About
Leadership
Sycamore School Board of Trustees
At Sycamore, we strive to help gifted students become gifted humans – people who are comfortable in their own skin, who think clearly and potently, and who engage the gifts they’ve received with humility and a determination to make the most of their lives.
Dr. Catherine Pangan (Board President) is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Butler University. She is honored to work with freshmen through graduate students and many community partners around the city. Her work focuses on science (STEM) and social studies methods, teacher leadership, education technology, and pre-service teaching. As an author, Dr. Pangan contributes as a columnist in The New Teacher Advocate magazine and is a curriculum writer for organizations including the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She helped launch the New Teacher Academy at Columbia University and worked with teachers in Harlem and Brooklyn. She received her BS in Elementary Education, Master’s in Educational Administration, an endorsement in Gifted Education, and Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching with an emphasis on policy and education law. Dr. Pangan has been working in education for over 25 years. She is the mother of Hudson (2019) and Violet (2026).
Sumi Maun is a strategy consultant with Maun Consulting Services, specializing in the healthcare and education industries while concurrently serving as an admissions consultant for the MBA Exchange. She has over 15 years of experience in the consulting space, having formerly worked for McKinsey & Company, Time Warner, and MTV Networks. A native Hoosier, Sumi left the state to get a BS in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University, followed by her MBA from Harvard Business School. Sumi and her husband, Dipen, eventually moved back to Indiana, and they have two sons, Avi (2021) and Shayen (2024). Sumi is currently a member of the Options Program with the Women's Fund of Central Indiana and has served on the board of the Riley Cheer Guild.
Wayne Patrick is an investor in several startup and entrepreneurial companies and has more than 35 years of experience in information technology. His experience in the software industry includes having developed and led the consulting efforts for a large software firm and having been the COO of two entrepreneurial/start-up software firms that had successful exits. In addition, Wayne and his brother have been successful restaurant franchise owner-operators through starting and developing the Central Indiana territory for Marco’s Pizza. He received the Sagamore of the Wabash in 1992. He was a Presidential Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business in 1995. In 1998 he was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from Butler University. He earned an Executive MBA from Dartmouth. His two children, Theresa, deceased, (1993) and Elliot (2000), graduated from Sycamore.
Christine Santori (SSA President) was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University in 2003 and 2005 respectively. In 2012 she and her husband, Rob (a gastroenterologist), moved to Carmel, their first time living outside of Illinois. Their three children, Rowan (2026), Amelia (2028), and Lacey (2030), all attend Sycamore. Christine enjoys traveling with her family, photography, and learning new things like video editing.
Dr. Catherine Pangan (Board President) is an Associate Professor in the College of Education at Butler University. She is honored to work with freshmen through graduate students and many community partners around the city. Her work focuses on science (STEM) and social studies methods, teacher leadership, education technology, and pre-service teaching. As an author, Dr. Pangan contributes as a columnist in The New Teacher Advocate magazine and is a curriculum writer for organizations including the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. She helped launch the New Teacher Academy at Columbia University and worked with teachers in Harlem and Brooklyn. She received her BS in Elementary Education, Master’s in Educational Administration, an endorsement in Gifted Education, and Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching with an emphasis on policy and education law. Dr. Pangan has been working in education for over 25 years. She is the mother of Hudson (2019) and Violet (2026).
Laura Conder has built a successful career in banking, focused on consumer lending. She has served on the Education Finance Committee of the Consumer Bankers Association, as well as a board member of ELM Resources. She hails from the Chicago suburbs and graduated from Purdue University. Currently residing in Carmel, Indiana, Laura is the proud mother of Catherine (2018) and Elizabeth; she is a past trustee (2011-2017), serving as Treasurer during her second term. She enjoys traveling, baking, and riding her bicycle around Carmel.
Jeff Hagerman, Chairman of The Hagerman Group, is the fourth generation of the Hagerman family to lead the commercial construction company. Jeff also is a partner in iPark, LLC (a parking management company). Jeff is passionate about the community and encourages employees of The Hagerman Group to give back through time, talent, and treasure. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors at several organizations including the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Conner Prairie, Meridian Hills Country Club, Brebeuf Jesuit High School, the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce, AGC of Indiana, and the Indiana Construction Roundtable. He also serves on the Building & Grounds Committee for the Sycamore School and is a proud member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and CEO. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering & Management from Purdue University in West Lafayette. In Jeff’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his children Drake (2017) and Stella (2029), traveling the world, and following Purdue sports.
Dr. Thomas D. Kaplan, MD, is originally from Baltimore, Maryland, where he graduated summa cum laude and valedictorian of his medical school class. He trained in orthopedics at NYU / Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, then pursued sub-specialty training in hand, microvascular, and upper extremity surgery at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center in 2001. Dr. Kaplan is very involved in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and was selected as a Young Leader by the Society in 2007. He is a reviewer for the Journal of Hand Surgery. Dr. Kaplan has a strong commitment to research and education and has been published in multiple journals. Tom and his wife, Linda, are long-time Sycamore parents and have four children who attended/currently attend Sycamore, Cassie (2017), Tommy (2018), Chloe (2019), and Katie (2022).
