The Academy at Saint Joan of Arc is A 501(c)(3) organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Illinois. The bylaws, which outline the governance, are in compliance with the Illinois General Not-for-Profit Act. The Academy is governed by an independent Board of Directors comprised of:
- Four Members of the St. Joan of Arc Philanthropic and/or Community at Large
- Three School Parent Members
- One Independent Education Expert
- to be agile in our decision-making
- to attract outstanding talent
- to leverage cutting-edge expertise in preschool through 8th-grade education
- to ensure deep and meaningful engagement from parents and community members
Current Board Members
Patti Sheahan is a founding ASJA Board member. She and her husband have been active St. Joan of Arc parish and school members for the last 21 years. Their four children graduated from the Academy at SJA and previously St. Joan of Arc School. Since 2014, Patti has served as a Cook County Circuit Court Judge, where she presides over civil Law Division jury trials. Prior to becoming a judge, Patti served as Associate General Counsel at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Patti was born and raised in Evanston.
Rachel Atterberry is Assistant General Counsel – Litigation and Labor & Employment for Beam Suntory and previously was a partner with Freeborn & Peters, LLP. She and her husband, Mark Vaughan, are the parents of two current ASJA students. Rachel is a dedicated Academy volunteer, most recently serving as President of the Parent Volunteer Community for the 2021-2022 school year. She attended DePauw University and Washington University School of Law in St. Louis.
Dan Byrnes is a Principal & Senior Portfolio Manager at AAM, a father of four ASJA students, and an active school and parish community member. He holds a BA from U of I Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Shana Carroll is a Clinical Professor and Associate Chair of the Management & Organizations department at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where she teaches in the areas of leadership, communication, and change. She is an award-winning teacher and higher education administrator who sat on the senior leadership teams at Kellogg (as Chief of Staff) and NYU Stern. She has a BA from Boston College and an MBA from New York University. She and her husband’s two children have attended the Academy since its inception.
Sarah Cummins is the President of Swellsville, a purpose-driven marketing consultancy that works with the world’s leading brands to uncover their good, and help them grow. Focused on the intersection of education and media, Swellsville leverages insights-driven creativity to elevate brands, design marketing strategies, and orchestrate smart partnership alliances that inspire action and drive results. Sarah and her husband Chris have been invested members of the community for over 20 years, proudly raising their two daughters as a part of St Joan of Arc school and parish.
Timothy Kane is a long-time parishioner, and he and his wife have been active members of the school and parish. Tim is the father of three graduates of St. Joan of Arc School, and in his years in the parish, he has served in an assortment of roles, including as a member of the school board at St. Joan of Arc School and as the president of the St. Joan of Arc Men’s Club. Tim is a 26-year veteran English teacher at Loyola Academy, where he has taught a variety of courses and levels and served in numerous positions.
Nikki Raftery is a Leadership Coach in the Alliance for Catholic Education’s Principal Academy at the University of Notre Dame. Through her work, she teaches elementary and high school principals nationwide to intentionalize their practice by targeting school culture, instructional leadership, and executive management to revitalize their schools and realize long-term sustainable change. Prior to this role, Nikki served six years as the principal at Saint Mary School in Buffalo Grove, where she grew enrollment by over 65% and increased academic achievement by nearly 20%, earning the National Blue Ribbon of Excellence in 2014. In addition to The Academy at St. Joan of Arc, Nikki has held Trustee positions on both elementary and high school Boards and currently engages with The Robertson Center; she has participated in Harvard’s Data-Wise Improvement Process, the Skyrocket Coaching Community and in the inaugural cohort of Notre Dame’s ACE Principal Academy. Nikki received BS degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education from Purdue University and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from National Louis University.
Dan Schermerhorn is the President of Schermerhorn & Co. Dan and his wife Marianne live in the neighborhood and have been active members of the school and parish. Their children all attended SJA. Dan has long participated as a Board observer and officially joined as a member of The Academy Board. Dan is a University of Indiana-Bloomington graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Real Estate Administration.
Emeritus Board Members
Steve King co-founded Prairie Capital in 1997 and currently serves as a Partner of the firm. Prior to Prairie, Steve led the formation of ANB Mezzanine Corporation (then a subsidiary of First Chicago Corporation), serving as its President from 1994 to 1997. Previously, he held positions of increasing responsibility with American National Bank & Trust Company of Chicago, also a subsidiary of First Chicago Corporation. Steve is on the Board of Directors of First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ: BUSE). He is also a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow and past chairman of NASBIC (now the Small Business Investor Alliance). Steve has a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois, an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a JD from Loyola University. Steve is active in various civic and community organizations with a particular interest in education. He is currently on the Board of Directors of Arc of Hope, Big Shoulders Fund, and Loyola Academy. Steve, his wife Christy, and their four children have been part of the St. Joan of Arc Parish for over 20 years.
Ted Cominos is a corporate partner in the Chicago office of the global law firm, Eversheds-Sutherland LLP. After spending a decade living and working abroad, Ted and his wife Julie returned to settle in the ‘Evanskokie’/ ‘Skevanston’ area. They proudly raise their three daughters as part of the St. Joan of Arc parish, with all three having attended (or recently graduated from) ‘The Academy’ at St Joan of Arc.
Jeana Marqueda is a Senior Consultant for Change Strategies, Inc., working with clients to develop data-driven business strategies and communication plans. Jeana began her career at the Leo Burnett Company in Chicago. She was later assigned to the Mexico City office, where she worked with a roster of multinational clients, developing integrated communication plans. In 2016, after 16 years in Mexico, Jeana, her husband Benjamin, and two children moved stateside and joined St. Joan of Arc Parish.