Governance
A special message from the Head of School
Greetings Quest Community,
As we enter the holiday season, I want to wish you all laughter, enjoyment and safety with your loved ones in the coming weeks.
As most of you know, I have made the decision to step down from the position of Head of School at Quest Academy to follow my true passion . . . teaching mathematics at Quest Academy. After this academic year concludes, I will return to teaching your children.
The search process for our next Head of School is already underway, under the direction of a Search Committee, comprised of Trustees and Quest Academy faculty. An industry-leading recruitment consultant has been engaged and we look forward to meeting motivated candidates over the coming months. Throughout the transition period, I look forward to leading Quest Academy and doing whatever I can to support and assist my successor.
If anyone has questions about the Head of School search process, I invite them to contact the Head of the Search Committee, Amy Byrne, and read her message below.
I end this message, as I began, with my warmest holiday wishes to you all.
Mr. Brian Frank
Head of School
From the Head of School Search Committee …
Dear Quest Parents, Faculty & Staff,
I’m honored and excited to lead Quest Academy’s search for our next Head of School. As a parent of Quest middle and elementary school children, I am passionate about finding a leader who ensures our beloved school thrives now and into the future. Working with our Search Committee, and the entire school community, we hope to find an outstanding educator and leader to join us beginning with the 2023-24 school year.
To begin our search, we have created a Search Committee, and we have retained DRG Talent Consulting Experts to assist us as we conduct a nationwide search for our next leader. DRG has extensive experience running head of school searches and has recently worked with schools similar to Quest Academy, in the Chicago area, and in gifted education. Throughout our process, the Search Committee welcomes your feedback and questions.
While we plan to rigorously evaluate our candidates, we also hope to welcome them to campus with open arms and share with them the promise and excitement of leading our school. We deeply appreciate your support of these goals and our overall search process. Thank you in advance for your assistance in strengthening our Quest Academy.
Sincerely,
Amy Byrne
Chair, Quest Academy Head of School Search Committee
Quest Academy Board of Trustees
The Quest Academy Board of Trustees promotes and safeguards the school’s mission, strategically plans for the future of Quest Academy, appoints and oversees the Head of School, establishes broad policies, and develops and shepherds the capital resources of the school. The individuals on the Board serve Quest Academy with a wide range of experience, interests, and expertise. All board members are volunteers and Quest Academy expresses its gratitude for their guidance and commitment to gifted education.
Board of Trustees Officers
Nader Qaimari – Chair
George Reichl – Vice Chair
Don Mitckess – Secretary
George Reichl – Treasurer
Nader Qaimari
Board Chair
As Chief Executive Officer of Edcetera, Nader Qaimari leads a group of companies in the adult and trade education space across numerous channels and verticals. Nader joined Edcetera in January 2022, hired by Eden Capital to help scale the founder-led business. Prior to Edcetera, Nader worked at ISACA, responsible for ISACA’s learning and certification offerings for individual professionals, as well as all software products and services in 220 countries. Previously, Nader led Follett School Solutions, as Group President, where he launched a digital curriculum business. Prior to Follett, Nader was a senior executive at Cengage, a leading higher education company. Nader earned his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College in Literature and Creative Writing and a Master’s in Business Administration from University of Michigan.
Nader lives in Inverness with his wife Ahlam and two children who attend Quest Academy, Reed and Calla.
Board Member since 2019
Board Committees: Executive Committee (Chair), Admission and Marketing, Finance, and Strategic Planning (Chair).
Jenny Basden
Board Member
Jenny and her husband, Steven, are the parents of Quest Academy alumnus Dominic Scheerer. Jenny is the owner of a web-based floral business, Chicago Silk Florist, designing faux floral arrangements for homes, weddings, and businesses. Jenny has previously served in various capacities at Quest Academy, including being a member of the PSA Board, leading the Madrigal Fest committee and running the Teacher Raffle. Jenny strongly believes in Quest’s mission, and she is excited to continue supporting the school in new ways.
Board member since 2020
Dr. Seema Awatramani
Board Member
Dr. Seema Awatramani is a pediatric emergency medicine physician in Naperville,
Illinois. She earned her B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
and received her medical degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
Seema and her husband live in Barrington and are the parents of two Quest students.
Board Member since 2022
Amy Byrne
Board Member
Jorge Seone, PhD
Board Member
Jorge is an Engineering Manager with IMC Financial, a proprietary, high frequency trading firm. He holds a PhD and MS in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, and a BS from Louisiana State. He and his wife Jennifer reside in Palatine, and have one Quest alumna, and a current 7th grader attending Quest.
Board Member since 2015
Board Committees: Audit and Finance
Dominique Kendrick
Board Member
Dominique is Vice President, Technical Operations for West Therapeutic Development, LLC. Ms. Kendrick holds both a B.S. in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and B.S. in Environmental Health from Purdue University; a Master’s in Business Administration from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and is a Licensed Pharmacist. She and her husband Kevin have one child at Quest Academy.