Dr. Cory Martinson is from Indianapolis and is a graduate of Bucknell University. She completed her doctorate in medicine at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine in 2005. Her pediatric residency was completed at Boston Children's Hospital. She spent the first part of her career in pediatrics working as a pediatric hospitalist at Boston Children's Hospital before making the move to primary care. She is board certified in pediatrics. Cory is a member of the Board of Trustees at Riley Children’s Hospital. She has three children, Lily Grace (2022), Henry (2024), and Corinne (2027). Dr. Martinson has been an active participant within the Sycamore community and is the Chair of the Development Committee. She also served on the playground task force, helping with the development of the Outdoor Play Lab in the Early Childhood area.
Sumi Maun is a strategy consultant with Maun Consulting Services, specializing in the healthcare and education industries while concurrently serving as an admissions consultant for the MBA Exchange. She has over 15 years of experience in the consulting space, having formerly worked for McKinsey & Company, Time Warner, and MTV Networks. A native Hoosier, Sumi left the state to get a BS in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences from Northwestern University, followed by her MBA from Harvard Business School. Sumi and her husband, Dipen, eventually moved back to Indiana, and they have two sons, Avi (2021) and Shayen (2024). Sumi is currently a member of the Options Program with the Women's Fund of Central Indiana and has served on the board of the Riley Cheer Guild.
Dr. Greg A. Merrell, MD received his medical degree from Yale University. He continued at Yale for his orthopedic residency. Dr. Merrell received his fellowship training in upper extremity and microvascular surgery from Brown University. Dr. Merrell has special interests in wrist arthritis, fracture care, minimally invasive surgery of the elbow and wrist, and conditions of the shoulder. He has authored numerous scientific publications and book chapters on the minimally invasive treatment of fractures. Dr. Merrell has an active research program established. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Hand Surgery and is a member of the clinical trials and outcomes committee for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. His research interests include the study of bone healing. Dr. Merrell won the Marshall Urist American Orthopaedic Association award for his research on bone healing. He has written a number of journal articles and book chapters on minimally invasive treatment of scaphoid fractures. He was the invited author from the Journal of Hand Surgery to describe his minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of tennis elbow. Dr. Merrell served as team physician for the 2002 Search for Genghis Khan Expedition to Mongolia. This expedition was featured on a Discovery Channel documentary. He is the father of Ethan (2017) and Connor (2022).
Dr. Bob Moorthy, MD finished his undergraduate education at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science (summa cum laude) degree in Electrical Engineering. He earned his Doctorate in Medicine with Highest Honors from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1988. He completed his surgical internship and ophthalmology residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He completed a two-year retina fellowship at Northwestern University. He has been a practicing retinal and uveitis specialist in Indianapolis for 25 years. He is the founding partner of Associated Vitreoretinal and Uveitis Consultants. His two daughters, Meena (2013) and Priya (2016), graduated from Sycamore.
Wayne Patrick is an investor in several startup and entrepreneurial companies and has more than 35 years of experience in information technology. His experience in the software industry includes having developed and led the consulting efforts for a large software firm and having been the COO of two entrepreneurial/start-up software firms that had successful exits. In addition, Wayne and his brother have been successful restaurant franchise owner-operators through starting and developing the Central Indiana territory for Marco’s Pizza. He received the Sagamore of the Wabash in 1992. He was a Presidential Delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business in 1995. In 1998 he was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel. He earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from Butler University. He earned an Executive MBA from Dartmouth. His two children, Theresa, deceased, (1993) and Elliot (2000), graduated from Sycamore.
Christine Santori (SSA President) was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University in 2003 and 2005 respectively. In 2012 she and her husband, Rob (a gastroenterologist), moved to Carmel, their first time living outside of Illinois. Their three children, Rowan (2026), Amelia (2028), and Lacey (2030), all attend Sycamore. Christine enjoys traveling with her family, photography, and learning new things like video editing.
Christine (Elliott) Smith is a founding member of the Sycamore family, graduating in 1992. She went to high school at Park Tudor and then to Boston College, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in accounting. She has worked at Deloitte for over 20 years and is currently an Associate Director leading the organization's global efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to being a CPA, she is an avid sewer, running an Etsy shop, TheorySmith, making custom handbags and more recently masks. Chris met her best friend Ellen Klenk Hawkins (1992) in Second Grade at Sycamore, and they remain close. Chris and her husband, Alex, have two children, Annabelle (2027) and A.J. (2029).
