Board of Trustees

Beacon Academy's Board of Trustees is responsible for supporting and promoting the school’s mission and making policies consistent with our values as a leading edge high school that nurtures students' independence, innovation, community inclusiveness, and interdependence. Comprised of parents, alumni parents, and community members, our board also always has at least one trustee who is a Montessori educator. Governed by Bylaws, Trustees establish long-range strategic plans and oversee the fiscal health of the school. Among the Board's most important responsibilities is the selection, support, and evaluation of the Head of School, as well as Head of School succession planning. The Board of Trustees collaborates with the administration, faculty, and community of students and families to advance Beacon Academy's values as a Montessori high school that is at the forefront of reimagining a 21st century high school education.

CARRIE GOODMAN, PRESIDENT

Carrie Goodman is a human resources professional who has worked in the education, non-profit and retail industries. Most recently she worked at Near North Montessori School as the HR Director for 13 years where she served on the leadership team, supported faculty and staff and led select committee work with the board of directors. She built the human resources department for the school, successfully implementing strategic and operational plans and practices. A passion for Montessori education and advancing educational and workplace equity extends into both her learning pursuits and philanthropic work. She completed Montessori school administrator training, is an active member of HR and educational associations, and is part of a philanthropic leadership development program. Carrie’s role as a co-chair on the education committee within a private family foundation provides an opportunity to inform grantmaking strategies and to work closely with key partners in the Chicago public education space. Carrie and her husband, Dan, are the parents of three Montessori-educated children, two of whom currently attend Beacon.

BRIAN KING, VICE PRESIDENT

Brian King is a founding trustee of Beacon Academy and a proud parent of two Beacon graduates. Julia King was a member of the first graduating class in 2017 and Jeremy King graduated in 2019. Brian has served on the Boards of Near North Montessori and Beacon Academy where he served as Board Chair. Brian has a passion for infrastructure finance and currently works in the Public Finance group of Cabrera Capital Markets where his clients are states, cities, universities and hospitals. Brian has a BA in Anthropology from Knox College and an MM from Northwestern University.

SAM POLLACK, TREASURER

Sam Pollack has more than 25 years of broadly-based experience in financial services and board advisory work. Sam is a partner in investment consulting firm NEPC, LLC, where he counsels prominent foundations, universities, healthcare systems, and other nonprofits. He helps these organizations make prudent investment decisions that advance their missions and enhance their impact. Sam holds a MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in French Literature from Haverford College. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Laura, and three children (two of whom are current Beacon students).

TOM MURTAGH, SECRETARY

Tom is a proud parent of a recent Beacon graduate and a current Beacon student. He has spent more than 20 years working in public accounting and is currently a tax partner with FORVIS, LLP where he leads the firm’s Chicago tax practice and advises privately held businesses and their owners on tax planning matters. Throughout his career, he has been an active volunteer with the Illinois CPA Society where he most recently served as the Immediate Past Chairperson of the Board and with Ladder Up, a financial literacy and tax assistance program. Tom earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Loyola University of Chicago, MBA and J.D. degrees from the University of Illinois, and an LLM in taxation from Chicago Kent College of Law. Tom currently lives in the Edison Park neighborhood of Chicago with his wife, Jeanne, and his two daughters.

MARC ACHLER

Mark was a Social Studies Education major at Purdue University which helped launch his life-long passion for teaching. He is the Managing Director of Math Venture Partners, an early to mid-stage technology venture capital fund, and an Adjunct Lecturer of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Northwestern University Kellogg school of Business. He is a serial entrepreneur who started four companies, managed three venture funds, and was head of Innovation for Redbox as well as an early employee of Apple. He is the co-author of Exit Right - how to sell your startup, and has a popular podcast on the Noteworthy network: The Real Work with Mark Achler. Achler is a frequent speaker, resource and ardent champion for the entrepreneurial community; where he is a mentor for TechStars and several other entrepreneurial organizations. He has been Chairman of the Board of several non-profit organizations including UpStart, Mishkan, and Camp Chi.

LIZ AL-DAJANI

Liz is a lawyer and founding partner of Kerkonian Dajani LLP specializing in appeals, commercial and international litigation. She litigates in courts across the country and in the European Court of Human Rights. She has volunteered actively for over 20 years in the areas of restorative justice, inclusion and equitable community development. She has participated in two conflict-resolution fact-finding missions in the Middle East and the Caucasus. Liz's grounding in social justice began as a child at the Evanston Friends Meeting on Greenleaf. She is a founding board member of the Muslim Women Resource Center in Chicago, and also serves on the boards of Chiaravalle Montessori School and the Armenian Bar Association. Liz is a parent of three Montessori kids, including a current Beacon student, and a Beacon graduate. She lives in Skokie with her family and two dogs.

