The Board of Trustees of Acorn Montessori School serves as the governing body responsible for ensuring the long-term health, integrity, and sustainability of the school. The Board’s work centers on upholding the school’s mission and vision, safeguarding its financial and legal well-being, and supporting the Head of School, who is the Board’s sole employee.
1. Mission and Vision Stewardship
The Board is tasked with protecting and advancing the school’s mission—to provide a nurturing Montessori education that fosters independent, confident, and compassionate learners—and ensuring the vision remains relevant and aligned with the needs of students, families, and the greater community. This includes:
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Setting strategic goals that reflect the long-term aspirations of the school.
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Monitoring progress toward those goals.
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Acting as ambassadors of the school’s philosophy and values in the broader community.
2. Fiduciary Responsibility
The Board holds the highest level of fiduciary responsibility to act in the best interest of the school. This includes:
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Ensuring responsible financial oversight, including approval of the annual budget and financial audits.
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Safeguarding assets and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
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Overseeing risk management and ensuring policies are in place to protect the school’s integrity and operations.
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Supporting fundraising efforts and ensuring the school has the resources needed to fulfill its mission.
3. Oversight of the Head of School
The Head of School is the sole employee of the Board and in her/his role of Head of School is responsible for the day-to-day management and leadership of Acorn Montessori. The Board does not engage in operational or administrative functions of the school but instead supports and evaluates the Head of School’s performance. This includes:
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Hiring, supporting, evaluating, and, when necessary, making employment decisions related to the Head of School.
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Ensuring a clear distinction between governance (Board) and management (Head of School).
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Providing guidance and strategic direction while empowering the Head to lead the staff and implement educational programs.
4. Governance and Accountability
Board members are expected to demonstrate commitment, discretion, and integrity in their roles. Key responsibilities include:
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Attending regular Board meetings and serving on committees.
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Ensuring transparency, ethical leadership, and accountability in decision-making.
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Acting collectively, not individually, in the best interest of the school community.
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Supporting a culture of inclusivity, respect, and collaboration among stakeholders.
Board Members
Dr. Derek Ferguson
Board Chair
Dr. Derek Ferguson is leading a health transformation which revolves around educating the general public on Functional Medicine, using lifestyle as medicine to support longevity, energy, mental clarity and happiness to obtain health. Dr. Ferguson serves patients here in New Jersey and Florida which focuses on patient centered care, that delivers hope and education for patients who feel lost when it comes to understanding true health. He teaches his patients not only how to obtain health, but how to sustain their health with minimal outside help.
With over a decade of recognition as a Top Doctor in NJ, Dr. Ferguson blends science, compassion, and innovation in patient-centered care. He works closely with patients across the country, empowering them to achieve and sustain health. His clinical work includes restorative and anti-aging therapies, and he has provided care for Olympic athletes while remaining deeply committed to helping families live healthier lives.
A dedicated advocate for education, Dr. Ferguson also serves on the boards of Hope Through Education which supports underprivileged and underserved children get the education they deserve and AtEase which supports firefighters, police and first responders. He is the author of Eat Like Your LIFE Depends on It and has been featured on News 12 New Jersey for his work.
Above all, Dr. Ferguson believes the greatest gift we can give children is access to health and education—and considers it a privilege to serve the Acorn community.
Chris Martinson
Vice President
Acorn is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and as a Board Member, I want Acorn to continue to provide high quality Montessori educational opportunities to our community for the next 40 years. Our family moved to Hunterdon County in 1994 and raised our 3 children starting their education at Acorn in 1994 and our youngest ending kindergarten in 2001. During that time my wife and I embraced Montessori. I volunteered and joined the Parent Advisory Board for Acorn and co organized and built some of the first playgrounds for the expanding school. Instead of returning to her engineering career when our kids were older, my wife became a certified Montessori teacher. She performed her internship and training at Acorn and returned to Acorn as a head teacher in 2014 after being a head teacher at Deer Path Montessori in Hackettstown for 10 years. After my wife’s retirement I joined the Acorn Montessori School Board of Directors with a focus on Buildings and Grounds.
PROFESSIONAL
I recently retired from The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company as a Vice President after 42 years of service. In 1983 I graduated from Penn State University with a degree in civil engineering and started my career with Whiting-Turner in Baltimore, MD. I started working in NJ in 1989 and opened the New Jersey Office in Somerset in 1993 with a handful of engineers. When I retired the office had grown to over 100 staff with are an established NJ Construction Manager. During my career I worked on and managed varied projects ranging from industrial plant renovations, retail and mall expansions and renovations, pharmaceutical plants, senior living, food and beverage facilities and headed up several national client programs for Whiting – Turner. During my professional career, I was a member of the NJ Chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers, NJ Alliance for Action and held many positions in the NJ Chapter of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers with the final position being elected to the position of President of the chapter.
