Board of Directors 

Desert Montessori School is governed by a Board of Directors. Primary responsibilities of the Board are to insure the financial viability of the school, set overall policies of the school, and hire the Head of School who makes the day-to-day decisions on the running of the school. The Board does not involve itself in the day-to-day decisions of the school.

The Board manages the affairs of the Non-Profit, is responsible for overall policy, direction of the School, budget approval, and delegates responsibility for day-to-day operations to the Leadership Team and Committees.  The Board consists of no more than 9 members and no less than 5, and members receive no compensation for Board membership.  The Board meets no less than 4 times per school year with one meeting being an Annual meeting open to all parents, students, and teachers.

The Desert Montessori School Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 School Year are:

 

 

 

 

 

Lane Kneedler

president

Lane Kneedler began his professional career working for the Sundance Film Festival. Working within the organization, he became a programming consultant for the festival as well as a consultant for the Screenwriters and Filmmakers labs. From 2005 until 2020 Lane worked programming AFI FEST  and AFI DOCS in Los Angeles and Washington D.C, respectively.  Since moving to Santa Fe, Lane has been working full time to keep up with Willa and Winston.

 

Patricia Baker

member

Patricia Dziewinska Baker and her husband David are parents to one current DMS student and two DMS alumni.  She has been a part of the Desert Montessori community since 2010, when she and her family relocated to Santa Fe.  Patricia went to high school in Los Alamos, NM and then received a double major in Biology and Geography at the University of California, Berkeley.  She received her DMD degree at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA and currently runs a specialty dental practice in town.
Patricia can usually be found cheering for her three kids at their various sporting events or transporting them to practices.  When she finds some time for herself, she enjoys exploring new travel destinations and spending time outdoors, especially on a ski hill.
 

Bianca Barela

treasurer

Bianca Barela was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has worked in the technology industry for 9 years and been a strategic partner to executive leadership teams for many more years. She is a writer, certified professional coach, and a mother to two wonderful daughters. She is passionate about inclusion and belonging and valuing children as individuals. 

 

Josh Chaffin

member

Josh promotes gender equity and social justice through community-based approaches, locally and internationally. Since 2003 he has worked to promote the rights of children, adolescents and youth in humanitarian crises around the world, working for UN agencies, governments and international NGOs. 

tony andrade

member

Tony Andrade is a native New Mexican, recently returned “home” after several well-spent years in the Bay Area. When not working in real estate or law, Tony teams up with his wife Cristina to raise two wonderful kiddos who seem to be growing a bit too fast. During free time, Tony can also be found cycling, running, skiing, producing his weekly radio show on KSFR, perfecting his Barista skills, pretending to be a sommelier, and winning chili contests.

travis degiorgis

member

Bio coming soon!

francesca yorke

member

Bio coming soon!