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The Board of Governors

Meet The Academy's Board

The Academy’s Board of Governors is comprised of up to 10 parents and friends of The Academy, representing a mix of The Academy’s campuses (Midtown/North/South), schools (Grammar/Dialectic/Rhetoric), and educational models (Blended/Traditional).

Purpose: Following a strategic governance model, The Academy Board’s role  is to safeguard the vision and mission of the school. It does so in several ways, but the primary means is in hiring, overseeing, and advising the Headmaster. The Board keeps the Headmaster accountable for the goals set for the school, which are set jointly by the Board and Headmaster. The Headmaster is then responsible to hold faculty, staff, parents, and students accountable in their educational roles and commitments.

Term: Members of the Board of Governors serve three-year or six-year terms, with 11 regularly scheduled meetings annually.

Joining the Board: Each year a new Class of members join the board. New members are typically drawn from individuals who have served on one of the school’s committees. See below for more information about volunteering to serve, or for nominating another for Board or Committee service.

Communication: Have a question for the Board of Governors?  Send your questions here. The Board desires to be accessible and known. Members of The Academy community are welcome to approach board members with questions and topics of interest.

Permanent Directors

Tony Capucille

  • Tony Capucille is a founding board member. As a native Oklahoman, he was educated at Oklahoma Baptist University graduating with a degree in Biblical Languages and Finance. He recently decided to leave the financial technology industry and explore other interests predicated on sustainability and building cultures that promote human flourishing. Tony and his wife Christy have 3 daughters and a son at the Academy. He enjoys reading, gardening, basketball, travel, and time outdoors. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Board and as part of the fundraising committee, Tony provides the perspective of all three grade levels, grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric, Tony also represents our North and Midtown campuses.

Curt Stafford

  • Curt graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a BA in Political Science in 1985. He returned to Norman in 1986 with his wife, Karla, to raise their three children, Carolyn, Stephanie, and J. C. (one of our first graduates). Curt is a CPA and is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Energetic Systems, Inc., a manufacturing company located in Norman. In addition to being one of our founding board members, Curt brings his financial expertise to our finance committee and is a grandparent to students in our blended and traditional models at the South campus.

Term Ends 2023

Jonathan Dodson

  • Jonathan Dodson is a husband and father to four children at the Academy. He is a former banker turned Oklahoma City developer with a focus toward urban infill development and adaptive re-use. Dodson moved to Oklahoma City upon graduating from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and was one of the initial members of the Urban Land Institute of Oklahoma in 2007. In fall of 2014, Dodson co-founded Pivot Project in partnership with developers Ben Sellers and David Wanzer. Jonathan is now the Managing Partner at Pivot Project and spends his time establishing financing for the team, raising equity, consulting for other incremental developers, and hanging out at coffee shops.

Clay Collum

  • Clay is a partner with Robison Gary Johnson & Associates PLLC, an Oklahoma City CPA firm. Clay is married to Katie (Wagner) Collum who taught 5th grade traditional at The Academy north campus until having their children, William, Kate & Lillian. Clay and his family attend King’s Cross Church and enjoy living on Carey Place in the Gatewood neighborhood.

Term Ends 2024

Cassie Jackson

  • Cassie has a mechanical engineering degree from Oklahoma State University and started her career at Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX before leaving the workforce to raise children. She homeschooled her children full time, using the classical model of education, for several years before coming to The Academy, where her children have participated in both blended and traditional models. She and her husband Garrett have 3 children: Lily, a sixth grader at South campus, Quinn, a 10th grader at Midtown Campus, and A.J. a recent Academy graduate who is attending Gonzaga University. Cassie has recently rejoined the workforce as an Electronics Engineer in the 76th Software Engineering Group at Tinker Air Force Base. She and her family live in Choctaw, OK and attend Eastpoint Church.

Term Ends 2025

Joe Broome

  • More information coming soon!

Leslie Poe

  • After homeschooling classically for five years, Leslie’s three sons came to the north campus of The Academy in 2020 and have participated in the blended and traditional models at the grammar and dialectic levels. Leslie is a proud graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and holds an M.S.Ed. in higher education student affairs from Baylor University. She has overseen various elements of the co-curricular experience at Baylor, OBU, and The University of Memphis, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at OBU while raising her children. Currently, Leslie is a deacon and the Director of Women’s Discipleship at Frontline Church Downtown where her husband, Jonathan, also serves as an elder. They love raising their family in the heart of OKC.

Micah Leydorf

  • Micah Leydorf is currently an author, editor, publisher, cabi stylist, and the Parish Programs Coordinator at St. Francis of Assisi. Classically educated, she has a bachelors degree in American Studies and European Studies from Hillsdale College in Michigan as well as a masters in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. Before she and her husband Tom made a quality-of-life decision to move from Washington DC to be closer to family in Oklahoma following the birth of their first son, she worked as press secretary and deputy chief of staff for Congressman Ernest Istook for almost a decade. The family recently moved from Norman to Heritage Hills so their two sons, Elijah and George, could walk to school at the Midtown campus. They attend church at Frontline Downtown as well as St Francis of Assisi.

Abby Schill

  • Abby grew up in Norman and graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.  Her family started at the Academy in 2012 upon returning home to Oklahoma following her husband’s time in the Navy. She and her husband, Ben, have three children in grammar, dialectic, and rhetoric levels in both the blended and traditional models. Abby has served as a house parent at the south campus and serves on the athletic committee.  In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time with friends.  Abby and her family are active members at Providence Road Church in Norman.

Board Committees

The vision of the Academy’s Board of Governors is executed through the work of several board commissioned committees. The committees include parents, staff, board members, and other friends of The Academy and are representative of the full Academy community. 

We are always looking for candidates who are willing to join one of our committees!  If you are interested in being considered to serve on a committee in the future, please review the committee descriptions below and submit an application.

Education Committee
The Education Committee provides stewardship and oversight of the academic programs and policies of The Academy and serves as a sounding board for evaluating new educational opportunities  This committee is supported in its work by the curriculum subcommittee, scholars and experts in their respective disciplines.

Fine Arts Committee
The Fine Arts Committee supports the Fine Arts Chair in overseeing the Performing and Fine Arts of The Academy, including choir, music, painting, drama, debate/forensics, and more. Members of the Fine Arts committee are masters of at least one of The Academy’s areas of emphasis.

Finance Committee
The Finance Committee reviews monthly financial reports, sets strategic financial priorities, and proposes The Academy’s annual budget.

Building & Land Committee
The Building & Land Committee makes recommendations for capital improvements, property acquisition, and provides oversight of construction projects.

Fundraising Committee
The Fundraising Committee assists The Academy in recruiting participants in The Academy’s Giving Society and providers oversight of fundraising campaigns and initiatives.

Branding & Communications
The BrandComm Committee advances The Academy’s brand across the district. This includes oversight of digital and print materials, student uniforms, social media, and other communication platforms of The Academy.

Athletics Committee
The Athletics Committee supports the Athletic Director in determining the strategic priorities and initiatives of Academy Athletics, including oversight of The Academy’s Community Sports.

 

Application/Nomination for Board and Committee Service