Dev Talvadkar is a managing director in Stifel’s Independent School Finance Group based in Washington, DC. Mr. Talvadkar is involved in the transaction execution, and quantitative structuring of both tax-exempt and taxable debt financings for independent schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, bio-medical research institutes, and other non-profit entities. He has executed numerous public market and bank financing structures and is involved in both general obligation and revenue bond financings.

He has completed financings on behalf of a variety of education and non-profit clients. Independent schools served by Mr. Talvadkar include, Georgetown Day School (DC), Groton School (MA), Sidwell Friends School (DC), Grace Church School (NY), Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (MA), Dwight-Englewood School (NJ), Washington International School (DC), Westtown School (PA), Millbrook School (NY), Noble and Greenough School (MA), The Bolles School (FL), Waynflete School (ME), Bullis School (MD), and The Lab School (DC).

Additionally, Mr. Talvadkar has worked with a number of higher education clients including Wentworth Institute of Technology (MA), Gordon College (MA), Colby-Sawyer College (NH), Rivier College (NH), New England College (NH), Assumption College (MA), St. John’s College (MD), and Merrimack College (MA). He has also executed financings for independent research institutes and hospitals including Benaroya Research Institute (WA), Concord Hospital (NH), and Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (ME).

Mr. Talvadkar has been a presenter at a range of industry conferences, including the National Business Officers Association Symposium, Association of Independent Schools New England Business Officer Conference, Connecticut Health & Educational Facilities Authority Client Conference, Mid-South Independent School Business Officers Annual Meeting, The Association of Boarding Schools Annual Meeting, and National Business Officers Association Summer Institute.

Mr. Talvadkar joined the board of the National Business Officers Association in July 2018, serves on the Alumni Association Executive Board at Sidwell Friends School, and received a BA in Economics and History from Middlebury College and a Master’s of Business Administration from the Johnson School at Cornell University.

Mary is an experienced attorney in energy regulation, with a deep expertise in litigating regulatory matters, drafting contracts, and managing compliance risks. A Massachusetts native, Mary moved to the Washington, DC area upon her 1986 graduation from Wheaton College in Norton, MA where she earned a BA, magna cum laude to attend the George Washington University Law School.

Following graduation from GW in 1989, Mary began a 20-year legal career in federal energy regulation. From 2004 to 2010, she was a Senior Attorney with Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) based in Washington, DC. As a lead attorney of FPL’s federal energy regulatory practice, she oversaw compliance with federal energy regulations and led risk management efforts for the company. In that role, she personally advised the CEO and Board of Directors on federal regulatory standards and codes of conduct. She also led the regulatory compliance efforts and developed training programs for all regulated business units. Additionally, she conducted internal investigations and coordinated the company’s response to federal regulatory investigations and audits. Prior to joining FPL, Mary was Counsel at LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, a large international law firm for eight years. At LeBoeuf, she represented the nation’s largest electric utilities and natural gas companies before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and their state equivalents. She litigated issues ranging from electricity pricing to marketplace practices to bankruptcy proceedings. She provided advice to a wide variety of energy clients on compliance matters, contractual drafting and transaction issues.

She resides in Washington, DC with her husband, Bill, their two daughters, Catherine and Vanessa, their golden retriever and golden doodle. She stepped back from practicing law when she and Bill adopted their two daughters from Russia between 2008 and 2010. More recently, in addition to raising the two girls, she has focused her involvement on organizations that address educational and family issues.

Meredith Shears is a proud mother of two McLean School students, Nick ’26 and Chris ’28. Currently, she provides expertise on financial statement audits, accounting, risk management, and internal controls to federal entities.

Prior to being an independent consultant. Ms. Shears was a partner at Cotton & Company, LLP, a regional accounting firm with nearly 200 professionals. She has led financial statement audits; large, multifaceted consulting engagements; and performance audits at numerous federal organizations – all with varying organizational structures, cultures, leadership styles, risks, and in different states of change. In addition to client facing work, Ms. Shears was involved in managing Cotton & Company, including strategic planning, business development and marketing efforts, and mentoring and training its professionals.

Ms. Shears has a BS in Biology from James Madison University, an Accounting Certificate from the University of Virginia, and a MBA from Marymount University. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Virginia. Ms. Shears is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Association of Government Accountants (AGA). She has served as Institute of Internal Auditors DC Chapter board member and represented Cotton & Company, LLP on the AGA’s Corporate Partner Accounting and Auditing Committee.

Meredith resides in Arlington, VA, with her husband, their two sons, two cats, and their Norwegian buhund. She enjoys family movie and game nights, walking their dog, and traveling.

Donna Orem retired as the President of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) in August 2023, after spending more than 40 years serving independent schools in a variety of capacities. NAIS is an international membership association that provides services to more than 2,000 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad.

