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Dedicated to Meeting the Demands of an Interconnected World

Austin International School’s educators, paraeducators, and staff members are committed to developing students who have the academic foundations, lifelong social skills, and international perspective needed to succeed in our global community. 

Meet the Executive Leadership Team

Head of school Ariane Baer-Harper
Ariane Baer-Harper

Head of School

abh@austinis.org

Upper School Principal Lara Schupack
Lara Schupack

Upper School Principal 

lara.schupack@austinis.org

Lower School Principal Cedric Herve
Cédric Hervé

Lower School Principal 

cedric.herve@austinis.org

Chief Financial Officer CFO Jim Sargent
Jim Sargent

Chief Financial Officer

jim.sargent@austinis.org

Director of Advancement & Communications Marketing Nikl Burke
Nikl Burke

Director of Advancement & Communications 

nikl.burke@austinis.org

Director of Enrollment Management Admissions Julia Odelowo
Julia Odelowo

Director of Enrollment Management

julia.odelowo@austinis.org

Director of Student Support Services Greg Donnellan
Greg Donnellan

Director of Student Support Services

greg.donnellan@austinis.org

Meet our Board of Trustees

Chairwoman Darcy Pedetti VP of product management at NI (formerly National Instruments)
Darcy Pedetti

Chairwoman

Vice Chair Jean-Francois Bonneté co-Founder & President of BCI (a leading Boutique Brand Building beverage company)
J.F. Bonneté

Vice Chair

Strategic Planning Committee Chair Tamra Kerns Founder and CEO of Guide to Thrive Educational Consulting
Tamra Kerns

Strategic Planning Committee Chair

Chair of Audit and Risk Committee Gary Miller advisor at Texas Asset Management
Gary Miller

 Chair of Audit and Risk Committee

Governance Committee Chair Jake Pugh seasoned attorney and General Counsel at a healthcare IT company
Jake Pugh

Governance Committee Chair

Chair of Evaluation Committee Jon Sampson Chief Delivery Officer for the Americas region and head of Latin American operations for the world’s leading specialist recruitment and workforce solutions business Hays
Jon Sampson

Chair of Evaluation Committee

Campus Planning Committee Chair Veruna Stanescu Vice President in Financial Crime Compliance at Goldman Sachs
Veruna Stanescu

Campus Planning Committee Chair

Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair Gregory Stein, MD, Greg, President and CEO of Curtana Pharmaceuticals
Greg Stein

Treasurer & Finance Committee Chair

Meet our Board of Trustees

Our Board's Mission

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the general and long-term policies of real estate, fundraising, business and financial matters. This includes:

Legal responsibilities for the school’s activities

  • Preparation of the school’s mission statement
  • Review and maintenance of the bylaws and policies which are consistent with the school’s mission and the guidelines set by the State of Texas
  • Compliance with applicable laws and regulations
  • Approval of the school policy which the school’s administration implements
  • Accountability for the financial well-being of the school, including capital assets, operating budgets, fundraising, and endowment

Austin International School, a private school, is a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees. Board members volunteer their time and contribute resources to the school. They do not gain monetarily or otherwise from any aspect of the Board’s activities.

AIS's Board of Trustees benefits from the expertise of Austin community members and the insights of parent members. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the AIS Board of Trustees is composed of the following members:

AIS' 5-year Strategic Plan 2023-2028