Board of Directors Election: Candidate Statements

The AISL Board of Directors is comprised of seven members. Two are appointed by the U.S. Ambassador, two are elected from among the parents who are affiliated with the U.S. Embassy, and three are elected from the rest of the parent association. All elected board members serve two-year terms. This year we have four vacancies in our elected positions. We have one vacancy among the U.S. Government-affiliated slots and two candidates: John Boos (incumbent) and Sherri Wilson. We have three vacancies for the slots reserved for non-U.S. Government parents and three candidates: Sipho Phiri (incumbent), Aki Georgiou, and Rob Munro. Below you will find biographical statements from the candidates.

John Boos (incumbent): Candidate for Board Member – U.S. Government-Affiliated

My most important role is as the father of two AISL students. Sara is 13 and in the seventh grade and J.R. is 15 and in the ninth grade.  I am currently a consultant and my wife, Katrina, works with the U.S. Peace Corps. We have been privileged to be part of the AISL community for over four years and hope to see our children become AISL graduates. I have served as a school board member for the last two years and am an active member on AISL’s Governance and Building Committees.
 
If re-elected as a school board member, I will continue to work in collaboration with parents, school employees, administrators, and my fellow board members to promote improved learning environments and working conditions. I believe the Board’s job is to set the long-term strategy and goals for AISL; to responsibly and sustainably steward school funds; and to foster an educational environment that helps students thrive. Within this mandate, I strongly support board engagement with as many stakeholders as possible to be able to develop a more complete understanding of both the issues facing our school and the opinions of its community members. As such, I will continue to reach out to the school community to ensure that all voices are heard, successes are celebrated, and concerns appropriately addressed.
 
Issues that are important to me include:

• Ensuring that AISL has policies and practices that attract and keep talent.
• Increasing academic services and differentiation to support different styles and abilities of learning.
• Strategizing for growth to occur in a way that minimizes financial risk while increasing the quality of education.
• Ensuring a safe and secure physical environment that is conducive to learning, teaching, and community.
• Improving communications and dialogue within the school community. 
• Strengthening the after-school and athletics program.

Sherri Wilson: Candidate for Board Member – U.S. Government-Affiliated

I'm Sherri Wilson and our family arrived in Lusaka last August from the United States.  This is our fourth overseas assignment with the U.S. State Department. I’m excited about AISL and the vital role it plays in our kids’ lives and in the community! My husband and I have three children in the school.  One at the primary, middle and secondary levels.  I value dialogue with the school administration, and as a board member, would look for ways to create more parent input into shaping AISL’s priorities.  I want to continue to build a dynamic school that can meet the needs of all local and international students, including students with special needs and high performers.  I want to ensure that resources are adequately balanced to support academic, sports, and social development.  While this is my first time to run for a school board seat, I have always been very involved in my kids’ schools. Collectively they have attended seven international and local schools on four continents. As your board member I would like to use that perspective and your input to build on AISL’s solid foundation.

Sipho Phiri (incumbent): Candidate for Board Member – Non-U.S. Government-Affiliated
 
Sipho has been on the AISL board for 15 years. He has served as the Vice Chair of the board and has been a long-standing member of the Building and Finance Committees. Sipho has an in-depth understanding of the school’s governance structures and the various constituencies within the school. His daughter Kaila graduated in 2017. His daughter Teyah is in Grade 11 and his son Etai is in Grade 9.
 
Having previously worked for years in banking and finance, he is currently the Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Denmark in Zambia and has a wide range of business interests including the development of a 50MW run of river hydroelectricity power station on the Zambezi River in Western Province of Zambia, a private cemetery, and various property development interests. 

Aki Georgiou: Candidate for Board Member – Non-U.S. Government-Affiliated

Aki is a Permanent Resident of Zambia. He has spent his working life in the Digital printing and Advertising Industry. He was the Co-Founder and owner of Grandad Digital Printing and is currently the CEO of  Six Light Media . Aki also volunteers and serves on the AISL Building committee.
 
Aki has 2 children Anthony and Christina. Anthony is currently in Grade 2 at AISL and Christina will be starting at the ELC this coming year.
 
As a parent whose children will most likely complete their primary and secondary education at AISL I look forward to assisting the board if approved and playing a positive role in the future of all students at AISL.
 
Rob Munro: Candidate for Board Member – Non-U.S. Government-Affiliated

Rob Munro is a long term British resident of Zambia, and the father of Adam and Sophie, who have both thrived at AISL over the last five years.

Rob is the Director of Strategy at Musika, a Zambian non-profit company that supports investment in the agricultural sector. He played a major role in creating and shaping Musika into Zambia’s foremost agricultural development organisation, and has been an influential figure in the development of the Zambian agricultural market for the last fourteen years.

Through this work, and eleven years spent in the Zambian commercial farming world preceding it, Rob has proven management and leadership experience which could be a valuable contribution to the AISL Board of Directors.