Donna also served as NAIS’s Chief Operating Officer for 11 years before becoming President. In that capacity, she directed the organization’s strategic planning and provided vision and leadership in the identification and development of new initiatives, products, and services. She also oversaw NAIS’s human resources and talent management.

Donna joined NAIS in 1998 as the Vice President for Educational Leadership and later became the Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Research. Prior to joining NAIS, she served as the Vice President for Products and Services Development at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and as Associate Director for the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

She speaks frequently about leadership, governance, trends in independent education, and workforce development. She is the author of numerous books and articles, including the NAIS Trustee Handbook, 10th edition. She holds a BA in English from St. Joseph’s University (Pennsylvania) and attended graduate school at the University of Maryland School of Journalism. She has served on numerous school and nonprofit boards and chaired the Board of Trustees at Edmund Burke School in Washington, DC.

Donna resides with her family in Bethesda, Maryland, and is an avid gardener and hiker.

Clare Anderson runs her own day and boarding school advising practice in Bethesda, Maryland. As a trained counselor, Clare views the school search process as a unique opportunity to reexamine each child’s individual academic and emotional growth needs. Clare visits day and boarding schools regularly to stay current with people and programs. Clare received her BA in Art History from Washington and Lee University and earned her MEd in counselor education at the University of Virginia. Her counseling work includes over twenty-five years in a range of educational settings, including public and independent schools, a teacher placement and later educational consulting firm. Clare grew in her various roles at two Charlottesville Middle Schools, Providence Day School (NC), Independent Educational Services (VA), and The School Counseling Group (DC). Each organization prepared her for a logical return to her current focus counseling families on sensible school options for their children. Clare lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her three children. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) where she served on the Schools Committee, as well as Washington Independent Services for Educational Resources (WISER). She is an active volunteer at her three children’s former day and boarding schools.

With over 40 years in the field of education, Barry Davis brings a wealth of professional experience to his position as the eighth Head of School at McLean School. Starting his career as a coach, Barry’s love and passion for teaching followed him from the basketball court to the classroom and later to leadership roles in several independent schools including Flint Hill School in Virginia (Middle School Head), Brooklyn Friends School in New York (Middle School Director), Greensboro Day School in North Carolina (Middle School Director), and, St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Delaware (Head of School), where he successfully and significantly boosted enrollment and built a culture of philanthropy. Barry is a collaborative and effective leader who prioritizes relationships and respect in his work with teachers, students, and their families. He holds an MEd in Educational Leadership and School Administration and Supervision from Central Connecticut State University, an MEd in Educational Counseling and Human Development, and a BS in Physical Education from St. Lawrence University.

Barry will tell you that, like many McLean students, he didn’t feel successful in a traditional school setting. This experience opened his eyes and mind to the power of caring educators who see and celebrate each individual student’s strengths while supporting them in their areas of challenge. As the parent of two sons with learning challenges, Barry identifies with families looking for support, skill-building, community, and a positive school experience. “I may be new to McLean, but in many ways, I am McLean. I’m excited to work alongside passionate educators, bright and creative students, and engaged families to provide a meaningful, transformational education for everyone.”

Jeremy Dresner is the father of three girls, including Taylor ’27, who has enthusiastically attended McLean School since the second grade. His wife Meredith is an active member of the School’s Parents Association Executive Board.

Professionally, Jeremy is a government, regulatory and internal investigations partner in the Washington, DC, Office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Jeremy’s practice focuses on government and internal investigations, regulatory counseling, and crisis management assistance. He regularly counsels market-leading companies, global financial institutions, and senior executives facing high-stakes reputational matters at the intersection of law and policy, and frequently before Congress.

Jeremy received his BA in Public Policy from Duke University, and JD from Duke University School of Law. Jeremy and Meredith reside in Washington DC with their three girls, and one very large dog.

Dr. Mark Granada is a partner at Northern Virginia Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates and a board certified pulmonary and critical care physician. He earned his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and completed his internal medicine residency at Georgetown University Hospital and the Washington DC VA Medical Center, where he served as chief medical resident. He completed his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at Boston University/Boston Medical Center.

Mark currently serves as the Director of the Inova Fairfax Hospital Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT), a multi-disciplinary team tasked with urgent management of high risk pulmonary embolism cases. He previously served as the Associate Medical Director of the Acute Pulmonary Unit of Inova Fairfax and as co-managing partner at Northern Virginia Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates. He enjoys teaching rotating medical students and residents from Georgetown, George Washington University, and Virginia Commonwealth University and was awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Award by GWU medical students.

