DesertAcademy

Terry Passalacqua, Head of School
Art Burger, President
Scott Gerber, Vice President, Trustees Chair
Jennifer Pruett, Secretary
Marquita Russel, Treasurer, Finance Chair
Stephanie Binkley, Faculty Representative

TRUSTEES

AJ Forte
Ed Hajic
Ross Hart
Elisabeth Keller
Sharon Palestine
Tom Pratt
Arch Sproul
Leonard Trujillo
David Zlotnick

BOARD OF TRUSTEES BIO’S:

Art Burger, President (10-11)

Art Burger is Executive Vice President of Burger, Carroll & Associates, Inc. (BCA), a national public sector management and technology consulting firm. He holds a bachelor’s and masters degree in Political Science from the University of California at Riverside. Art is an expert in government service technologies and is a former adjunct faculty of the Information Systems Management program at the University of San Francisco. Previous volunteer experience includes President of the Turquoise Trail Charter School Foundation and Member of the Board of Directors/Development Chair of the Santa Fe American Youth Soccer Organization (SF-AYSO). Art co-founded BCA with his wife, Dr. Julie Carroll, MS, DrPH, in 1989. Their son Toby is in Desert Academy’s class of ‘12.

A.J. Forte, Trustee (10-11)

A.J. Forte was born and raised in Santa Fe, graduating from Desert Academy in 2001, and is the first alumnus to sit on the Desert Academy Board of Trustees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from Regis University in Denver, Colorado.  To date, A.J. has spent his career in insurance and securities with Financial Concepts, Inc. of Santa Fe.  He also devotes his time to his family’s real-estate company, Tony Forte Realty, and assists with its management.  In his spare time, A.J. is an avid fly fisherman, mountain biker, and skier, spending the majority of his time outdoors.  In addition, he serves on the board for the Grand Prix De Santa Fe.  He and his partner, Amanda D. Lujan (DA 00), divide their time between Santa Fe and their cabin in Southern Colorado.

Scott Gerber, Vice President (10-11)

Scott Gerber currently runs his own marketing and design firm, Scott Gerber Design. The firm counts among its clients Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino, New Mexico Department of Health, Rodale, Reader’s Digest, Oxmoor House, and GMAC Insurance. As a founder and former Board member of La Cañada Wireless Association, one of the New Mexico’s largest nonprofit internet cooperatives, Scott led the deployment of broadband internet in the rural area south of Santa Fe. For many years, Scott has been involved with youth soccer in Santa Fe as a coach and referee. Scott received his education from Hampshire College. Scott’s son, Nicholas, is part of the Desert class of ‘11.

Ed Hajic, Trustee (10-11)

Ed Hajic is a Geoarchaeologist, Geomorphologist and Quaternary and Environmental Geologist employed by Foth Infrastructure and Environment, LLC. He also maintains his own firm, GeoArc Research; is a Managing Director of Pathfinder CRM, LLC, and, holds Research Associate positions with the Landscape History Program at the Illinois State Museum, and the Center for Archaeological Research at Missouri State University. He holds bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in Geology from Cornell College, University of Iowa and University of Illinois, respectively. Previous volunteer experience includes serving on the Acequia Madre Elementary School PTC Board, on the board of his landowners association, and on various committee and section leadership posts for the Geological Society of America as well as various technical advisory and regional planning committees and commissions. Ed’s spouse Maria is a Sales Director at a major art gallery in town. Their daughter Hayley will graduate in the Desert Academy class of 2011.

Ross Hart , Trustee (10-11)

Ross Hart is President of Hart ADR, Inc. a firm providing alternative dispute resolution services. Mr. Hart holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from U.C.L.A. and a J.D. from Loyola Law School. He is a nationally recognized mediator specializing in complex, multi-party construction, real estate, commercial and insurance coverage disputes. His daughters Maxine (class of ‘13) and Cassidy (class of ‘15) are students at Desert Academy. His wife Susan is the president of and actively involved in the Desert Academy Parent Association.

Elisabeth Keller, Parent Association Representative to the Board (10-11)

Elisabeth Keller has worked as an educator for seventeen years. She has taught in a variety of school settings both public and private, in grades Pre-K through 6th. For the last two and a half years she has been the Education Program Director at the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, developing and teaching classes, supervising interns, modeling inquiry based program delivery and coordinating special events. Elisabeth received her BA in Liberal Arts and an MA in Liberal Studies from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM, completed the Multiple Subject Credential Program at San Francisco State University, and holds a New Mexico K-8 teaching license. Elisabeth has two children at Desert Academy, Sophie (Class of 2012) and Nicholas (Class of 2015).

