Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees consists of a group of civic-minded community leaders, current and alumni parents, and administrative and teacher representatives. The Board is responsible for the fiduciary management of the school and meets every other month on the 3rd Wednesday.
Michelle Coomes, PHR, SPHR-CP
Michelle Coomes is the Senior Director of HR Operations for GE Appliances, a Haier company, based in Louisville, KY. Michelle joined GE Appliances as an intern and has held various roles in her 25+ year career with the company, including HR Business Partner, Organization & Talent Development, Compensation, and HR Operations. Michelle received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Bellarmine University and her Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Labor Relations from the University of Louisville.
Michelle is the proud parent of a Summit Academy alum, along with two other children that attended private and public schools. She gives of her time and talent because she is passionate in her belief that all children are capable of learning, they just need the right environment and support – which is exactly what Summit Academy provides for those who learn differently.
Mackenzie Hundley
Mackenzie Hundley is the Senior Director of Benefit and Compensation for Churchill Downs Incorporated. Mackenzie joined Churchill Downs Incorporated in 2017 and has held various roles in HR. Mackenszie received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Bellarmine University and her Master’s of Arts in Communication from Bellarmine University.
Mackenzie is a friend of Summit! She was fortunate enough to be invited to the Mountaintop Breakfast several years ago and has been a supporter ever since. Mackenzie will continue to give her time and talent because she truly believes in the mission of Summit and believes that all children have the potential to thrive at Summit Academy, since each and every child and family are met exactly where they are. Mackenzie is passionate to continue to grow the awareness of what all Summit has to offer and will continue to support the commitment to the whole student.
Gary Spence
Gary has worked at Republic Bank since September of 2012 and prior to moving to Private Banking Department he was a Business Development Manager in the Retail Banking Division. As a Private Banking Officer, he is responsible for providing tailored financial solutions to the clients of our Private Banking Group. Additionally, he is responsible for developing new business relationships through networking and being active in the Louisville community.
Outside of work Gary was born and raised in Louisville KY. In the community he has served on several boards including Young Professionals Associations of Louisville, YPAL Foundation, Kentucky Harvest, and Summit Academy of Greater Louisville.
Priscilla Vessels
Priscilla is a CPA and leader in EY’s Global Finance Team. She previously served as a Global Finance Learning Manager and an Auditor with EY. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Bellarmine University in Accounting and Psychology.
Priscilla is the proud parent of a Summit student that has been part of the Summit family for 7 years. She believes that Summit staff and teachers see each student’s possibilities, not their limitations. She is passionate about building school community and volunteering her time and talent to further Summit’s mission.
Stuart Baird
Stuart Baird is the President of Software Management, a software development technology company. Stuart has worked with local government in Kentucky for over 16 years . Stuart is a lifetime Kentucky resident, born and raised in Nicholas County, KY . Stuart attended college at St. Catharine on a partial golf scholarship and went on to attend University of Kentucky, where he met his wife of 13 years, Shae. They have three boys; Parker-10,(Summit Student), Rhys-8 and Shepard-4. Stuart is also actively involved in the community, specifically in the Autism community where he serves as Board Chair for FEAT of Louisville, Board Member at Carriage House Educational Services, and Board Member at Summit Academy. In his free time, Stuart enjoys golf, traveling, exercise, and spending time with his family.
David T Brock, MBA
David Brock is a revenue cycle analyst with Baptist Health, where he has held various healthcare roles in food and nutrition, transport, medical laboratory, and hospital billing for the last 18 years. He received his Bachelor of Health Science in Medical Laboratory Science from Bellarmine University and his Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Capella University.
David was first introduced to Summit Academy through his wife, a former Occupational Therapist, when she was doing clinical rotations at Summit. Since then, his family has been involved with the Bourbon Bash and he looks forward to his first Mountaintop Breakfast. David is passionate about students having the resources they need to succeed, and sees Summit Academy as a vital footing of Middletown and the larger Kentuckiana community in preparing students for their individual journeys. David’s goal is to leverage his healthcare background in pushing for more grants and donations for our school. On the weekends you can find him working on home improvement projects or trying to keep up with his two daughters.
Meredith Ellis
Bio
Andrew Engal
Bio
Matt Morris
Matt is an alumnus of Summit Academy having enrolled in 1st grade in 1998 and until his graduation in 2005. Matt's education continued at Saint Xavier High School and Tulane University in New Orleans. After relocating back to Louisville in 2021, Matt joined Louisville-based Yum! Brands as the Director of Investor Relations and Summit's Board of Trustees in 2023. Matt attributes his personal growth at Summit driven by the close student-teacher relationships as the foundation for his achievements later in life. An avid runner, Matt enjoys exploring his hometown, spending time with his family, and looking forward to the day he breaks 100 on the golf course.
Dr. John Nehil
Bio
Zachary J. Thieneman, Psy.D., CGP
Zachary Thieneman is an active private practice psychologist in Louisville, KY. Zachary is the Assistant Director for Groupworks, the Director of Private Services for Homeplace Support Services, and is a Clinical Faculty Member of Spalding University's School of Professional Psychology. Zachary is also actively involved in the American Group Psychotherapy Association where he has several leadership roles including co-chair for the Child and Adolescent Special interest Group. In his free time, Zachary likes to exercise, spend time with his family, and "geek out" with his friends through movies and games.
I've worked with Summit students for over six years and truly believe in the mission, staff, and organization that is Summit Academy. Year after year, I've been so impressed with the commitment to the whole student- as opposed to just learning- that it was a no-brainer to be part of the Board of Trustees when asked. Great minds don't think alike, and I am proud to be active in the Summit community which so diligently supports neurodiversity within Louisville.
Julie Watts
Julie Laemmle Watts is a partner at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP, focusing her practice on intellectual property law including trademark prosecution and enforcement, copyrights, client counseling, transaction support, IP licensing, and IP litigation. Julie received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana, and her juris doctorate from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.
Julie is a dedicated supporter of education, having served as a mentor at the Community Catholic Center as well as a member of the associate board of directors for Nativity Academy, the Belles of the Last Decade steering committee for Saint Mary’s College, and the advancement committee for Assumption High School. She believes all children and young adults should have the opportunity to pursue their education without financial barriers holding them back. She also believes in and is proud to support Summit’s mission of providing a transformative educational experience for students who learn differently.
Betsy Wells
Betsy is the owner of Betsy’s Bag Boutique and is a lifelong Louisvillian. She is married to her husband, Jason and has three children; Dexter (10), Whitney (7), and George (4). Betsy's oldest son, Dexter, has been a student at Summit Academy since Kindergarten.
"Being part of the Summit community has been life changing not only for Dex, but for our entire family! Summit has exceeded our wildest dreams for Dex and allows him to thrive in the classroom, not just academically, but more importantly, socially!"
