“An important key to the success of an international school is the quality and commitment of the Board of Trustees. I could not have been more impressed with the talent, enthusiasm, and dedication of the outstanding individuals on the Board of AIS. I have no doubts but that AIS will be a remarkable international school. And the fact that the school seeks to be accessible to all families makes it almost unique amongst international schools around the world.” Pete Woodward Former Director, Commission on American and International Schools Abroad New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Sonja Gustafson President Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Sonja Gustafson graduated from the University of Oregon Honors College,and pursued her MBA from the University of Washington School of Business. She worked at Microsoft as a marketer in the Consumer Division and Research Library. She then raised her two children while volunteering deeply in the community and serving as school board chair of the Meridian School (K-5) and as a board member at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS). As an active member of Social Venture Partners, she served as grant program lead to her favorite non-profit Technology Access Foundation, which supports communities of color. She currently works alongside her husband as the Director of Marketing at The Steve Trautman Co, a knowledge transfer/talent risk management consulting firm. Her interests include languages, travel, long-distance hiking, reading, and visiting national parks. She and her husband split their time between Seattle and Antigua.
Christine Keilhauer de Wilson Founder, Board Vice President Mrs. Wilson was born and raised in Guatemala and currently resides in Antigua. After working as a Management Consultant for Anderson Consulting in the United States, Mrs. Wilson moved back to Guatemala and managed an organic coffee farm for ten years. Mrs. Wilson also runs a marketing and communications company providing strategy and materials for a variety of clients. Mrs. Wilson graduated from Miss Porter's School in Connecticut and holds a degree in International Relations from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Christine and her husband Philip Wilson, CEO of Ecofiltro, are the parents of four children, two who are currently at AIS.
Stephen Johnson Founder, Treasurer Mr. Johnson is the founder and managing principal of Thames Street Capital, a real-estate development and investment group based in Washington D.C where he transacted more than $100 million in real estate. Mr. Johnson was born in Peru and raised in Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and the United States. He attended Kent School in Connecticut and then went on to receive his B.A from Colgate University and his MBA from the University of Maryland. His family has long standing ties to Guatemala. His mother Diane assisted in the development of the curriculum for the Universidad del Valle. Mr. Johnson resides in Antigua with his wife Kim and their three young children, all of whom attend AIS.
Pablo Arenales Founder Mr. Arenales is the founder and director RE/MAX Colonial, the leading real estate company in Antigua. After earning a degree in law from the Francisco Marroquin University, Mr. Arenales worked as the Guatemalan representative and first secretary to the U.N. in New York and later as Guatemalan Consul in Paris. Mr. Arenales lives in Antigua with his wife Karen and their three children, two of whom attend AIS.
Terry Atkinson Retired, UBS Bank Mr. Atkinson graduated from San Diego State University, with his B.A. Public Administration and also attended the University of San Francisco. Terry worked at leading Wall Street firms for 40 years and headed the top ranked UBS municipal bonds division in New York for over two decades. Throughout his life, Terry has been an avid philanthropist. He has worked with a number of organizations, founded the Harlem Day School in NYC, and helped raise $400 million for San Diego State University as part of the Campanille Foundation for SDSU. He currently lives in Northern California.
Julie Murphy Julie is a Certified Public Accountant, having graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in International Economics. Prior to settling in Guatemala in 2008,Julie lived in San Francisco, California where she worked in Audit at Deloitte and Touche, LLP, Corporate Finance at CBSMarketwatch and in Executive Recruiting at CVPartners, a boutique firm for financial professionals in the tech industry. Mrs. Murphy and her husband, Rex Murphy, have three children, the oldest of whom are at AIS, with the youngest to follow soon.
John Radick John Radick is the CEO Emeritus of the Strom Engineering Company, an engineering and technical recruiting company. John worked at Strom for over thirty years and continues to be a partner. He served on the Founding Board, and on the Board for several years, of Holy Family High School, a private, college prep school in Minnesotta. John Radick owns a home in Antigua, and has been spending months at a time for over twenty years. His youngest attended AIS during six years for a period of a semester at a time, and his older son teaches at AIS.
