Jarrett Young
Head of School
Joined City Academy: 2022
Education: B.A. Bowdoin College
M.Ed., Harvard University
Jarrett came to City Academy from Whitfield School where he was Middle School Director. He has also held several roles in independent schools including the Blake School in Minneapolis where he was a Grade Dean. Prior to working in independent schools, Jarrett worked as Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at Bowdoin College.
Jarrett is a native St. Louisan and grew up close to City Academy – in The Greater Ville neighborhood. He attended MICDS in middle and high school.
Don Danforth
President and Co-Founder
Joined City Academy: 1999
Education: B.A., St. Lawrence University
Don Danforth co-founded City Academy and assumed the role of president when the school opened in 1999. He began his professional career at Ralston Purina Company in 1989. In 1993, Don was named Education Director for the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club. It was there he was inspired by the late Martin Mathews to found City Academy.
Don serves on the board for the American Youth Foundation. He and his wife Susannah have four children.
Janice Bailey
Chief Development Officer
Joined City Academy: 2021
Education: B.A., Drury University
Prior to City Academy, Janice spent nearly 25 years at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in various fundraising roles including Vice President and Chief Development Officer of the Children’s Hospital Foundation. Janice also served as Assistant Head of School for Mission Advancement at Saint Louis Priory School.
Janice and her husband Jack have two grown children.
Brian Gross
Chief Financial and Operating Officer
Joined City Academy: 2019
Education: B.S., Northern Illinois University
M.P.A., Northern Illinois University
Executive Scholar Graduate, Northwestern University Kellogg School
Brian and his wife have two daughters who are alumnae of City Academy and both daughters are currently attending a private independent secondary school. Brian has over 15 years of experience working in finance, budgeting, and operations.
Prior to working at City Academy, Brian was the Chief Financial & Operating Officer for North Side Community School and has worked for the City of Crestwood, Village of Montgomery, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Chase Bank (formerly Bank One), and AmeriCorps. Brian enjoys volunteering his time with the St. Louis Area Foodbank.
Liesl Schnuck Hoffmeyer
Assistant Head of School & Director of Teaching and Learning
Joined City Academy: 2018
Education: B.A., University of Richmond
M.Ed., Johns Hopkins University
Liesl first joined the team at City Academy working Summer School while in college and fell in love with the school’s students, team, and mission. After teaching 3rd grade in Tulsa, Oklahoma for two years, she returned to St. Louis to teach 3rd grade in St. Louis Public Schools before eventually finding her way home to City Academy. Liesl taught 3rd and 4th grade math at City Academy for four years before transitioning to a role in administration. Her passion for pushing students to maximize their potential directly translates into working with teachers to enhance their teaching practices.
In her free time, Liesl loves spending time outdoors with City Academy’s therapy dog, Angus, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
About Board of Trustees
City Academy’s Board of Trustees advances our mission and impact by serving as leading advocates for the school, philanthropic role models, and guardians of City Academy’s well-being and sustainability.
Akberet Boykin Farr, Board Chair, Emerson, Vice President of Diversity and Social Responsibility
Larnise Boain, Reinsurance Group of America, Vice President of Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Michelle Cohen, Cecil Packaging, President
Andy Cowen, Radialogica, CEO
Gianna DeiSanti-Rosenbaum, Nestle Purina, Director of Brand Marketing
Ali Desloge, Community Leader
Nancy Diemer, Community Leader
Logan Finerty, Moneta Group, Partner
Pamela Ford, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Program Manager/IT Specialist
Jennifer Gafford, PhD, Family Care Health Centers, Lead Psychologist
Dan Geraty, Dental Intelligence, CEO
Jeff Giles, Garden City Companies, Senior Partner and Chief Investment Officer
Robert Harrison, Daniel and Henry Insurance Company, President and Chairman of the Board
Kerrigan Kaplan, Evernorth/Cigna, Strategy, Marketing & Account Management Leader
Bill Macon, Ideal Aviation, Managing Director
Vicki May, Washington University in St. Louis, Assistant Dean in Arts and Sciences and Executive Director of the Institute for School Partnership
Renee McFadden-Ford, MD, Betty Jean Kerr Peoples Health Centers, Physician
Marjorie Melton, M3 Engineering Group, CEO
Jason Mills, Community Leader
Shawn Moore, Daugherty Business Solutions, Senior Consultant
Andy Mulcahy, American Youth Foundation, Vice President of Infrastructure
Sarah Mullen, Lewis Rice LLC, Attorney
Cam Murray, Acacia Capital, Founder
Michael Small, ArchBridge Family Office, Executive Vice President
Heather Strahorn, Aim Field Hockey, Marketing Manager
Peter Swank, Swank Motion Pictures, President
Chris Thompson, Central Group, LLC, Managing Member
James E. Williams, Jr., Estel Foods, Inc. d.b.a. McDonald’s, CEO / Owner
Lifetime Trustees
Don Danforth III, Co-Founder and President
Michelle Foxwell Strawbridge, Retail Technology Group, Director of Human Resources
Trustee Emeritus
Hazel Donald, Retired Educator
About the Friends Board
City Academy’s Friends Board is a group of young professionals devoted to transforming lives through education. They help cultivate new relationships with individuals and organizations throughout the St. Louis community, and support our students and their families through volunteering, hosting events, and fundraising for our scholarship program.
Roster
Allie Beath, Chair, CIBC Bank USA
Jake Brown, Trophy Properties and Auction
Tom Bunn, iSelect Fund
Bradley Cagle, KPMG
Allie Christopher, St. Louis University PA School
David Dawson, Merrill Lynch
Heather Day, Service/Volunteer Chair, Day Leadership Academy, HBD Enterprise LLC.
Becky Esrock, Stifel
Caroline Fugel, Moneta
Aaron Goeckner, Artisan Partners
Martin Gregory, Washington University in St. Louis
Courtney Harris, St. Louis County
Carlos Hillman, Commerce Bank
Clare Lucas, Trivia Night Chair, TRC Environmental Corporation
Courtney Lucas, NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
Eric Lucas, Capital Electric Line Builders, LLC
William Lucas, Edward Jones
Rachel Mungenast, ArchBridge Family Office
Wes Mellow, Daniel & Henry
Dan Mischel, Cass Commercial Bank
Caitlin Oppland, Timmermann Group
Clare Phelan, NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
Jessica Rask, WTP Advisors
Sean Sullivan, Member Engagement Chair, ArchBridge Family Office
Diane Swank, World Wide Technology
Madison Triplett, Corporate Engagement Chair, Advantage Capital
Todd Turner, Chair-Elect, Cass Commercial Bank
Patrick VanCleave, Renaissance Financial
Katarina Von Luyken, Mastercard
Lindsey White, Maritz Global Travel
Cari Wilber, World Wide Technology
Learn More
We always want to hear from our community members who share a passion for education and want to join others in the furthering of City Academy’s mission and impact. If you are interested in becoming a City Academy Friend, please contact Lydia Bryant at LBryant@CityAcademySTL.org.