Mark Sniderman is an attorney in private practice, focusing on prisoner rights, voting rights, and police misconduct. He graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After serving as the national team programs director for US Rowing, Mark matriculated at U.C. Hastings College of the Law, and then transferred to Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, from which he received his JD and graduated with honors. Mark is a past chair of the Executive Committee of the Civil Rights Section of the American Association of Justice, and a member of the National Lawyers Guild, the National Police Accountability Project, and the Indianapolis Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the State of Indiana, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana, and the Western District of Michigan. Locally, Mark is a past chair of the board of the Hooverwood Nursing Home and has served on the board of the Arthur M. Glick JCC of Indianapolis and the Human Services Committee of the United Way of Central Indiana. He is the father of Hannah (2022) and Sadie (2024).
Kristie Speirs Neumeister is a Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State University, where she directs the Gifted and Talented Graduate Licensure Program. She earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia in Educational Psychology with a concentration in gifted and creative education. She is the past President of the Indiana Association for the Gifted and recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children’s Early Scholar Award. Her professional interests include perfectionism, twice-exceptional learners, and gifted program evaluation. She has served as a consultant to over 85 school districts in Indiana. She has co-conducted evaluations of 40 gifted programs throughout the country and is the co-author of the book, Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators (2nd ed.). Kristie enjoys exploring new countries, reading historical fiction, and baking treats. She and her husband, Doug, are long-time Sycamore parents whose four daughters have attended or currently attend Sycamore—Anya (2016), Hailey and Ginny (2023), and Avery (2024).
Kristie Speirs Neumeister is a Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State University, where she directs the Gifted and Talented Graduate Licensure Program. She earned her doctorate from the University of Georgia in Educational Psychology with a concentration in gifted and creative education. She is the past President of the Indiana Association for the Gifted and recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children’s Early Scholar Award. Her professional interests include perfectionism, twice-exceptional learners, and gifted program evaluation. She has served as a consultant to over 85 school districts in Indiana. She has co-conducted evaluations of 40 gifted programs throughout the country and is the co-author of the book, Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators (2nd ed.). Kristie enjoys exploring new countries, reading historical fiction, and baking treats. She and her husband, Doug, are long-time Sycamore parents whose four daughters have attended or currently attend Sycamore—Anya (2016), Hailey and Ginny (2023), and Avery (2024).
LeTina Tandy is a business development representative at Fusion Sprit and also is a realtor. As an active member of the Path to Sycamore Task Force, she has contributed significant time and expertise. LeTina is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Indiana Wesleyan and is very involved with the Emerson Avenue Church of Christ. She is the parent of Sycamore students A.J. (2023) and Alex (2029) as well as an adult son who graduated from Wabash College. LeTina looks forward to her future with Sycamore and all the potential ways of serving.
Marla Thompson is SVP and General Manager in the Marketing Cloud at Salesforce and has held various senior management, marketing, product, sales, strategy and operations roles at Procter & Gamble, The Campbell Soup Company, and Catalina Marketing. Marla is passionate about women’s advancement in the workplace and served seven years on the national board of directors for the Network of Executive Women, a non-profit organization focused on advancing women, growing business, and transforming the CPG industry’s workplace. Currently, she serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Indianapolis chapter of Salesforce Women’s Network and serves on the board of Visit Indy. Marla received her Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University and her MBA degree from Harvard Business School. She lives in Indianapolis with her husband and three children—Dyer (2026) and twins, Ian and Gwen (2028).
Ruel Williamson is the CEO of Mind Pearl LLC, an international consulting firm focused on valuation, taxation, and property rights. He holds tertiary degrees from Emporia State University (BSB Finance ’89) and (MBA ’91). Ruel is a regular speaker at the World Bank and has been a guest lecturer at Renmin University (Beijing, China) as well as a keynote speaker for numerous industry events. Prior to starting Mind Pearl LLC, Ruel held executive positions at Thomson Reuters, Tyler Technologies, the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners, and the Kansas Department of Revenue. Ruel and his wife, Cynthia, are eternally grateful for the education that Sycamore has provided to their two children, Olivia (2018) and Neville (2023).
Ruel Williamson is the CEO of Mind Pearl LLC, an international consulting firm focused on valuation, taxation, and property rights. He holds tertiary degrees from Emporia State University (BSB Finance ’89) and (MBA ’91). Ruel is a regular speaker at the World Bank and has been a guest lecturer at Renmin University (Beijing, China) as well as a keynote speaker for numerous industry events. Prior to starting Mind Pearl LLC, Ruel held executive positions at Thomson Reuters, Tyler Technologies, the Indiana State Board of Tax Commissioners, and the Kansas Department of Revenue. Ruel and his wife, Cynthia, are eternally grateful for the education that Sycamore has provided to their two children, Olivia (2018) and Neville (2023).
Indiana’s Only Accredited, Private, Independent Preschool - 8th Grade School for Gifted Students
