LEADERSHIP • BOARD

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Leadership

Letter from the Head of School

Faculty & Staff

Board of Trustees

Members

James Chen, Vice-Chair, is the father of two Ambleside students. One of the things he values about its educational philosophy is that struggles and challenges, whether academic, relational, emotional, or otherwise, are seen as opportunities for growth. When fellow classmates work through challenges, those are also opportunities for growing in patience and empathy and learning to support and encourage one another. James also appreciates how Ambleside's Charlotte Mason principles speak not only to education, but also parenting and family life, thus enabling children's home and school lives to be in mutual support. James has a B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. He is currently the Vice President of Global Operations at the Institute for Global Engagement, an NGO that catalyzes freedom of faith worldwide. Previously, he spent seven years in Taiwan working for Overseas Radio & Television, a Christian media ministry. James is married and attends Chesterbrook Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Falls, Church, VA.

Andre Heletsi is passionate about life. He seeks to find ways in which he can share the goodness of God through all he does. Andre has three children enrolled at Ambleside and is excited to join the board so that he can be an integral part in the growth of the Ambleside community and in the growth of his children. Andre appreciates the love for learning that the Charlotte Mason method has brought to the family. Andre graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. He has owned his private practice for over seven years where he brings HOPE to all those who have been suffering from longstanding misunderstood injuries. He believes that Faith, Love and Hope that has been instilled in him as a Christian facilities the healing process and the vision he possesses. Andre is thankful to his wife, Mandy, for exposing him to Ambleside. It has not only brought growth to the children but to the family as a whole.

David Fischer is the father of two Ambleside students, and his wife, Melissa, is an Ambleside teacher. They found Ambleside while looking at kindergarten options for their daughter. He was a product of public schools, with many family members working as teachers, so sending children to a private school was never thought to be an option. That was until he and his wife learned more about the school, the Charlotte Mason method, and interacting with parents with children at the school. Ambleside has been a blessing, and is evident through his children, especially when looking back at what he was doing in fifth grade compared to his daughter, who loves to learn and read. David grew up in western Pennsylvania, and attended Pennsylvania State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology. He moved to Northern Virginia shortly after graduating and has worked for various agencies of the United States Government. The Fischer family worships at Reston Bible Church.

Joy Orme and her husband, Eric, moved to northern Virginia in spring of 2020 and are thankful that extensive research and prayer led them to the Ambleside community, where their two youngest children were warmly welcomed for in-person learning. Heath is now in the seventh grade at Ambleside and Max is a freshman at Gonzaga College High School, while the older two Orme sons are current students at Muhlenberg College and Notre Dame Law. Joy and Eric are both graduates of Berry College in Rome, Georgia where they met and lived for twenty years before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Through dedication to their children's education and continual prayerful consideration, the Orme sons have been homeschooled, in hybrid, or private schools all of their academic careers where Joy has always remained deeply involved. In Seattle she was co-president of the Parent Council for the Christian K-12 her sons attended, representing the parents of nearly 1,400 students at The King’s School.  Her academic and professional background in branding and communications for B2B technology companies has been invaluable in her volunteer roles.  The Ormes live in McLean, worship at Cherrydale Baptist Church, and love to travel, cook, and attend their sons’ numerous sporting events.

Victoria Ro, grew up in England and graduated from the University of Durham with a Bachelors in Combined Arts. After graduating, she moved to Northern Virginia to be with her parents who were on staff at a local Anglican church. Although they moved back to the UK two years later, she remained in the US and it has become home. She is a Realtor and loves serving the Lord in her work, combining her passion for people and real estate. She and her husband, Gene, have two children, Jonah and Toby, and attend Reston Bible Church where Victoria serves in the women’s ministry. Growing up, neither she nor her husband enjoyed school or had a love of learning and hearing about Ambleside raised their curiosity. Initially, it was a desire to have their children be in small classes where they were encouraged to enjoy using their minds to explore ideas that drew them to Ambleside but over the years what has become more important is the focus on Christ, the presence of Him that can be felt throughout the school, and the desire to teach children to glorify the Lord in all areas of their lives that has kept them at Ambleside.

Martha Schober, Secretary, and her husband, Stefan, discovered Ambleside when they were looking for Kindergarten options for their oldest son. Twelve years later, they have two boys who have graduated from Ambleside and are so thankful and blessed that their family was able to experience the Charlotte Mason method during those key formative years. Martha volunteered extensively at Ambleside during the years her children were there and is excited to continue to be involved with this great school in her role as a Board Member. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mississippi College and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Regent University. Prior to becoming a mom, she worked in congressional relations for a trade association and for the Bush Administration. Martha and her husband are thankful for their boys, Max and Nikolas, and they worship at Reston Bible Church in Sterling, VA.

Tim Shinbara, Board Chair, is the father of three Ambleside students who have all started at Ambleside in Kindergarten. It was through his wife, Vanessa, that he came to better understand the Charlotte Mason pedagogy and the Mason-based philosophy at Ambleside School that education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. At first, he was attracted to the Christ-centeredness and appropriateness of an Ambleside education but soon his natural curiosity led him to discover more about Charlotte Mason’s philosophy. This drove deeper respect and commitment to the teachers, faculty, and staff at Ambleside McLean. Tim’s role is VP and CTO at The Association For Manufacturing Technology. In addition, he has served in policy roles in the U.S. Congress as a Congressional Fellow in the office of the Honorable Marco Rubio (R-FL) as well as in Loudoun County on the Board of Supervisors Economic Development Advisory Commission. Their family attends and worships at Reston Bible Church where Tim and Vanessa also serve as Shepherd Group (small group) leaders. Tim holds BS and MS degrees from Purdue University and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and has known and walked with Christ for over 30 years.

Molly Zemek, Treasurer, and her husband, Alex, have 3 boys at Ambleside (Peter, Luke and Andrew) and feel blessed they discovered the school at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. The Charlotte Mason philosophy of instilling habits, being inspired by classical texts, and shaping a child’s mind to be Christ-centered has encouraged their boys to grow into the people God created them to be. Molly has a BA from Swarthmore College and an MA from Johns Hopkins University, and is a Master-certified life coach. She works as an instructor for a private company, training other life coaches, and also runs her own business, Weight Loss for Food Lovers. Her mission is to empower others to live their best lives.

John Mizener heard about Ambleside School when he and his wife, Sara, were exploring 1st grade options for their eldest son. After attending an Ambleside School open house and classroom observation, the Mizeners were delighted to see many consistencies in values and character-building habits at Ambleside, home, and church. In their son’s first year at Ambleside, they witnessed teachers and staff drawing their son to worthy ideas, the joy of learning, and the satisfaction of work well done. As Ambleside encourages family partnership with the school, John is honored to serve on the board of a Christ-centered school committed to providing a living education. John grew up in Northern Virginia and holds an undergraduate degree from Messiah University, and graduate degrees from Regent University and George Mason University. He has over 20 years of civil service experience. The Mizener family worships at Holy Trinity Church and enjoys spending time together outdoors.

Kristin Nowak (ex officio)