Rob Hindman
The Sultana Education Foundation (SEF) announced that its Board of Directors elected Rob Hindman as its new Board Chair, Brooke Harwood as its new Vice Chair, and Eric Schless as its new Treasurer. Lyle Feisel was reelected to continue in his current role as Secretary of the Foundation. Hindman and Schless succeed three-term Board Chair Chris Havmener and long-time treasurer, Blyth Reynolds, both of whom will continue on SEF’s board.
“Speaking on behalf of the Board, we simply can’t overstate the incredible work that Chris Havemeyer and Blyth Reynolds contributed as board officers,” said Sultana President, Drew McMullen. “The organization has taken enormous leaps as a direct result of their leadership.”
With the Sultana Education Foundation in the midst of two significant capital projects and a strategic expansion of its programs, its new board leadership takes charge at a particularly consequential time. “Rob, Brooke, and Eric have well-earned reputations as leaders in their respective fields,” commented Sultana Governance Committee Chair, Patti Hegland. “Sultana has both an exciting and challenging period ahead and this new leadership team will ensure SEF continues to build upon its record of achievement in Environmental Education.”
Board Chair Rob Hindman is a retired school administrator, teacher and elementary school principal and helped develop one of the first elementary school STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) focused programs in Virginia. In 2005 Hindman was awarded the Distinguished Educational Leadership Award from the Washington Post and named Arlington Public Schools Principal of the Year. Hindman came to Sultana’s Board as a longtime volunteer onboard the schooner Sultana.
Brooke Harwood, Vice Chair, is a retired commercial airline executive who led Federal Express’s successful effort to establish service in China. A long-time volunteer for SEF, Harwood has also served on the Board of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. As Vice Chair, Harwood is overseeing work at Sultana’s new Lawrence Wetlands Preserve.
A retired Managing Director at Wells Fargo, and current board member at the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, Eric Schless brings 20 years of investment banking, legal, and nonprofit experience to SEF. In his role as Treasurer, Schless will lead a comprehensive review of SEF’s endowment and investment management policies.
Based in Chestertown and serving the entire Chesapeake region, SEF provides hands-on educational opportunities for over 14,000 students annually that promote stewardship of the Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental resources. By helping students of all ages develop an appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay, SEF is working to create a community of individuals who are dedicated to preserving this irreplaceable treasure.
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