OTHER VOUNTEER WORK
When our family first moved to Hunterdon County, I volunteered at the Hunterdon County YMCA where I was chairperson of the Building and Grounds Committee and was elected to the Board of Directors. I was also a member of the Hunterdon Speak Easy Toastmaster’s Club and held the positions of Vice President and President. More recently I elected twice to the Board of Directors for the Seaview Harbor Marina and am currently serving as Vice President.
Andy Tomlinson
Treasurer
Andy is currently the COO of Music Together, a company that creates early childhood music and movement programs offered in family classes and school classrooms around the world. Andy has extensive experience in finance and management from prior positions at Merck and Travelers, as well as experience with entrepreneurial ventures. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Columbia Business School, Andy lives with his wife, Liz, in Alexandria with their two sons. Both boys attended Acorn, starting with Toddler House and continuing through the Primary and Elementary Programs. Andy has held various positions on the Acorn Board and is currently the Treasurer.
Sasha Elezovski
Secretary
Sasha Elezovski is a seasoned HR leader and career development coach with over 13 years of experience in corporate HR, recruiting, and leadership development across the banking and pharmaceutical industries. She brings deep expertise in strategy, operations, compliance, and communication. As Secretary of the Board, Sasha is responsible for maintaining accurate records, distributing meeting notices, and ensuring that all official documentation aligns with the school’s by-laws. A certified HR professional (SHRM-CP) with a Master’s degree in Human Resources Development from Villanova University, she is a systems-thinker with a passion for inclusive, values-driven leadership. Sasha lives in Clinton, NJ and is the proud mother of two Acorn students.
William Taylor
Mr. Taylor began his professional career in the insurance industry in 1975. In February 2012, Mr. Taylor formed Miravast, an investment management firm. As Founder of the firm, Mr. Taylor was responsible for establishing the firm’s strategy and general oversight of all the firm’s functional areas until his retirement in 2022.
Mr. Taylor has a B.S., in Applied Mathematics (magna cum laude) from Brown University and is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, as well as a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Mr. Taylor moved to Hunterdon County in 1985 and has been an active volunteer in the community. He currently serves on a variety of nonprofit Boards, including
- Acorn Montessori School Board (Board Member)
- Salvation Army Advisory Board (Co-Chair)
- Team Walker, which serves kids in Jersey City (Board member)
- NJ Association of the United Church of Christ (Treasurer)
In addition, Mr. Taylor is a frequent volunteer for other local nonprofits, including America’s Grow A Row and the Flemington Food Pantry.
Mr. Taylor is originally from Richmond, VA and has always been active in his church, wherever he lives. He is currently a member of Grace United Church of Christ in Flemington, where he serves as their Treasurer and their mission project leader.
In 2001, Mr. Taylor started teaching the Junior High Sunday School class at the Flemington Presbyterian Church and comments that teaching kids the Bible has been his favorite weekly activity.
Lastly, Mr. Taylor is married to Professor Vassie Ware, who teaches Molecular Biology at Lehigh University. They have been married for 47 years and have a daughter, Mira.
Thomas True
Thomas True (Tom) resides in Bedminster, NJ with his wife Erin, and teenage daughter, Rylie. Rylie attended Acorn from the infant program through first grade.
Tom is a Principal at World Insurance Associates Home Office located in Iselin, NJ, managing a Branch of World. Tom is on the National Advisory Board for the Yankees Double A Team, the Somerset Patriots, and on the board of trustees for Hope through Education. He is active with numerous business associations and charities. Tom has served on Acorn’s board since 2012.
Byron Brisby Jr.
A lifelong resident of Hunterdon County, Byron Brisby, Jr., has served on the Board of Trustees for Acorn Montessori School for 10 years. His four children all attended the school. He is the President/ owner of Flemington BMW in Flemington, New Jersey. A veteran of the family automotive business since age 16, he started in the prep department before moving through sales and management. He is no stranger to volunteerism, as he can often be found supporting his kid’s interests and activities regularly. He is a strong believer in the Montessori method and has experienced firsthand how it impacts children during their early development in the world around them.
Derrick DeSilva
We moved to Clinton Township in 2017 and joined the Acorn family in 2018 with our oldest son. We loved the Montessori method and community of Acorn and in 2021 we enrolled our second son in the school. We spent a great 6 years at Acorn and are looking forward to 2027 when we plan to enroll our youngest in Primary.
I joined the Acorn Board at the beginning of 2025 looking to give back to the school that gave our family so much. I look forward to taking Acorn another 40 years into the future.