North Cross School
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Vision & Values
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Building Character
    • Board of Trustees
    • Our Head of School: Armistead Lemon '95
    • Leadership Team
    • Key Contacts
    • Campus Map
    • In the News
    • Employment Opportunities
  • ACADEMICS
    • Lower School >
      • Early Childhood Program
      • First through Third Grades
      • Fourth and Fifth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Middle School >
      • Sixth through Eighth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Upper School >
      • Ninth through Twelfth Grades >
        • Global Studies Distinction
        • STEM Distinction
        • Fine Arts Distinction
        • Internship Program
      • Course Catalog
      • College Counseling
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • The Talfourd H. Kemper Library
    • CrossWalk for Learning Differences >
      • Meet Our Faculty
  • ARTS
    • Band
    • Chorus
    • Studio Art & Graphic Design
    • Theater
    • Friends of the Arts
  • ATHLETICS
    • Athletics Calendar
    • Teams & Schedules
    • Championships & Awards
    • Forms
    • Facilities
    • Meet Our Athletics Staff
    • Athletic Boosters
    • In the News
  • STUDENT LIFE
    • Dress Code
    • Extracurriculars
    • International Students
    • Boarding at North Cross
    • After-School Opportunities
    • Summer Programs
  • PARENT/Alumni RESOURCES
    • Log in to FACTS
    • School Calendar
    • Back-to-School
    • Student & Parent Handbook
    • Parent Opportunities
    • Key Contacts
    • Covid Protocols
    • Alumni >
      • Alumni Reunion Weekend
      • Awards
      • Athletic Hall of Fame
      • In the News
      • Class Notes
      • In Memoriam
    • Spirit Store >
      • Athletics
  • ADMISSIONS
    • What is an independent school?
    • Inquire & Tour
    • How to Apply
    • Tuition and Fees
    • International Student FAQs
    • Meet Our Team
  • GIVING
    • Make a Gift to North Cross
    • Annual Fund
    • Foundation Tax Credits Program
    • Planned Giving
    • Stock Gifts
    • The Legacy Campaign
    • Other Ways to Give
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Meet Our Team
Picture

2022-23 Board of Trustees

* Indicates new member
Picture
Sarah Boxley Beck ’98, Chair 
Sarah Boxley serves as Board Chair as well as chair of the Institutional Advancement and Development committee. Sarah Boxley has a B.A. in Economics from Wake Forest University and worked in marketing for a mutual fund company and then in pharmaceutical sales before moving back to Roanoke. She is the recipient of the Alumni Service Award (2015) and served on the Alumni Board for many years, most recently as President in 2014-15, while also serving on the Board of Trustees. Sarah Boxley and her husband Carl have two children, daughter Anna Belle ’34 and son William ’29.


​George I. Vogel, III '93, Vice Chair, Treasurer
​George is a member at the Vogel and Cromwell Law Offices firm and is admitted to practice in Virginia. His areas of practice include real estate, civil litigation, estate planning, and corporate law. He graduated from Washington & Lee University with a B.S. before receiving his Juris Doctorate from William & Mary Law School. He is a current member of the Roanoke Bar Association, the Virginia Bar Association, and the American Inn of Courts, and he is a past member of the Franklin County Bar Association, the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors (past president), the North Cross Alumni Association (past president), and the Roanoke Country Club Board of Governors (past president). George and his wife Jennie have two daughters, Tanner '22 and Eliza '26.

Picture
Linda D. Frith, Secretary
Linda has engaged in the active practice of law for 35 years. She recently retired at her firm but still maintains her active bar license. She presently consults with various clients primarily on employment issues. She has represented employers in state and federal courts across Virginia and in front of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, Virginia Employment Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She has also lectured on many occasions on FMLA, Title VII, EEOC and Virginia Workers’ Compensation topics. At the National Level, she has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law. She is also a current member of the Virginia Bar Association and the Virginia Law Foundation and is selected annually as one of one of Virginia’s Super Lawyers Specializing in Civil Litigation in Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. She has also been named one of Virginia's "Legal Elite" specializing in litigation and business law by Virginia Business magazine and as one of Virginia's Best Women Lawyers in Virginia Living magazine. Locally, she was listed in The Best Lawyers' 2015 Roanoke Employment Law - Management "Lawyer of the Year,"  and she is a past member of the Board of the Grandin Theatre Foundation, the Law Council at the Washington and Lee School of Law, the Board of Directors of the Roanoke Symphony Society, and the Board of Directors of the United Way of Roanoke Vally. Linda is a current member of the Roanoke Women's Foundation and the current vice-chair of the Economic Development Authority of the City of Roanoke. She received her B.B.A. from the College of William and Mary and her J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She is also the parent of two NCS alums, Bo '06 and Davis '09.


Picture
Talfourd ‘Fourd‘ H. Kemper, Jr., Past Chair
​Fourd serves as past chair and continues on the executive committee. Fourd is OF Counsel with Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, securities, licensing and other intellectual property matters, and the representation of high-tech entrepreneurs. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Virginia Law Review. Fourd and his wife Kelly have 4 children who have graduated from North Cross and one current student.