MICHELE ASPINALL

Michele Aspinall is the Head of School at Countryside Day School, where she has served in various leadership roles for over three decades. With deep roots in Montessori education, Michele has led efforts to expand access to authentic AMI training and programming throughout the region. In 2024, she launched a partnership with the Montessori Center of Minnesota to bring nationally accredited Toddler and Primary level teacher training to Illinois. She has helped guide Countryside Day School through programmatic growth, operational transitions, and long-term strategic planning. She is passionate about Montessori’s role in shaping confident, capable learners—work that has also shaped her own family: her two children, Willem and Gretchen, graduated from Beacon Academy in 2021 and 2024, respectively. Michele holds a B.A. in Graphic Art, completed her AMI Primary training, and is currently enrolled in a school leadership course through the Whole School Leadership Institute. She lives in Northbrook with her husband and enjoys baking cakes when time allows—especially if there’s someone nearby willing to enjoy a slice.

SARAH ECK-THOMPSON

Sarah is a proud parent of two Beacon alumni and a daughter in the Beacon Class of 2028. She has served as a Trustee on non-profit boards most notably serving as President and Vice-President during an 8-year term on the Board of Trustees of Chiaravalle Montessori School in Evanston. Sarah's professional experience is in consumer brand marketing with specific expertise in experiential marketing. Until 2018, for 20 years, she was the Founder and COO of All Terrain, an integrated marketing agency headquartered in Chicago. As a head of the agency, Sarah led business operations and supervised the design and execution of consumer engagement campaigns for major brands including General Motors, Beam Suntory, The Venetian Las Vegas, Anheuser-Busch, Maserati, and The Illinois Lottery. Prior to beginning a career in experiential marketing, Sarah earned an MA from Northwestern University in Mass Communication and Media Studies, and a BA from UCLA in Mass Communication. Sarah lives in Evanston with her husband, Art, and daughter, Tess, who both share her passion for tennis (and more recently) pickleball.

JENNIFER HODGES

Jennifer is the Vice President of the Whole Child Initiative with KIPP Chicago, directing the school’s growth and development as an anti-racist organization. Prior to KIPP, she served as Director of Corporate Development at United Way of Metro Chicago, where she also co-founded and co-chaired United Way’s internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies. Her many professional accomplishments include: being named one of Crain’s Chicago 2021 Leading Black Executive; 2021 3Arts Make A Wave artist; and named a 2020 Game Changer by Ariel Investments and WVON. Jennifer is a proud IMPACT alumnus through the Urban League and The University of Chicago. Her extensive volunteer work includes serving as a member of the Local School Council of Phillip Murray Language Academy, Big Shoulders Fund, Calm Classroom, and Black Creativity Council. From a young age, art has been a vital part of her life, and today she continues selling her own original art and textile designs. Jennifer also teaches youth art classes at the Bridgeport Art Center. She earned her Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Michigan University, majoring in finance and real estate, and she earned her MBA from Loyola University Chicago as part of the inaugural cohort of the Baumhart MBA Program.

BRIAN P. KAVANAUGH

Brian is a parent of a current Beacon student and a partner in the law firm Sidley Austin LLP. He represents clients in a wide range of complex litigation matters in arbitration and in state and federal courts, focusing primarily on disputes arising in the healthcare, insurance, and cybersecurity industries. Brian received his B.A. in History from Northwestern University and his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. He lives with his wife, Julie, two children, and a golden retriever in Northfield.

DEVIN PARSONS

Devin is the Director of Digital Product Delivery and Principal at Highland Solutions, a Chicago-based mission driven consultancy that helps other mission driven organizations make the world a better place through research, design, and product delivery. Earlier in his career, Devin worked at Aetna, a CVS Health company, where he led technology strategy and innovation and Xerox Business Services where he led product strategy and delivery. He has been actively involved in Montessori based education for over 12 years and has served on the Board of Directors for Country Meadows Montessori School since 2011. Devin lives in Evanston with his wife and twin boys, both graduates of Beacon Academy.

MATT THACKER

Matt Thacker works as a growth stage CFO, helping companies find funding and deploy capital to grow. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at The Desire Company, a new media business providing free online classes, how-to's and reviews from top industry experts. Previously, he has worked in a similar role across several emerging industries including mobile web, mobile app, e-commerce and social media. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University and his MBA from The University of Chicago. Matt lives in Lakeview with his wife Ericka and their four children. Weekends at the Thacker house are raucous affairs full of food and fun, including backyard sports, bike rides, and visits to the lakefront.

COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The following are the working committees of the Board of Trustees:

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Brian King (Presiding Officer); Devin Parsons, Sam Pollack, Liz Al-Dajani, Carrie Goodman, Brian Kavanaugh

ADVANCEMENT COMMITTEE

Sarah Eck-Thompson (Chair), Carrie Goodman, Brian King, Matt Thacker, Monisha Lozier, Keren Weiss, Sam Pollack (ex-officio), Audrey Perrott, Renee Ruffing (Staff)

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Sam Pollack (Chair), Brian King, Matt Thacker, Tom Murtagh, Brian Kavanaugh (ex-officio), Audrey Perrott

COMMITTEE ON TRUSTEES

Liz Al-Dajani (Co-Chair), Brian Kavanaugh (Co-Chair), Matt Thacker

FACILITIES COMMITTEE

Devin Parsons (Chair), Tom Murtagh, Brian King, David Brown

INVESTMENT

Matt Thacker, Sam Pollack, Brian King, Audrey Perrott