Introducing John Sherwood

Sherwood, right, joins Father Lex Breckenridge of St. Thomas Church, former Board President Glyn Nordstrom, and Head of School Kirk Wheeler to celebrate breaking ground on the School’s new gym/theater building.

Board President John Sherwood

St. Thomas School’s New Board President

St. Thomas School is excited to announce the election of John Sherwood as president of the St. Thomas School Board of Trustees.

Sherwood is an alumnus of the School and has served in various positions on the board for years.

We sat down with him to discuss his long history with St. Thomas School, as well as his goals for the board and the School during his term as president.

Congratulations on becoming the school’s new board president! How are you feeling about your position? Becoming president of the board during the pandemic is definitely an interesting time to come in, but I feel great about my new position. It’s certainly an honor to be asked.

Tell us a little about your history with St. Thomas School. I’m a lifer. I started in the 2-Day preschool program and stayed all the way until I went on to University Prep for high school, Arizona State for undergrad, and the University of Washington for my master’s in tax law. But I always tried to stay involved as a St. Thomas School alum. What is your experience with the board? I joined the board eighteen years ago when I got a call from the former head of St. Thomas School, who also happened to be my 5th Grade teacher once upon a time. He called me because a board member—who was an attorney like I am—was leaving the board. The School hoped to fill the vacancy with another lawyer. I was happy to come back to St. Thomas School as an adult, and to have a hands-on role in its growth.

When I started on the board, I was board secretary. Over the years, I’ve served on various committees, including the Executive Committee and the Audit Committee. My role as a real estate and estate planning attorney has had many overlaps with my work on the board. Particularly, I’ve been involved in developing the new gym/theater building.

Why did you want to become board president? I’ve been asked a few times over the years to be president of the board, but I was hesitant to take the position because I don’t have a child at St. Thomas School. Historically, presidents are the parents of current students. Even when I was a student, my father served as board president. I think being a current parent adds a sense of immediacy to the role that many former presidents have appreciated.

I’ve come to realize, however, that there may be benefits to bringing a different perspective to the role. I believe it’s important to shake things up occasionally in order to keep our approach fresh and relevant. I still plan to contribute toward the continued growth of St. Thomas School, but I hope that I can add something new to the role as well.

What are some of your goals as board president? One of my goals is definitely completing the campus, but being board president is also about maintaining what’s already great about the School. I want to continue the School’s growth and development as a leader in early childhood education. The values that I have now started at St. Thomas School, and they are still true of the School today. I know that I am where I am today because of my St. Thomas School education. I’ll do whatever I can to help the School continue to do the same for new generations of students.

Do you have any words of advice or encouragement for parents, teachers, and students at this time? I want them to know that the board and the School have the best interest of all the children in mind. Everything we do is to continue our mission to provide a great education in a safe and accepting environment.