Board of Directors
Like most independent schools, Thaden is a nonprofit corporation governed by an independent board of directors in accordance with its articles of incorporation and bylaws.
Ann Bordelon, Treasurer
Ann Bordelon, a seasoned finance executive with experience ranging from the world's largest company to regional entrepreneurial ventures, was appointed as vice chancellor for finance and administration at the University of Arkansas effective July 1, 2020.
A native of Arkansas, Ann has spent the majority of her career with Walmart and Ernst & Young. During her nearly 13 year tenure at Walmart, Ann served in various executive finance roles including chief financial officer of Sam's Club, chief financial officer of Walmart Asia, and global chief audit executive.
Following her retirement from Walmart, Ann worked with a startup company in the medical diagnostic space and then as the chief financial officer of Mitchell Communications. She served as the interim director of finance and operations at Thaden School from January to May 2020. Ann also serves on the board of America's Car-Mart and PHD Group Holdings LLC.
Professionally, Ann is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the National Association of Corporate Directors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and information systems from the University of Arkansas and is a certified public accountant.
Al Dominguez
Al Dominguez leads the Kimberly-Clark Customer Development team, including overseas sales strategy and execution, in support of Walmart US, Walmart International, and Sam’s Club. Prior to joining Kimberly-Clark, he spent more than a decade at Walmart in senior merchandising roles.
An accomplished executive and attorney, Al began his career as an Assistant State Attorney in Tallahassee, Florida, prosecuting criminal cases. He then went on to hold several positions within Governor Jeb Bush’s administration, including Director of Policy and Budget for the Office of the Governor, Director of Government and Media Affairs for the Florida Department of Corrections, and General Counsel of the Florida Department of Management Services.
Al holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a Juris Doctor from Florida State University. Al lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his wife and three children.
Tom Fahey
Tom is Senior Vice President of Global Strategic Accounts at Fiserv. A FinTech professional for nearly 20 years, he also serves on Fiserv's Senior Leadership Council. Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Butler University. He and his wife, Mandi, live in Bentonville with their children, Joe '21 and Camille '24.
Kerry Kotouc, Vice President and Secretary
Kerry is Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Sam’s Club. In this role, she oversees the Sam’s Club legal department, the asset protection team, and the transformation strategy team for the members-only warehouse club division of Walmart, Inc. Prior to her role at Sam’s Club, Kerry was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of legal administration for Walmart. In that position, she was responsible for leading strategic department initiatives and overseeing the teams that support Walmart’s corporate functions. She joined the legal department in 2004 in the litigation section managing tort litigation.
Prior to Walmart, Kerry practiced law in Bentonville as a county prosecutor. She handled major narcotics cases, assisted the local drug task force and tried numerous criminal cases, including capital murder trials.
Kerry holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri at Kansas City's School of Law.
José Leonor
Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, José Leonor serves as the Middle School Director at The Bush School in Seattle. Prior to that, José served as Thaden School's Director of Middle School since its founding. José came to Thaden School from The Bishop's School in Southern California and before that, he was a member of the faculty during the founding years of the Pacific Ridge School, also located in Southern California. Throughout his career, José has taught middle and upper school French, Spanish, English, and film. He holds a bachelor's degree in comparative literature from Princeton University and a master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Clayton Marsh, Ex-Officio
Clayton Marsh became Founding Head of School in January 2016 and is leading all aspects of its development.
A native of Kansas City, Clayton Marsh came to Thaden from Princeton University, where he served as Deputy Dean of the College. In that role, he held major responsibilities for undergraduate education and led university-wide initiatives to promote innovation in teaching and curriculum design. He also taught in Princeton’s Department of English and its American Studies Program and continues to serve on the board of the Seeger Fund supporting its Hellenic Studies Program. Clayton began his career at The Lawrenceville School in 1986, where he taught in the English department for seven years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Princeton, a master’s degree in English from Stanford, and a doctorate in English and comparative literature from Columbia. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan and practiced litigation in New York City for five years prior to joining the Princeton administration.
Matt O'Reilly
Catherine Roche
Catherine Roche was born in Memphis, Tennessee to Arkansas natives, but spent her formative years in Seattle, where she attended Lakeside School. Catherine holds a bachelor's degree in English with distinction from the University of Virginia (Phi Beta Kappa), a master's degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, and a master's degree in art history from the University of Washington.
From 2008-2012, Catherine served as the Interim Assistant Curator for Japanese and Korean Art at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). In 2013, Catherine transitioned to the Board of Trustees at SAM, where remains and active member. Catherine is also a trustee at the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, which together form the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C. A passionate arts patron, Catherine also serves on the board of TheatreSquared, Northwest Arkansas's nationally-recognized professional theatre company.
Catherine and her husband Stephan moved to Bentonville from Seattle in the winter of 2018. Their triplets – Alexander, Courtenay, and Cecile – attended Lakeside School and are recent graduates of The University of Chicago, Vanderbilt University, and Bowdoin College.
Markita Andrews Rogers
Markita Andrews Rogers was born in Southern California and raised in New York City where she attended The Chapin School. While a student, she was honored numerous times for her Girl Scout cookie sales activities. She is the subject of a Walt Disney sales training film and the author of “How To Sell More: Cookies, Condos, Cadillacs, Computers, and Everything Else.” Markita holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University and a master's degree in marketing from the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Business.
Markita is a 20+ year CPG veteran, having worked in a variety of roles for Nabisco, Nestle USA, and the Kellogg Company. Since 2012, Markita and her husband Bill have called Bentonville home. Their children William and Anais are members of Thaden School's classes of 2024 and 2025.
Markita is the Vice Chair of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County. In addition, she serves on the board of Kleinfeld Bridal, the globally recognized New York City bridal salon featured on TLC’s Say Yes To The Dress.
David Slone, President
David Slone is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Superior Automotive Group. In addition, he operates a diverse set of businesses in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, Minnesota, and Alabama. Mr. Slone holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in finance and accounting from the Sam Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. David and his wife, Susie, live in Fayetteville near their two children and two grandchildren.
Shari Steiger
Shari is a passionate educator who has taught mathematics and life science in the Bentonville Public Schools and homeschooled her own children through grade 9. She currently tutors students in various academic subjects and counsels students on college choices and life skills development. Shari holds a bachelor's degree in secondary education and biology from Drury University and a Secondary Education Certification in math and biology from the University of Arkansas. Shari and her husband Lamar have lived in Bentonville since 1970. They are active members of the Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas and together run a consulting business called Dovetail Homestead.
Latriece Watkins
Latriece Watkins is Executive Vice President of the Walmart U.S. consumables division. She leads all merchandising strategies for the company’s baby, beauty, household chemicals, household paper, over-the-counter pharmacy, personal care and pets business. Latriece and her team are passionate about finding new ways to save customers money on items they use every day.
First joining the company as an intern in real estate, Latriece has served in a variety of key leadership roles within Sam’s Club, Walmart U.S. merchandising, human resources and U.S. store operations. In her two decades with the retailer, she has led several important portfolio and strategic initiatives across the company. Because she has worked in so many different areas of the business, Latriece brings a 360-degree approach to her leadership, all while keeping customers at the center of Walmart’s consumables business.