Board of Trustees

Gil Aikins worked for several years on Wall Street at top-tier investment firms in Fixed Income and International Equities; however, his passion for travelling and emerging markets finance led him to live and work in Ghana, South Africa, and Brazil. During this time abroad, he took a leap of faith to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions. These early business ventures ultimately led to Gil founding Global Securities Consulting Group LLC in 2017 - a 100% owned & operated minority business enterprise delivering executive management, C-suite level consulting, and a range of operational & compliance services to broker-dealers, investment advisers, and other institutional financial market participants worldwide.

Gil graduated from Brunswick School in Greenwich CT and earned his B.A. in English from The College of William & Mary and an M.B.A in Finance from Tulane University. He also obtained a Certificate in Brazilian Studies from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) in Sao Paulo.

Gil served on the GFA Advisory Council from 2020 -2022 and has been an active volunteer (along with his wife, Natasha) in the GFA community. They live in Easton with their two daughters.

Board member since 2015
Committees: Executive Committee, Advance Plan, Committee on Trustees (Co-Chair), Educational Policy (Co-Chair), Equity & Inclusion, Horizons at GFA Board of Directors Liaison, Marketing

Vani Bettegowda is a graduate of Northwestern University and has a M.H.S. from Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. She worked on women’s, maternal, and infant health issues for 15 years, most recently serving as the Director of the Perinatal Data Center at the March of Dimes. At GFA, Vani has served on the Advisory Council, Education Policy Committee, and as an Annual Giving Class Captain. She lives in Wilton with her husband, Manu, and their two daughters.

Board member since 2019
Committees: Marketing

Since graduating from Brown University in 1992, Rebecca Bliss has primarily worked in higher education, with a focus on advising, access, admission, and service-learning. After completing her graduate degree at Stanford University in 1994, she was a freshman dean at Georgetown University, the Associate Director of Foundation Programs and external admissions reader at Dartmouth College, and she spent five years as the sophomore and junior class dean at Dickinson College. Following her time at Dickinson, Bliss served for four years as an external reader at the Carleton College admission office. Earlier in her career, she worked for the Corporation for National and Community Service in Washington, DC, overseeing a portfolio of higher education grants and conducting site visits to dozens of colleges and universities around the country. In 2015, Bliss took a position at Brown University in the Alumni College Admission Program (ACAP), providing free college counseling to the children of Brown alumni. The ACAP program closed in 2019 after a 25-year run, and she has transitioned full-time to Premium Prep, a boutique college counseling company that works with students throughout the United States and internationally. Bliss also serves on the board of trustees at St. George's School in Middletown, RI. She lives in East Greenwich, Rhode Island with her husband and their two daughters.

Board member since 2016
Committees: Finance (Chair), Executive Committee, Committee on Trustees, Investment (Chair)

Michael Blitzer is a Managing Partner at Kingstown Capital, a New York City-based investment firm that he founded in 2006. Previously, he was an investment analyst at Gotham Capital and JPMorgan. He is a graduate of Cornell University and Columbia Business School, where he has been an adjunct professor, and currently serves on the advisory board for the Heilbrunn Center for Graham & Dodd Investing. He lives in Westport with his wife Julie and two sons.

Board member since 2021
Committee: Advancement

William Bucknall earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of New Haven. He was a Sloan Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from which he earned his master’s degree. He spent his business career at United Technologies rising to be Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Organization. He was inducted into the National Academy of Human Resources. Bucknall served on the Board of Governors of the University of New Haven from 1992–2000 including as its chair from 1998–2000. He rejoined the board in 2006 and served as vice chair from 2012–2018 and chair again from 2018–2020. He received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from the university and the university’s President’s Award. 

Chair, Board of Trustees
Board member since 2016
Committees: Advance Plan, Advancement, Athletics, Committee on Trustees, Executive (Chair), Equity and Inclusion, Finance, Head of School Evaluation, Investment

Durkin graduated from Stanford University and has an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. David is a former founding partner of Avista Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm based in New York City. He previously worked as a partner at DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and in investment banking at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette. Earlier in his career, he worked in public accounting and achieved the CPA designation. He also serves as a Corporator of the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA, and is the chairman of the Woodway Scholarship Fund. Durkin lives in Darien with his wife and their four children.