Jonathan Salem Jonathan Salem was born and raised in Guatemala City. Mr. Salem holds a B.S. In Business from Florida International University. For over 12 years, Jonathan has been a Partner and Operations Director for SDO, a management company specializing in logistics, business development and real estate. During his time in Guatemala, he has been involved in several construction projects which is his life-long passion. After living and working in the United States for 20 years, Jonathan moved to Antigua with his wife and two daughters that both attend AIS.
Eddy Weaver Mr. Weaver is the CEO for División Industrial Pecuaria (DIP), part of the largest corporation operating in Central America, Corporación Multi Inversiones. He is also one of the five Corporate Directors at Corporation Multi Inversiones serving on the Ethics Committee. Prior to joining DIP, Eddy was Executive Vice President LATAM for Pollo Campero, one of the leading fast food restaurant chains in Latin America. He previously served Finance Manager, General Manager for Guatemala and Executive VP for Latin America for Campero. Mr. Weaver holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a Masters in Industrial Engineering and Systems Management from Texas A&M University. He has served on the Strategic Council at the Texas A&M for the Association of Former Students and the Advisory Council for the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Council. Eddy and his wife Claudia are the parents of three college graduates who currently live in San Francisco, Dallas and Guatemala City. The Weavers reside between Guatemala City and Antigua.
Parent Elected Board Member: Anaite de La Cruz B.A Psychology, Universidad Rafael Landivar. Anaite was born and raised in Antigua. She is a licensed psychologist with practices in Antigua and Guatemala City where she treats learning differences and provides emotional therapy. She is also a professor at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. In addition to her degrees, Anaite holds extensive international training and certifications in Education,,Human Resources, Crisis Management, Emotional Support and Clinical Psychology.
Emeritus Board Members 1. Ellen Mueller Founding Board Member 2011-15 Colby College, B.A. in Administrative Science. Ellen has a marketing background and managed clients such as Visa, Baskin Robbins and Levi Strauss & Company. Originally, from Boston, Ellen has lived in Antigua for over 20 years. Her two oldest children graduated from AIS, and currently attend Wake Forest University and Middlebury College. Her youngest will graduate in 2021. In addition to her Board duties, Ellen participated as a member of the PTO, and has continuously supported AIS as an engaged parent.
2. Dr. George Carofino, Founding Board Member 2011-17 University of Villanova, B. A. University of Maryland, Dental School Dr. Carofino served eight years on the boards of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the Commission on American and International Schools Abroad (CAISA), and the Connecticut State Board of Education, among other local school boards. Dr. Carofino has practiced dentistry for over 30 years; in the U.S. Air Force, privately, and in medical missions around the world. He and his wife Diane, a retired school psychologist, split their time between Connecticut and Antigua.
4. Kate Flatley Burns, Founding Board Member (2011-19) Founder and director of the Women’s Justice Initiative, an organization that provides legal services, education and gender-based violence prevention programs to women living in rural Guatemala. She originally moved to Guatemala in 2004 to work for a NGO promoting access to education in rural communities. Mrs. Flatley holds a B.A in Anthropology from Yale University and a J.D from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the Virginia State Bar. Mrs. Flately Burns married to Billy Burns, a longtime Antigua resident, and her daughters attend AIS.
5. Rafael Coelho, Founding Board Member (2011-2019) Universidad de San Andrés, M.B.A. Universidad de San Andrés, M.B.A. Rafael is the founder and director of Central BTS, a global marketing firm specializing in branding and online marketing and sales solutions for business. Rafael resides in Argentina with his wife Agustina, a speech and learning disabilities specialist, and their four children.
Jose Juan Serra, Board Member (2013-17) Ronald J. Marino (2017-19) Jessica Hammer Benaim (2019)
Former Parent Elected Members: Hania Lozano Barreras (2016-18) Hunter Bost (2016-18)