His research has been published in the journals of Allergy and Immunology and Clinical and Molecular Allergy and he has been an invited guest speaker on the topics of asthma, COPD, and pulmonary embolism. He was also recognized by Virginia Living as one of the areas “Top Docs.”

When not taking care of patients, Mark spends time with his wife Christine and two young daughters, Lucy ’31 and Clara ’34, both students at McLean School. Mark and Christine recently welcomed their third daughter, Alice, into the family over the summer.

Beth Ising is a proud McLean School parent, and her son, Theo, is in the Class of 2024 attending McLean since grade 3. Beth is a partner in Gibson Dunn’s Washington, DC office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance and its ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) practices. She advises public companies and their boards on corporate governance, securities law and, ESG and sustainability matters. Beth also regularly counsels non-profits on governance matters. 

In 2022, for the second year in a row, Beth was named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America list for Corporate Governance and Securities Regulation, which recognizes lawyers who “set the pace for lawyering in the financial world.”  BTI Consulting named Beth an MVP to its 2018 and 2019 BTI Client Service All-Stars lists, as determined by a poll of corporate counsel. Chambers USA has recognized Beth as a top Securities Regulation attorney in each of the last six years. She also has been named to The Best Lawyers in America list annually since 2018. In 2017, Beth was elected as a fellow of the American College of Governance Counsel. She is a member of the advisory boards of Northwestern University’s Securities Regulation Institute and the University of Delaware’s John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance. Early in her career she was named a “Rising Star of Corporate Governance” by Yale School of Management’s Center for Corporate Governance and Performance. Beth previously served on the Board of Directors of the Society for Corporate Governance. 

Beth received her JD with high honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her BS in Political Science and a minor in Journalism from James Madison University. Beth is a rabid UNC Tar Heels fan and was “rescued” by her two dogs.

Brian is a McLean School parent and his son (Class of 2033) started at the school in second grade. A Colorado native transplanted to the East Coast, Brian lives with his husband and son in North Bethesda.

Brian graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He was the Director of Environmental Affairs for Qwest Communications in Denver, CO before making a career transition to technology which is one of his life-long passions. His consultancy, STUDIO 34, specializes in web design and development, social media strategy, and mobile application development. Most recently, he was Chief Digital Officer for a diversity, equity, and inclusion technology firm before stepping back to devote more time to his son.

To better support his son, Brian volunteers at McLean and is the Parents Association President.

Greg Mallory is the proud father of Jacob ’25, an energetic Mustang who has attended McLean School since grade 1.

Professionally, Greg is Managing Director and Senior Partner at the Boston Consulting Group where he advises Fortune 500 executives on competitive strategy, operational and organization effectiveness topics.

Greg received his BEng and MSc from the University of New Brunswick in Canada and his PhD in aerospace engineering from MIT. Greg deeply appreciates McLean School’s positive impact on its students and their families.

Aaron Perlis is the proud father of three children, two of whom love to learn at McLean – Avi ’29 and Sara ’32. He is also the proud husband of Allison Perlis, an active volunteer within the McLean School community.

Professionally, Aaron is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Walker & Dunlop, one of the largest commercial real estate finance and advisory services firms in the United States. Aaron is responsible for the company’s Information Technology Department with a focus on the strategic investment in, and implementation of, new technologies across the company, as well as leveraging data to enhance all phases of the business. He is also a member of the company’s Executive Committee.

Prior to his current role, he was responsible for Walker & Dunlop’s strategic business initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, and new product development. He worked closely with senior management to successfully execute the company’s initial public offering in December 2010 and has helped complete over ten acquisitions as the company has grown.

Previously, Mr. Perlis held various roles with the company’s principal investments group and was responsible for the portfolio management of the group’s investments as well as the due diligence and financial analysis associated with the construction, mezzanine debt, and joint venture financing of investments and acquisitions made by the principal investments group. He has been involved in the acquisition, disposition, and financing of commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States.

Mr. Perlis obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Aaron and Allison live in Potomac, Maryland, with their three amazing children, their incredibly cute Labradoodle, Percy, and their often-hiding cat, Rory.

Joy Arnold Russell is a senior level executive with over 25 years of government affairs, stakeholder engagement, and issues management experience, directing major government, corporate, and non-profit strategies and initiatives. Her strategic and political acumen has led to a track record of accomplishment in government affairs, public relations, business negotiations, and partnership development. Ms. Russell has spent her career developing and executing strategies and initiatives to drive new business development and help achieve organizational priorities and goals. She is recognized for her ability to navigate our region’s ecosystems with a results-oriented disposition.