Board Member since 2019 Board Committees: Committee on Trustees (Chair), Strategic Planning, Curricular Innovation, and Admissions and Marketing
Dr. Vicki Phelps
Board Member
Dr. Vicki Phelps is a faculty member of Milligan University and a nationally-acclaimed expert in the field of gifted education. With over 20 years of experience in gifted education, Dr. Phelps has authored four books and multiple articles focused on gifted pedagogy. She regularly presents at international, national, and state gifted conferences and enjoys sharing her passion for equitable practice and meeting the unique learning needs of gifted and high-potential students.
Board member since 2022
Board Committees: Curriculum
Sedhu Krishnamurthy
Board Member
Sedhu serves as the Great Lakes Region Digital Transformation Leader for Microsoft. Sedhu holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Guindy Eng. College, MS in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA in Strategy and Finance from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University. He is passionate about the role of education in shaping the society. Sedhu & his wife, Radha, have one child, Vedant, at Quest Academy and they reside in Long Grove, IL.
Board Member since 2018
Board Committees: Admissions and Marketing, Curricular Innovation (Co-Chair with Head of School), Development, and Strategic Planning
Jordan Sadoff
Board Member
Jordan is the founder and CEO of RESTORE Hair Restoration, and the founder/CEO of GoldMax. He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he earned a B.B.A in Marketing. Jordan and his wife, Katie, have two children at Quest Academy and live in Palatine, Il. In his spare time, Jordan aspires to be an average golfer.
Board Member since 2022
Don Mitckess
Board Member
Don lives in Bolingbrook with his wife Lora and their two children, Maya (Quest alumna) and Julian. Don has been a therapist in the behavioral health field for over 25 years, receiving his MSEd in Counseling from Northern Illinois University and BS/BA in Psychology/Theater from Loyola University of Chicago, and currently is the Director of Business Development for Banyan Treatment Center in Naperville. Don most recently served as Quest PSA Vice-President during the 2017-18 school year and was on the PSA Board for two years prior to that. He is the Cookie Dad for Quest Girl Scout Troop #41592 and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Northern Illinois Employee Assistance Professional Association.
Board Member since 2018
Board Committee: Audit
George Reichl
Vice Chair
George Reichl is the parent of a Quest Academy alumna who is now attending Fremd High School. He chairs the Finance Committee and serves on the Strategic Planning Committee. George has worked in wealth management and financial advisory services for over 30 years and also serves as a director for his homeowners association. He has a B.S. from De Paul University and resides with his wife Cathy in Palatine, IL.
Board Member since 2014
Board Committees: Finance (Chair), Strategic Planning Committee
Valerie Campbell
Board Member
Valerie has been a Real Estate Broker with Baird & Warner in Barrington since 1992, specializing in residential real estate sales. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Quincy University in Business Management. She and her husband Roy, are the parents of one child attending Quest Academy and two alumni of the school. She has been actively involved with the school since 2007 and has volunteered at numerous levels within Quest including the “Knight of all Knights” Auction & Gala, Knights on the Run and various other activities at the classroom levels. Valerie also holds a seat on the Council of Messiah Lutheran Church and serves on the Advisory Committee at her office in Barrington. She enjoys spending time with her family, boating and attending her kids’ sporting events.
Board member since 2015
Board Committees: Development (Chair), Executive, and Admissions and Marketing
Brad Schulman
Board Member
Brad is an attorney at Motherway and Napleton, LLP where he specializes in medical malpractice litigation. Mr. Schulman graduated from Lehigh University, where he played baseball for four years. He continued his education and obtained his J.D. at The John Marshall Law School where he graduated Cum Laude. He and his wife have one child at Quest Academy and they reside in Deerfield, Illinois.
Board Member since 2019
Luke Praxmarer
Board Member
Luke is the father of two Quest Academy alumnae, one of whom is an officer in the US Navy and the other is an insurance broker, after having been a high school math teacher for six years. Luke has had three stints as a trustee; first from 1997 to 2003, then from 2006 to 2015, then rejoining the board in 2016. He has served on or chaired every committee at Quest, but has always served on the Development Committee, chairing it a few times over the years. He also served on the school board at Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic School in Arlington Heights, IL, chairing the board in 1996-1997. Luke is president and partner of Corkill Insurance, an independent insurance agency in Elk Grove Village. As an insurance agent, Luke served as the president of the Independent Insurance Agents of IL in 2009-2010. Luke is perhaps best known, however, for his award-winning, organically grown tomatoes in his suburban garden. He has a BS from DePaul University and resides with his wife, Carol, in Palatine.
Board member since 2016 (second term)
Board Committees: Real Estate Committee (chair), Finance Committee, and Development Committee
