THE IVY SCHOOL BOARD
Here you will find general board info, bios of our board members, and access to all board minutes
General Info
The Ivy School Board of Directors serves the school community by overseeing the fiscal, legal, ethical, and executive administrative leadership of the school to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization. We work collaboratively with the Executive Director to advance the school’s educational and equity missions. The board members are honored to serve in these roles that deliver a K-8 public charter Montessori education to Portland children.
Board members bring a diversity of experiences and backgrounds to the Ivy Board as parents and greater community members, overseeing the school and accomplishing short and long-term projects. Notably in 2019 the board worked with school leadership to initiate a capital campaign that combined funds from donations, a property sale, and loans to purchase the current school campus, achieving a long-time vision of bringing two school campuses together. In 2021-2022 the Ivy Board is raising the level of focus on equity and anti-racism through several initiatives, plus starting to focus on more efforts around fundraising in collaboration with Ivy Administration. Members are encouraged to initiate projects that align with the school mission and advance the mutual goals of the board and administration.
Being a member of the Ivy Board of Directors is a significant way to support and influence the direction of the school while working with a dedicated team of colleagues who value diversity of opinion and collaboration. The Board is honored to serve a free public Montessori school that builds independence, leadership, and a love for learning, coupled with social justice and inclusiveness. We welcome new board members with unique skills, unique perspectives, passion for education, and an excitement to initiate improvements to the organization.
Every Student Belongs Board Resolution
Regular Meeting Agenda
Regular board meetings are every 4th Monday of the month (5pm-6pm), except where noted on the main Ivy calendar. Each regular meeting of The Ivy School Board of Directors is open to the public and includes reports from The Ivy School Executive Director and board of directors committees, board business as applicable, and an opportunity for public comment.
Public comment is limited to ten minutes. Attendees are reminded to limit comments to allow time for others to speak. Public comment is an opportunity for attendees to model respectful and constructive communication for our students while maintaining confidentiality. Attendees are reminded to refrain from using names and sharing identifying details. The Ivy School has a formal complaint process described in the Student Parent Handbook.
Past Board Minutes can be found on this page.
Join the Board
Being a member of the Ivy Board of Directors is a great way to support and influence the direction of the Ivy School while working with a dedicated team of colleagues who value diversity of opinion and collaboration. We welcome new members with unique skills, unique perspectives, passion for education, and an excitement to initiate improvements to the organization.
We seek both parents and greater community members for the following roles:
Treasurer who works with the school CPA and administration to oversee the school’s financial health. Read more about this position.
Member-at-large with philanthropic or fundraising experience
Member-at-large with a legal background
Member-at-large with experience in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Members-at-large to support general board efforts
Ivy Board Member Commitments
Most new members agree to a one or two-year commitment upon initiation and enter as “At-Large” (not officers) members. At minimum, the board meets once per month (on Monday eves) as a group with Ivy Administration. As well, during the year the members may gather for training, strategy, project, or emergency sessions. This varies by year. Monthly time commitments, depending on role, range from 1-3 hours per month, including meetings.
LET US KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED
Psyched or just curious? Either way, please fill out our Board Interest form online, and we will be in touch. We look forward to hearing from you!
Meet the Board
Jim Livermore
Board Chair
Jim Livermore works as a project manager for Weyerhaeuser Company in Vancouver, Washington, where he oversees the design and construction of capital projects in the Wood Products industry. He has been doing this for over thirty years. In his spare time Jim enjoys spending time with his daughter, Charlotte, who is an 8th grader in the Middle School classroom at Ivy School.
Jim lives with his wife Jones, his mother-in-law Bonnie, his daughter Charlotte, and their cat Ezmerelda in Northeast Portland
Tom Bull
Past Chair
A higher education and non-profit professional with more than 20 years of experience in Institutional Advancement, constituent engagement, and nonprofit work. Tom has been in the nonprofit world since 1993 supporting relevant and impactful programs that support local and national communities including participation with student mentoring, alumni volunteer networks for Northwestern University and Loyola University Chicago, and scholarship programs. Some additional community work includes volunteer work with NAACP, local food insecurities programs and the National Conference. Professional work includes tenures with Portland State University, Bastyr University, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago. Tom earned his bachelor’s degree at Loyola University Chicago and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. He enjoys traveling, running, hiking, and skiing.
Eric Scott
Secretary
I am honored to serve on Ivy’s board of directors and to support Ivy’s mission to build self-esteem by cultivating a child’s inner directive, motivating them to become lifelong learners and community leaders modeling grace, courtesy and peace. For over 25 years I have worked for social justice, internationally and domestically, with innovative education and health projects. I currently work as the Vice President for Prevention and Program Alignment for South West Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH), an organization focused on improving health for low-income and disenfranchised community members. In addition to my current work in health care, I bring a variety of educational and organizational experience to my role as a director of the Ivy School including: teaching in alternative education programs for low-income former high-school drop-outs; developing a non-profit organization focused on social justice leadership development with a global perspective for low-income high school students: and training and leading teams for social justice work in Africa, South America and Asia. I look forward to working with our Ivy community.
The belief that ones own view of reality is the only reality is the most dangerous of all delusions. ~Paul Watzlawick
Paul Clerc
Treasurer
I grew up in the desert Southwest and went to school for computer engineering and pre-law at UNM. After graduating, I worked for Intel in the US and later in Leixlip, Ireland. Upon returning to the US, I founded a company that creates software for the internet (Watermelon Web Works LLC). Today I run that company along with a group of amazing engineers and designers. I work with several local nonprofits in my capacity at Watermelon as well as independent of my role there. I'm an avid rock climber, entrepreneur, amateur builder and lover of green chile. I'm proud to serve children, parents and other members of our community as an Ivy School board member.
My perspective with regard to The Ivy School is personal - I am a passionate student (of many things) as an adult, but I languished in formal education at traditional public (and private, but the same "sage on a stage" model) schools as a child. My aim as a board member is to be part of something that contributes to children of all colors and backgrounds having a positive experience of learning - at the very beginning of their school journeys. I believe that we have a unique opportunity to do just that here at the Ivy School. I feel fortunate that my daughter Sofia is a student at Ivy.
Margie Sollinger
Board Member
Margie Sollinger comes to Ivy’s Board of Directors as a parent of an Ivy student and with a background in public interest law. Margie has served as City Ombudsman for the City of Portland for the last ten years. As Ombudsman, Margie handles the public’s complaints and works to ensure that Portlanders are treated fairly and justly by their government. Prior to living in Portland, Margie lived in the District of Columbia, providing direct legal services to low- and no-income residents and was a Visiting Associate Professor at Georgetown Law’s Institute for Public Representation, practicing environmental, administrative and open government law. Margie lives in North Portland with her family.