AMS Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is the policy-making body of the American Montessori Society. It is empowered to formulate policies and to amend the constitution and bylaws as needed to fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities and to ensure a vigorous future.
Board directors represent various constituencies of the Montessori community and contribute a diversity of experience and expertise that enrich the body’s deliberations and decisions. Every director sits on at least 2 AMS committees. Some directors are elected individually. Others are selected by the AMS Board to form a group, or "slate." AMS members vote to approve or not approve the slate in its entirety.
Executive Committee Directors
Joyce S. Pickering
President
Executive Director Emeritus,
Shelton School & Evaluation Center,
Dallas, TX
Dane L. Peters
Vice President
Head of School,
Brooklyn Heights Montessori School,
Brooklyn, NY
Mary Ellen Kordas
Treasurer
Former Head of School,
Valley Montessori School,
Livermore, CA
Ginger Kelley McKenzie
Secretary
Associate Professor of Education,
Montessori Teacher Education Program,
Xavier University,
Cincinnati, OH
Julie Bragdon
Member at Large and Family Representative
Assistant Head of School, Montessori School of Denver, Denver, CO
Richard A. Ungerer
Ex Officio
Executive Director,
American Montessori Society,
New York, NY
Board Member Directors
Suzanne Bayer
Chair of the Teachers Section
Middle School Teacher, Valley Montessori School; Livermore,
Robyn Breiman
Elementary Coordinator, Center for Montessori Teacher Education/New York, White Plains, NY
Marilyn Horan
Principal, Bunche Early Childhood Center; Fort Wayne, IN
Young Soon Jun
Founder, Po-Hang Children’s House, Po-Hang City, Korea;
Director, Dr. Jun Institute of Montessori Education, Seoul, Korea;
President, Korean Montessori Association
Darla Miller
AMS Infant & Toddler Teacher Training Faculty Member, Houston Montessori Center, Houston, TX
Laura Saylor
Head of School, Central Montessori Academy, Cincinnati, OH
Adjunct Professor, Xavier Universitiy
Graduate Assistant, University of Chicago
Mary Schneider
Chair of the Teacher Educators Section
Head of School, Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell, WA;
Executive Director, Montessori Education Institute of the Pacific Northwest, Seattle, WA
Munir Shivji
Head of School, The Innovative School; Houston, TX
Executive Director, The Institute of Montessori Education; Houston, TX
Meg Thomas
Chair of the Heads of Schools Section
Head of School, Children's Meeting House Montessori School, Cincinnati, OH