Governance
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Princeton Friends School, a 501(c)3, operates under the care of Princeton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and is governed by a board of trustees, known as the School Committee (a Quaker term). The board is composed of volunteers who are members and attenders of Friends meetings, PFS parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and other community members. Much of its work is conducted through its subcommittees–Advancement, Board Governance, Executive, Quaker Life, and Resources–some of which may also include ad hoc members.
The board, together with the head of school, is responsible for stewarding PFS. The board’s role is strategic rather than operational, focusing on governance, long-range planning, and financial sustainability.
2023-2024 School Committee
Ari Baum
Ari is dean of students as well as the Carl Knoblock Instructor of Economics at the Hill School.
Carol Beaton
Clerk, Quaker Life
A member of Abington Friends Meeting, Carol is the director of finance and operations at Westfield Friends School and was the business manager for Frankford Friends School before that. (She has also worked in the insurance and risk-management industry.) In addition to building the financial sustainability of small Quaker schools, she has been a Friends school parent.
Gab Carbone
A forest-bather, wanderer, and mycophile, Gab has spent 20 years as half of Princeton’s Bent Spoon. With degrees in special education/psychology and pastry arts, she often gets involved in quirky projects that advance ideas to address food systems, food security, sustainability, and community arts. She and husband Brendan live with two sweet dogs and child Seymour ’30.
“The impact of a Princeton Friends School education shines brightly through students’ lives. PFS helps nurture a special kind of curiosity and a strong community-responsibility compass. Time and again, [former PFS] students we have hired tend to be the most foundationally stable, community minded, and exceptionally kind spoonies.”
Janine Chupa
Clerk, Advancement
Janine is director of alliance management for the pharmaceutical company CSL Behring. She has worked in external innovation and R&D, coauthored numerous scientific publications, and holds 20+ patents. She received an IB diploma from United World College, a B.A. in chemistry from Oberlin College, and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Penn. Her son, Ryan Knab, attended PFS from B School to graduation in 2019.
“One of the many things I value about PFS is the sense of community. Many of our family’s treasured friendships began at PFS.”
Nadir Jeevanjee
Co-Clerk, School Committee Clerk, Executive Committee
A member of Princeton Friends Meeting, Nadir holds a Ph.D. in physics from UC Berkeley. He is a climate scientist at a federal research lab in Princeton. Nadir has two children at PFS, Seamus ’24 and Samina ’26.
David Kossoff
Clerk, HOS Search Committee
A marketing professional, David has an intellectual curiosity for the art of marketing, and is knowledgeable about marketing strategy, corporate rebranding, public relations, website ideation and construction, content, and digital marketing. He began his career as a freelance drummer. Today he is an avid cyclist, averaging 4,000 miles a year.
“What I love most about PFS is that it fosters creativity and critical thinking, consistently producing students who exhibit a confidence that will serve them well in whatever they pursue.”
Andrea Lehman
Clerk, Board Governance
Andrea, a Trenton resident, is a freelance writer and editor, mainly for independent schools. She is also the author of Fodor’s Around Philadelphia with Kids. A member of Newtown Friends Meeting, she is the proud mom of two daughters, who benefited greatly from nearly two decades at Quaker schools and Princeton Friends Summer Camp.
“What sets PFS apart is that here children get to explore the wonders of nature and the nature of wonder.”
Lisa Li
Lisa is a counseling psychologist with a master’s in school guidance counseling. She has experience providing psychotherapy to children, teens, adults, and families in both the U.S. and China. A member of Newtown Friends Meeting for 11 years and a Quaker for 21, she splits her time between West Windsor and Singapore. She has two children, both in college. The oldest remembers his two years at PFS fondly.
Angel Obregon
With a background in branding, design, marketing, user experience, and creative content production, Angel has spent 20+ years as a creative director. He has worked with brands like Audible, Amazon, GE Healthcare, and ecommerce agencies, and manages sales and creative operations at Kindred Studios. When not making guacamole for friends, he is often traveling for food (especially tacos or pizza) with his family.
“I will forever be grateful for this magical place called PFS and the confidence and sense of self it fosters in its students.”
Alison Sommers-Sayre
Co-Clerk, School Committee Clerk, Resources
With a marketing, fundraising, and operational management background and after nearly 20 years in Princeton University's advancement office, Alison is executive director at the Delaware River Greenway Partnership. She graduated from U Chicago, attended UC Berkeley, and is now proud to call New Jersey home. She lives with husband Dave (a Buckingham Friends member), child Ian ’23, and multiple pets in the woods outside Lambertville.
“I greatly value PFS’s approach to preparing children to be good citizens and community members, in addition to strong academic students. Today resilience, adaptability, independence, and self-assurance are critical, and a PFS education helps form and build those characteristics.”
Cynthia Vandenberg
A Trenton resident, Cynthia works at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) and serves on the board of the 120 East State Street Project, overseeing the redevelopment of the historic First Presbyterian Church as a community arts center. Cynthia, her wife, and their children (an 11th grader and a college freshman) are members of Newtown Friends Meeting.
Fänta Weekes
Fänta ’95 is a proud Princeton Friends School graduate and parent of twin students ’28. She has worked over a decade in the financial industry at a Fortune 500 company and serves as the class representative for her daughters’ grade.
