Leadership
HEAD OF SCHOOL
LISA DARLING
Head of School since 2013
Ms. Darling has over 25 years of educational leadership experience. Formerly the President of the United World College in New Mexico, Darling has brought a unique perspective to the school’s leadership given her commitment to excellence in all aspects of international education and her track record as a collaborative leader.
Prior to United World College, Darling was Head of School at Wilmington Friends School in Delaware for 11 years. Before being appointed Head at Wilmington, she had served in various roles since 1988 including Business Manager, Assistant Head of School for Lower School, and Acting Head of School. Prior to her time at Wilmington, she worked at Friends’ Central School in suburban Philadelphia, where she worked as both Director of Library Services and Business Manager. She also served as the Director of the H.B. DuPont Library at Pomfret School in Connecticut before moving to Philadelphia.
A strong leader who exemplifies Awty’s mission, Ms. Darling has held positions on the International Women’s Forum and the National Association of Independent Schools, and served on the United World College International Board and as the president of the New Mexico Association of Independent Schools.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from George Fox College, a Master of Divinity in Education from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in library science from the State University of New York at Albany.
Proviseur
PIERRE PUGET
Proviseur since 2018
M. Pierre Puget is originally from Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean.
He comes to Awty as “détaché” from the French Ministry of Education (MEN) through the Mission Laïque Française (MLF), an important partner of Awty.
He started his journey in education as a Mechanical Engineering instructor and appreciated the opportunity to teach college students. He worked for six years at the Naval Training Center of Toulon for the French Navy where he taught at all levels, including the officers' school. He has also been involved in the development of digital teaching tools for military personnel onboard warships.
After a position as Deputy Head of School he held two positions as Head of School in two different French Lycées before realizing his first expatriation. Pierre served for five years as Deputy Head of Lycée La Bourdonnais in Mauritius. From there, the French teaching agency abroad (AEFE) offered him a position as Head of School at Lycée Jean d’Alembert in Valparaiso, Chile.
M. Puget studied in France at Institut Universitaire de Technologie d'Aix-Marseille, and then at Université d'Aix-Marseille, earning a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering. He subsequently completed the concours CAPES certifying him to teach higher level students, and was admitted to the corps des personnels de direction - authorized by the French MEN to serve as a Proviseur.
He has now held a school leadership role for 16 years.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
MARYANN T. MANNEN
BOARD CHAIR
Ex-officio member of all board committees
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, TechnipFMC
Graduate, Rider University
Community Leader
DAVID TONNEL
TREASURER
Board Committee: Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee
Senior Vice President, Supply Chain and Corporate Controller for Transocean
Graduate of HEC, Paris
Parent of one Awty alumnus and two Awty students
BOB BUNCH
Director at Olin Corporation
Graduate, Rice University and University of Houston's Law Center
Parent of one Awty alumnus
STEPHANIE COX
Board Committee: Finance and Investment
President, North America Land Drilling for Schlumberger
Graduate, Michigan State University
Parent of one Awty student
SHERIF FODA
Board Committees: Advancement, Committee on Trustees, and International Leadership Council
Chairman and CEO, National Energy Services Reunited Corp.
Graduate, Ain Shams University, Cairo
Parent of two Awty alumni and one current student
glen gonzalez
Board Committees: Advancement and Buildings and Grounds
Founder and President, TJG Capital
Graduate, University of Southern California
Parent of three Awty students
jake gopinath
Board Committees: Advancement and Buildings and Grounds
Founder and CEO, Quintessa Homes of Texas
President and CEO, Fullerton Holdings Corporation
Graduate, Webber International University
Parent of two Awty students
BRIAN HENDRY
Board Committee: Buildings and Grounds
Founder and CEO, Magnolia Builders, LLC
Founding partner and CEO, Texas Gulf Fabricators
Graduate, University of the West of Scotland
Parent of four Awty students
JENNIFER HOGAN
Board Committee: Chair of Committee on Trustees
Partner, Hogan and Hogan, LLP
Graduate, Harvard College and University of Texas School of Law
Parent of three Awty alumni
CHRISTINE KIRCHNER
Board Committee: Chair of the Advancement Committee
Litigation Shareholder, Chamberlain, Hrdlicka Attorneys at Law
Graduate, Southern Methodist University, Northwestern University
Parent of two Awty students
AKBAR MOHAMED
Board Committee: Finance and Investment
President, Prime Communications
Graduate, University of Illinois
Parent of three Awty students
NILOUFAR MOLAVI
U.S. Vice Chair for U.S. Energy Leader, and the Market Managing Partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers
Graduate, University of Texas, McCombs School of Business, BBA and MPA
Awty alumna, Class of 1990
LESLIE NELSON
Chief Financial Officer, Society of Performing Arts
Graduate, University of Texas and University of Houston
Awty alumna
JAY PRYOR
Board Committees: Chair of International Leadership Council and member of Committee on Trustees
Vice President of Business Development, Chevron Corporation
Graduate, Mississippi State University
Community Leader
ANTONIO (TONY) SANCHEZ, III
Board Committees: Committee on Trustees, and International Leadership Council
President and CEO, Sanchez Energy Corporation
Parent of three Awty students
JAY WATKINS
Graduate, MIT and Imperial College London
Parent of three Awty students
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
joanne howard
Board Committee: Advancement
President, Awty Alumni Association
Director, Sustainability and Corporate Communications for Crestwood Equity Partners LP
Graduate, University of Bristol and Swansea University
Awty alumna, Class of 1999 and parent of one Awty student
catherine lÉvy
MLF Representative
Head of Dallas International School
GLENNA SHARAFELDIN
Board Committees: Advancement and Buildings and Grounds
President, Awty Parent and Personnel Association
Graduate, The University of Texas at Austin, Business Honors Program
Former Partner, Ernst & Young LLP, Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services Practice
Parent of two Awty students
SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS
KATE ADAMS
Chief Academic Officer
TOM BEUSCHER
Head of Middle School
DON DAVIS
Director of Facilities and Construction
TIM LONG
Head of Lower School
JILL MUNK
Executive Assistant to the Head of School
JOHN MURPHY
Chief Financial Officer
TOM ODEN
Secondary Dean of Faculty
CHANTEL OLUFSEN
Chief Advancement Officer
SAM WAUGH
Head of Upper School
STAN WAY
Head of Early Learning