Sara Basch
I am mother of twins, Austin & Avery (age 5), who are in their second year of Pre-primary at TNSM. After working in product development of baby, beauty, & personal care products at Kroger for 8 years, I now serve as a consultant to Pacha Soap Co., which specializes in natural soap, experiential bath, and personal care products.
I have been married to Nick for 9 years this May, and we live in Northside with a couple of cats we have inherited along the way. I love live music, travel, yoga and am trying to reignite my passion for running!
I have fostered many passions in my life so far, but have now found my calling as a mother, dedicated to my children’s well-rounded education and upbringing. I could not be happier to have found our TNSM community, and am honored to offer my services as a board member.
Lisa Cameron
My husband, Geoff Gulley, and I are thrilled to be a part of The New School Montessori community. Our son, Quinn and daughter, Maeve have been students here for many years. The Montessori curriculum, environment and amazing staff have allowed our kids to absolutely thrive. I am delighted to continue to have the opportunity to serve on the board of such a truly special place.
For more than 20 years, I have worked for Elevar Design Group, where I work on visioning, masterplanning, programming and design of school facilities.
Sarah Corlett
My partner Jay and I have 2 children, Annabelle and Walter. We have been part of The New School Montessori community since 2016. Sarah is a consultant at Design Impact, a Cincinnati-based social innovation firm. She facilitates and designs inclusive and creative processes for nonprofits, communities and institutions working to advance social justice. Sarah also has a background in movement work with formal training in yoga and dance.
Murray Dwertman
I love creativity, building things, soccer, hiking, gardening, travel, humor, play, and authentic human connection. Raised by an artist and postal worker, alongside a lifetime Montessorian, I found my passions in art, education, and architecture. I currently work as a high school art teacher and ‘Old House’ restorationist while living in Northside, Cincinnati with my wife, Michelle, and two kids. I enjoy serving The New School community!
Mike Fleisch
My wife Kara and I have 3 sons who have attended The New School Montessori. Two of our boys graduated last year and our youngest is currently in (9-12). I have served on TNSM’s board for a number of years and am on the slate as a 2-year renewal.
Professionally, I work in the core teams of the Global Commons Alliance and Earth HQ. As a member of The Value Web and dpict, I support organizations and communities across the world as a design strategist and facilitator of sustainable, equitable systems. I’ve co-published papers on video games, patented a modular environment system, given a keynote address to the directors of the world’s leading design museums, and founded a space for art and assembly in Cincinnati.
Our family has enjoyed being part of The New School Montessori community where we share values and beliefs in the creative, social power of groups and the magic of life.
Ben Morrison
I grew up in Anderson Township (East East side of the city) and attended Bowling Green State University. My mom had a big influence on my interest in education and development; she was a pre-school teacher and worked at an educational farm in the summer. Most of my summers I would go to work with her to help out at the farm and assist as she led group camp tours for kids.
During summer breaks in college, I worked for the CRC at the Oakley location as a summer camp counselor. After college, I worked at a local community center in Bowling Green that ran after-school programs for local at-risk youth and emersion trips for college students to experience different perspectives.
I started my HR career working in the ski industry in Vermont and Colorado as a recruiter and HR manager. In 2009, I left the ski industry and moved to Boulder, CO to work for Crocs and have been with the company in various HR leadership roles for the past 12 years.
On the professional side, I do a lot of work with organizational design to build and maintain effective teams. Joining the board allows me to take what I do in my career and put it to use in a way that is not just about growing revenue and EPS.
On the personal side, I have been amazed by TNSM and the impact the school has had on my children’s approach to learning. The way Marlowe and Romy approach reading and math with enthusiasm is something that my wife and I never thought would happen.
Lydia Neiheisel
I am Lydia Neiheisel. I have been fortunate to be a part of The New School Montessori for most of my life. I was a student here from 1st through 6th grade, worked in the summer program through high school and then became a teacher in 2001. I have worked in the pre-primary program for over 15 years with a few years off, raising my own children. I have a daughter, Mae, who started when she was 3 and is now 10 and my son Guerin started in the preprimary.
As it happens, we are a three-generation New School family. Both of my parents were deeply involved in the school since the 1980s. My father was President of the Board and my mother was the Assistant Director for 30 years. It feels natural that I step into a board role to share my unique perspective and experience, having seen the school from multiple sides and throughout its many years of existence.
Sarah Rich
I am a Director at Covance by Labcorp, providing oversight and management to global first-in-human oncology research trials. I have served on TNSM’s board of trustees for several years and have enjoyed both observing our board work together and utilizing my management skills to offer support to our excellent, dedicated administration. Other recent volunteer experience includes serving on the boards of Clinton Hills Swim Club, Cincinnati Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and supporting the Greater Cincinnati AFS organization.
My husband, Jason, and I live around the corner from The New School Montessori in North Avondale with our daughter, Annabelle. We’ve enjoyed being part of this community that loves its students and families so well.
Stephen Riggins
I am the father of Elizabeth Riggins (P4) in the South Room. Finding a school with diversity in students, teachers and experiences was important to me, and I look forward to using my skill set to help ensure the financial sustainability of TNSM.
I am a finance professional with 15 years of experience across multiple industries. Currently, I serve as Senior Finance Manager – FP&A Operations at GE Aerospace. Prior to this, I held various other finance/controllership roles within GE and served in various financial services and audit support roles with Fidelity Investments. I hold an international business degree from the University of Dayton and a masters in accounting (MAcc) from Northern Kentucky University.
Matt Rosen
I’m Matt Rosen, and I’ve had the pleasure of serving as Treasurer of TNSM and being on the executive committee and board for many years. Professionally, I am a Senior Manager with Barnes Dennig & Co., a Cincinnati-based regional accounting firm. In my role I provide financial and accounting consulting services for a client base that is largely locally-based small and medium-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Jen, my wife, and I are both originally from the Columbus area and found our way to Cincinnati via Miami University with MBA degrees at Xavier University. We have 3 children at TNSM, one in every level. We, and most importantly our kids, have thoroughly enjoyed our experiences at TNSM and love being part of the community. We look forward to remaining involved and helping out in any way we can.
Paul Thienprayoon
I am a proud parent, alongside Rachel, of our two girls Maisie (6-9) and Alexandra (3-6). I enjoy supporting TNSM in any way possible, especially anytime Rob needs some work done around the grounds.
Professionally, I serve as the national chief of staff for patient support at the American Cancer Society, supporting all ACS programs and services that touch more than 50 million people each year. Prior to joining the American Cancer Society, I served as the chief operating officer of LADD, Inc., a nonprofit organization, supporting adults with developmental disabilities. I am also a former US Air Force officer and B-1B bomber pilot with more than 250 combat sorties in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. In addition, I is pursuing his Doctor of Education at Xavier University focusing on veteran leadership skills in the workforce.
Carrie White
Carrie White is the Vice President of Technology, Information & Philanthropic Strategy at the University of Cincinnati Foundation. During her tenure with the UC Foundation, she has led the transformation of the team from the “back office” to a robust and sophisticated strategic partner.
As a departmental leader, Carrie is dynamic and detail-oriented. She combines comprehensive experiences in data and analytics, fundraising and strategic planning to drive fundraising results. Her professional passion is tying together the pieces of a fundraising shop and leveraging data to make things run smoothly.
Carrie is married to Peter White, a therapist at Lindner Center of HOPE. Their son Liam is a 4th grader in the Ginkgo House. They also have a 20-year-old son who attends Lake Forest College.
A graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Carrie previously worked with the UC Health Foundation, the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, Jacobson Consulting Applications, the Cincinnati Museum Center, and the Birmingham Zoo.