The members of our Board of Trustees are charged with advising and supervising the administrative committee, teachers and staff. They are a valuable resource, providing insight and advice for maintaining and strengthening Randolph School. Their skills and experiences assist and guide the teachers and the administrators as they work together to build a better school for the future.
Sonja de Groot Kim
Sonja de Groot Kim was a Randolph School parent for 15 years, from 1976-1991. Her three children, Saskia, Roeland and Sander all graduated from Randolph School. She has spent her career as an early childhood educator, specializing in children from birth –grade 2. She received her Ph.D. from NYU and is currently teaching at Pace University where she also coordinates the masters program in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Administration. Her areas of interest and expertise are the development of children’s play, children’s development of friendship inclusive settings, early childhood literacy, mixed-age groupings, the Reggio Emilia approach to education, and the development of integrated curricula.
Kate Stover
She was one of the first students at the Randolph Avenue School location in Poughkeepsie and moved with the school to Wappingers Falls, leaving at the end of 6th grade when the school didn't go any higher. Her family has been connected to the school since the beginning. Her mother worked to set up the school and create the library. Kate's brothers attended the school; one brother, Lanse, is a current board member.
Today she lives in Philadelphia and her children attend a large urban Quaker school where she is currently on the school board. Her goal for her time on the board is to raise money for Randolph School scholarships and increase teacher salaries.
Lanse Stover
He attended the Randolph School from its first year in 1963 until 1966. After graduating from the Putney School in Putney, VT in 1971, he attended Goddard College in Vermont and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1976. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado in 1982, and then worked in construction until setting up his ceramics studio in Beverly, Massachusetts in 1985, where he resides. He has been active as a studio artist since then, with some teaching stints at art centers and colleges. His work has been exhibited in numerous shows around the United States. He is married with two daughters, 17 and 20 years old.
Lanse's father, Robert Stover, was a trustee of the Randolph School for many years until his death in 1984, and Lanse joined the board shortly thereafter. He has always believed that the Randolph School is a unique and precious educational institution, practicing a truly child-centered approach to learning long before it became popular to pay lip service to that ideal. He has watched the growth and maturity of the school with pleasure and looks forward to celebrating many more anniversaries with Randolph.
Dan Fisherman
Dan Fisherman has been a parent at Randolph School for the past ten years, and has run the Philosophy for Children program at the school for the past eight. He has taught middle school math and various other courses at the school as well. He has an MA in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently working on his doctorate in Philosophy and Pedagogy at Montclair State University. A programmer by day, he is on the faculty at NYU, where he teaches computer programming. He is also an active musician, having played drums and percussion on over two dozen albums. His primary musical project, the Mommyheads, has been recording and touring for the past 20 years.
Richard Dambra
Rich Dambra has been a teacher of high school social studies since 1992. He has worked in both traditional and alternative settings. A long time New Yorker, he has taught at Great Neck's South High School and Village School, Yorktown High School and is currently teaching American History, Advanced Placement Economics and Participation in American Government at Somers High School.
Rich earned a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Delaware in 1985. Working as a lifeguard, saxophonist, truck driver and machine gunner, he served in the U.S. Army from 1986-1991. Next, he went to Long Island University and earned an M.S. in Social Studies Education in 1993. He finished his formal education in 2004 with an M.A. in Economics from Fordham University.
Rich became involved at Randolph when his sons began attending in 2008. He was named to the Board in 2010. His goal is to improve the school both academically and financially. He hopes to advance Randolph's financial situation so that the school may raise teacher salaries and provide more aid to students with financial needs.
David Thornquist
David lives in Garrison with his wife and two children. He was introduced to The Randolph School through friends Jen Clapp and Dan Fisherman. His children have greatly enjoyed summer camp and other activities at Randolph and attend public schools in the Lakeland school district.
David joined the board of The Randolph School in 2010. He will apply his many years of experience as a transactional lawyer and business manager to act as a sounding board and problem-solver, with the goal of making a meaningful contribution to Randolph's continued growth and success.
Ronnie Citron-Fink
Ronnie Citron-Fink was a teacher, parent and co-administrator of the Randolph School for many years. After receiving her master’s degree in Elementary Education, she taught primarily English/Language Arts classes at Randolph. Along with her teaching expertise, Ronnie has transitioned her love of writing into a career. She has written hundreds of articles about education, parenting, green living, design, do-it-yourself, and the environment for websites, books and magazines. Most notably, she was a features article writer for Family Fun magazine. Ronnie currently writes for Planet Green, Care2 and a number of other websites. She also writes weekly for the Environmental Defense Fund's- Moms Clean Air Force. Ronnie has her own blog, Econesting. She has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2007.
Elizabeth Rowland Tyler
Elizabeth Rowland Tyler was an art teacher and parent of two children at Randolph School from 1988 to 1995. While at Randolph she developed the Museum Project that using Randolph’s hands-on philosophy in a school-wide curriculum, which also involved the local community.
As an artist, Beth creates pottery and sculpture and has exhibited her work in New York and Connecticut. She was the owner of Cedar Hill Pottery Studios and an active member of Summergroup Artists Cooperative. She has served on the funding committee of the Dutchess County Arts Council and the Board of Directors of the Barrett Art Center.
Beth believes passionately in each individual's creative power and curiosity for authentic understanding, and feels her students’ capacity to learn and change will leave them confident and ready for the world.
Beth currently lives in Connecticut and works as an art teacher.
