Board of Directors
Our Champions for Every Student
Passionate advocates shaping strategy, supporting programs, and ensuring every child has a path to success.
The North Side Community School Board brings together a diverse group of passionate community volunteers, education experts, and St. Louis business leaders – all united by a belief in the power of quality education for every child. Our members are dedicated to creating equitable access to a safe, nurturing learning environment, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Our Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 4:30 PM, in person at our Middle School campus, to guide strategy and support our students’ success.
Monthly Board Meeting Schedule & Documents
Board Packets/Minutes:
*denotes that no meeting occurred during that month.
2025-2026 Board of Directors
Michael Quinlan
President
Michael Quinlan recently retired from a 40 year career in leadership and organizational development working with Fortune 500 companies throughout the world. His Chicago based firm was the largest independent distributor of the acclaimed Crucial Conversations process in the United States.
Mike graduated from UMSL with a B.A. prior to locating in Chicago for his professional career.He also holds graduate degrees from Loyola University and Roosevelt University.
Returning home to St. Louis with his wife and two daughters Mike has been an UMSL Executive Fellow and volunteer at Loyola Academy for Boys.
Fred Falkner
Vice President
Fred is the President of Falker Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting and human resource development training firm, and former Director of Workforce Development for the Saint Louis Zoo.
Over the past twenty-five years, Fred has developed and introduced a fundamentally new and better approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This approach goes beyond today’s anti-racism and unconscious/implicit bias training. Instead of focusing on the differences between people, Fred focuses on the distance between them and the behaviors that drive connection, inclusion, and belonging.
Mike Carpenter
Treasurer
Michael is a Partner with Moneta Group Investment Advisors, a firm that specializes in providing family office and institutional advisory services. Michael is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and Saint Louis University School of Law.
Ross Woolsey
Founding Member, NSCS
Mr. Woosley started a newspaper career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after earning his masters degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. After three years, he began work at an electronic parts wholesaler/distributor and moved to Chicago. He became President of the firm in 1984, and subsequently sold the business in 1995.
After Graduate School of Social Work at Washington University and working as a counselor at an alternative school in St. Louis County, with two fellow counselors he founded Sports and Family, a counseling practice serving young adults struggling with the stresses of the competitive arena.
After selling the practice to his co-founders, he started Monkey Business, a program offering after-school physical education for non-athletic students. That led to involvement with several school districts, including SLPS, where he worked for two years in a program to improve the athletic facilities of all SLPS schools.
Visiting and observing so many different schools led to a belief that perhaps there was a different way for school improvement. Being part of the North Side Community School start-up team was a natural progression.
Pat Shipley
Officer
With more than 30 years experience in public and independent education, Pat brings an enormous amount of expertise to the education and development of young children. Her personal belief in strong academics and strong character carry over into every aspect of a child’s education at Rossman.
A mother of eight, Pat became a teacher because education combines her two loves — a love of children and a love of learning. A Brooklyn, New York native, Pat moved to St. Louis at the age of 19. After graduating cum laude from Webster University, she attended graduate school at St. Louis University and taught for the Webster Groves School District and Community School before devoting 15 years to the students at MICDS. During her tenure she served as a sixth and seventh grade teacher, Assistant Head of Middle School and Director of Admission.
Kathy Anderson
Officer
Tracee Holmes
Officer
Tracee received her economics degree from the University of Illinois-Champaign and her MBA from Saint Louis University. She worked as an Actuarial Analyst at National Casualty Company and as an analyst and manager in Financial Reporting, Planning and Analysis at The May Department Stores Company. She is an active volunteer. She served on various Clayton School District Parent Teacher Organizations for 18 years, coached and volunteered for Girls on the Run and was Co-Chair of the Girls High School Booster Club for 6 years. She is an active volunteer at The Church of St. Michael-St. George in Clayton serving as a Vestry member, Centennial Co-Chair, member of the Youth Ministry Leadership Team, Greeter and Sunday School teacher. She is a board member of St. Louis YPO-Gold and is a member of the Junior League of St. Louis. Tracee and her husband, Bob, have three daughters in college.
Dr. Dakarai Moton
Officer
Dakarai Moton, DO, MS is a board-certified Family Medicine Physician with advanced training in Addiction Medicine and HIV Prevention & Treatment. He currently practices full-spectrum primary care in Saint Louis, Missouri, providing longitudinal, patient-centered care across the lifespan with a focus on prevention, chronic disease management, behavioral health integration, and health equity.
Through his clinical work, scholarship, and board service, Dr. Moton remains dedicated to advancing equitable access to education and healthcare, strengthening community partnerships, and supporting data-driven decision-making in academic and civic institutions.
Ken Rinderknect
President
Ken has served our most vulnerable children for more than 30 years (1973-2004) through the Juvenile Division of the St. Louis City Family Court. He initially served as a Deputy Juvenile Officer before becoming a founding member of the Intensive Supervision Unit for our most troubled youth. He earned his master’s degree in social work at Saint Louis University in 1987, which allowed him to take on more responsibility. From 1993-2004, he held supervisory roles in the Child Abuse/Neglect Investigation Unit and the Care and Protection/Permanency Planning Group.
Since his retirement, Mr. Rinderknecht has served as a volunteer for the nonprofit Ready Readers. Each week, he reads to pre-kindergarten students at three schools in the City of St. Louis–including NSCS. He received an Outstanding Volunteer of the Year award for his work. He and his wife, Judge Barbara Wallace, remain actively involved after more than 20 years at East St. Louis organizations that provide back-to-school supplies for more than 250 elementary school children every fall.
Candace Johnson
Officer
Candace Johnson is an attorney in the firm’s litigation department. She focuses her practice in employment law. She advises clients on employment-related and HR matters, including employee discipline, workplace investigations, employee terminations, and various state and federal employment laws. She also guides clients through the development of employment applications and agreements, employee handbooks of policies and procedures, and severance packages.
Prior to joining the firm, Candace was a summer associate for both a law firm and an in-house counsel department where she worked on projects in labor and employment, real estate, and general litigation. Having worked with a law firm and an in-house department gave her the unique opportunity to see a legal matter from both the client and law firm perspective, positioning her to better serve clients.
Stan Richardson
Officer
Stan Richardson is a proud St. Louis native and the Owner and CEO of Interface Construction, where he leads with vision, integrity, and a deep commitment to community impact. A graduate of both Saint Louis University High School and the University of Missouri, Stan is a strong advocate for education and for ensuring the next generation has access to opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom.
Raised on the NorthSide of St. Louis, serving on the North Side Community School (NSCS) Board is a true full-circle moment for Stan, especially after seeing his godson matriculate through North Side’s program. His personal connection to the community fuels his passion for supporting the school’s mission and long-term growth.
Beyond his service as a board member, Stan has made lasting contributions to NSCS through his professional expertise. He served as the project manager for North Side’s newest building, which houses the 4th-grade classrooms and art room, as well as the cafeteria addition to the Administrative Building.
When he’s not leading construction projects across the Lou, Stan enjoys traveling the world and embracing the great outdoors, whether he’s BBQ’ing for friends and family, fishing, or hitting the golf course. At his core, Stan is committed to building community, both on and off the job site.
Marsha Walls
Officer
Marsha Walls has been a member of the North Side Community School’s Board of Education
since December 2025. She currently serves as the Family Engagement Coordinator at the Boys
& Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, where she works closely with Club members, families, and
community partners to support childhood success.
As a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Marsha brings a wealth of experience to
the Board, having served in a variety of roles within the education profession. Her background
includes work as a certified educator, analyzing educational data to support informed
decision-making and instruction, and also serving as a school secretary administrator. These
roles have equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of school operations, instructional
practices, and the importance of family and community engagement.
Marsha is deeply committed to educational equity and student achievement, and is proud to
serve the North Side community. She is also an active member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Incorporated, where she supports service, scholarship, and community uplift.
