BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ROLE OF THE BOARD
The Board of Directors at Skyridge Montessori is made up of a minimum of five and maximum of nine directors with required positions of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary.
The board meets 6-8 times a year, with an annual general meeting held each fall. Board governance includes:
- Determining the vision, mission and values of the school.
- Selecting and evaluating the performance of senior leaders.
- Strategic and organizational planning.
- Ensuring strong fiduciary oversight and financial management.
- Fundraising and resource development.
- Approving and monitoring the school’s programs.
BOARD POLICIES
The Skyridge Montessori Board recently completed a comprehensive policy development and review process. We encourage parents to become familiar with our policies as a valuable reference to learn more about how our school is governed. Board policies are reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2023-2024
The Skyridge Montessori Board of Directors is a dedicated team of parent and alum parent volunteers with a wide variety of skill sets and experience.
NEGAR ELMIEH |
CHAIRPERSON
Negar is an interdisciplinary educator and environmental health scientist. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education, with a focus on bridging the gap between research and policy, creating innovative academic programs, and offering meaningful experiences for students. Negar currently works with the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health leading projects to understand the impacts of climate change on health. Both of her children attend Skyridge Montessori.
VICE CHAIRPERSON
Gale is a lawyer at Mackoff Mohamed with a practice focused on employment law and civil litigation, although she also has a fine arts background in animation and filmmaking. Gale has two children at Skyridge Montessori and comes with experience serving on the board of a Vancouver-based Montessori daycare.
MARISSA ZOOK |
SECRETARY
Marissa currently heads the commercial and corporate legal functions at Tegus, a Chicago-based fintech, as VP Legal and Deputy General Counsel. She began her corporate practice with a major Canadian law firm in corporate transactions before transitioning to her passion for supporting emerging and high-growth companies on their growth journey, including Vancouver-based Hootsuite and Catalyst Financial Modeling Corporation. Before joining the Skyridge Board, Marissa served as Chair of the Skyridge Parent Advisory Counsel (PAC), where they led several fundraising initiatives for enrichment programming for Skyridge students. Marissa’s two children attend Skyridge in Casa and Lower Elementary.
SARAH SZTRAMKO |
SECRETARY
Sarah is a public health scientist with a focus on the implementation of scientific evidence into real-world policy and practice. Driven by the opportunity to learn and solve new and ongoing challenges in public health, she connects researchers and educators within academic, public health, and health services settings. She supports the use of appropriate methods and tools in research and education. Two of her children attend Skyridge Montessori (in Casa and Lower Elementary) and her third will enter the Casa program next year.
THERESA ( TESS) ERIKSSON
DIRECTOR
Tess is an academic researcher and business professional with broad technology, operations, and management experience. She is currently the Chief Operating Officer for JTS Consulting, which is a Canadian consulting organization specializing in Smart Infrastructure. She holds a Master’s degree in Informatics and a Doctorate for her research on Kindness in Business. Her child attends Skyridge Montessori.
SIMON MILLER |
DIRECTOR
Simon is currently the Director of Operations for Haakon Mechanical Services. Simon began his career as a tradesperson (HVAC and Refrigeration Journeyman). Since then he has gained experience in mechanical engineering, project management, and human resources before settling into business management. He brings a strong knowledge of building maintenance as well as significant business and operational finance experience to the board. Simon is also currently the Vice Chair of the Mechanical Contractors Association of BC and in that role is a strong advocate for the trades. Simon is the father of two girls, the older of whom is currently in Grade 1 at Skyridge Montessori.
MATT EWONUS
Matt Eonus is the CEO and founding partner of Latitude Financial Services Inc., leading the company to become the second-largest firm in Canada by Assets Under Administration within the Sun Life Career Salesforce distribution channel. With over two decades of experience, he co-founded Latitude in 2014, achieving recognition for new sales production and business growth, and establishing the firm as an industry leader with innovative systems and processes. Matt also chairs The Epiphany Group, overseeing strategic decisions, in private equity and real estate investments.
As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) and Responsible Investment Specialist (RIS), Matt focuses on wealth-building, retirement planning, and employee benefits for clients, offering solutions that align with their values. Outside of work, he enjoys life with his spouse, Sonya Looney, and their two children. An avid mountain biker and trail runner, Matt competes in races worldwide, embodying a balanced, adventurous lifestyle.
SQUAMISH MONTESSORI SOCIETY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS