Governance Board & Agendas
The founding team for UTCS has a high degree of expertise across critical areas, including law, finance, real estate, facility acquisition, marketing, strategic planning, accountability, governance, fundraising, operations, educational leadership, and curriculum development. Our team reflects a diversity of social, gender, age, and economic backgrounds to provide a variety of perspectives. Each founding board member shares core beliefs about education. First, the group believes there is a need for alternative elementary school options for students in Tulsa. Second, they believe in the UTCS school mission of public Waldorf education for all children.
In addition to skills, expertise, and diversity, the founding team and all prospective board members must possess certain attributes for the job:
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Mission alignment
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Commitment to providing educational opportunities to historically marginalized students
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Openness to bringing their skills/experience to serve the community
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Personal and professional integrity
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Ability to commit the time required to serve as a board member and committee member
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Ability to work on a team
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Results-oriented
The current UTCS Board of Directors includes multiple Tulsa residents who represent organizations that greatly benefit the Tulsa community. Each Board member has a connection to the education landscape and has experience working with school boards, educators, teachers, and/or students. Examples of this are our board President, Stan Khrapak, who was the Operations Manager and helped found The Holberton Coding School in Tulsa. Our board education committee chair, Shan Glandon served as the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning for Jenks public schools from 2004-2022.
The founding Board is currently in conversation with prospective board members who will add value to the board. The Board is expressly seeking a member with a finance and accounting background to enhance our board's financial oversight capacity as well as an experienced fundraiser.
Governing Board
Board Chair
Vyacheslav “Stan” Khrapak
Vyacheslav "Stan" Khrapak was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and immigrated to the US at a young age. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Social Studies Education and a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. Stan has 12+ years of leadership experience in nonprofit and higher education settings and has spearheaded community initiatives in K-12 education, Jewish leadership, refugee services, and adult learning. In his role as inTulsa's Visa Network Lead, he helps talented people from across the globe land career roles and settle into a new home in Tulsa.
Legal Committee
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith is an advanced planning attorney focused on the analysis and structuring of sophisticated estate planning and family offices for ultra-high net worth families. Taylor assists with the various aspects of family office operations, including formation, governance, investment management, private foundation development, and tax and estate planning. Born and raised in Texas, Taylor graduated from the University of Alabama where she holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science before going on to earn her Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Outside of the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, trying new restaurants in Tulsa, listening to Led Zeppelin, and exploring the outdoors with her daughters. Taylor is a proud UTCS parent and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Tulsa Ballet.
Board Secretary
Janet McKenzie
Janet Jolly McKenzie is an early childhood educator, advocate and community volunteer. She retired in 2016 after 40 years in Tulsa Public Schools as a special education, pre-k, kindergarten. and first grade teacher, transition specialist, staff development teacher and Instructional coach. She and her husband Andy are products of TPS and both spent their entire careers as early childhood educators dedicated to serving the children, families and educators of Tulsa Public Schools. Their two children attended TPS magnet schools and now their granddaughter is a first grader at Under the Canopy School.
Education Committee Chair
Shan Glandon
Shan Glandon has a 37-year career in education, earning a masters degree in information science from State University of New York and completing administrative certification through Northeastern State University and the state of Oklahoma process. Her education experience includes serving as a media specialist in Buffalo, New York and in the Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma, starting a multi-age program and teaching 3rd-5th grade students (Jenks), providing coaching and mentoring for district teachers (Jenks), and directing teaching and learning for the Jenks district until her retirement in June 2022. Shan was also instrumental in writing the application for the Baldrige National Quality Award, which the district (Jenks) received in 2005. Shan also serves on several boards: Discovery Lab Children’s Museum (Tulsa), the Oklahoma Alliance for Arts Education (Oklahoma), and the Corrales Institute for New Education (New Mexico) as well as the board for Under the Canopy school.
