Board of Directors – The Hawbridge School

The Hawbridge Board of Directors is a volunteer group of parents, educators, business owners, and community members dedicated to helping The Hawbridge School thrive by providing responsive governance and attentive oversight. Each Board member shares a passion for education and a commitment to Hawbridge’s mission and vision of innovative, place-based learning emphasizing environmental stewardship and the arts. The Board brings diverse talents and perspectives to fulfill our responsibilities to the school and its constituents.

Board Meetings

Board meetings are open to the public and held on the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

2024/2025 Board Meetings

August 28, 2024 (Remote) – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
September 26, 2024 (Thursday) (US Room 115) – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
October 23, 2024 (LS) – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
November 20, 2024* (Remote) – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
December 18, 2024* (Remote) – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
January 28, 2024 (US)* – Agenda, Meeting Minutes
February 26, 2024 (Historic School House, behind the Lower School playground) – Agenda,
March 19, 2024*(LS)
April 30, 2024* (US)
May 21, 2024* (LS)

* An asterisk denotes a date that deviates from the usual fourth Wednesday of the month to accommodate breaks in the school calendar.

Current Board of Directors

Kemp Watson-Ormond (2023-2026), Chair

Saxapahaw, NC
[email protected]

Kemp is a lifelong resident of North Carolina and fell in love with the rolling hills, forests, and rivers of the Piedmont after attending UNC Chapel Hill for his undergraduate studies. After years of moving around for school and work, he settled with his family in Saxapahaw, where he spends as much time as he can gardening, walking in the woods, and baking. He works as a grant proposal manager hopes to use his experience to support the school as it grows. Kemp is excited to be a part of the Hawbridge School community and support its mission to create an inspiring learning environment that is intellectually, emotionally, and physically healthy.

Ted Teague (2023-2026), Vice-Chair

Ted is a native of Winston-Salem and has loved living in Saxapahaw since 2016. He enjoys hiking the local trails or kayaking on the Haw River almost every day, and he seldom misses a show at the Haw River Ballroom or Saturdays at Saxapahaw. Most of all, Ted enjoys being a part of the community of wonderful like-minded folks who call themselves Saxapahavians. Ted sees the Hawbridge School as a central pillar of the Saxapahaw community and is delighted to serve it and its mission of place-based education as a member of the board of directors.

Ted was educated as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and took law and master of business administration degrees at Wake Forest University. He practices law in Raleigh in the areas of business transactions, commercial real estate, and civil litigation. Ted currently serves on the boards of directors of the UNC Health Care System, the North Caroliniana Society, the UNC-Chapel Hill Friends of the Library, the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation, and the Paperhand Puppet Project.

Ted’s most important and joyful work is as the father of two daughters, one in college, and the other a high school homeschooler.

Saxapahaw, NC
[email protected]

Dylan Bondy (2023-2026), Secretary

Graham, NC
[email protected]

Dylan serves as the Head of Outreach at Solace Advocates, expanding Medicare-enrollees access to independent patient advocates. He is a Grinnell College alumnus with a background in grassroots outreach, marketing, and food access. He also co-owns 2 Dam Goods — a small clothing & art shop next to the post office.

He has lived in Saxapahaw since February 2022, but considers this delightful little village his “forever home”. He believes Hawbridge is a microcosm of all the things he loves about this kind, thoughtful, collaborative, and creative community and is honored to be serving a 3-year term as a Board Member.

Amanda Rose (2022-2025), Treasurer

Graham, NC
[email protected]

Amanda is a CPA and works as the CFO at Buckner Heavylift Cranes. She obtained a B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill and spent several years working at a group home for individuals with autism. She later attended UNC's Kenan Flagler business school where she obtained a Master of Accounting degree. Amanda has lived just outside of Saxapahaw for nearly 15 years. She always appreciates seeing the Hawbridge students exploring the local community and environment and embraces the school's unique mission and vision. Amanda especially enjoys traveling, backpacking, and eating good food with her daughter and spouse.

Sara Abernethy (2024-2025)

Chapel Hill, NC

[email protected]

Sara is a longtime Chapel Hill resident with a family deeply rooted in the local community. In addition to her experience in strategic planning with groups and companies, Sara runs her own coaching practice, helping individuals grow and build resilience. She is passionate about community and youth empowerment and believes in the transformative power of collaboration and compassionate leadership to create meaningful opportunities for students. Sara is honored to support Hawbridge’s mission and its future.

Johnny Buck (2024-2025)

Graham, NC
[email protected]

Johnny is the parent of a current Hawbridge student, and the founder and executive director of Rooster Walk Inc. A nonprofit based in his hometown of Martinsville, Va., Rooster Walk is dedicated to promoting music, arts and education. The company’s first event took place in 2009, and RW became a 501c3 charity in 2012.

Johnny and his partner, Jessica, moved with their son to the Saxapahaw community in 2021. While searching for a home to buy, Johnny and Jessica were attracted Saxapahaw in large part because of Hawbridge’s unique focus on environmental stewardship and the arts.

When not planning and organizing music and arts events for Rooster Walk, Johnny enjoys fishing, camping, spending time with family and friends, and rooting on his alma mater, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Daniel Ayers (2024-2027)

Graham, NC
[email protected]

As a member of the Board of Directors, Daniel is honored to complete his Hawbridge Triple Crown. His experiences as a Hawbridge student and teacher shaped his belief in the school's transformative educational model, inspiring him to give back to a community that has enriched his life beyond measure. A graduate of Roanoke College, Daniel enjoys delving into history and politics through reading and reenacting, while staying active with his dog Arlo on hiking adventures. When not immersed in the 18th century or exploring local trails, Daniel can be found chatting with notable Tar Heels on the Hometown Holler, North Carolina's foremost state politics podcast.

Amanda Graham (2024-2027)

Saxapahaw, NC
[email protected]

Amanda was born on a small Australian island called Elcho, where her parents were teachers at an Aboriginal school. She spent her teenage years in New Jersey before moving to the Hudson Valley to attend Bard College, where she studied Anthropology. She continued her education at York University in Toronto (MA in Communication and Cultural Studies), Brooklyn College (MS in Elementary Education), and University of Rochester (MA + PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies). During, in between, and after school she has worked as a community organizer, AmeriCorps volunteer, art teacher, writing instructor, dramaturg, art gallery director, and university professor. She is currently Associate Director of Engagement at Carolina Performing Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill. Amanda resides in Saxapahaw with her spouse, Ryan, and son, Eamon. She knows she is lucky to live along ley lines near the banks of the Haw River where miraculous things happen daily, and in plain sight. She looks forward to serving The Hawbridge School, an institution tightly woven through the fabric of this special place.

Steckley Lee (2024-2027)

Saxapahaw, NC
[email protected]

Steckley comes to the board guided by bell hooks' statement that, “Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation, by each of us claiming the identities and cultural legacies that shape who we are and how we live in the world.” As a former community organizer, public defender, and civil rights attorney, Steckley has spent the last two decades committed to movement work and legal advocacy on behalf of parents, the environment, and disabled, queer, indigenous and immigrant communities. They bring this passion to their work on the board and an excitement to helping Hawbridge fully embody its mission and vision. As a parent to three children and a resident of Saxapawhaw, Steckley is deeply committed to creating “beloved community” in our school.

Board Responsibilities

The Hawbridge Board performs a number of duties in support of the school, including:

Ensuring the school’s mission and vision are the guiding focus of the school
Maintaining the school’s financial health
Hiring and evaluating the Lower School Director and the Upper School Director
Creating, approving, and maintaining school policies, with appropriate input from administration and other stakeholders
Taking responsibility for facility acquisition or modification
Creating a strategic plan for the charter school and using the plan as a guide for decision-making
Supporting and celebrating the work of the Hawbridge faculty, staff, and administrators

The Board is not responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school. If you have a classroom or operational issue, please address it to the appropriate teacher, administrator, or other school personnel.

Board Committees

Committees focus on individual aspects of the school and assist the Hawbridge Board of Directors in fulfilling their governance responsibilities.

Board Selection Committee

Carry out the process of filling board vacancies in accordance with the bylaws, review and revise the board application, recruit applicants in an effort to reflect the mission of the school.

Composition: four board members, two faculty representatives, one parent representative

Committee Chair: Daniel Ayers ([email protected])

Next scheduled meeting: April 23, 2025 7:00pm, Virtual

Virtual meeting information:

Board Selection Committee Meeting
Wednesday, April 23 · 7:00 – 8:00pm
Time zone: America/New_York
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/doy-axit-aug
Or dial: (US) +1 413-359-0971‬ PIN: 119 265 279#

Finance Committee

Review proposed budgets, make financial recommendations to the board, recommend budget revisions, coordinate and support fundraising efforts.

Composition: Treasurer, Business Director, two additional board members, one non-board member

Committee Chair: Johnny Buck ([email protected])

Meetings:

Governance Committee

Evaluate the health of the organization, conduct evaluations of board-appointed employees, orient and train new board members, evaluate the board in accordance with the bylaws, and review board policies.

Composition: Chair, Vice Chair, US Director, LS Director

Committee Chair: Kemp Watson-Ormond ([email protected])

Meetings:
Unless noted differently below, this committee meets the second Tuesday of every month, at 1:30pm, at the Upper School.

Strategic Planning Committee

Oversee the process of evaluating and updating the school’s strategic plan.

Composition: two board members, one school administrator, one faculty representative, one parent representative

Committee Chair: Amanda Graham ([email protected])

Next scheduled meeting:

Bylaws and Policies

The Hawbridge Board is guided by the following school policies and bylaws:

Past Meetings

Minutes from Hawbridge Board of Director meetings are approved during the following month’s regular meeting of the Board. The approved minutes are then typically posted within one week of the date in which they are approved. A lag time may occur, however, under certain circumstances, such as if the Board Secretary is absent from a regular meeting.

Agendas and minutes for meetings prior to 2016 are available upon request from Jennifer Shelton – [email protected]

Serving on the Board

Applications for the 2025/26 Hawbridge Board of Directors are now closed.

If you have questions about serving on The Hawbridge Board of Directors, please email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information. Board terms run for 3 years and begin on July 1.

Contact the Board

You may contact the Board at [email protected]