Sharon R. Palestine, Trustee (10-11)

Sharon Palestine was born in Maysville, Kentucky and raised in the Southern Ohio and Kentucky area. She attended the University of Cincinnati majoring in psychology and early childhood development. She finished her degree studies at Arizona State University and worked at a community mental health center as a member of a children’s therapy team. She volunteered at Phoenix Children’s Hospital raising funds for a Family Learning Center. Currently she volunteers with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children in foster care. She and her husband, Dr. Michael Palestine, moved to Santa Fe in 1999. They have three children, Cara, Sarah, and Elliot. Elliot is a member of the Desert Academy class of 2012.

Thomas Pratt, Trustee (10-11)

Mr. Pratt has over 20 years of senior management experience with consumer and industrial products companies. He has held positions in general management and finance with publicly held, private equity, v/c start ups and family owned organizations. These organizations include Nambe, Premark, Unilever, Harbour Group, Revlon and the public accounting firm of Deloitte. Mr. Pratt has an MBA with a concentration in Finance from New York University’s Stern Graduate School of Business, a B.A. in Economics from Dickinson College and a CPA from the State of New York. He currently holds a senior management position with Santa Fe Partners, and assists green technology ventures in the local area.

Jennifer J. Pruett, Secretary (10-11)

Jennifer Pruett received her B.A. from Yale in Western American History and her J.D. from the University of New Mexico. She practiced environmental law at the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) for six years and as a sole practitioner for 15 years before moving into management at NMED. Jennifer was a Costumer for Eldorado Children’s Theater for 5 years, has been active in the Eldorado Fire Department Auxiliary, Assistance Dogs of the West, and the New Mexico Yale Club. Jennifer lives in Eldorado with her husband, Kennan Girdner, and younger daughter, Karen, a 7th grader at Desert Academy. Older daughter, Emily Souder, attended DA for 6 years, graduating in 2009.

Marquita D. Russel, Treasurer (10-11)

Ms. Russel has more than 20 years of public finance experience and currently serves as the Chief of Programs for the New Mexico Finance Authority.  Over the past 10 years, Marquita has been responsible for program development and policy implementation for the NM Finance Authority’s 15 programs, has served as the primary economic development lender and has been a member of the agency’s credit committee.  Prior to coming to New Mexico, Ms. Russel spent 10 years at the Illinois Development Finance Authority in Chicago where she implemented a micro-lending program and served as the agency’s primary non-profit analyst.  Marquita earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Marquita and her husband Mark Tiarks have two children at Desert Academy, Lily (class of 2013) and Abby (class of 2015).

Arch Sproul, Trustee (10-11)

Arch Sproul is the owner of The Virginian Designer/Builder and is currently building the Kachina Ridge Subdivision. He has been remodeling historic and commercial buildings as well as building and designing residential construction in Santa Fe for thirty years. He and his wife also owned a store on the Plaza for 23 years. Prior to moving to Santa Fe in 1979, he worked in the Far East in agricultural systems sales, importing and manufacturing. He has a BA in business from the University of Ohio and an MBA from California American University. He has two sons: Ian (2012) and Stuart (2013) at Desert Academy.

Leonard Trujillo, Trustee (10-11)

Leonard is a former Desert parent and lifelong New Mexico resident.  He has a BA in Chemistry from UNM.  He has worked most of his 25-year professional life at Los Alamos National Laboratories in various capacities in the areas of analytical chemistry, materials characterization, RAM transportation, and long term surveillance feasibility of PuO salt-containing canisters.  Leonard’s main interest in being a trustee is to “give back” to Desert for all it has done for his two sons.

David Zlotnick, Trustee (10-11)

David is a shareholder in the Certified Public Accounting firm of Zlotnick, Laws & Sandoval.  He has practiced in Santa Fe since 1972.  David deals with tax issues with the Internal Revenue Service and New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue as well as general business operating questions, tax and retirement planning.  He is a frequent writing contributor to the New Mexico Restaurant Association Magazine.   David was the past president of Santa Fe Economic Development Corporation, the Santa Fe Restaurant Association and currently serves as the President of the Santa Fe First Tee organization which teaches Core Values and life skills to disadvantaged young people.

Stephanie Binkley, Faculty Representative to the Board (10-11)

Stephanie is a math teacher and learning specialist at Desert Academy. She holds a bachelor’s in Special Education with a minor in Spanish and a master’s in Human Relations. Stephanie taught students with emotional and academic needs in a public school for 5 years. Prior to moving to New Mexico she was a transition specialist, helping students with disabilities meet their post high school goals. Stephanie is currently in her third year at Desert Academy. In addition to her teaching and learning specialist duties, Stephanie organizes the student CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) program and sponsors the Outdoor Club.

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