About

Board of Trustees

Gulf Stream School is a nonprofit institution governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

Our Vision Statement

Our vision is to enrich and expand opportunities within our whole-child program, ensure an aligned curriculum that exceeds top educational benchmarks, and blend traditional academic tracks with innovative methods of instruction. Building on our robust financial position, we are committed to cultivating an outstanding faculty and developing modern facilities to support excellence in education. Our graduates, distinguished by exceptional character, thrive at their top-choice high schools.

Our Board of Trustees Directors

List of 5 items.

  • Carly Bellis '93 - President

    Carly Bellis, a Gulf Stream School alumna (Class of 1993), joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. During her service on the Board, she has contributed across a wide range of roles, including the Executive, Finance, Development, Trustees, Strategic Planning and Legal Committees.

    Carly earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her law degree, cum laude, from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

    After beginning her career as an attorney in New York, Carly spent the past two decades building and scaling businesses in the digital and e-commerce sectors. She also lived abroad in Mexico and Colombia before settling in Delray Beach, Florida.

    Carly and her husband, Javier Salom, are the proud parents of two daughters, Caroline (Class of 2029) and Penny (Class of 2031).

  • John Backer '00 - Vice President

    John Backer (‘00), an alumni of Gulf Stream School, joined the Board of Trustees in 2021. He serves on the Executive Committee and Committee on Trustees, and has previously chaired the Finance and Strategic Plan Committees.

    John is the CEO of Gracey-Backer Insurance, a family-owned independent insurance agency founded in Delray Beach, FL in 1925. Prior to joining the agency, John was a CPA at PwC. John obtained a double major in Finance and Accounting from Auburn University, cum laude, and a Masters in Accountancy from Auburn University.

    John is also a Board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Delray Beach.

    John and his wife, Tracy, live in Ocean Ridge and have three boys: Jack (Class of 2030), and William (Class of 2034), and Henry (Class of 2037).

  • Alexis Rudisill - Secretary

    Alexis Rudisill and her family joined the Gulf Stream School community in January 2021.

    A graduate of Princeton University, Alexis spent her career working in the art industry at Sotheby’s and later in real estate development. Alexis also serves on the board of the MacJannet Foundation and is a Guardian Ad Litem for the state of Florida. 

    Alexis, along with her husband McAndrew and children, moved to Florida from Denver, Colorado in order to be closer to family. Georgia and Breier, twin girls, graduated Gulf Stream School in 2026 and now attend St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Their son Mac is in Grade 5.

    The Rudisills are thrilled to be living near the water, as they are all avid anglers and watersports enthusiasts. In addition, they love to cook, play tennis and ski.

  • Hillary Matchett - Treasurer

    Hillary Matchett serves on the Gulf Stream School Board of Trustees as Treasurer and serves on the Executive Committee and Finance Committee. She also chairs the school’s Investment Committee.

    Hillary is a co-founder of Quantum Coast Capital and a co-founder of CenterMid Capital. She has nearly 30 years of experience in investment management, corporate development and strategic advisory roles.

    Hillary is a member of Florida Quantum and serves on the Investment Committee of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. Her previous community leadership includes board service with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Big Dog Ranch Rescue, as well as serving as Executive Chair of the American Heart Association Heart Ball.

    Hillary and her husband, Chris, live in Delray Beach and have two sons, Grady and Dane, enrolled at Gulf Stream School.

  • Dr. Gray Smith - Head of School

    Growing up outside Baltimore, Maryland, Dr. Gray Smith first learned about Gulf Stream School through his cousins, who attended GSS. During a family visit to Delray Beach, his family drove past the campus, prompting his mother to remark, “If we lived here, that’s where you’d go to school.”

    Although he enjoyed his years at St. Paul’s School in Baltimore, the idea of attending school across the street from the beach made a move to South Florida particularly appealing.

    Years later, Dr. Smith moved to Florida and joined Pine Crest School as an English teacher and varsity lacrosse coach. During that time, he visited Gulf Stream School and became more familiar with its community, eventually realizing it was where he hoped to work one day.

    In July 2019, Dr. Smith fulfilled that longtime aspiration when he became Gulf Stream School’s eighth Head of School, a role he considers both an honor and a privilege. He is also a GSS parent, with one current student, Ward ’27, and one graduate, James ’25.

Our Board of Trustees Members

List of 11 items.

  • Conor Sweeney

    Conor Sweeney joined Gulf Stream School’s Board of Trustees in 2025.

    Conor serves as Senior Public Affairs Director at Elliott Investment Management. He previously served as an advisor and communications director to Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and advised a network of business leaders in their philanthropic, policy, and political engagement. Conor is a graduate of Marquette University, where he studied international affairs and economics, and earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

    Conor and his wife, Ruthie, live in Delray Beach and have three daughters enrolled at Gulf Stream School.

  • Dr. Kristen Sheehan

    Kristen Sheehan joined the Gulf Stream School Board of Trustees during the 2025-2026 school year. She serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and is committed to Gulf Stream School’s mission and vision.

    Kristen is the Assistant Head of School at The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Florida. She has been an educator and independent school administrator for over 35 years. She is also an adjunct professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, where she teaches graduate leadership courses. 

    Kristen and her husband, Patrick, a retired educator, live in Jupiter, Florida. Their daughter, Kelly, lives in Estero, Florida, and teaches kindergarten.

