Board of Directors
President and Director
Sybil Kisken is Of Counsel with the law firm Davis Graham & Stubbs, LLP, where she practices in the areas of civil litigation and appeals, and employment law. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Alaska and a juris doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law. Sybil joined the Denver Montclair International School community in the fall of 2004, when her daughter joined the French program. Her son started in the French program in the fall of 2007. Sybil, and her husband Steve Lacher (who is an active member of the PTO and frequent volunteer), are both excited that their children will be fluent French speakers when they graduate from DMIS.
Vice President and Director
Yves Roumier was born in Dijon, France, and has lived in Denver on and off for more than 15 years. He holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering with a major in statistics from the University of Compiegne, France. Since 2001, Yves has served as vice president of worldwide manufacturing for Quantum, a manufacturer of data storage. Before that, he worked as manager of worldwide quality programs and initiatives for OEA, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of airbag components. Yves has two children who are alumni of Denver International School.
Secretary and Director
Paul G. Thompson is a partner in the Corporate Group at Dorsey & Whitney, LLP, concentrating on U.S. and cross-border banking and credit finance matters, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and debt capital markets matters from Dorsey’s Denver and London offices. Before coming to Dorsey & Whitney, LLP Paul was a partner at Holme, Roberts and Owen, LLP. Paul headed the firm’s international transactions group and served on the firm’s professional standards committee. He moved to Denver after almost eight years of practice in London, including more than two years as head of HRO’s London office. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa and a juris doctorate from the University of Michigan School of Law. He has taught international corporate finance courses at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies. Before Denver International School’s merger with Montclair Academy, Paul served on Montclair Academy’s board of directors. He and his wife, Jeanne, have three children, one of whom is a graduate of DMIS.
Treasurer, Director and Finance Committee Chair
George Harris has a strong track record of helping Denver-area technology start-ups improve their sales through online marketing. He is president of Harris Products, Inc., and Integrated Components, LLC, through which he established in 1991 the first foreign-owned cassette-component manufacturing facility in southern China. Previously, George was the chief financial officer of Farm Credit Banks of St. Louis. His career includes 10 years of service to AT&T, where he held various posts in finances, software development and operations. George is a certified public accountant in the state of California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in business from Pepperdine University.
Director
Didier Fort is both a French and American citizen, and is bilingual in French and English. Didier is a Systems Architect for Pearson eCollege, a subsidiary of Pearson. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the Université Joseph Fourier and a master’s degree in computer science from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble. Among other things, Didier believes in consensus-building and frank communication. He and his wife, Samantha Bond, have two children – Alexa and Keegan. They joined the DMIS community in 2010, when Alexa was in the 3-year-old French program. Didier joined the board in 2011.
Director
Michelle Honeycutt has always been interested in language. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and speaks some Spanish, French and Thai after growing up in Kentucky and going on to live in Dallas, Texas; Shanghai, China; and Bangkok, Thailand. Michelle’s professional background includes work in nonprofit administration, cross-cultural relations and volunteerism. Since moving to Denver in 2006, she has been active in the community, serving as an ACS Community Lift volunteer, global missions chairwoman at Calvary Baptist Church and as a member of the parent council of Beacon Country Day School. She joined DMIS’ board of directors in 2008. Michelle has bachelor’s degrees in economics and international business from Baylor University. She and her husband, Walter, a partner at KPMG, have two sons who are graduates of Denver International School’s Mandarin Chinese Language Program.
Director
Edward Lush is an attorney with the law firm of Kendall, Koenig & Oelsner PC, where his practice focusses on business transactions and general corporate law. Edward is a British citizen and has lived in the United States for almost 10 years. Edward has a master’s degree in International Relations and Geography from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, a diploma in law from BPP Law School in London, England and a juris doctorate from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Edward was born in Japan, where he lived until he was six years old, and prior to embarking on a career in law, spent two years teaching English at a public high school in Nagano, Japan. Edward has an eighteen-month old son with whom he hopes to share his passions for international travel, language and culture.
Director
T. Craig Mills began his financial services career in 1992 and has been with UBS Financial Services, Inc. since 1995. As Vice President–Investments, Craig leverages his knowledge of and experience with money management strategies, estate planning strategies and insurance services to provide his clients an in-depth range of financial strategies. The Mossa Group currently manages over $195 million for individuals, corporations and non-profit organizations.
Craig is active in the community through his commitment to charity. He currently serves as President for the board of directors of the Dumb Friends League in Denver. He has served on the board of directors for Denver Kids, Inc for six years in the role of president. Craig recently joined the board of directors for the Denver Montclair International School and is a board member for the Animal Assistance Foundation. He is also a past-president of the Denver Active 20-30 Children’s Foundation and currently serves on their grants review committee in an advisory capacity. For three consecutive years, Craig was chairman for the Annual Denver Polo Classic, a charity event that has raised more than $4 million for Colorado children’s charities. Craig is a member of Denver Rotary and has previously served on the board of the NBA Colorado Christian Home Tennyson Center.
Director
Michelle Mueller has spent the majority of her life in Colorado. Raised in Littleton, Colorado, she and her husband, Jeff Schwarz, returned to Denver after graduating from college and graduate school in California. Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and psychology from Scripps College. Upon returning to Denver, Michelle worked with a CPA and later, with a small independent international oil and gas company, which is her specialty. During this time she also volunteered at the Denver Botanical Gardens and was a very active member of the Rock Alpine Society. At the Denver Botanical Gardens, she chaired two of the spring membership plant sales and held the treasurer position with the society. As soon as Michelle’s two boys started at DMIS, her volunteer activities were directed to the school where she served as President of the Parent Association for several years. Currently, Michelle is the Office Manager and VP of Finance at Ogilvie Properties, Inc. Her two boys are enjoying their first year of middle school at DMIS, with Advanced Spanish as their target language. For the family’s free time, they enjoy many outdoor activities including skiing, backcountry, hiking and biking.
Director
Stuart Ogilvie is principal owner of Ogilvie Properties, Inc., a real estate investment firm in Denver. He is a native of Lancaster, Ohio, and has lived in the Mile High City since 1981. Stuart, who is fluent in English and French, has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is married to Bénédicte, who is originally from Paris, France, and a teacher at DMIS. The couple have two children, one who is currently enrolled at DMIS. The other is a graduate of Denver International School.
Director
William Powell is the Director of International Private Equity at AMG National Trust Bank where he is responsible for the identification, management and oversight of international private equity and renewable energy opportunities. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French from Kenyon College, a master’s degree in French from Middlebury College, and an International MBA and an MS in Finance from the University of Denver. Bill has studied and worked in a number of countries and is multilingual. His oldest child is in his third year of the French program and his youngest will start at DMIS in the French program in the fall of 2013.
Director
Wendy Naro Ware currently serves as Vice President and co-founder of The JFA Institute, a nationwide non-profit consulting firm dedicated to providing sound statistical research to state and local governments on criminal justice and corrections issues. Prior to beginning a criminal justice research career, Wendy served as a kindergarten teacher in Virginia. Wendy holds degrees in both mathematics and elementary education. She has one child already enrolled in the DMIS Mandarin program and a second slated to enter in 2012. Wendy is passionately committed to a bilingual education and feels the benefits can go beyond bilingualism and cultural awareness to include advanced intellectual stimulation. Wendy and her family recently relocated to Denver in 2009 after living in Washington, D.C. for 15 years.