The members of our Board of Trustees are charged with advising and supervising the administrative committee, teachers and staff. They are a valuable resource, providing insight and advice for maintaining and strengthening Randolph School. Their skills and experiences assist and guide the teachers and the administrators as they work together to build a better school for the future.
Sonja de Groot Kim
Sonja de Groot Kim was a Randolph School parent for 15 years, from 1976-1991. Her three children, Saskia, Roeland and Sander all graduated from Randolph School. She has spent her career as an early childhood educator, specializing in children from birth –grade 2. She received her Ph.D. from NYU and is currently teaching at Pace University where she also coordinates the masters program in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Administration. Her areas of interest and expertise are the development of children’s play, children’s development of friendship inclusive settings, early childhood literacy, mixed-age groupings, the Reggio Emilia approach to education, and the development of integrated curricula.
Kate Stover
She was one of the first students at the Randolph Avenue School location in Poughkeepsie and moved with the school to Wappingers Falls, leaving at the end of 6th grade when the school didn't go any higher. Her family has been connected to the school since the beginning. Her mother worked to set up the school and create the library. Kate's brothers attended the school; one brother, Lanse, is a current board member.
Today she lives in Philadelphia and her children attend a large urban Quaker school where she is currently on the school board. Her goal for her time on the board is to raise money for Randolph School scholarships and increase teacher salaries.
Lanse Stover
He attended the Randolph School from its first year in 1963 until 1966. After graduating from the Putney School in Putney, VT in 1971, he attended Goddard College in Vermont and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1976. He received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Colorado in 1982, and then worked in construction until setting up his ceramics studio in Beverly, Massachusetts in 1985, where he resides. He has been active as a studio artist since then, with some teaching stints at art centers and colleges. His work has been exhibited in numerous shows around the United States. He is married with two daughters, 17 and 20 years old.
Lanse's father, Robert Stover, was a trustee of the Randolph School for many years until his death in 1984, and Lanse joined the board shortly thereafter. He has always believed that the Randolph School is a unique and precious educational institution, practicing a truly child-centered approach to learning long before it became popular to pay lip service to that ideal. He has watched the growth and maturity of the school with pleasure and looks forward to celebrating many more anniversaries with Randolph.
Dan Fisherman
Dan Fisherman has been a parent at Randolph School for the past ten years, and has run the Philosophy for Children program at the school for the past eight. He has taught middle school math and various other courses at the school as well. He has an MA in Philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently working on his doctorate in Philosophy and Pedagogy at Montclair State University. A programmer by day, he is on the faculty at NYU, where he teaches computer programming. He is also an active musician, having played drums and percussion on over two dozen albums. His primary musical project, the Mommyheads, has been recording and touring for the past 20 years.
Richard Dambra
Rich Dambra has been a teacher of high school social studies since 1992. He has worked in both traditional and alternative settings. A long time New Yorker, he has taught at Great Neck's South High School and Village School, Yorktown High School and is currently teaching American History, Advanced Placement Economics and Participation in American Government at Somers High School.
Rich earned a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Delaware in 1985. Working as a lifeguard, saxophonist, truck driver and machine gunner, he served in the U.S. Army from 1986-1991. Next, he went to Long Island University and earned an M.S. in Social Studies Education in 1993. He finished his formal education in 2004 with an M.A. in Economics from Fordham University.
Rich became involved at Randolph when his sons began attending in 2008. He was named to the Board in 2010. His goal is to improve the school both academically and financially. He hopes to advance Randolph's financial situation so that the school may raise teacher salaries and provide more aid to students with financial needs.
David Thornquist
David lives in Garrison with his wife and two children. He was introduced to The Randolph School through friends Jen Clapp and Dan Fisherman. His children have greatly enjoyed summer camp and other activities at Randolph and attend public schools in the Lakeland school district.
David joined the board of The Randolph School in 2010. He will apply his many years of experience as a transactional lawyer and business manager to act as a sounding board and problem-solver, with the goal of making a meaningful contribution to Randolph's continued growth and success.
Ronnie Citron-Fink
Ronnie Citron-Fink was a teacher, parent and co-administrator of the Randolph School for many years. After receiving her master’s degree in Elementary Education, she taught primarily English/Language Arts classes at Randolph. Along with her teaching expertise, Ronnie has transitioned her love of writing into a career. She has written hundreds of articles about education, parenting, green living, design, do-it-yourself, and the environment for websites, books and magazines. Most notably, she was a features article writer for Family Fun magazine. Ronnie currently writes for Planet Green, Care2 and a number of other websites. She also writes weekly for the Environmental Defense Fund's- Moms Clean Air Force. Ronnie has her own blog, Econesting. She has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2007.
Elizabeth Rowland Tyler
Elizabeth Rowland Tyler was an art teacher and parent of two children at Randolph School from 1988 to 1995. While at Randolph she developed the Museum Project that using Randolph’s hands-on philosophy in a school-wide curriculum, which also involved the local community.
As an artist, Beth creates pottery and sculpture and has exhibited her work in New York and Connecticut. She was the owner of Cedar Hill Pottery Studios and an active member of Summergroup Artists Cooperative. She has served on the funding committee of the Dutchess County Arts Council and the Board of Directors of the Barrett Art Center.
Beth believes passionately in each individual's creative power and curiosity for authentic understanding, and feels her students’ capacity to learn and change will leave them confident and ready for the world.
Beth currently lives in Connecticut and works as an art teacher.
