Co-Presidents:

Patrick Hehir

Patrick was born in Yonkers, NY and moved back to Ireland with his family when he was 2 years old. He returned to America and settled on Nantucket, where he has lived for 23 years. Patrick worked for Bruce Killen before establishing and heading his own company, Hehir Group Construction. He and his wife Lucy have two children, Ashley and Declan. Ashley is in the Primary Class and Declan is in the Kinderclass. Patrick served on the Nantucket Ice Board for six years. He became involved with Lighthouse as a parent and worked on the construction of the new school building before joining the NLS Board in 2007. In addition to serving as Co-President, Patrick heads the Building and Grounds Committee. The Hehirs were drawn to Lighthouse because they found it similar to the national school that they had attended in Ireland. "The Nantucket Lighthouse School provides a happy, non-stressful learning environment and my children are happy and thriving in this school."

Connie Umberger

Connie has lived on Nantucket for 27 years and is known as an experienced and talented educator and gardener. She moved to the island from New York, where she taught at The Brearley School, and established herself as a private tutor to Nantucket children. Connie became involved with Lighthouse through her grandchildren, Lighthouse graduate Esme’ Westerlund and her sister Nona, who is in the Primary 5/6 Class. She joined the NLS Board in 2006 and serves on the Executive Committee as well as the Education Committee. Connie’s passions for gardening and education were realized in her founding of the NLS Nantucket Garden Festival, which she designed and supervised along with her Garden Fest Committee. As a Co-President, Connie is invested in the healthy development and future of the Lighthouse School. "The use of traditional academic skills to explore ideas about self, community, humanity, and the natural world in all its forms is the best way to foster creative and independent thinking, questioning, and problem solving from childhood onwards. Lighthouse has consistently carried out its mission, dedicated to the belief that education is the developmental journey of the whole person throughout a lifetime."

Treasurer:

Joan Alison Stockman
Joan has lived on Nantucket for 15 years. She is currently the Financial Administrator for Maria Mitchell Association and previously worked as the Grant Administrator for Harborlife. Joan is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher and has taught pre-natal yoga classes on island. She is married to Jacques Zimicki. Son Zephyr attended Lighthouse for six years and daughter Aurora is in the Upper Primary Class. “When researching school options, I was impressed that the curriculum is based on the developmental needs of young children. Quiet, focused activities are alternated with more active ones. Field trips and outside exploration are an integral part of the day. It was the perfect choice for our very active son and a great fit for our daughter as well. As a parent I have seen how the Lighthouse School’s integrated approach to learning has served my children. I cannot imagine a more worthwhile endeavor than to assist the school in giving the best possible education to Nantucket’s children."

Faculty Representative:

Sandy Mitchell

Sandy Mitchell is the Primary 5/6 Class teacher. Before moving to the island, she taught in various public school systems and Lyndon Hill, a private school for dyslexic students. She came to Nantucket in 1987 with woodworker husband Carter Mitchell and worked as a reading specialist at NES while raising her children, Caleb and Emily. She has tutored students, ages 4 - adult, for over 20 years in reading and the language arts. Sandy worked in the Weezie Library for Children before joining the Lighthouse faculty to teach the newly formed Primary 5 class in 2005. She serves on the NLS Board to offer her perspective as an educator and a Lighthouse teacher and "to support and sustain a personalized education for young children on Nantucket."

 

Trustees:

Mary H. Beman

Mimi Beman is a longtime Nantucket resident, having moved to Nantucket in 1985 after years of summering on the island. Many know her as the owner-operator of Mitchell’s Book Corner, a family business and a Nantucket institution, which she operated from 1978-2008. Mimi has earned advanced degrees in Italian language and literature and has taught Italian at universities in Indiana and Colorado. She has shared her expertise in bookselling and publishing, both as a knowledgeable bookseller and a consultant. Mimi has volunteered for several island non-profits and served on the boards of the Nantucket Historical Association and the Maria Mitchell Association. After being introduced to Lighthouse and helping to launch the Nantucket Garden Festival, Mimi “fell in love with the school and the people involved” and agreed to serve on the board in 2009. Mimi chairs the Development Committee and serves on the Executive Committee. “I enjoy the challenges of participating in a process that will usher this remarkable school into a new era. The leadership, faculty, and students of NLS are an inspiration and the best example of how we can be effective caretakers of our island and lead rich and rewarding lives.”

Sydney Fee

Sydney is a native of Nantucket. She is the owner of the ever-popular Henry Jr. Sandwich Shop.  Syd was introduced to the school through her niece and nephew, two of Lighthouse School’s first graduates, Ruby and Henry Fee. She now has two sons of her own, Rourke and Beck. Beck is currently in the Primary Class at Lighthouse and Rourke is in the 4th grade at NES. Syd joined the NLS Board in 2006 because she believes in the importance of educational options on Nantucket and truly respects the educational program that Lighthouse provides. Syd has served on the Executive Committee. “The integrated curriculum of Lighthouse School helps children to learn more than their ‘ABC’s.’ They are encouraged to respect others and our environment and that is a wonderful thing for children to learn.”

