curriculum - it was a deciding factor in our choice of Gordon.

What do you like best about Gordon?
What I like best about Gordon is the commitment to encouraging curiosity. Don't just seek an answer but explore it and see if there are competing or better ways to answer the question. I also really value the school's multicultural curriculum - it was a deciding factor in our choice of Gordon.

Share a fun fact about yourself.
I once spent a summer living on a glacier in British Columbia learning how to ice climb. I don't get to do such adventurous things anymore but, someday, I hope to climb a big mountain or two with my boys (my wife too if I can talk her into it!)
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Joshua Wynn

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I am parent to a seventh grader. I also had the pleasure of co-chairing the 2019 Gordon Carnival and participating on the 2019 Gordon Design Committee. I am coming up on my sixth year on the Diversity Committee and I served one year as the Grade Rep when my oldest was in Preschool.

Share a fond Gordon memory.
My oldest coming home with a book from the Gordon library on "How to be a big sister and what to expect." It showed how engaged and invested all of the Gordon teachers were in her as an individual.

What do you like best about Gordon?
I really like how the Commons space brings parents and Gordon staff together thereby intentionally building community and forging new friendships.

Tell us something about yourself or your family.
I am New Yorker first and foremost but I secretly love Rhode Island.

Share a fun fact about yourself.
There isn't a beach I won't travel to!

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Sean Zierak

Tell us about your connection to Gordon?
I am the proud father of a sixth grader and a third grader. My wife is also an alum of Gordon.

What do you like best about Gordon?
The community and the passion of the faculty. Every day the Gordon community is engaged and looking to grow together.