BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors is the paramount decision making body of Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts and is responsible for overall governance and helping to sustain the mission, vision, and charter of the School. The Board consists of four (4) officers and a maximum of up to twenty-four (24) directors. 

​The work of the Board of Directors focuses on five areas as outlined in the PHSSA strategic plan:
  • Elevate the Building: Amplify the building to ensure a clean, safe, comfortable renovated building and grounds. 
  • Outstanding Staff: Employ committed, trained, and highly qualified teachers who understand and implement the mission every day. 
  • Stellar Curriculum: Enhance the curriculum to enable students to achieve academically through individual learning styles with an emphasis on science and arts.
  • Sustainability: Activate a robust development program that generates support from Richmond Public Schools, private foundations, and individuals.
  • Operational Excellence: Develop a culture of cooperation, open communication, and mutual respect among our stakeholder and leadership bodies, including the Board of Directors, School Planning and Management Team, Parent Teacher Association, and Richmond Public Schools. 
DIRECTORS

Ozie Bradford, Director
Term: January 2016-2019
Biography coming soon.

Cezar Carvalhaes, Secretary
Term: April 2016-2019
Cezar is passionate about educational equity and joins PHSSA with the intent of helping create a better future for Richmond and as well as the state of Virginia. Upon graduating from Western Michigan University’s Lee Honors College with a BA in Anthropology and Philosophy, he embarked with Teach for America to teach in some of our nation’s highest needs schools. After teaching summer school Chemistry in Atlanta, Cezar spent two years teaching Chemistry at an independent charter school in inner-city Memphis, before moving to a KIPP charter middle school where he taught language arts. Upon moving to Richmond in 2014, Cezar spends his days at Armstrong High school where he works as a Communities In Schools site coordinator working to connect students to support services and enrichment programs. He also serves as Armstrong’s head wrestling coach.

Tiffany Ford, Vice-Chair
Term: June 2016-2019
Tiffany Ford is the Director of Procurement and Contract Administration at Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA). She oversees all aspects of strategic procurement planning, vendor management and contract management. Prior to her current position at RRHA, Ford was the Compliance Director at Richmond Ambulance Authority. She is an avid advocate for educational and housing equity. Ford earned a dual JD/MPA degree from University of Richmond School of Law and Virginia Commonwealth University.
 
Wesley Hedgepeth, Director
Term: January 2018-2021

Wesley lives and breathes social studies education! Throughout his career, he has taught multiple social studies courses from grades 7-12, at all ability levels, in both public and private schools. He currently teaches IB Global Politics and Contemporary World History at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to teaching, Wesley coordinates his school’s Global Engagement Program. From 2014-2017, Wesley served as President of the Virginia Council for Social Studies (VCSS). During his tenure he co-chaired the 2016 National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Local Arrangements Committee for the Washington, D.C. conference and twice co-chaired the Virginia Conference for Social Studies Educators.Wesley currently serves on the VCSS Executive Board as Past-President. In addition, he recently was elected to the Board of Directors for NCSS. He received both his Bachelor and Master's degrees from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and maintains a Postgraduate Professional Teaching License from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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Megan Kelly, Director
Term: May 2018-2021
Biography coming soon.

Natisha Knight, Director
Term: May 2016-2019
Natisha Knight has been an educator for over 15 years and is passionate about ensuring positive educational experiences for all children. After graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BS in Psychology and MT in Elementary Education, she worked as a first and second grade teacher as well as a Title I math teacher for Richmond Public Schools. During that time she earned an MS in Administration and Supervision. In 2013 she left to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector where she managed a robust after-school program as well as a summer program for youth in Church Hill. In 2015 she also began working as a coach for the Richmond Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) which is a quality improvement process for out-of-school-time organizations in the area. She is currently the Program Manager for Vision to Learn.

Sarah McLillard, Chair
Term: November 2015-2018
Sarah McLillard has filled numerous roles at PHSSA including two years as the PTA president, long-term substitute, hospitality committee chair, and SPMT liaison. McLillard has a son in his fourth year at Patrick Henry School and believes passionately in the goals and mission of the school. McLillard has a BS in Psychology and a MSW from VCU. She is a licensed clinical therapist at Dominion Outpatient Services, working with children and adolescents with mental health issues. 

Lou Zammett, Treasurer
Term: September 2016-2019
Lou has over 40 years of experience as a Chief Financial Officer, Controller, and Internal Audit Director working in the private and public sectors. Some of his major industry experience includes responsibility for financial and budgetary management in the state of Virginia prison system, Public Housing Authorities, and two fortune 100 companies. In the local government space, Lou was responsible for performing financial and operating audits for a large local government and school board. Zammett has received honorable mention from two Richmond, Virginia newspapers for his financial acumen. He holds an MBA degree and is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). He currently serves as board chair of Make A Difference 2020, an organization that focuses on supporting STEM in the Commonwealth and is also past chair of Richmond’s Chapter of National Black MBA Association. He is past member of Bon Air Rotary and a Paul Harris fellow. He was the founding member and past President of the Virginia Local Government Auditor Association, which was founded to improve efficiency and effectiveness in government. 

To contact a Board member, please email firstname.lastname@patrickhenrycharter.org.
​The PHSSA Board of Directors is looking for volunteers to help our board committees continue delivering efficient guidance and support to the school. These committees play an essential role in establishing connections to the at-large community while also handling some of the business delegated from the main Board of Directors to help fulfill the PHSSA mission.
The Board of Directors convene for work sessions on the second Wednesday of each month and for their full meeting on every fourth Wednesday at 6:00 pm in the library at the school. Please refer to the school calendar to confirm meeting dates/times.
Use the links below to view Board of Directors documents:

Agendas: Minutes: ​
Financial Statements