Meet Our Board
James Marino, Chairman
grew up on a small farm in Dunbarton. A resident of Canterbury for 10 years, he had never visited Shaker Village until his youngest son was enrolled in the Dewey School. It was love at first sight. James' fondness for the Dewey School's approach to learning, nature-based curriculum, and community-building, have made he and his family regular visitors of both the Dewey School and Shaker Village. James has worked in the financial industry for more than twenty years, but also takes great interest in the creative arts. He earned an MFA in fiction writing 10 years ago, and has since taught English Composition and Public Speaking at Southern New Hampshire University
Kelley Stonebraker, Secretary
is an attorney practicing employment law and general civil litigation at Wescott Law in Laconia, New Hampshire.
Kelley earned her JD at the University of New Hampshire School of Law where she completed the Daniel Webster Scholar Honors Program. As an undergraduate, Kelley was a four-year student-athlete at Boston University, earning a bachelor’s degree while competing for Boston University’s Division I Women’s Ice Hockey team.
Kelley grew up in the Lakes Region and holds a deep appreciation for the mountains, lakes, and rivers of New Hampshire. A resident of Canterbury, Kelley enjoys alpine and cross-country skiing, hiking, gardening, bird-watching, travelling, and spending as much time as possible outside with her husband, Ben, and their two German Shepherd dogs.
Cheryl Newcombe, Treasurer
is a business owner who lives in Canterbury with her rescue animals. Her passion for animals and nature began at an early age while working next to her grandfather on his farm in Hingham, MA She has been teaching kinder-church for children ages 3 – 5 for over 20 years, and especially loves this age group. Cheryl has sat on previous boards and wants to use her experience to help advance the mission of The Dewey School.
Brian Bernard
graduated from the University of New Hampshire before starting a journey to Colorado with his fiancé. He returned 15 years later with a wife, two kids, a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University, and a deep appreciation for his home state. Brian with his wife Felicity, daughter Josie (12), and son Theo live in Canterbury surrounded by trees. Brian has worked in the nonprofit field for the majority of his professional career, and is currently at Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire where he is the Regional Program Manager for the Lakes Region. Brian likes to spend his time hiking, weightlifting, playing cribbage, and traveling with his family. In reality, Brian spends most of his free time doing chores around the house, cooking, and looking for a quiet spot to read a good book.
William Tappan
a New Hampshire native, lover of forests and the symbiotic relationship between them and humanity. The Dewey School represents the type of school he envisioned when contemplating how to improve the learning experience for children when serving on a local school board. He was educated at UNH, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Liverpool. That education was used to enlighten and enrich his life and allow him to earn a living working in consulting and management. Bill served in the US Army where he met his interesting wife, and together they have been loving, learning, discussing ideas, serving others, traveling, and raising two good men
Monica Busch
graduated from Magdalen College as well as the NHTI Teacher Education Conversion Program. She is a Special Education teacher who has seen the benefits of outdoor education with her own children as well as children she has worked with throughout her career. She has served on other nonprofit boards as well as many PTO groups and enjoys the collaboration of working together to better the future for our children. Currently, she is a private tutor specializing in Orton Gillingham Reading Instruction. She lives in Loudon with her husband and five children. Her youngest had the privilege of attending The Dewey School but has now moved on to elementary school. Monica looks forward to helping further the mission of the school.
Join Us
If you are interested in supporting the early learning experience of children in a nature-based, Reggio inspired environment that is community centered, we'd love to hear from you. Please send your interest to director@deweyschool.net.