2021-2022
​Board Meeting Dates

    TBD per updated By-Laws
2020-2021
​Annual Report
2020-2021 Annual Report
File Size: 3534 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2021-2022
​​Agendas​, By-Laws

Aug 10, 2021 Agenda
File Size: 81 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Sept 14, 2021 Agenda
File Size: 68 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Dec 14, 2021 Agenda
File Size: 60 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
PWMS By-Laws (adopted 1/11/22)
File Size: 244 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Zoom Link & Password

This information can be found in your weekly newsletter from your child's teachers, sent via Montessori Compass. Alternatively, please email Emily Bray (office@pinewoodsmontessori.com) for this information.

Board of Directors 2021-2022

​The Board of Directors of Pinewoods Montessori School are fully committed and dedicated to ensuring that the School provides an authentic Montessori education in which children develop a love of learning within a safe, peaceful setting.  This group of volunteers embrace the privilege and responsibility to serve the School and work to support and promote the mission, craft the strategic goals, provide fiscal oversight, and monitor the overall success of the School.
 
The Board of Directors, acting solely as a unified whole, oversee the mission of Pinewoods Montessori School and broad policy, fiscal, and strategic issues, but have no individual oversight nor any group oversight of the daily operation of the School, which is delegated solely to the Head of School and his/her representatives on the administrative team.
​

Jennifer Melerski
Chair, Board of Directors
Jennifer is the mom to 7 year old Ben who is in Low​er Elementary at Pinewoods.  Education is one of her family’s central values. She and her family are very grateful to have found Pinewoods which has been instrumental in creating a love and excitement about learning in their son.  She has been especially struck by the dedicated professionals at the school and excited about the mission of the school to expand. Jennifer’s family is committed to a Montessori education for Ben and to Pinewoods thriving as it goes through this vital transition.  Jennifer earned a Master’s in Education in 1995 and Doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2006. In her 30-year professional career she has served in not-for-profit agencies, mental health centers, universities, hospitals, courts, and correctional institutions serving a wide diversity of individuals.  Jennifer hopes to apply her extensive education, including knowledge of organizational and community psychology, experience in conducting qualitative research, as well as her passion for education to serve the Pinewoods community during this important transition.  Jennifer is currently the owner of her own psychology practice. She and her family live in Mebane.
​

Kerry Plunket
​Vice Chair, Board of Directors
​Kerry Plunket is the mother of two Pinewoods students, Teddy (9) and James (7), and has been part of the Pinewoods community since 2013.  She believes that Pinewoods Montessori is providing her sons with a great sense of independence and a love for learning while respecting their individual learning styles and interests.  When she isn’t parenting, she works as the Director of Human Resources for a technical recruiting and staffing firm.  Kerry applies her business skills and experience to assist Pinewoods in fulfilling its mission and in fostering its sense of community.  In addition to enjoying time with her husband, Bob, their boys and two rescue dogs, Kerry likes to prepare (and eat) vegetarian cuisine, read, and travel. 
​

Adam Haber
Treasurer, Board of Directors
Adam currently serves as the Vice President of Credit Policy and Analytics for First Citizens Bank. In his time with First Citizens Adam has been responsible for the development and build out of multiple departments within the Bank’s corporate structure and has served in a leadership role on a number of projects including a complete overhaul of the bank’s reporting and analytics software. A substantial portion of his work is focused on risk analysis and mitigation and he has recently had a central role in the Bank’s COVID-19 response and relief programs including work on the paycheck protection program. In prior roles Adam has worked in commercial and high net worth lending and has extensive experience with corporate finance and complex credit transactions. In his free time Adam enjoys exploring Hillsborough’s walking trails with his wife, Rachel and their two boys; Theo and William, cooking, and frequenting the local restaurants.
​

Erik Pearsall
Secretary, Board of Directors
Erik Pearsall has lived in North Carolina for almost six years with his spouse and Pinewoods-enrolled daughter. He has leadership experience, as both an Eagle Scout and of teams in the workplace. He has a background in design, and currently works in technical training and education—creating and delivering technology classes. He is interested in joining the board to help volunteer and guide Pinewoods forward. Erik enjoys board games, the outdoors, and spending time with his two daughters.
​

Laura Arneman
Board Member
​Laura is currently a stay at home parent working towards going back to school for occupational therapy. Prior to this, Laura worked in accounting at a family owned architecture and construction company. She was on the board of her townhouse association for 3 years, and served as the treasurer for 2 of those years.  Laura has two children at Pinewoods.
​

Janelle Sturtz
Board Member
Janelle has two sons at Pinewoods - one in lower elementary and another in primary.  Janelle is a chiropractor with a specialization in pediatric and pregnancy care who practices here in Hillsborough at Imagine Chiropractic. Her experience in practice over the past 10 makes her a valuable member of this board, not only in business operations, but with her medical background and perspective with regards to our children’s health and well being, which is extremely important not only now but moving into the future.  Janelle is also a member of her HOA board and an active participant in the North Carolina Chiropractic Association.

Carly Bailey
​Board member
Carly Bailey is the director of physical activity and integrative oncology at UNC cancer center.  In her work, she provides project management expertise as well as uses her exercise physiology background to help UNC's patients affected by cancer meet their wellness needs.  In her free time, she loves spending time with her children, running, gardening, and reading.
​

Cynthia Abell-Brown
​Board member
​​Cynthia is a Mom of two children (Jocelyn age 7 and Winchester age 5). She works as a System Administrator for the deviation management system at IQVIA (formally Quintiles). She also produces the executive metrics for all of company. She loves spending time with family, especially watching her oldest play TBall. Cynthia plans to bring her wealth of knowledge to the Board, specifically how to generate and replicate enrollment metrics. Cynthia strongly believes in the Pinewoods community and hopes to be involved in helping move the community forward.
​

Brittany Palacioz
Teacher Representative
​Brittany Palacioz was born and raised on the Outer Banks and completed her undergraduate education at UNC Chapel Hill. After college, she interned at Pinewoods to earn her AMS Lower Elementary credential and stayed on to teach with Jo Ann for the next two years. She returned to Pinewoods after completing her Master of Arts in Teaching at Meredith College. Brittany loves how the Montessori method gives children ownership of their education and an understanding of the world around. Her favorite subjects to teach are Math and History.  This is Brittany's 11th year at Pinewoods. Brittany currently lives in Chapel Hill.  During her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, going to the beach, and running with her dog, Buxton. 
​