Work at ACDS

Monika Varma (2023)

Monika Kalra Varma joined BoardSource in August 2022 as the President & CEO. She brings over twenty dedicated years of leading human rights and social justice organizations in the United States and abroad. Most recently, she served as the Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF), the oldest civil rights institution on the West Coast. Monika and her team partnered with BIPOC communities to advance racial, immigrant, and economic rights. She led an organizational transformation at every level. As a result, the LCCRSF’s staff size nearly tripled, the organization’s revenue and budget doubled, and the organizational culture transformed to center staff well-being.

Monika also served as the Director of the Center for Human Rights at the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights (RFK Center) where she advanced human rights through partnerships with social movement leaders around the globe. She is a strategic leader and advocacy champion working to dismantle systems of oppression and racism.

Monika was the Executive Director of the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the District of Columbia, serving 20,000 individuals, nonprofit organizations, and small businesses and also served on the D.C. Bar’s executive team. Monika began her legal career as an associate legal officer with the Office of the Prosecutor at the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.  Monika currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Foundation for System Change.  Monika’s leadership tools and strategies are grounded in love and guided by the world she wants to raise her children in. Monika and her husband find their greatest joy in raising their fourteen-year-old daughter and 10-year-old twin boys.

“All three of our children have grown academically and personally at ACDS. It has been inspiring to watch them find their unique voices and be taught the tools and be given the space to use them.  ACDS nurtures independent thinking and a love of learning which will stay with them long after they leave.”

Robert Sanchious (2023)

As owner and founder of SHR Consulting Group, a defense contractor in the DC metropolitan area, Robert has led the growth of a small business through multiple contract and industry changes. Through his understanding of contractual nuances and business ownership, he is able to utilize a breadth of knowledge across multiple disciplines. Robert graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech. The first of his family to attend and graduate college, he values the power of education.

Robert has lived In Alexandria with his wife and four children since 2011. His two children (‘29 and ‘32) are current ACDS students. In his spare time, he enjoys working out and is an avid runner.

“ACDS is a wonderful school with a strong community. My wife and I met with multiple schools all across the area when we researched independent schools for our children. With so many options to choose from, ACDS stood out as having the most comprehensive curriculum that will prepare our children for the future.”

Aaron Ringel (2023)

Aaron Ringel is Vice President of Government Relations for the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Association (AFPM) where he leads the day-to-day operation of AFPM’s federal government relations team.

Prior to AFPM Aaron served in both the U.S. Department of State and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the State Department, he was Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, a leadership role that included setting international public affairs strategy, overseeing operations and policy communications. Prior to that he was Senior Advisor at the State Department’s Bureau of Energy Resources. At EPA, Aaron worked as Deputy Associate Administrator for Congressional Affairs.

Before his work in the Executive Branch, Aaron worked for several Members of Congress including Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and former Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS). He served more than eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas (BA), American University School of International Service (MA), and New Mexico Military Institute.

“Our family values ACDS not only for the quality education it provides to our children but for the sense of community all of our fellow parents and the faculty have created. It is a rare thing indeed to find a place of learning that fosters growth in not only the children, whose education is paramount, but also in the parents and educators involved in the school community.  Truly, ACDS brings out the best in our kids and families as we grow together.”

Nicole McGrew (2023)

Nicole McGrew has a background in law, entrepreneurship and community engagement. A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Nicole practiced law in the area of criminal law and policy for 12 years prior to opening her own business. An active member of the Alexandria community, Nicole serves on the boards of the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, Move2Learn and the Visit Alexandria Board of Governors, and is the 2023 Chair of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Board. Nicole is also a Certified Master Gardener and a member of Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Prior to joining the ACDS Board of Trustees, Nicole served as a room parent and is a track coach for the ACDS track team. She and her husband are the proud parents of a Class of 2024 Bobcat.

“Our son entered ACDS in the 5th grade. The friendships he’s made, his development as a cheerful and confident student, and his intellectual growth are all reasons we’re so happy to be part of the ACDS community.”

Kate Comfort, APF Co-President 2023-2024, Advancement Committee

Kate Comfort is the Executive Director of a private Alexandria-based philanthropic foundation and has nearly 15 years of experience working in support of the federal government both as a civil servant and consultant in the areas of defense and security. 

After completing her Masters in Business Administration, Kate established her own small business offering strategy and management consulting services for federal government clients in the Department of Justice and Intelligence Community where she evaluated policy as well as organizational and operational risk. Her professional experiences have a commonality of working to analyze mission effectiveness and developing risk mitigations which she currently applies toward community-based philanthropic efforts.

