AWS Governance
Who does what at Alabama Waldorf School?
Waldorf schools do not have a traditional hierarchical structure. Instead they are composed of three interrelated spheres: the Board of Trustees, the Faculty and the Administrative staff, and the Family Association (similar to a PTA). All have as their top priority the welfare of the children.
The Faculty — Nursery, Kindergarten, Grades, Subject, and Extended Care — is primarily responsible for bringing the content and principles of the Waldorf curriculum to life in the classrooms. The various programs have representation on the College of Teachers which holds the spiritual and practical ideals of the school and facilitates communication between the different teams.
Administration
The Administrative Staff is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school — finance, enrollment, development, operations, public relations and marketing. The administrative staff ensures compliance to governmental and accreditation standards.
Administrator Luke Lucas joined AWS in 2000, and has worked in the Nursery, Extended Care, and Summer Programs, and as an Elementary Music Teacher and Class teacher. He holds a B.A. in Music Performance, and has received Waldorf training for Music. A certified Waldorf Grades Teacher, he taught in the Grades program for 19 years. He became school Administrator in 2020.
Admissions Director, Kristin Nunnelley, joined the Administrative Team in 2021 after working as an Admin Office Assistant. She is the mother of three AWS students.
Director of Advancement, Annie Damsky joined the Admin Team in 2021. She is the mother of two AWS students. Her professional background is in corporate marketing, business ownership and management, and she brings non-profit experience from Board of Director positions with Indian Springs School, UAB Minority Health Research Center, Collat Jewish Family Services, and Sweet Om Alabama.
Finance Director, Terri Reece, owner of Reece Bookkeeping Services, LLC, keeps the finances at Alabama Waldorf School under control. Her extensive expertise with both people and Quickbooks make her a valuable asset to the Admin team.
Faculty Chair Melissa Downs also serves as AWS's Gardening Teacher, and is a former Grades Main Lesson Teacher. She spends countless hours planning meetings and managing the faculty function at our school.
The Family Association is composed of parents/guardians of enrolled students and meets throughout the school year. Active parent involvement is encouraged and welcomed. The FA communicates through the room parents (representatives for each class), and assists Admin in organizing activities such as fundraisers and community work days to benefit the school.
F.A. Officers 2022-2023
President: Michelle Fair
Vice-President: Jeff Cornelius
Secretary: Jody Nelson
Treasurer: Mary Margaret Scalici
Family Care: Joana Cruz & Angela Webb-Weinberg
Groundskeeper: Brian Gosdin
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is entrusted with making sound fiscal and legal decisions for the school as a whole that are in keeping with the philosophy and principles of Waldorf Education. It is composed of competent and committed parents, as well as members of the Faculty and the wider Birmingham community.
Bri Wright, Chair, parent to two AWS students.
Colin Reily, Secretary, is a preschool parent, a Waldorf alum from Emerson Waldorf School, and has taught science courses at AWS.
Jenn Gray is the parent of an AWS Alum.
Enisa Perez is the parent of an AWS Grades student and an AWS alum.
Janine Mwenja, an AWS alum.
Cassia Kesler, is the parent of an AWS Grades student and an AWS alum, and is the former Director of Marketing.
Elizabeth Brooke is the parent of two AWS students.
Zach Lewis is the parent of two AWS students.
Sarah Lee Langford and Sadhna Malkani are the current faculty representatives to the Board of Directors. See their bios under Faculty.
If you are interested in learning more about being a Trustee, or serving on a committee, please contact Bri Wright.
College of Teachers
The College of Teachers is responsible for upholding and supporting the pedagogical values of the Faculty. They also supervise employment, mentoring, teacher evaluation, and the school's Voicing A Concern process.
Holly Thompson - Chair
Michelle Lucas - Grades Rep
Jodie Bradley - Grades Rep
Rita Meikson - Subject Teacher Rep
Andrea Holley - Kindergarten Rep
Melissa Downs - Faculty Chair
Committees
Committees play an important roles in each of our governing bodies. To learn more about each committee, please contact advancement@alabamawaldorf.org, or the Chairs of each governing body.