Call for Board Members

Our 501(c)3 non-profit organization depends on the generosity of individuals who give back to their community through directorship on The Mayapple School Board. We are currently seeking nominations of strongly qualified individuals; self-nominations are encouraged.

Are you respected in the community with positive community contacts? Do you have special skills or occupations to share, such as: previous non-profit or for-profit board leadership, real estate, law, education, marketing, fund raising, or project management? Can you act on plans, overcome obstacles, and create change?

OUR HISTORY

The Mayapple School opened its doors in Newport, VA in August 2015  as a subsidiary of the non-profit organization LoCo Arts. In August 2018 we began operation as an independent organization, and in January 2019 we moved to nearby Blacksburg, VA in order to avoid The Mountain Valley Pipeline. March 2025 brought with it a third move, this time from a rented to an owned space— a dream come true! The Mayapple School is a certified 501(c)3 organization.

OUR CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS

Hayley Reynolds, President 

Jessica Morris, Vice President

Kacy Lawrence, Treasurer

Melissa West, Secretary

Heather Heins

Lauren Lemcke

Alden Baker Ellery

BOARD MEMBER EXPECTATIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Attend regular board meetings either via Zoom or at the site of The Mayapple School, held about 10 times yearly.

  • Accurately convey The Mayapple School’s operations and services. Act as an ambassador of The Mayapple School through promotion of its activities.

  • Actively participate in an annual strategic planning process  (“board retreat”) to set goals and steps for achieving The Mayapple School’s mission and vision. To create the best Mayapple School, we need board members who feel confident in presenting their unique ideas and have the grit to see project work through until completion.

  • Make ongoing evaluations and give input with The Mayapple School’s strategic goals and community’s best interests in mind, while adhering to the highest ethical decision making including independent judgement while voting.

  • Approve all key contracts and ensure that necessary contracts are in place. Ensure that The Mayapple School follows the law in these and all other actions. Be aware of legal obligations including duties of care, loyalty, and obedience.

  • Provide all necessary documents such as background checks before becoming a board officer.

  • Participate in action items directly supporting The Mayapple School in reaching its goals. Action items are continually evolving in response to need. All Mayapple School board members are expected to be actively involved during their tenure. (Leave of absences are available due to illness, pregnancy, etc.) Currently many of our action items support one of the following items:

    • Fundraising – As a non-profit, we seek to serve the wider community. This means raising funds for scholarships so that all interested families can benefit from our programs, not just the ones that can afford full tuition.

    • Strategic planning – How do we best use and expand our capabilities to serve our community? As we prepare for our move to our own property, this is especially pertinent.

    • Ensuring programmatic success – These initiatives, from marketing to working on a plan for employee retention, help our programs to be as healthy and vibrant as the world we seek to create!

    • Business compliance – In leading a business, board members will find out that many separate tasks need to be completed in order The Mayapple School to fiscally and organizationally comply with the law. Supporting tasks in the past have included applying for a town business license, creating Articles of Incorporation, drafting and reviewing our lease agreement, etc.

  • Support The Mayapple School through donation of skills, time, and assets in a way that is personally significant to you. Members of The Mayapple School Board of Advisors serve in a voluntary capacity and receive no monetary remuneration for their services.

  • Provide proper financial oversight by developing an annual budget and regularly reviewing spending and organizational accounts. Ensure adequate resources by setting tuition prices and ensuring high student enrollment, as well as participating and leading fundraising events and personal asks. Review and approve of fiscal budget line items in support of The Mayapple School programs, such as employees’ salary and compensation and summer camp and preschool scholarships.

  • Ensure the succession of your own position and the board as a whole by recruiting and interviewing board candidates, as well as establishing orientation procedures and providing orientation to new board members.

  • Commit to serving for at least one year as a board member and assess personal and board performance at the end of each year.

  • Work closely with The Mayapple School key staff to determine and monitor The Mayapple School’s programs with a spirit of initiative to actively grow and serve the community through our mission and vision.

  • Keep confidential information confidential.

  • Promptly disclose any conflicts of interest.

  • Suggested reading: Board Roles and Responsibilities