  • Dr. Rashmi Kar

    Rashmi graduated at the top of her medical school class at MGM Medical College in India and is a board-certified OB-GYN with a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University. She has been a practicing gynecologist for 20 years, with a focus on women’s health in underserved populations through FQHCs and currently serves as an Attending Physician in the Department of OB-GYN and Women’s Health Care Services at Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale, where she works to improve access to preventive care services and address the health challenges facing women in local communities.

    Rashmi and her husband, Pinaki moved to Florida in 2016 with their three daughters — Anya, Arya, and Anu and have been GSS parents since 2016. Arya and Anu graduated GSS 2026 and now attend FAU High School and Anya is a sophomore in NYU . 

  • Jeff Larsen

    Jeff is a Managing Partner of Larsen MacColl Partners, a firm which makes alternative investments in lower middle market companies and real estate.

    He received an A.B. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Princeton University. Before starting his own firm, Jeff worked at Goldman Sachs in Leveraged Finance and then at Chartwell Investments, a private equity firm.  

    Jeff is a former Trustee of the Peddie School where he served as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for many years. He lives in Delray Beach with his wife Brittani and their three Stingray children (Parker, Riley and Emma).

  • Karen Sweetapple

    Karen Sweetapple returned to the board in 2021, bringing with her the experience of being a GSS parent of four over a span of 19 years (Berkley, Class of 2003; Langley, Class of 2006; David, Class of 2009; Kendall, Class of 2012).

    Karen was a member of the GSS Board of Trustees for nine of those years, serving as Vice President, Secretary, Chair of the Development Committee, Co-chair of the Annual Fund (with her husband, Bob), and other committees.

    She is active in the community —Member Board Past President of Impact 100 Palm Beach County, Past Treasurer of the Antique Club of Boca Raton, and  President of the Women’s Club of Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club.

  • Kathy Fazio

    Since 2007, Kathy Fazio has been the Executive Director of Paul’s Place After School, a local nonprofit focused on the needs of underserved children in the Delray Beach community. She is also a former Board member of Roots and Wings, and a current Board member of the Beach Property Owners Association.

    Kathy and her husband, John, have lived in Delray Beach since 1988, raising two GSS alumni, Annie Hardy (Class of 2001) and Jay Fazio (Class of 2003). Kathy has two grandchildren enrolled at GSS, James (Class of 2033) and Kate (Class of 2035).

    Kathy joined the GSS Board in 2023 and has served on the Development Committee, Committee on Trustees and the 1938 Committee.

  • Katie Orthwein ’00

    Katherine Orthwein (’00), an alumna of Gulf Stream School, has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2024. She serves as Chair of the Committee on Trustees, sits on the Finance and 1938 Committees, and previously served on the Strategic Planning Committee.

    She graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis with a triple major in Finance, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship before earning her MBA from MIT, where she focused on finance, strategy, and innovation.

    Katie is Managing Partner of North Haven Investment Group LLC, a single-family office focused on long-term investment management and strategic growth. She and her husband, Brendan, also co-own Johnny Mangos Garden Center, combining their shared passion for nature, design, and community.

    Dedicated to preserving Gulf Stream’s charm while thoughtfully planning for its future, Katie serves as Vice Chairman of the Town of Gulf Stream’s Architectural Review and Planning Board. She and Brendan are the proud parents of Alexandra (Class of 2032) and Hunter (Class of 2035).

  • Mitch Sinberg

    Mitch Sinberg joined the Gulf Stream School Board of Trustees during the 2022-2023 school year.

    He has a background in finance and serves as Senior Managing Director – Florida Leader for Berkadia.

    Mitch graduated cum laude from University of Florida in 2001, while dual-majoring in Finance and International Economics. He went on to earn his MBA from the University of Florida in 2006.

    Mitch and his wife, Gina, and their two children (Dylan, Class of 2025, and Chase, Class of 2027) reside in Gulf Stream.

    Mitch is an avid golfer and boater, and enjoys coaching his son’s baseball team.

  • Nick Kaleel '09

    Nicholas Kaleel (‘09), an alumnus of Gulf Stream School, joined the Board of Trustees in 2022, where he serves on the Legal and Trustee Committees. He attended GSS with his sister, Alex (’12), and his cousin, Kristi (’09). 

    Nicholas earned his biomedical engineering degree from the University of Miami, where he also ran Division I track/field and cross country. Nicholas went on to earn his J.D. from the University of Florida, cum laude. 

    Nicholas started his legal career at the State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County before clerking for a federal judge. He now serves as an Assistant Statewide Prosecutor for Florida’s Office of the Attorney General, where he prosecutes multi-jurisdictional organized crime. 

    In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys marathon running, travel, and time with family. 

  • Thomas Stanley

  • TJ Glanfield

    TJ Glanfield has been on the Board of Trustees since 2020. He serves on the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Committee on Trustees and Building and Grounds Committee.

    TJ is a founding partner and portfolio manager at Quantix Commodities, an asset management firm.  Previously, TJ was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs in both New York and London.

    For the past six years, TJ has also served on the board for Lwala Community Alliance, an NGO in Western Kenya, and was previously the Board Chair.

    TJ and his wife, Seran, live in Delray Beach and have three young children enrolled at Gulf Stream School.

Main Campus: PK4 - Gr. 8
Gulf Stream Campus

3600 Gulf Stream Road
Gulf Stream, FL 33483
Phone: 561.276.5225   Fax: 561.276.7115

DBC: PK1, PK2 & PK3
Delray Beach Campus

2515 North Swinton Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Phone: 561.278.7735