The Board of Trustees oversees the affairs of Free Union Country School to ensure adherence to the school's philosophy and mission. The Board develops and establishes policy, assesses the performance of the school, bears responsibility for the school's financial condition and physical plant, and plans for the school's long-term financial health. The Board selects and works cooperatively with the Head of School, delegating administration of the school to the Head who is subject to Board evaluation. Each Trustee acts as an advocate for the School and a supporter of the Head of School.
The Board meets monthly at the school on the first Monday of each month at 7 PM.
Free Union Country School Board of Trustees
| Alison Lubin, Chair | |
| Marc Peritz, Vice Chair | |
| Tom Romer, Treasurer | |
| Joya Elmore | |
| Kari Evans | |
| Sean Felix | |
| Steve Kaminsky | |
| Emily Lazaro | |
| Nicolas Stahelin | |
| John Winn |
Ex Officio Members
Tim Baynum, Head of School ()
Camilla Tolton, Director of Business & Operations
Faculty Representative on a rotating basis
Board Biographies
Alison Lubin
Chair
Alison is the Director of Operations for Motivate Lab, a social science research lab studying student motivation at UVA’s School of Education and Human Development. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, she worked in Connecticut State government and taught middle school science for several years at a charter school in New Haven, CT. When she’s not thinking about the path to building equitable school systems, you can find her lost in nature, at the book store, or on a quest to find the perfect slice of pizza.
Marc Peritz
Vice Chair
Marc is an attorney in Charlottesville with Flora Pettit PC. His son attended preschool at Free Union many years ago, and his family has held a special place in their hearts for Free Union ever since then. Given his continued dedication to Free Union’s mission, he was asked to join the Board and contribute his background, experience, and the perspective of a community member committed to the values and goals of the school. Marc enjoys reading, UVA sports, and time with his family.
Tom Romer
Treasurer
Tom is a lawyer and a property investor. As a lifelong resident of Charlottesville, over the years he has known families in the Free Union community and has enjoyed their enthusiasm for the school and its mission. Tom brings to the board professional experience and training in finance and law. His outside interests include reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.
John Winn
John is the General Counsel at the University of Virginia Investment Management Company. His sons Owen and Liam both attended Free Union for their preschool - 5th grade years, and his wife Beth (Moorman) Winn taught second and third grades at Free Union over two different stints. John is grateful to have been a part of the Free Union community for the past two decades, and most importantly, that his kids had the opportunity to spend their formative years at such a special place. John brings experience with legal matters, corporate governance, and non-profit organizations to his role on the board. On the weekends John can be found riding his bike around the roads of western Albemarle County or finding outdoor adventures with Beth and their two rapidly growing boys.
Joya Elmore
Joya is the Director of Gardens for Environment-Based Learning at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio. She works with 3 year olds to 18 year olds to teach about gardening, sustainability, and nutrition. However, Joya grew up in Free Union, Virginia and attended The Free Union Country School as a preschooler. Years later, she returned to Free Union when she started her career as a teacher. While teaching first grade at Free Union, Joya helped to establish the garden that is used now. Her oldest son, River, also had the privilege of attending Free Union for preschool during their sabbatical year back in Virginia. When she's not teaching, Joya enjoys painting, reading a good book, and taking her two boys on adventures in nature.
Sean Felix
Sean Felix is a 6th and 8th grade humanities (English, History, Values and Ethics) educator at the Edmund Burke School in Washington DC. He was born and raised in Washington DC, and currently lives in Hyattsville, MD. Sean learned of the Free Union Community through an acquaintance and wants to use his knowledge as a teacher, poet, and artist to make his school and Free Union some of the best educational environments in the world. When not writing haiku, or creating meditative abstract art, he loves going on walks with his son, daughter, and wife to gain more inspiration and achieve peace of mind.
Steven Kaminsky
Steven is a freelance consultant to the motion picture industry, primarily managing post production on film projects in New York and Los Angeles. Originally from Topanga, California, he and his wife Leslie (UVA ’96) returned to Charlottesville in 2021, having first lived here in the latter 90’s and now reside in Crozet. Their daughter Juliet is a rising 2nd grader at Free Union. Steven brings a diverse background of project and team management from many aspects of the media business, game production and other technology-centric ventures.
Nicolas Stahelin
Nicolas is a Program Director and Assistant Professor at the School for International Training. He teaches and manages study abroad programs specializing in urban studies, sustainability, and social justice with both graduate and undergraduate students from across the United States. His son Julian is a Free Union graduate (1st-5th grade) and Tristan a 2nd grader. Originally from Brazil and Venezuela, Nicolas has enjoyed raising his kids with his wife Kate in the Blue Ridge area of central Virginia, and appreciates the vibrancy of the Charlottesville and Albemarle communities.
Kari Evans
Kari is the Executive Director of the Ivy Foundation, a nonprofit supporting biomedical innovation, translational research, and mental health at the University of Virginia. She is the mother of a Free Union alum and a current student, and wife to Marc, who is responsible for the school’s IT. She loves travel, puzzles and games, spending time with family and friends, and watching a good movie.
Emily Lazaro
Emily is a museum educator at the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia. Prior to that, she worked at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, the National Gallery of Art, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, after a stint teaching kindergarten in New York City Public Schools. She and her husband Anthony are parents to a fifth grader, a second grader, and a kindergartener. When she’s not teaching in the museum or searching for her kids on the fairy trail, she’s re-reading her favorite books, solving crossword puzzles, and walking her dog on the Rivanna Trail.
