Five parents of gifted students in Lexington-Richland School District Five were recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors of PAGE Five. They include Andrea Wildemann, representative for parents of gifted students in elementary school; Barbara Graham, representative for gifted students in intermediate/middle school; Ava Dean, representative for parents of gifted students in high school; Katie Phillips, at-large director; and Brandi Sturdevant, at-large director.
“Our members are so fortunate to have each of these individuals as part of the Board of Directors,” said PAGE Five President, Dr. Telesia Davis. “They each bring with them a wealth of professional experience, in addition to personal experiences with having children in District Five. They are passionate about wanting to help their gifted children and all gifted children in District Five achieve their fullest potential, and they have made a commitment to offer their unique combination of strengths and talents in service to PAGE Five.”
Andrea Wildemann, active in PAGE Five and the champion of several new initiatives in the organization last year, serves as a professional math and science tutor and actively serves in multiple parent organizations, mentorship programs, and education initiatives, with specific interest in holistic and tactile education of our youth.
Barbara Graham serves in voluntary benefits with Colonial Life Insurance, where she has also served for many years as volunteer chair in its community partnership with Harvest Hope Food Bank. She served for five years as PTO president at River Springs Elementary and one year at CrossRoads Intermediate, and she is currently serving her second year as PTSA President at Dutch Fork Middle School.
Ava Dean is Statewide Infrastructure Coordinator for DHEC and has a BSN from Lander University, a Master of Leadership for Evangelism and Discipleship from Columbia International University, and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Carolina. She also served on SIC at Harbison West for four years as vice chair and for three years at Irmo Middle School.
Katie Phillips, an experienced attorney and the Director of Governmental Affairs for a state agency, has extensive experience working with state and local elected officials, government agencies, boards and commissions, and statewide associations. In addition, she has many years of volunteer experience ranging from socializing cats to serving as Secretary of the SC Youth Soccer association.
Brandi Sturdevant, a science enthusiast who graduated from Coastal Carolina with a degree in marine science, served as an eighth grade science teacher for several years and will be pursuing a master’s degree in the fall. She has a number of interests she would like to pursue in PAGE Five, including grant writing, academic coaching and advising, organizing, and planning, among other areas.
The election of these new Board members comes on the heels of a decision to expand the current board to a total of nine members to better position the organization for achieving its new strategic goals. The newly elected board members will join Dr. Telesia Davis, president; Dr. Barb Waldman, vice president; Satya Koganti, secretary; and Rebecca Albrecht, treasurer.
PAGE Five is a volunteer, non-profit support network for parents, educators, policy-makers, and residents of School District Five of Lexington and Richland counties who are interested in enhancing and advocating education for gifted and talented students in School District Five. Members of the organization promote education for gifted and talented students, disseminate information on and build awareness about gifted education, provide enrichment opportunities, and assist families with scholarships and tuition aid for gifted students.