Rock Prairie Montessori School Board of Trustees | June 2023– May 2024
Those interested in serving on the Board of Trustees may apply by filling out the Board Candidate Self Assessment and turning in to the board via the school office. (Click here to access form.)
To view by-laws, please click here.
Next Board Meeting
September 2024 TBA
Recent Board Minutes
Gabrael Burke - Chair
A proud Wisconsin native, Gabrael Burke moved from the sandstone bluffs of LaCrosse to Rock County in 2007 to join the DeLong Company. When he is not fighting the perils of in-terminal demurrage on far-flung harbors the world over, he enjoys spending his spare time with his beautiful wife Amy, his son August, daughters Molly and Eleanor (all current Montessori Student). His hobbies include woodworking, electronics, network security and learning anything new that he can.
Gabe is an active non-voting member on the board of directors for The DeLong Co., Inc. while also managing their Export Logistics, Export Traffic, and Software Development since 2007. The DeLong Company is consistently among the top ten exporters of containerized goods in the United States and is operated by the 4th and 5th generations of the DeLong family.
Abby Collett – Vice Chair
Abby Collett has two children at RPMS, one in the Kindergarten program, and one in Children’s House. Her baby will be starting Montessori Beginnings when the program returns, and their family plans to continue with RPMS until the kids begin high school. Abby has interests in sustainability, homesteading, and living a responsible and mindful lifestyle. She has a background in starting and running a small business, and earned her degree from Illinois State University. The family moved from the Janesville area in early 2017, only to return in early 2020 because they fully trust and value RPMS and wished for their children to lay the foundations for their self-instruction here. She believes that ensuring the opportunity for children to pave their own path in their educational journey is of great importance, and is committed to preserving Maria Montessori’s method of teaching while navigating our rapidly-changing present day.
Bianca Singer - Secretary
Bianca Singer joined the Rock Prairie Montessori School Board of Trustees in 2021. She has two children at RPMS, and brings experience to the board such as real estate, restaurant and sales. For the last 6 years she has also served as a director, treasurer, vice president and president of the Rock Green MLS Advisory Board, in addition to one year on the South Central Wisconsin MLS Board as their Rock Green representative.
Dr. Andy Dahl – Treasurer
Dr. Andy Dahl is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, College of Business & Economics strategic planning committee member, and advisor for the American Marketing Association (AMA) chapter. Andy also has over 20 years of marketing strategy consulting experience and is Director of Research/Partner at Applied PhD Research & Marketing, LLC, providing strategic planning and marketing advice for a variety of for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He recently completed a term as President overseeing the AMA Collegiate Chapters Council and its 9,000+ members, and is one of six Google Global Academic Panel members. Andy’s wife, Jeni, has been a Teaching Assistant at RPMS since 2012. Andy and Jeni’s three daughters are current RPMS students (middle school, upper elementary, and kindergarten), and long-time members of the RPMS community.
Nicole Barlass
Nicole Barlass has two children at RPMS. Jack is in fourth grade with Ms. Sadie and Henry is in first grade with Ms. Kris. Both Jack and Henry have been attending since they were eighteen months old with Jack having started back in 2013.
Nicole has worked for CESA 2, an educational service agency since 2010, where she currently serves as the Executive Director of Operations. She works closely with the Board of Control of the agency. Nicole received her BA from UW-Milwaukee and her MBA from UW-Whitewater.
Martha Carver-Head of School
Ms. Martha joined the Rock Prairie Montessori School staff in 1998 and has been teaching since 1987. She is currently the Head of School at Rock Prairie Montessori School. She received her American Montessori Society preprimary certification from Seattle University, certification in Montessori Applied to Children at Risk from Southern Methodist University, and a Wisconsin Early Childhood Administrators Certificate and Inclusion Certificate. Ms. Martha was appointed a trustee of the McHenry County Conservation District in Illinois and is a frequent Montessori conference presenter and teacher trainer. She and her husband share a love of nature and have two grown children who attended Montessori schools and three grandchildren.
James McGovern
James McGovern is the owner, and marketing director for Rinehart Targets. His primary responsibilities at Rinehart include managing daily operations to ensure the company’s viability and profitability. He took many business classes at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, which helped when he transitioned from his role as general manager to owner in 2010. That’s when he and his wife, Barbara, bought the company from her father. James and Barbara take great pride in manufacturing high-quality, American made products, while providing 70 jobs to the local Janesville community.
James joined the Archery Trade Association Board of Directors in April 2018 and served as vice-chair. In 2022, he was elected chairman of the Board. On the ATA board James has served on the finance committee, the executive hiring committee and has participated in multiple Strategic planning events.
James has three children who currently attend Rock Prairie Montessori. In his free time James enjoys board games, traveling around the country with his family in an RV, and taking care if his fish tanks.
The RPMS Board of Trustees consists of parent/guardians and local community members elected by the membership. Trustees shall be elected for three-year terms at annual meetings of the members of the corporation. Terms are staggered as that three trustees shall be elected each year. No trustee shall serve more than two consecutive terms with the exception of the Head of School.