Board of Directors
The Board of Directors Election will be held on Wednesday, June 3rd to fill two open seats. Michele Caputo will be running as a teacher and Winston Hearn will be running as a parent. Candidate Bios for Michele and Winston are posted at the bottom of this page.
The board meets monthly during the school year from 5:00–7:00 p.m. on 9/15, 10/27, 11/17, 12/15, 1/26, 2/23, 3/16, 4/20, 5/18, 6/15 and 8/3. We will call special meetings and summer meetings as needed, and all meetings will be posted on our calendar page. See side panel for past meeting agendas and minutes. Meetings are open to the public. Members of the public wishing to comment at a Board meeting may sign up here in advance of any regularly scheduled meeting.
Steve Voerding
Board Chair
Northern Lights Parent
steve.v@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Sallie
Harris
Board Treasurer
Finance Committee Chair
Northern Lights Teacher
sallie.h@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Maureen Martin
Board Member
Northern Lights Parent
maureen.m@schoolofnorthernlights.or
Rachel
Mass
Board Member
Northern Lights Parent
rachel.m@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Jennifer Newman
Board Member
Middle School Task Force Chair
Northern Lights Parent
jenn.n@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Lori
Spahn
Board Member
Northern Lights Parent & Teacher
lori.s@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Tom
Hagler
Board Member
Facilities Committee Chair
Northern Lights Parent
tom.h@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Lisa
Nelson
Board Vice-Chair
Northern Lights Parent
lisa.n@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Jessica Berry
Board Member
Northern Lights Parent
jessica.c@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Mark Knox-Ova
Board Member
Northern Lights Community Member
mark.ko@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Michele Caputo
Board Member
Northern Lights Teacher
michele.c@schoolofnorthernlights.org
Candidate Bios:
Michele Caputo has been a teacher at St. Paul School of Northern Lights since the school opened in 2019. Having worked as both a general education Kindergarten teacher and a Special Rights resource teacher, she brings a unique perspective on multiple aspects of our school’s programming. Currently completing a term vacated earlier in the 2025-2026 school year, Michele is up for election to a full Board term.
Winston Hearn is a lifelong learner and lover of books with two kids enrolled at Northern Lights (in 5th and 7th grades). He and his family moved to Minnesota in 2025 and have fallen in love with the state and community. He cares deeply about building schools and learning environments where every child can flourish and safely navigate the difficult work of growing up. He works as a Product Manager in the Tech Industry, and has spent a great deal of time inside that industry pushing for better accessibility, improved diversity, and worker rights.
Board committees
St. Paul School of Northern Lights Board has the following committees:
Pedagogy
Facilities
Wellness
and a Middle School Task Force
Committee work can be a great way to get involved! Please contact a board member to learn more.
Board Meeting Agendas
Board Meeting Minutes
Board policies
Board By Laws
Financial Audits
Founding Story
Reba Batalden, Christina Sheu, and Anna Kudak met in an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) class guided by Lani Shapiro. Through this experience, the founders were immersed in Reggio-inspired learning. The founders first gathered in December 2016 and found inspiration in the schools of Reggio-Emilia inception story. After the devastation of World War II, the women of Reggio-Emilia decided to improve their community’s educational system to ensure another generation would not be duped by fascism as they had been. This fundamentally political act reshaped their community, and the board of SPSNL intends to build a high performing charter school with the same potential for equitable outcomes for all learners.
The board is not alone in this vision. Community leaders throughout St. Paul resonated with the mission of SPSNL, and a large cadre of supporters and volunteers are dedicated to its success.
The governance model at SPSNL begins with a well trained and informed board of directors that will ensure the advancement of the school’s mission and vision. We are committed to openness and transparency as we begin our school. We welcome your comments, questions, support and feedback as we engage in this important work.