Board member since 2021
Committee: Advancement

Sanford “Sandy” Ewing is a Managing Director in the marketing and investor relations area for Pemberton Asset Management, a European investment firm. Prior to Pemberton, he was Co-Head of Global Marketing at Cross Ocean Partners. He has also held various entrepreneurial roles in the cleantech and fintech space, including as CEO/CFO of Tellus Technology, a renewables company.  Prior to this, Sandy was managing director, founder and principal of Chapdelaine Credit Partners, a diversified credit broker-dealer boutique in New York. From 1993 to 2008, Ewing worked in investment banking and credit sales at Lehman Brothers and Barclays. He has been an active member of the GFA Advisory Council and served as a captain for the GFA Annual Fund. He received his M.I.M. from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management and his B.S. from The University of California at Berkeley. Sandy lives in Darien with his wife Nicole and their three daughters.

Board member since 2010
Committees: Building & Grounds, Executive, Faculty Housing

Roger is an architect and founding principal of Roger Ferris + Partners, where he directs the design and master planning work of the firm. He is a graduate and former Loeb Fellow in Advanced Environmental Design of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Ferris currently serves on the boards of the Centre Pompidou Foundation and the Watermill Center for the Performing Arts, where he is also a member of the executive committee. He resides in Weston with his wife Wendy and their four children.

Board member since 2020
Committees: Committee on Trustees (Co-Chair), Building and Grounds

Meade Young Fogel is a graduate of The University of Virginia with a B.A. in Psychology, completed graduate coursework in nutrition at New York University, and is a Registered Dietitian. She is an active volunteer at GFA, currently in her second and final year as the co-president of the Lower School Parents Association. A perennial class parent, Fogel also previously served as a member of the Advisory Council and a parent-teacher in the Learning to Look art history program. She currently lives in Fairfield with her husband David and three daughters.

Board member since 2018
Committees: Marketing, Advancement, Equity and Inclusion

Sandra Frost graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a B.A. in

Sandra Frost's contribution as a Board Member of GFA since 2018 has been significant. Her diverse background in graphic design, entrepreneurship, and community engagement has had a positive impact on GFA's mission. With a B.A. in Graphic Design from Southern Connecticut State University, Sandra has demonstrated exceptional design skills, working with notable clients and independently. Her entrepreneurial ventures and commitment to community service showcase her business acumen and passion for making a difference.

Sandra's involvement in various organizations, such as Trinity Parish Nursery School, The Unquowa school, The Southport school, and The Fairfield County Hunt Club, and Save the Children Fairfield Council demonstrates her dedication to fostering inclusivity and belonging. Despite residing in Florida, she remains actively engaged in GFA's community, contributing to shaping the school's strategic direction and ensuring its success. Sandra's passion for education, creativity, and community engagement undoubtedly makes her a valuable asset to the GFA board and an inspiration to those around her.

Roopali Agarwal Hall is a graduate of Amherst College with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Roopali spent seven years at Lehman Brothers in the Investment Banking Division, working in the Leveraged Finance and Loan Capital Markets Groups. Later, she pursued her passion for healthcare and sports and earned her doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine in 2014. She has worked with many athletes of all calibers including members of the NHL, WTA and NFL. At Amherst, Roopali was Captain of both the Women’s Varsity Tennis and Squash teams. Outside of her career, Roopali has been committed to supporting programs that provide opportunities to low-income high school students in both New York City and Connecticut. While living in NYC she volunteered with Urban Dove, a youth development program geared towards reengaging students and helping them develop skills to stay on track in school and plan for their future. Here in Fairfield County, Roopali works with Future Five, providing high school students in Stamford with coaching and programs that help them reach their academic and career goals. At GFA, she has served on the Advisory Council, as a GFA Fund Captain, and as a class parent. She lives in Stamford with her husband, Peter, and their two daughters. 

Board member since 2015
Committees: Building & Grounds (Chair), Committee on Trustees, Marketing, Executive Committee

Horton has worked as an actor with studios and networks nationwide alongside some of the industry's leading directors. He earned his business degree from Wake Forest University and subsequently worked in finance at Smith Breeden Associates before focusing full-time on his acting career. More recently he was a series regular on the CBS drama Pure Genius, starred in the Broadway production of Harvey Fierstein's revival Torch Song and will next be seen in the HBO series The Gilded Age. Horton has served on the GFA Advisory Council and he and his wife, Alexa, live in Fairfield with their two children.

