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.

Upcoming Meetings

July 26, 2023 (Virtual)
August 8, 2023 (Board Training, members of the public are welcome to attend) Room 210, Upper School 8:30-12:30 Training Itinerary – Session 1
August 12, 2023 (Board Training, members of the public are welcome to attend) Room 210, Upper School 8:30-12:30 Training Itinerary – Session 2
August 23, 2023 – Board Meeting Agenda
September 27, 2023 – Agenda
October 25, 2023
November 15, 2023*
December 13, 2023*
January 24, 2024
February 28, 2024
March 27, 2024*
April 24, 2024
May 22, 2024
June 26, 2024
July 24, 2024

* 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

Amanda Rose (2022-2025), Treasurer

[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.

Megan Glancy (2021-2024)

[email protected]
Pittsboro, NC

Megan was born and raised in North Carolina but has a strong passion for travel and adventure, living across the U.S. as well as abroad while pursuing her education and as a proud military spouse. After graduating from Guilford College with majors in Psychology and Women’s Studies, she pursued her advanced degree in Social Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. Since 2006, Megan has served as a lecturer and academic advisor in the department of Sociology and Anthropology at NC State, where she teaches courses on gender, race, intersectionality, inequality, and social change. Her most important work, however, is that of raising her two children, both happy Hawbridge Herons! Megan values Hawbridge’s emphasis on equity, cultural sensitivity, community involvement, and honoring the individual. The mission and values of the school align with her belief in providing safe and meaningful experiences to all students regardless of background and in support of their authentic selves. She lives in Pittsboro with her children, spouse, and menagerie of animals, where she enjoys yoga, community engagement, pollinator gardening, exploration, and the outdoors.

Joshua Horton (2022-2025), Secretary

[email protected]

A resident of the Piedmont for the last 15 years, Josh is proud to be a staff attorney for Piedmont Land Conservancy, working to not only protect natural spaces for future generations, but to create public trails preserves, gamelands, and other opportunities to connect the public with nature.

Years before his four-year-old daughter was born, Josh was fascinated by the integral role Hawbridge plays in the local community and how the school uses the stunning beauty of Saxapahaw's natural spaces to supplement students' educational experiences. Josh looks forward to serving Hawbridge and the community during his 3 year Board term.

Ted Teague (2023-2026), Vice-Chair

Dylan Bondy (2023-2024)

Dylan 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.

Dylan has spent his career in the sustainable food marketing and food access space. He currently works at Crowd Cow as Head of Growth. In addition, he advises non-profit organizations and “Triple Bottom Line” mission-driven businesses.

Prior to attending college, Dylan served with City Year-AmeriCorps as a tutor and mentor at Markham Middle School in Watts, South Los Angeles. He earned his B.A. in Sociology from Grinnell College, where he also founded Food Recovery Network’s first rural chapter—a student-driven hunger relief organization that has now recovered and distributed 140,000 pounds of food as of September 2023.

You might see Dylan at the General Store with his three-year-old son, around the Haw River Ballroom where he’s been known to sport a carrot suit for concerts, selling his art at the Holiday Market, or on the Island Park trails. No matter where, feel free to say hello—he'd love to meet more members of the Hawbridge family!

Sara Abernethy (2023-2024)

Sara is a firm believer in embracing life's wonders and finding magic in everyday moments. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture, which has endowed her with a unique perspective, creative mindset and a creator of sacred space. Sara also possesses a Masters in Holistic Theology, which has further deepened her understanding of the interconnectedness of individuals and communities.

Empowerment lies at the heart of Sara's philosophy. She believes that by encouraging individuals to embrace their inherent abilities and unique talents, they can make a positive impact on the world around them. This belief extends not only to students but also to teachers, parents, and the broader community. Sara aims to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute their ideas, perspectives, and talents to foster thoughtful growth.

Kemp Watson-Ormond (2023-2026)

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 currently works as a grant proposal manager for Americares Foundation and 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.

Johnny Buck (2023-2024)

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.

Renee Lynch (2023-2024), Chair

Renee currently works as the Program Director of Saxapahaw Village Kids Preschool. After majoring in elementary education, she shifted her focus to early childhood education, obtaining a BA and an MA in the field. Her passion for creating authentic, hands-on learning experiences in nature has driven her to become a North Carolina Certified Outdoor Learning Environment Designer through NC State University. Renee is drawn to Hawbridge's missions to create an environment that empowers its students and hears their voices. This emphasis on mutual respect and honor parallels Renee's belief that all children are capable, competent learners and should be actively involved in their education. Renee lives here in Saxapahaw with her two children and is an active member in the community. She spends her free time hiking, camping, kayaking along the river, or curled up with a good book.

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: Kemp Watson-Ormond ([email protected])

Next scheduled meeting: TBD

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])

Next scheduled meeting: Wednesday, September 20, 2023, 6 p.m. at the Huth Commons, Lower School building. 09-20-23 Finance Committee Agenda

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: Renee Lynch ([email protected])

Meetings:

9/12/23 - 1:30pm, Upper School (Agenda)

10/10/23 - 1:30pm, 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: Sara Abernethy ([email protected])

Next scheduled meeting:

9/21, 6 pm (virtual) - Agenda

Bylaws and Policies

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

BYLAWS
2022-23 Hawbridge Policy Manual

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

If you are interested in serving on The Hawbridge Board of Directors, please email [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]