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.
Proviseure
CHRISTINE CHOURRÉ
Proviseure since 2014
Ms. Chourré is originally from the region of Lyon, France. She came to Awty as Proviseure in 2014 after a career in French education. She is “détachée” from the French ministry of education through the MLF (Mission Laïque Française), a historical partner of Awty.
She has started her journey in education as a language teacher and had the opportunity of teaching lower school, middle school, upper school and college students (University of Saint Etienne). After a position of deputy head of school she held two positions of head of school in secondary in two different French schools. She has now been in a school leadership role for 14 years.
She holds a master’s degree in school management (MADOS) from the University of Lorraine and is an ESENESR (Ecole Superieure de l’ Education Nationale de l’Enseignement Superieur et de la Recherche) graduate. In France she was rewarded by the prestigious recognition of chevalier dans l’ordre des palmes académiques (a knighthood order of chivalry in France recognizing educators) in recognition of her service to French education. She has become an expert in the field of international education by studying PISA results (standardized testing in OECD countries) and by attending workshops in European country Spain, Italy, Nederland, Sweden, Malta.
Since 2014, Christine has been leading the one school initiative to make Awty an even better place for our students.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NILOUFAR MOLAVI
BOARD CHAIR
Ex-officio member of all board committees
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.
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.
JULIE FETTE
SECRETARY
Board Committee: Chair of Buildings and Grounds Committee
Associate Professor of French Studies, Rice University
Graduate, Georgetown University and doctoral programs at NYU and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris
Parent to one former student and step-parent to two current Awty students.
BASIL ABUL-HAMAYEL
Board Committees: Finance and Investment and Advancement
President & CEO, Aramco Services Co.
Graduate, MIT and University of Texas
Parent of two Awty students.
STEPHANIE COX
Board Committee: Finance and Investment
President, North America Land Drilling for Schlumberger
Graduate, Michigan State University
Parent of one Awty student.
FRANK J. DEMAILLE
President and CEO, ENGIE North America
Graduate, Ecole Polytechnique, Ecole nationale superieure des Mines de Paris, Pierre et Marie Curie 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 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.
MARYANN T. MANNEN
Board Committees: Finance and Investment and International Leadership Council
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, TechnipFMC
Graduate, Rider University
Community Leader
AKBAR MOHAMED
Board Committee: Finance and Investment
President, Prime Communications
Graduate, U of Illinois
Parent of three Awty students.
JAY PRYOR
Board Committee: 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 Committee: Committee on Trustees, and International Leadership Council
President and CEO, Sanchez Energy Corporation
Parent of three Awty students.
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
JEAN-FRANCOIS GENAY
Board Committee: Buildings and Grounds
General Delegate for North America, Mission Laïque Française (MLF).
Graduate, University of Paris
sandra nadin-figueredo '97
Board Committee: Advancement
President, Awty Alumni Association
Business Analyst, Merichem Company
Graduate, University of St. Thomas
Alumna Class of 1997 and Parent of two Awty students.
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
Acting Chief Advancement Officer
SAM WAUGH
Head of Upper School
STAN WAY
Head of Early Learning