Kate is the mother of three ACDS students in the graduating classes of ’30, ’31, ’32.  She has been active in the Association of Parents and Families (APF) and is currently the Co-Chair of the organization.  

“ACDS is an amazing environment to foster the individuality and growth of each of my children.  It has been a joy to watch each of their unique interests and personalities thrive in the supportive learning environments we have experienced thus far in the lower school classrooms.”

Arun Srinivasan

Arun Srinivasan is Dad (aka Appa) to 2 kids at ACDS. He’s well known to the staff and families of ACDS and an active volunteer at the school. You will usually find him delivering home cooked lunches for the kids, teaching cricket at the Festival of Learning, volunteering to share cultural lessons on India, or walking the kids to and from school. The Srinivasans have been with ACDS since 2019, coming up on their 4th year.

Arun is an IT professional, with nearly 30 years of experience in IT project management and software development. He currently serves as a Technical Lead at the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Prior to his time with the federal government, Arun worked in the private sector. He is the CoFounder of a software company Syncfusion, a leading .NET COTS tools vendor, based in Raleigh, NC. 

Arun is originally from Mumbai, India. He moved to the US for graduate school in 1994, completing a MS in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University in South Carolina. He’s an ardent cricket fan and has a penchant for sports trivia knowledge. He is a talented cook and is an avid mystery reader.On top of being an IT professional, Arun is also the CoFounder of a microenterprise BhashaKids, along with his wife, Anita.  BhashaKids helps children of the South Asian diaspora connect with their heritage languages through the creation and curation of bilingual materials in many different South Asian languages.  Arun is multilingual, speaking 6 different languages: Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, English, and some German.

“ACDS is a great school that provides for the different learning needs of both my kids. There is a welcoming community and a supportive staff that’s always ready to address our concerns or suggestions in a proactive manner. I’ve had multiple opportunities to volunteer and share aspects of our family’s heritage, such as teaching cricket to 7th & 8th graders, discussing multilingualism and languages or the world, and sharing about holidays.”

Ashlee Rich Stephenson, Annual Fund Co-Chair 2023-2024, Advancement Committee

Ashlee Rich Stephenson is a nationally respected and highly experienced strategist, pollster, and public speaker with nearly 20 years of experience working on high-level campaigns, independent expenditures, and on behalf of public affairs and corporate interests across the United States.

Stephenson is president of AxAdvocacy, a public affairs and government relations consulting firm that represents clients from business and industry in policy battles across the nation and on Capitol Hill.

She is also the senior political strategist and a consultant to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business organization.

She was the president of Just Win Strategies, a national political strategy firm, and principal and chief strategy officer at the polling and analytics company WPA Intelligence. She started her career in the Strategy Department at the Republican National Committee.

Named a Rising Star in 2014 by Campaigns & Elections magazine and inducted into the inaugural American Association of Political Consultants 40 under 40 class of 2015, Stephenson is a regularly requested panelist and commentator to discuss evolving trends in politics and public policy.

She currently serves on the boards of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions and The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

A graduate of Allegheny College and native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Stephenson resides in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband and their two children.

Lindsay Garcia, APF Co-President 2023-2024, Advancement Committee

Lindsay Garcia is the clerk and staff director for the Senate Appropriations Committee Energy and Water Development Subcommittee. The Energy and Water Development Subcommittee is responsible for funding the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and related agencies.

Previously, Lindsay served as the policy director for the Senate Republican Policy Committee under Chairman Roy Blunt. Before that, she served as Senator Lamar Alexander’s legislative director, energy policy director, and chief counsel. Prior to coming to the Senate in 2015, she served as a director at McBee Strategic Consulting. She earned a J.D. from William and Mary Law School and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.

Lindsay and her husband, Sean, live in Alexandria, Va., and have a son, Tucker (ACDS class of 2030), and a daughter, Kennedy (future Bobcat).

Kelly Beeland (2021)

Kelly Beeland has expertise in strategic planning, governance, organizational change
management, communications strategy and delivery, and human capital management.  She
founded her own company in 2023 to work directly with clients in the nonprofit and
government sectors.

As a management consultant who worked at Accenture and then Eagle Hill Consulting,
Kelly served a diverse set of Federal Government clients such as the Department of
Homeland Security, TSA, the US Postal Service, and NASA. She’s authored studies on topics
such as Leadership Training and Development Best Practices and multiple case studies that
demonstrate qualitative results of management consulting projects.