Ms. Russell currently serves as Chief of Staff for Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and is responsible for developing, advocating for, and communicating the County Executive’s policy based and public agenda. She leads the County’s local state and federal governmental affairs efforts, as well as the Communications, Stakeholder, Policy/Planning/Public Affairs, and Strategic Partnership Divisions. Ms. Russell advises the County Executive on matters ranging from economic development to health and human services and everything in between. She addresses and mitigates hot button issues across the government and navigates the political environment to solve problems and drive results for the Alsobrooks Administration.

Ms. Russell holds a law degree from the University of Maryland and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Public Administration from James Madison University. Over the years she has held positions on numerous local boards including but not limited to the University of Maryland Medical System’s Capital Region Health Center, the Prince George’s County Community Foundation, the Washington Economic Development Partnership, and Democrats for Education Reform.

Ms. Russell and her family reside in Washington, DC. Her son, Derrick, is in the Class of 2027 at McLean.

David M. Edelstein is the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Georgetown University. He is also a Professor of International Affairs and Government in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government at Georgetown. He previously served as Vice Provost for Education at Georgetown. He holds his BA in International Relations from Colgate University and MA and PhD in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Edelstein is a scholar and teacher of international relations with a focus on international security and US foreign policy. He is the author of two books, Occupational Hazards: Success and Failure in Military Occupation and Over the Horizon:Time, Uncertainty, and the Rise of Great Powers, both published by Cornell University Press. In addition, he has published numerous journal articles and book chapters in both academic and more popular outlets such as Foreign Affairs. In addition, he is an award-winning teacher and graduate student mentor at Georgetown.

Dr. Edelstein lives in Georgetown with his wife and younger son, McLean School Class of ’28, while his older son is entering his sophomore year of college. He is an accomplished triathlete, having completed two Ironman triathlons, including the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Jennifer S. Danish was appointed Head of School at Grace Episcopal Day School in Kensington, Maryland, in 2016. Her over thirty years of experience in independent schools include both teaching and administrative roles. At St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, Jen served as the Director of Admission and Financial Aid, Interim Head of Lower School, and Assistant Head of School for Enrollment, Communications, and Marketing. Jennifer previously served as Director of Athletics for Girls at The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, and taught English and Humanities at Bullis, The Peddie School (NJ), and Cheshire Academy (CT). She also coached field hockey and lacrosse at both Peddie and Bullis. Jennifer completed her undergraduate work at Bryn Mawr College and earned a Master’s degree in English from Middlebury College.

In addition to her new role serving on the McLean School Board, Jen is a member of the Board of The Bishop Walker School for Boys. She has previously served on the Boards of the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW), Edmund Burke School, Middle Atlantic Episcopal Schools Association (MAESA), and St. Columba’s Preschool. In addition, Jen is a puppy raiser with Guiding Eyes for the Blind and hopes to be sending her puppy, Poncho, into guide dog training this fall.

Sam Buffone is the founding partner of the Buffone Law Group, a law firm specializing in representing whistleblowers under the False Claims Act and other whistleblower reward programs, as well as a diverse plaintiff-focused commercial litigation and employment practice. Before forming his firm, Sam was Senior Trial Counsel in the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, where his work at DOJ led to recoveries for the United States totaling over $2 billion.

Sam Buffone is the father of two boys, including Max ’33, who has attended McLean School since grade 4. Sam’s family is a second-generation McLean family as his sister, Anna, is a McLean alum. Sam, his wife Sarah, their two boys, and their large Golden Doodle live in DC. They enjoy hiking in Rock Creek, exploring DC restaurants, and playing board games.

Sara Love is the Maryland State Senator for District 16 (Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac). She serves on the Judicial Proceedings Committee and has been appointed by the Senate President to serve on the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which she Chairs, the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area, and the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities.  

Sara was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018. She served on the Environment & Transportation Committee, and two of its subcommittees, Motor Vehicles & Transportation, which she chaired, and Environment. She chaired the Montgomery County House Delegation Land Use, Transportation and Public Safety Committee, and was appointed by the Speaker of the House to serve on the Chesapeake Bay Commission, the Joint Committee on the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area, and the Zero-Emission and Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council. Sara’s legislative work focused on the environment, PFAS, and privacy, in addition to legislation protecting minors from sexual predators, cyclists, and animals.

Prior to her election to the Maryland House, Sara was the Public Policy Director for the ACLU of Maryland, where she led their policy and legislative work. During that time, she worked on many issues including reproductive rights, racial justice, public funding for public schools, policing reform, criminal justice reform, saner drug policies, technology and privacy, the First Amendment, open government, and voting rights.  

Before working for the ACLU, Sara served as the General Counsel and Legal Director of NARAL Pro-Choice America where she worked on federal reproductive rights policy and led a staff to support affiliates across the country working on state policy. She also spent several years out of the workforce, raising her two children.

Sara graduated from Princeton University and Northwestern University School of Law.

Bio to Come.