Board of Directors
Longmeadow Montessori’s Board of Directors is made up of dedicated parents whose children attend or previously attended our school.
The Board provides leadership in support of LMI’s mission by helping to set policies for the school and provide guidance with finances, legalities, fundraising, and special events.
2022-2023 Board of Directors
Marissa A. Komack, Esq., President, is an Attorney specializing in real estate and landlord/tenant matters who practices in Longmeadow, Massachusetts with her father. She is also a Member of the Longmeadow Zoning Board of Appeals. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Bay Path College and a Juris Doctor from University of Massachusetts School of Law at Dartmouth. She and her husband Kyle have a daughter who currently attends LMI and a daughter who is an LMI alum.
Katie Petrakis, Treasurer, is the mom to three girls: one current student and two alumni of LMI. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with her Bachelor and Master’s degree in Accountancy. She started her career working for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston working primarily with insurance companies. She went on to work in other industries including an investment management and engineering/manufacturing company. Katie is currently the Director of Finance for GO, a marketing agency located in Hartford. She is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of MA. She lives with her husband, George, and their girls in Longmeadow.
Julianne Diamond, Secretary, is a technical solution engineer at Salesforce.com, with expertise in life sciences. Julianne started her career with Salesforce as a research analyst for an educational non-profit, following roles as a middle school math teacher, assistant administrator, and math curriculum designer. She holds two degrees from Boston College: a BA in Elementary Education and Computer Science, and an MA in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. She and her husband Greg live in Longmeadow along with their three boys: a current student and two LMI alumni.
Kristin Kantany is a mom to three kids, two proud alumni, and a future LMI student. Kristin joined the board to offer her experience in digital marketing and web development. She holds a strong branding passion and vision that coincides with the Montessori curriculum. Kristin has been specializing in brand and marketing strategies for nearly a decade. She has developed and overseen new marketing concepts for each company she has worked for that have each branched off to become their own divisions and/or entities. Kristin holds a BA in Communications and minor in Media.
Marisa A. McCarthy, Ed.D. is the proud parent of one current LMI student and one future LMI student. She has dedicated her career to supporting individuals with disabilities. Marisa currently works as a Special Education Administrator for Springfield Public Schools and an Adjunct Professor of Special Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Marisa's education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Educational Psychology, and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision.
A.J. Oleksak is an investment professional focused on Middle Market Credit and Private Equity opportunities as a Vice President at Hartford Investment Management Company (HIMCO), an affiliate of The Hartford. Prior to HIMCO, he was at Barings, an affiliate of MassMutual in Mezzanine and Private Equity and Global Private Finance. Previously, he was an analyst at TD Bank, where he was also involved in supporting the American Cancer Society. A.J. received a BSBA and an MBA from the University of Hartford. A.J. and his wife Amy have three children including an LMI alum, current student, and future LMI prospect.
Forrest Spatcher is an audit professional focused on control effectiveness and risk mitigation. He currently works at MassMutual as a Director of Internal Audit. Prior to MassMutual, he was an Audit Manager with Deloitte. Forrest received a BBA in Accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Berkshire Hills Music Academy. Forrest and his wife Molly live in Longmeadow with their two children, the oldest attends LMI.