Caleb Cressman

Caleb grew up on Nantucket and returned after high school and college years spent at off island schools. He is a musician and can be found playing his fiddle at various venues and with the band that has become an island favorite, Four Easy Payments. Caleb and his wife Lindsey, creator of Spoon Home Textiles, live on an old farm near the cranberry bogs where they continue the tradition of the property by gardening and raising chickens, sheep and other critters. He has traveled many times to India, Israel, Europe, and Australia. Caleb learned about Lighthouse through friends who have children at the school and thinks that it is a marvelous place to grow and learn. “It uses a non-institutional and individualized curriculum that recognizes personal responsibility and develops conceptual understanding of all subjects before memorization and repetitive tasks are employed to practice and hone academic skills. This way of learning allows for a deeper knowledge of, and interest in, all subjects.”

Lizbet Carroll Fuller

Lizbet co-founded Lighthouse School with Elizabeth Sundell in 1999 and currently serves as the Director of Education. She has worked with young children for over 20 years in pre-school and elementary school classrooms. She moved to Nantucket in 1991 to teach at NES before leaving and creating her own pre-school program, which evolved into the current Lighthouse Small School .Lizbet's philosophy of education is inspired and informed by the work of Rudolf Steiner (founder of Waldorf Education), the Integrated Day approach of the Antioch New England Graduate School, the social curriculum and philosophy of the Mead School, and her practical experience in the classroom. Lizbet directs curriculum and program development, supervises the faculty, and works with Lighthouse children, staff and parents. She is married to Waterman Chris Fuller and son Eli happily attends Lighthouse School. "We set out to create a school that honored the magic of childhood while creatively introducing children to the ideas, information, and tools they will need to construct meaningful and rewarding lives. In turn, the school has generated a wonderful and caring community of teachers, staff members, families, and friends."

Suzanne Keller

Suzanne came to live on Nantucket 30 years ago and worked in the service industry while raising her two sons, River and Zeb, with her husband, carpenter Andrew Bennett. Currently, she can be found sharing her interest in literature with Bookworks customers. Suzanne joined as a member of the founding NLS Board when Zeb, who attended Lizbet’s Small School, joined the very first Lighthouse School class and ultimately became one of the school’s first graduates. After a brief leave, Suzanne rejoined the Board because she believes in what Lighthouse is all about.  "As e.e. cummings' once said, 'To be nobody but yourself in a world that's doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight.' Lighthouse School is the perfect school to help you to be who you are. That is why I believe it is of value."

Susan O'Brien

Susan has been a seasonal resident of Nantucket for over 30 years, along with her husband Steve and their two children, Peter and Amanda. She has served as a Trustee on the boards of both Sustainable Nantucket and the Nantucket Community Association and as the co-chair of the Major Gifts Committee for Nantucket Ice. Off island, she has served on the boards of The Vincent Club and the Charles River Valley Garden Club, and is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for the New England Baptist Hospital. Susan employs her business experience and commitment to education on behalf of schools and undertook development roles at Tenacre Country Day School and the Dexter/Southfield School. She also worked writing business cases for the Simmons Graduate School of Management with support from a grant from the Ford Foundation. Susan joined the NLS Board in 2006. "I have had the pleasure of observing a number of classes at the Lighthouse School. The integrated curriculum is unique and the students are engaged in the learning process. In order for Nantucket to have a sustainable year round community, we need to provide an educational choice of quality for families. It is a privilege to support this institution."

Robert Sarkisian

Robert is known to many as the General Manager of a favorite Nantucket restaurant, 21. He has made Nantucket his home since 1993 after working in the restaurant business in the Boston area. In addition to his restaurant work, and thanks to his love of the island’s beaches, Robert launched his own business with his engineer father, The Nantucket Beach Chair Company. He believes that the key to being happy and living on Nantucket year round is keeping busy and staying active in the community. Robert is also a broker for Island Properties Real Estate and a Diaconate member of The First Congregational Church. Robert joined the NLS Board in 2008, having learned about Lighthouse School through his friends’ children.

Michael F. Schwed

Michael and his wife Diana Kim England are known for the beautiful jewelry in their shop, Diana Kim England Goldsmiths. Michael has lived on Nantucket for 20 years and discovered Lighthouse School when looking for a pre- school for his son Henry, who is now in the Upper Primary Class. He joined the NLS Board in 2004 in order to support the development of the school and has served on various committees, including the Executive Committee and the Building Committee. " I feel that the Nantucket Lighthouse School does a genuine service to the quality and fabric of life on Nantucket. I have heard countless times, from bus drivers, librarians, parents and outside educators, about the positive behavior and attitudes of Lighthouse School Students. I am often on the learning end of conversations with students, which is quite extraordinary." 

Vivian Wallace
Vivian Wallace is a longtime summer resident of Nantucket. She lives in New York City and is a founding staff member of the Central Park East School. She gained 28 years of experience teaching in the NYC public schools while raising her sons, Ben and David, with her husband, Henry Wells. At CPE, Vivian led the Elementary Schools Assessment Project and organized the Archive of Children’s Work. She advises schools and districts regarding curriculum and assessment, fueled by her love of education and her commitment to teachers and children. Vivian was invited to visit the school by parent and fellow board member Mike Schwed. Excited by “the activity and engagement, the variety of materials and subject matter, the range of teaching strategies and the conversations” she encountered, Vivian joined the NLS Board in 2006 and serves on the Education Committee.

Advisory Council: