FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2021
CONTACT: Kimberly Aguilar, (805) 341-4689
THOUSAND OAKS, CA – The Compass Charter Schools (Compass) Board of Directors announced the election of Therese Christopher and Lainie Rowell to its Board of Directors, following their meeting on Monday, June 21.
“We are honored to have Therese Christopher and Lainie Rowell join our Board of Directors,” shares Compass Superintendent & CEO J.J. Lewis. “Therese lends her expertise in management and virtual learning, and Lainie shares her expertise as an author and expert in online/blended learning to support our board and school. We look forward to their contributions in supporting the operation and growth of the educational opportunities we provide scholars at Compass.”
Christopher has experience as a business administrator and manager in the art gallery business, where she has worked for over 25 years. She managed human resources and retail management for a chain of up to seven galleries over the years. Christopher grew up in a small town in Sweden, where she went to school and learned several different languages. She worked in the restaurant business, as well as with the local tourist board in her hometown. Christopher wanted to explore the world by traveling to Spain, England and eventually coming to Southern California in her early twenties, where she met her husband.
Christopher’s daughter has attended Compass since 6-grade and just graduated from high school. Christopher has served on the Parent Advisory Council from its start in 2016. She truly enjoys being involved with the development of the school. Christopher is committed to ensuring that every scholar’s needs are met and that every family has a wonderful Compass experience, the way that her family has.
Christopher shares, “After spending so many years with the Compass family, I am excited to continue my contributions to the school. I gained so much being a learning coach and a member of the Parent Advisory Council at Compass, and I have always felt Compass’ level of care and compassion is unmatched. I am committed to making sure that every scholar’s needs are met and that every family has a wonderful Compass experience, the way that my family has.”
Rowell is an educator, author, podcaster, and international consultant specializing in working with other educators to find innovative and sustainable ways to transform teaching and learning. Her areas of expertise include online/blended learning, designing innovative learning experiences, professional learning, and community building.
During her more than 20 years in education, she has taught elementary, secondary, and higher education. Rowell also served in a district-level leadership position supporting 22,000 students and 1,200 teachers at 33 schools.
As a consultant, Rowell’s client list ranges from Fortune 100 companies like Apple and Google to school districts and independent schools. She is a TEDx Speaker with more than 15 years of experience presenting at regional, national, and international conferences, including Building Learning Communities (BLC) and the Leadership 3.0 Symposium.
From 2010-2014, Rowell served as the Program Coordinator for Leading Edge Certification, a national certification program in educational technology and curriculum innovation created by an Alliance of nonprofits, universities, and educational agencies. She led the creation and curation of all four certifications, Online and Blended Teacher, Administrator, Digital Educator, and Professional Learning Leader.
Rowell shares, “I’m honored to be entrusted with this responsibility. I look forward to bringing my passion for learner-centered education to build on the exceptional work that has already been done at Compass Charter Schools to inspire and develop innovative, creative, self-directed learners.”
To learn more about the Board of Directors, visit https://www.compasscharters.org/about-us/board-of-directors/. Compass continues to seek interested members of the community to serve on its Board of Directors. For more information on serving or to apply, please contact J.J. Lewis at jlewis@compasscharters.org or (818) 824-6233.
About Compass Charter Schools
Compass Charter Schools is a WASC-accredited virtual personalized learning public charter school serving thousands of scholars throughout California. Catering to TK-12 grade scholars, Compass offers two personalized learning programs. Compass is committed to creating a collaborative virtual learning community, inspiring scholars to appreciate the ways in which arts and sciences nurture a curiosity for lifelong learning and preparing scholars to take responsibility for their future successes.
For more information, visit About Compass, and follow us on social media via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.