The LCS Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall health and long-term future of the school. This governance role is essentially strategic rather than operational, with broad responsibility for:

• Establishing policies that guide school operations.
• Maintaining a long-term financial plan and approving an annual budget for the school.
• Hiring, evaluating, and providing feedback to the Head of School.
• Ensuring that the school’s Mission is reflected in its programs, and is adequately resourced.

While they help steer the strategic decisions that chart our school’s course, the Board is also part of the LCS community. All current board members are parents with students enrolled at the school. As such, they understand the importance of involving parents, teachers, and staff in decision-making.

The nine member Board of Trustees is made up of four trustees who are elected by parents, two who are appointed by the Board members, and three who are appointed by the U.S. Ambassador.

Governance Structure

The governance structure of the Board of Trustees consists of four (4) standing committees, Finance, Trusteeship, Facilities and Executive. They are made up by a combination of members of the Board, Administration, and members of the community.

The role of the Finance Committee is to exercise oversight over school finances, recommend draft annual budgets for Board approval, and develop a rolling seven-year financial plan for LCS.

The role of the Trusteeship Committee is to sustain an effective Board at LCS to carry out its mission using good governance practices, and to ensure that a strong pool of candidates stands for election each year.

The role of the Facilities Committee is to exercise oversight over LCS school facilities, and make recommendations to the Board on any facility maintenance or development.

The Executive Committee is composed of the four (4) Board Officers and the Head of School, and its role is to facilitate communication between and among Board committees, as well as with Board membership as a whole. As needed, the committee may also serve to support and provide guidance to the Head of School.

In any given year, the Board may create ad hoc committees, to perform specific tasks or goals. Such committees will normally exist for a predetermined period of time but will follow the same guidelines as standing committees.

Meet the Board

Katie Cummings, Board Chair

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Katie earned a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan and then a M.S. in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. After serving as a high school history teacher in Pennsylvania she left the classroom to be a project manager in standardized testing for the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C. At that time her husband, Jason, began his career in the foreign service and they have subsequently been posted to several cities throughout Asia, Australia, and the United States for the past 20 years. Together they have three children ages 17, 15, and 13.

Christal Beeko, Vice-Chair, Elected by the LCS Community

Christal Beeko is a multiple award winning Events & Public Relations specialist and proud alumna of LCS. With expertise in media relations, strategic planning, and crisis communications, Christal excels in enhancing public images and leading impactful PR campaigns. She is also a dedicated parent, with two of her three children currently attending LCS. Christal looks forward to contributing to making LCS the best school in West Africa.

Brandon Brooker, Appointed by the US Ambassador

Brandon joined the Board for the first time in 2023. He is joined in Accra by his wife, son, and daughter, with his daughter currently enrolled at LCS. Prior to arriving in Ghana, Brandon spent more than 13 years working as a professional staff in the U.S. Senate in Washington, D.C. He has a B.A. in Government from Oral Roberts University, and also a Graduate Certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the Bush School at Texas A&M University.

Johnny Nettey, Facilities Committee Chair, Appointed by the Board

Johnny is a believer in the LCS learning environment and its truly multicultural community – having seen the effect on his daughter Naa-Dede. Professionally, Johnny was responsible for making the case for the first ICANN meeting to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa and in assisting the Gambia, Togo and Liberia with their business cases to attain their connectivity to the Internet.He has been involved in projects for (among others): Bank of Ghana, Electoral Commission, Ecobank and Vodafone. Having spent his entire working life in information technology, Johnny brings this perspective to the running and governance of LCS within the nuance of our unique Ghanaian culture.

Eddie Mensah, Appointed by the Board of Trustees

As a Ghanaian by birth and an American by sojourn, Eddie has enjoyed watching his daughter’s transition into the school last year and was inspired by this to serve and support the work of the Board. Eddie brings his experience as a Head of School to the Board, and his passion and dedication to serve in the stewardship of our Mission driven school.

Jennifer Kmiecinski, Elected by the LCS Community

Jennifer hails from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where she worked as a Physician Assistant in Family Medicine. With a background as a High School Biology teacher and a passion for teaching children to be lifelong learners, Jennifer hopes to work with the LCS Board to improve all of our children’s learning experience. Jennifer is the Medical Provider at U.S. Embassy Accra and spends her time exploring with her husband and three children.

Vishal Bundhun, Elected by the LCS Community

Vishal Bundhun, a native of Mauritius, is a Chartered Banker (UK), currently leading a German multinational and overseeing its activities in West and Central Africa. Having resided in Ghana for the past 11 years alongside his wife and two sons, both enrolled at LCS since 2015, Vishal’s active involvement as a parent reiterates his commitment to the LCS community.

With a career spanning over 27 years, Vishal has extensive experience in banking and shipping, at executive levels in both Europe and Africa. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Vishal brings a proven track record of board service with multinational corporations, adding to the depth of expertise he contributes to the LCS board.

Emily Slota, Elected by the LCS Community

Emily Slota was born in California, and has called Ghana home for the past seven years. Her career at McKinsey & Company, leading tech and finance firms, and non-profits, is driven by a commitment to using technology for good. An alumna of Stanford University, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Kennedy School, Emily brings curiosity and a love of learning. She and her husband are lucky parents of two vibrant, imaginative daughters: one entering in second grade at LCS, and the other exploring the wonders of preschool. As a member of Lincoln’s board, Emily looks forward to supporting academic excellence, diversity, and sustainable growth.

Raghav Mandhana, Elected by the LCS Community

Raghav Mandhana, is an Indian by birth, and has been in Ghana, with his family since 2018. His daughter Aarna, will be joining back in Fifth Grade and has been in Lincoln since her Kindergarten. He’s a Chartered Accountant from The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and also holds a B.Com. (Hons.) graduation degree from Delhi University, India. Through his 15 years plus of total work experience, he’s held senior leadership roles in Finance with various large Corporates. With the intention of being able to contribute to Lincoln’s financial well being and also to be able to learn in turn, he has been a member of the Board Finance Committee for the last 4 years.

Lesley Tait, Head of School

Lesley has had a long career in education both in her home country of New Zealand and within the international schooling world. Prior to coming to Accra, she served as the Director of Teaching & Learning and Interim Head of School at the American School of Brasilia in Brazil. She has a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Apart from focusing on all aspects of educational leadership, she enjoys hiking, traveling and reading. She is excited to continue to work with the LCS Board bringing to life LCS’s amazing new mission, vision and values.