About

Board of Trustees

Dear Members of the TJ Family,

I still remember my first visit to TJ as a prospective sixth grader. That day set into motion a chain of events that shaped who I am today—a lifelong reader and learner, the Board Chair, eager to attest that a charming Tudor-style mansion on a 20-acre campus in the St. Louis suburbs is the best place for a high-ability kid to receive a college-preparatory education.
If you had asked me shortly after college what TJ meant to me, I would have referenced the college preparation. After all, my first two years at Northwestern were far easier than my last two at TJ. I felt deeply indebted to the TJ faculty for preparing me to navigate a collegiate, self-directed learning environment. 
 
Now that I’m approaching 40, I have a new level of appreciation for my time at TJ. The currents of adult life can be unpredictable, and the world grows ever more complex. As unexpected challenges surface, though, I can muster the intellect, creativity, and persistence to navigate life’s currents. With 20 years of distance from my time as a student, the true value of the TJ experience is only beginning to reveal itself to me: TJ taught me how to think—not through any specific course or piece of content, but through year after year of study on complex topics in preparation for a deep, faculty-led discussions. Simply put, I am who I am because of TJ. 
 
Last fall, I had the opportunity to visit classes for the first time since the pandemic. As the students analyzed a Shakespearean sonnet, well-prepared after an evening of independent study, I was transported back to my own time here. A lot has changed in 25 years, but the magic inside the four walls of a TJ classroom still thrives.
Even as TJ evolves—as all schools must—TJ’s Board of Trustees holds true to our mission. That mission ensures that the TJ self-directed classroom experience will continue to prepare students not just for college, but for decades thereafter. That purpose was obvious 25 years ago when I was a prospective middle schooler, and it remains at the center of all we do today.

Sincerely,
 
Jimmy Holloran '03
President, Board of Trustees

Trustees

List of 11 items.

  • Henry Agbo '05

    After graduating from TJ, Henry went to Harvard, where he earned a degree in anthropology in 2009. He followed that with a year-long fellowship at the American University in Cairo in the Office of Communications and Marketing. Henry worked as a Global Sourcing Business Analyst at Target Corporation and currently works in London as the Inclusion & Diversity Community Advisor for Apple. Henry serves on the Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

  • Erica Briscoe

  • Joanna Eagan

  • David German '04

    David is a TJ alum from the class of 2004.  During his five years, he co-founded the All-School Play and operated an unreliable dial-up ISP from the second floor of Main Building.  His JV basketball career was almost as glorious as it was long.

    He earned a BA in Computer Science and BS in Engineering from Swarthmore College, which led to a series of software engineering jobs in Cambridge MA; he currently works on Google Search.  Thanks to his TJ education, he uses all four sentence structures when writing his annual performance review.  

    He lives in the Boston suburbs with his wife and daughter, who tolerate spontaneous fragments of memory work.

  • Joseph Han '11

  • Jimmy Holloran ‘03

  • Mary Karr P'06

    Mary was with the St. Louis Federal Reserve for over 25 years as the most senior general counsel in the entire Fed system. She led a team of six lawyers who supported 40 departments and 1,400 employees, advised the bank executives, and provided day-to-day legal counsel on bank regulations and economic policy and service as the fiscal agent of the U.S. Treasury. Her daughter Anne graduated from TJ in 2006. Mary chairs the Finance and Head Support Committees, and serves as the Treasurer for the Board.

  • Chino Kim '86

  • Lucinda Santiago P'22

    A native of Seattle, Lucinda moved to St Louis with her husband almost 20 years ago. They have two sons, Ciaran (TJ Class of 2022) and Josiah (Whitfield Class of 2023). A former public relations, public affairs and marketing director (for the Downtown Seattle Association), Lucinda has also worked in the non-profit sector serving in development, advancement, and Board structure. Lucinda’s husband Paul is a physician at Washington University and Lucinda has stayed home the last several years to manage the home fires and provide volunteer assistance to the kids’ schools (New City School, Churchill, TJ and Whitfield) and interests (St Louis Rowing Club). She has also been very involved with fundraising and events at The College Church. Lucinda is delighted to join the Thomas Jefferson School Board of Trustees as the school continues to provide the strongest, classical education in the greater St Louis region.

  • Laurie Shornick, Ph.D.

  • Irving Williamson '61

    Irv served as Chairman of the United States International Trade Commission from 2006 until 2014 and has more than 40 years of experience in the international and trade policy fields. Prior to his appointment, he was for seven years President of Williamson International Trade Strategies, Ind., a New York based consulting firm that advised clients on legal, policy, and regulatory issues affecting international trade and business. Irv holds a BA in history from Brown University, an MA in international relations with an emphasis on African studies and international economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a JD from the George Washington University Law School. He is married to Cheryl A. Parham, has two children, Patrick and Elizabeth, and resides in Washington D.C.

Start Your TJ Journey

The best way to get to know TJ is by spending time on campus, meeting our students and experiencing our classes. See our community for yourself at one of our open houses, shadow days, or let us create the perfect visit just for you.

Thomas Jefferson School

4100 S. Lindbergh Boulevard
Saint Louis, MO 63127
P. (314) 843-4151
F. (314) 843-3527