President | Brian Bowers 
Brian Bowers grew up on Maui and obtained a degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University.  Brian has a General Contractors License and has worked in construction for over fifteen years.  He also has a Real Estate Brokers License.  He has been a part of the Carden community for six years as a parent, volunteer, and board member. He feels blessed that all three of his children have been able to attend the school. He especially values Carden’s philosophy of educating the whole child, as well as its emphasis on developing a virtue-based character. His favorite virtue is Perseverance. 

Vice President | Erik McLellan 
Erik McLellan graduated from Babson College in Wellesley with a major in Entrepreneurship and Information Systems. He has worked in tourism and conservation as the General Manager for Skyline Hawaii for over 15 years, and is also a real estate agent with Island Sotheby’s.  He has been part of the Carden community since 2016 as a parent, volunteer, and assistant cross-country coach, and has served on the Board since 2018.  He has two children that attend Carden; one in Kindergarten and another in Fifth Grade.  Erik and his wife, Jessica, chose Carden for their children because of the incredible community associated with the school, as well as the values embodied by the teachers and faculty.  Erik’s favorite virtues are Mindfulness and Understanding. 

Secretary | Tesha Newman 
Tesha and her husband moved to Maui in 2004 to practice medicine. She is an anesthesiologist and he is an ENT. They desired to raise their then 2 month old and 2 year old children in a small island community. Tesha was born and raised in Northern California. She graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a BS in microbiology. After moving to the small town of Telluride, CO and working as a ski instructor, waitress, tutor, music store clerk, and EMT volunteer; she sold her belongings and applied to medical school. Tesha graduated from St. George’s School of Medicine. One of her years of study was spent in Bath, England where she was inspired to pursue a career in anesthesiology. It was during her residency in Rochester, NY where she fell in love with her husband, had her first two children, and decided to reconnect with the ocean by moving to Maui. After a complicated third pregnancy, Tesha decided to take time off from her career to give her time to her ohana and her community. Their oldest children started Carden Academy in kindergarten and graduated from eighth grade. Their youngest son is currently attending Carden. Her favorite virtue is love. It conquers all!

Treasurer | Bard Peterson  
Bard was born and raised in Hawaii and holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Oregon, with an emphasis on Management and Marketing.  Bard has worked for First Hawaiian Bank for over 20 years and his current role is Vice President and Maui Market Manager.  He is married to Corinne who is the first-grade teacher at Carden, and they have two daughters.  Bard serves as the Carden Board Treasurer and is also a member of the following non-profit boards: Maui Economic Opportunity, Inc., The Maui Family YMCA, and the Maui Memorial Hospital Foundation. His favorite virtue is Honesty. 

Member | Coit “Chip” D. Blacker
Chip Blacker comes to us with a wealth of experience. He is the Olivier Nomellini Professor in International Studies Emeritus in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University. He served as Special Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council during the Clinton administration. He directed the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and was a Study Group member of the National Commission on Terrorism. Chip holds a Ph.D. in International Relations, an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy and International Relations, and a B.A. in Political Science. Chip’s resume is impressive, but it is his dedication to education and his newfound interest in early childhood education as well as his vast experience on educational institution Boards that will add a unique and invaluable perspective to Carden Academy’s Board of Directors. Chip and his husband, Louis Olave, reside in Wailea and Palo Alto. Chip’s favorite virtue is “honor” because honor is foundational to the maintenance and effective functioning of a just and fair society.

Member | Melissa Unemori Hampe
Born and raised on Maui, Melissa Unemori Hampe holds a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management. She has worked with nonprofit, education, health care, arts and culture, and for-profit clients, providing government relations and grants consulting for almost 14 years. Previous to that, she held various staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. She has been a part of the Carden community for 4.5 years as a parent, volunteer, room parent, and Board member, with two children currently at Carden and a third who spent two years at the school. She is grateful that her children are excited to come to school to learn and she appreciates the care that the Carden ‘ohana shows for all of its members. She loves all of the virtues Carden teaches, but her favorite is Determination. 

Member | Ta’i Judd 
Ta’i grew up in Tahiti and moved to Hawaii at the age of 13 years old to attend boarding school at Hawaii Preparatory Academy on the Big Island. She holds a B.A. in Communications and a B.S. in Business Administration from the College of Notre Dame, as well as an M.B.A. from Chaminade University. She currently works for Discovery Land Company as the HOA Director for their Wailea-Makena project, and previously served as an Advancement Coordinator for Hawaii Preparatory Academy assisting with the annual fund campaigns, marketing, and fundraising. Her daughter’s zest for life is what led her family to Carden four years ago as they were looking for a school that was aligned with their family values (love, integrity, courage, patience, kindness, and resilience) and one that would serve as an extension of home by providing her with a good balance of academics and social responsibility. She has been honored to serve on the Carden Board for 18 months and to provide support to something that has given her family such a wonderful sense of community. Her 20-year career in Real Estate and Hospitality (and her extremely spirited daughter) leads to her favorite Carden virtue: Flexibility. 

Member | Alex Preiser 
Alex is an attorney and has practiced law for over 25 years.  In addition, he is an active member of the Maui business community where he has owned and operated two tour companies for the last decade.  He received a B.A. in Economics from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, a J.D. from Albany Law School and has an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Colorado.  He has been a part of the Carden community for a total of 9 years as a parent, volunteer, and board member.  Alex is extremely grateful his daughter was able to attend the school. He feels that Carden provided her a very special individualized education that gave her the tools necessary to succeed as she moved forward both in her education and in life. His favorite virtue is Empathy.