Board of Directors

Margaret Runyon

Board:

Outreach Committee

Margaret Runyon first joined the initiative to bring Waldorf Education to New Orleans in 1985, and through her interest in Waldorf was led to anthroposophy - the work of Rudolf Steiner. Alongside a fulltime career in retail, she has worked nearly 30 years to support and promote Steiner's legacy, locally and nationally. From 1991-98 she was part of an active Waldorf and Anthroposophical community in the Detroit area, and from 1999-2012 she served on the Central Regional Council of the Anthroposophical Society in America.

Margaret joined the WSNO board in 2007.

Joni Tierce-Adams, M.Ed

Board:

Board Chair (President)

Joni Tierce-Adams has been a teacher in New Orleans public schools since 1993. Joni never expected to send her child to a private school. However, the art infused curriculum along with the stress on healthy lifestyles helped her and her husband choose Waldorf education for their son. She notes that at WSNO art really is as important as arithmetic and that the experiential learning offered there is the best way to keep a child excited about learning. Her son has been a student at the Waldorf School of New Orleans for seven years starting with his pre-K year. Joni currently teaches Gifted and Honors English to grades 9 through 12 at Warren Easton Charter High School.

She has been a board member of WSNO since the 2007. At that time, her primary focus was to rebuild enrollment and to launch the initial grade one class after Hurricane Katrina. More recently, her focus has been working on the accreditation process which will result in WSNO’s qualification as a full member school in the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America, AWSNA.

Ama Rogan

Board:

Secretary of the Board, Fundraising Chair

Ama Rogan is a native New Orleanian and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is the Managing Director of A Studio in the Woods of Tulane University, a wooded sanctuary for artists and the environment located in Lower Coast Algiers.

Ama joined the Board of Directors in 2009. She presently serves as Secretary of the Board and a leader in development and fund-raising. She has two children at WSNO.

Nicholas Nelson

Board:

Finance Chair, Finance Committee

Nicholas Nelson holds a Bachelors of Science in Economics and Finance from The University of Arizona and Masters of Business Administration from Nicholls State University. Mr. Nelson is currently employed as both a forensic accountant and forensic computer specialist for the Department of Treasury.

He joined the WSNO board in November 2010 and became Treasurer in 2012. He brings past non-profit experience as being both the Treasurer and President of the Catholic Newman Center’s Student Association at The University of Arizona. He recently became a WSNO parent with the enrollment of his daughter in the early childhood program.

Amiel J. Provosty

Board:

Outreach Committee

Amiel J. Provosty holds a Bachelors of Science in Communication from Ohio University and Juris Doctor from Tulane University. He formerly worked as a professional theater technician and audio engineer before joining the State Bar of Louisiana. He is presently employed as an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board.

His wife Stacie and he knew of Waldorf Education for many years and were thrilled to learn that New Orleans has this school. They now have two children at WSNO. Amiel joined the Board of Directors in 2012. He works on revising the non-profit’s governance structure and on growing enrollment and community awareness of the school.

Karla Tarsi

Faculty:

Nursery Teacher

Related programs:

Nursery (Preschool)

Board:

Faculty Representative

Contact info:

ktarsi@waldorfnola.org

John W. Crawford

Board:

Finance Committee

John W. Crawford was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana and attended Barbe High School. Upon graduation, he attended Texas A&M University where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering. He is currently a registered professional civil engineer in five states including Louisiana. As a small business owner here in New Orleans, Mr. Crawford provides expert testimony on forensic engineering projects.

John is married to Angele Crawford who is an active parent in our school community. John is the parent of two children, Jack and Sydalise, who attend WSNO. He has been on the Board of Directors of WSNO since 2010 and supports the school by providing a business perspective to the operations.