Board of Trustees

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Board of Trustees

If you have any questions or concerns for the Board or any of its members, please send them to [email protected].

Robert Best - Board Chairman
Robert Best (Bob) is an attorney and partner at Sulloway & Hollis in Concord, where he serves as chair of the firm’s healthcare practice group. Bob has extensive experience advising non-profit organizations including hospitals, professional societies, trade groups, and charitable organizations. Bob is an Adjunct faculty member at NHTI in Concord, he is the Chair of the Merrimack Planning Board, the Vice President of the Merrimack Rotary Club, and served as a board member of Merrimack PTA Kindergarten and Preschool.

Prior to coming to New Hampshire, Bob’s background includes experience in administration for public, private, and academic healthcare settings, as well as biomedical research at Louisiana State University Medical Center, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bob and his wife Kate live in southern New Hampshire, with their four children.

Kimberly Lavallee - Founder, Vice Chairman
Kimberly, a dedicated advocate for charter schools, draws inspiration from her children’s transformative experiences. Witnessing the positive impact of personalized education aligned with family values, she became a passionate supporter. Her unwavering belief is that every child deserves access to a high-quality education.

Kimberly’s journey began as a parent seeking the best educational environment for her children. The exceptional support and learning opportunities they received in a charter school convinced her of the profound benefits of this model. Over the last 15 years, she has opened multiple New Hampshire charter schools and supported others from exploratory phases to board development. Currently, she serves on two charter school boards and co-founded two non-profits solely dedicated to supporting and sponsoring charter schools.

Tom Huot
[bio]

Patricia G. Humphrey, M.Ed. - Founder, Secretary
Patricia Humphrey is a devoted supporter of the public charter school movement and has offered much of her life to this cause. She is the Founder of the New Hampshire Center for Innovative School (NHCIS), a Founder of the Academy for Science and Design (ASD) in Nashua, Spark Academy for Advanced Technologies at the Manchester Community College, and Benjamin Franklin Academy in Loudon, NH.

Patricia is an experienced school administrator, educator, and board director. She has taught K-8 in New York City and in New Hampshire, and has directed a unique, independent school in New York City. Patty has extensive experience with public policy and fund-raising. For approximately 25 years she supported charter school creation through the Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which offered assistance to parents and educators in starting charter schools.

Laura Fermaint
[bio]

Lisa Winegar
[bio]

Alex Walczyk
[bio]

Dean Cassie Hayes - Ex Officio
Click to see Dean Hayes' full biography.

The Founders Academy Public Charter School Grades 5-12

Board of Trustees