Board member since 2021
Committee: Equity and Inclusion (Co-Chair)

Nadene McKenzie-Reid is the U.S. Deputy Head of Technology at Natwest Markets in Stamford, CT. She has worked in investment banking technology for over 20 years, having started her career at UBS in FX technology before moving to Rates technology at Greenwich Capital Markets, now Natwest Markets for the last 16 years. Nadene has a passion for pursuing equity in education and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Stamford Cradle to Career board that has a city-wide education initiative addressing racial and economic disparities. She also serves on the boards of A Better Chance (Darien CT) and STEAMPark, organizations focused on providing educational opportunities to underserved students.

McKenzie-Reid was born and raised in Jamaica and received her undergraduate degree in Physics and Computer Science from the University of the West Indies in Kingston. She then migrated to the U.S. to earn a graduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. She currently resides in Stamford with her husband Cecil and three children.

Board member since 2018
Committees: Athletics, Advancement, Advisory Council (co-chair), Finance

Tom graduated from Colgate University with a B.A. in Economics and Stern School of Business at New York University with an M.B.A. in Finance. Tom is an advisory director at General Atlantic, a leading growth equity firm based in New York. Prior to joining GA in 1994, Murphy was a senior accountant with Deloitte & Touche in their Financial Services division. Murphy served on Colgate's Alumni Council and was awarded a Maroon Citation in recognition of service and contribution over the years to the university. He currently serves on the board of the Darien Soccer Association and is a past board member of the Darien Nature Center. Murphy also served on the GFA Advisory Council. Tom and his wife Sophie live in Darien with their four children.

Member since 2020
Committee: Equity and Inclusion

A 2013 graduate of Greens Farms Academy, Sean Obi earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University and a master's degree from the University of Maryland. He has been a regular volunteer with the GFA boys basketball program and served as a member of the GFA Advisory Council during the 2019–20 academic year. Obi is currently a District Sales Manager and Supply Chain Specialist for Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits Company, an importer and distributor of wine and spirits from around the world. The company is headquartered in Stamford.

Board member since 2018
Committees: Coyle Scholar (Co-Chair), Equity and Inclusion, Marketing

Kim Keller Raveis is a graduate of Boston College with a B.A. in Education. She worked in the software and management consulting industries providing strategic counsel to chief executive officers in the consumer packed goods and retail segments. She chose to leave her most recent position with BearingPoint (formerly KPMG) to raise her children. As a graduate of GFA, she values the importance of giving back to her alma mater. She has served in multiple roles in the Parents Association, a member of the Advisory Council, and a parent- teacher in the “Learning to Look” art history program. She lives in Fairfield with her three children.

Member since 2020
Committees: Building and Grounds, Equity and Inclusion (Co-Chair)

Don San Jose is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at J.P. Morgan, where he leads a team specializing in small and midcap equities in the firm’s Asset Management division. Since joining the firm in 2000, he has been active in recruiting and retention initiatives, including serving as past head of the Diversity Council for JPM’s Investment Management Americas group. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, San Jose held investment analyst positions at Furman Selz and AIG. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Finance from the Wharton School. He is a past Vestry member of St. Luke’s Parish in Darien and also serves on GFA’s Advisory Council. He and his wife Jenny live in Darien with their two children.

Member since 2020
Committee: Buildings and Grounds

Timashev is an avid art collector. She thrives in creative environments and supports artists from around the world. She has maintained a global philanthropic presence throughout her adult life, actively participating in local, regional and global initiatives including Art Basel Switzerland and Venice Biennale. Angela attended Ohio State University. She has lived in Moscow, Russia, and Switzerland and now resides in Greenwich with her husband Ratmir, and children.

Board member since 2018
Committee: Head of School Evaluation (Chair)

Emily Von Kohorn attended GFA from kindergarten through graduation. She holds a B.A. in History and Literature from Harvard College and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She is the co-head of the Global Real Assets Practice at Sheffield Haworth, a financial services-focused executive search firm. Prior to becoming a search consultant, Von Kohorn worked primarily in real estate finance, with an interlude in education. While living Istanbul, Turkey, from 2011-15, she worked as the founding director of advancement for the Hisar School, a bilingual PreK–12 independent school. She is thrilled to bring her experiences and passion for GFA to the role as a second-generation board member, following her father, Henry Von Kohorn, honorary trustee. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, daughter and son.