Kelly’s volunteer leadership experience includes having served as the founding Board
President of the Local Motion Project, an Alexandria-based nonprofit, as well as currently
serving as President of the Board of The Little Sisters Fund, an international nonprofit that
provides education to underprivileged girls in Nepal.

At ACDS, Kelly has served on the Association of Parents, as the Chair of the Annual Fund,
as a member of the Advancement Committee, and as a member of the Return to Onsite
Operations Task Force. Kelly loves cooking, reading, hiking, and yoga.  She lives in Del Ray
with her husband, Brad, and her two children, Sam, and Brynn.

Kelly received her BA in Leadership Studies from the University of Richmond.

“Our family was drawn to ACDS because of the child-centered learning environment and
supportive culture. Our daughter began at ACDS in 2nd grade and she has flourished. Our now
6th graders glows with confidence and capability. The outstanding, dedicated teachers, the
engaging curriculum, the focus on public speaking, and the social-emotional learning and
support have provided her with an outstanding foundation for her future years of school and
life.”

Jennifer Morgan An is a Government Operations, Manager for The Boeing Company.  Jennifer leads Boeing’s Supplier Engagement and Advocacy for over 12,000 Boeing domestic suppliers.  As a leader in Strategy & Advocacy, Jennifer is responsible for developing strategies to implement constituent engagement in support of campaigns critical to the enterprise.  Jennifer is the liaison between Government Operations, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Defense Space & Security, Boeing Global Services and Boeing Supplier Management and an adviser to Boeing Federal, State & Local Government Operations, Boeing Global Engagement, and Political Mobilization for supplier related issues.

Previously, Jennifer led a team in External Relations and was a recognized Protocol expert in the international and government relations arenas.  She provided strategic direction, cultivated corporate relationships, and provided overall leadership and management of Boeing’s executive-level and Board participation.

Prior to The Boeing Company, Jennifer worked for The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International Corporation and US Airways in Corporate Affairs and Government Relations. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.  Jennifer is a proud military ‘brat’ who grew up traveling the world, instilling a love of travel, culture, customs and diplomacy.

She resides in Alexandria with her husband, two children (rising third grader and first grader at ACDS) and their dog, Tux.  The Ans love to travel, outdoor activities, and spending time with family and friends.

Scott is in his 15th year at Episcopal High School, a grade 9-12 boarding school in Alexandria, VA, where he has served as director of admissions since 2012 and as head lacrosse coach since 2007.  In addition to his experience at Episcopal, he brings a wide range of independent school experience also having worked at all three divisions at St. Paul’s School, a k-12 independent school outside of Baltimore.

Scott graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and also has a master’s degree in school psychology from Towson University.

Scott lives on the campus of Episcopal High School with his wife, Michele, and children, Tyler, Logan and Cameron.

Mr. Kuntz lives in Old Town Alexandria with his wife and their son, a member of ACDS’s Class of 2024.

“Our family has been at ACDS since 2015 and we could not be more pleased about our decision.  At this young age, kids have a chance to develop a lifetime love of learning and this environment is developing that for our son.  When you walk around the classrooms and hallways, the kids are happy, smiling and kind while being taught by excellent teachers and challenged by an interactive curriculum.”

Cindy Zarate is a seasoned contract attorney, and former Executive Officer to the Under Secretary for Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer (USFA/CFO) at the Smithsonian Institution where she served for 20 years. From 2012 to February 2020, she advised the USFA/CFO on the administration and management of the Institution’s 14 mission-enabling offices, and their respective initiatives and policies. She worked closely with the Smithsonian Access office on various Institution-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives, ensuring equal access for its visitors and employees. Cindy served on the Smithsonian’s Project SEARCH program’s Steering Committee, which established and continues to oversee the annual 10-month unpaid internship program helping young adults with cognitive disabilities gain workplace knowledge and skills that can lead to paid employment.  From 2012 to 2014, she also served as the Institution’s Acting Privacy Officer and created the first iteration of the Institution’s comprehensive Privacy Program and Privacy Program policy directives.

Prior to these roles, Cindy worked as a Contract Negotiator/Attorney Advisor and then Supervisory Attorney in the Institution’s Office of Contracting and Personal Property Management. In that capacity, she counseled and negotiated agreements for revenue-generating activities such as for its retail stores, restaurants, theaters, and product licensing; building construction initiatives, and professional consulting.  She negotiated agreements supporting the Institution’s intellectual property, copyright, and licensing needs, in book publishing, museum website creation, image licensing, product development, and museum exhibition creation.  She also handled much of the Institution’s real estate portfolio; which included negotiating commercial leases for employee office space and museum collection storage; as well as unique needs such as the lease for the Institution’s cultural recovery activities in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

Since 2010, Cindy (and her husband, Juan) have been proud ACDS parents to Peyton (‘19), and Aiden (‘22).  Cindy served as a member of the Head of School’s Cabinet (Spring, 2015), and Co-Chair to the Always ACDS Campaign (2015 to 2019).  Cindy earned her BA degree from Wellesley College and JD from Boston College Law School.  A fitness professional for over 28 years, she enjoys teaching barre, cycle, and step classes at Results Fitness in Alexandria, VA.

“We were first drawn to ACDS for its strong academics and individual attention to its students’ growth. As we witnessed our children matriculate through the years, we became especially appreciative of the quality and dedication of the teachers and faculty; emphasis on service-learning and community-mindfulness; and its incomparable public speaking and communications program. The ACDS community has been a welcoming one that we have cherished as family for over a decade.”

Lawrence Nunn is a Lieutenant Colonel currently serving as a Cyber Operations Lead with the Cyber National Mission Force, United States Cyber Command.  Lawrence has spent his career as a member of the United States Army serving in numerous capacities including as Director of Special Projects for U.S. Army Cyber Command; Cyber Operations Lead for The Joint Staff; and Company Commander / Director of C Company, 2nd Battalion 5th Calvary Regiment, 1CD, Iraq & Ft. Hood.  Lawrence is also the owner of Digital 6 Solutions LLC.

A graduate of The United States Military Academy, West Point with a BS in Information Systems Engineering, Lawrence also has an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri and an MScEng in Operations Research from the University of Texas.

Prior to joining the ACDS Board of Trustees, Lawrence was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and served as an Admissions Volunteer and an Annual Fund Ambassador. 

In his spare time, Lawrence enjoys cycling and martial arts.  He lives in Alexandria with his wife, daughter, son, and nephew.  His daughter is a member of ACDS’s class of 2026.

Blake joined ACDS as a seventh grader, after completing a Montessori program, and describes his time at ACDS as a match made in heaven. Making the most of his two years at ACDS, Blake joined the basketball team, as well as continued to hone his creative side in the drama program, and addressed his lifelong speech impediment in Speeches & Sweets. Blake went on to attend Bishop Ireton High School and Hampton University. He now resides in Alexandria and works as an Acquisition Analyst for an 8(a) company. 

He is also a colorful independent filmmaker with success creating commercials, and short films leveraging imagination and corporate insight. Blake has previously had films shown at various film festivals all over the country including, Atlanta Underground, D.C Black Film Festival, and Burbank International Film Festival in Southern California. His most recent short film, the Zeke Sanders Story, a 35-minute comedy is debuting this fall at the Kennedy Center’s newly erected building, The REACH. Blake has also used his experience and relationships to direct a D.C. Filmmakers Spotlight which highlights a few local filmmakers who have garnered prominence on the local and national levels.

Michael O’Leary is an alumni parent that joined the ACDS Board of Trustees in the summer of 2018. He currently sits on the Finance Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. Michael and his family live in Alexandria and have been involved with ACDS since 2005. Michael’s two sons graduated from ACDS in 2014 and 2016 and now attend the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg Va., and Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.

During his professional career, Michael has held leadership positions with the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, the United States Department of Justice (Criminal Division) and the Motion Picture Association of America. He is currently a Sr. Vice President for Policy at 21st Century Fox. Michael grew up in Montana and is a graduate of Arizona State University and the University of Arizona College of Law.

“ACDS provided our family not just with the academic foundation our boys needed for success, but a true sense of community as well. ACDS is an environment that not only challenges and encourages students academically, but in all aspects of life. During their time at the school, both of our boys grew as students and as individuals. The skills they learned at ACDS continue to serve them well today.”

Dwight is CEO of Bonaventure which includes a real estate investment firm, a multifamily property management company, a Class A construction company, and a portfolio of apartment homes in 2 states and 22 communities. Dwight has a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

A graduate of TC Williams, he calls Alexandria, VA home where he was born and raised. Currently three of his four daughters attend ACDS; his 2019 ACDS graduate starts St. Stephen’s St. Agnes in the fall.

“I am grateful to ACDS for the community it creates for my family, the foundation as life-long learners it builds for my children, and the independence, strength, and generosity of spirit it teaches my daughters.”

Star Harris-Lewis has a background in law enforcement and public administration.  She works closely with federal and local agencies to develop innovative protocols related to judicial efficiency and execution.  Star has built a career focused on coordinating legal, operational, and fiscal strategies that jointly benefit the law enforcement community and the civilian public sector.  Star is a first-term Board member and her daughter, Amirah, is a proud member of ACDS Class of 2023.

“Amirah and I discovered ACDS during our journey for an educational environment that would challenge and nurture.  We discovered ACDS to be a perfect balance of both.  My daughter has grown in ways I could not have imagined leaving me with only one regret; that I did not enroll her sooner!”

Steve is a First Vice President-Investments at Wells Fargo where he helps a select group of individuals, families and business owners build, manage, protect and transition wealth. Steve’s passion for the financial markets began with an internship prior to his graduation from Providence College where he received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Immediately after graduation he began his wealth management career and discovered that this was his true calling and he had a sincere passion for helping clients meet their financial goals.

Steve believes strongly in giving back to the community and is actively involved in the Fort Hunt Little League serving on the board as well as coaching his two boys’ baseball teams. He is the proud father of Matthew ’22 and Charlie ’24.

Since joining ACDS as Head of School in 2012, Scott has overseen an overhaul of the school’s academic program to implement an innovative, rigorous, and student-centered curriculum, the renovation of interior classroom spaces, including the installation of sit/stand desks in middle school that were reported on CNN and The Today Show, the enhancement of the exterior campus that expanded play and learning spaces and garnered the school a Beautification Award from the City of Alexandria, and the implementation of a capital campaign that has created the school’s first substantial endowment. He is most proud, however, of the extraordinary team of professional educators that he and his colleagues have assembled.  Prior to coming to ACDS, Scott was the Head of Buckingham Friends School, Director of Studies at Friends Academy, Dean of Students and Academic Dean at Alexander Dawson School, and Director of Technology at Sandy Spring Friends School. Scott, his wife, Katy, and their two children Zach and Seneca, live in Alexandria and love being in the DC area. Seneca is a member of ACDS’s Class of 2021, Zach attends Brown University, and Katy is an independent college advisor.  Scott enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time at his family cottage in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Kristin Whitman is a government relations professional in the energy industry.  Kristin has a background in corporate and commercial leadership as it relates to policy, regulation and stakeholder issues. Raised in Virginia, she came back to the Washington, D.C. area to work on Capitol Hill after receiving her degree in government from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

She served on ACDS’s Association of Parents for two years prior to joining the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2019. She sits on the Finance Committee.

Kristin enjoys all sports, especially paddle boarding, playing golf and coaching children’s soccer. She lives in Alexandria with her husband and two daughters. Both girls attend ACDS are in the 6th and 4th grades.

“Our family joined the ACDS community when my daughters were entering 4th and 2nd grades.  ACDS has allowed for tremendous growth for them academically. Since joining this nurturing environment, they have gained a renewed love of learning and confidence. The activities they participate in and friendships they have formed will be a source of inspiration for years to come.”

Gabrielle V. Campbell is Chief Services Officer of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), where she oversees standardized admissions and selection testing and centralized application services for the nation’s aspiring physician workforce, medical schools, and residency training programs. She also leads the strategic innovation of these AAMC programs, including fostering holistic review of applicants as part of the medical school and residency admissions and selection processes and in support of the diversification of the physician workforce.

Ms. Campbell holds a BA in biology from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business, and an LLM from the University of Edinburgh Law School. She was a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow in Germany, where she worked with the Bavarian Ministry of Economics, Transport and Technology.

In her personal time, Ms. Campbell explores her children’s Korean heritage with them, going as far as joining their study of TaeKwonDo. Her two children (Sean, class of 2024 and Madeleine, class of 2023) absolutely love school.

“It has been wonderful to watch our children blossom at ACDS, becoming confident, positive, resilient learners. The school creates events that help children find their voice from kindergarten on, weaving speaking and presenting experiences throughout the curriculum. The intentional effort on social-emotional learning is evidenced by the positive vibe in the school, present from the first moment you walk in the front door. And teachers partner with parents to help their children thrive academically and socially. We couldn’t be happier with our school choice!”

Bio to Come