Picture
Kim Blair
Kim serves as the Vice President for Resource Development at Roanoke College. She previously served as the assistant vice president of advancement for Roanoke at Virginia Tech, where she led advancement teams tasked with securing private philanthropic funding for the Virginia Tech Carilion - Health, Science & Technology Campus in the Roanoke Innovation Corridor. Kim orchestrated fundraising and advancement operations while overseeing outreach and strategic communication initiatives centered in Roanoke. Before assuming her expanded role in Roanoke, she served as a senior principal gifts officer within the university’s Advancement Division since 2015. In this role she helped secure multimillion-dollar gifts supporting the Virginia Tech Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, College of Engineering, Virginia Tech Athletics, COE Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Program in Real Estate, the Corps of Cadets, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Kim also closed the largest gift in Virginia Tech history, a $50M gift to name the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in 2018.  She attended Roanoke College for her undergraduate degree and the University of Lynchburg for her master’s degree. Blair is married to Tommy Blair and they have five children and reside in Salem, Virginia. Blair also serves on the boards of Visit Blue Ridge and Member One Credit Union.


Tyler D. Caveness '10*
Tyler is the founder and principal advisor at Caveness Investment Authority, LLC, a boutique wealth management practice providing investment, income-tax minimization, and alternative financing strategies to self-employed individuals, their families, and their businesses. Tyler is active in the community and served as the North Cross School Alumni Board from 2017-2022, most recently as president from 2020-2022. During his term, Tyler helped establish the Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Board hosted its inaugural event. Tyler also serves on the Board of Directors for Member One Federal Credit Union, in addition to coaching ERP consultants across the nation on achieving the path to self-employment. Prior to starting his business, Tyler earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University in 2014, where he also played collegiate football, participating in two Ivy League championship teams. Tyler and his wife Jennifer have three children, Chloe '35, Cole '37, and Cameron.
​

Michaux Tayloe Chopski

Picture
W. Patton Coles, IV
Patton Coles is a Senior Vice President and Employee Benefits Sales Executive with the National Practice Team in the Midsouth region of the United States with USI Insurance Services where he works with large self -funded employers across all segments of Employee Benefit plans, programs and services. Patton earned his B.A. in Government and History from the University of Virginia.  He serves on the Advisory Board of numerous insurance companies and related organizations.  Patton served as a co-chair of the North Cross Annual Fund Committee, co-auction Chair and was actively involved with the Athletic Boosters.  He is involved with the Boy Scouts of America, serving at the Troop and Council levels and is a member of the Eagle Board of Review.  He is a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church and has served as a member of the vestry, usher and stewardship committees.   Patton supports Roanoke College in various levels, having served as the Regional Chairman of Roanoke Rising Campaign, has served on the Hampden Sydney College Parents Advisory Council and supports his alma mater, the University of Virginia in many capacities.  An avid biking enthusiast, Patton is from Bedford, Virginia and has made his home in Roanoke for the past 40 years.  Patton and his wife, Mimi, have two sons, Quint ’10 and Jimmy ’14.


R. Ethan Cook '89*
Ethan is shareholder at Foti Flynn Lowen Public Accounting firm. He focuses on individual and business income taxes as well as tax credits. He graduated from Roanoke College with a B.A. Ethan is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Virginia Society of VSCPA, former treasurer of Susan G. Komen Blue Ridge Chapter, and a member of North Cross School Alumni Association. He currently serves on the board of West End Center and as treasurer of Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame. Ethan lives in Roanoke with his wife Stephanie '90. They have two North Cross students, Cate '24 and Clay '27.   

Barney Hammond ’82
​
Barney serves as Product Line Manager at Elbit Systems of America. Beyond his many patents and publications, Barney is an alumni of North Cross and previous president of the Alumni Association Board. He also led the GDATP team to design and set up the rubber duck race for the annual Kindermourn fundraiser in Charlotte, NC. He received a B.S. and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia. He and his wife Maria have two children, Alex ’23 and Allison ’21.

Picture
John C. Harlow*
John is the managing principal of the American Consulting Trust for Philanthropy, a fundraising consulting practice he established in 1998. Prior to starting his own firm, he was a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of a national fundraising consultancy. John has actively advised charitable organizations through fundraising campaigns and readiness assessments for more than thirty years. Some local clients include North Cross School, the Botetourt YMCA, Virginia Western Community College, Center in the Square, the Science Museum of Western Virginia, and the O. Winston Link Museum. In addition to his consulting practice, John is an active real estate investor who directly manages a portfolio of rental properties. A Florida native, John graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, earning a B.A. in communication studies, and has also served on the University's Excellence Foundation board. John and his wife Ashley live in Roanoke City with their son Higgins '29.


Picture
Joseph M. Hoff
Joseph serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer at Friendship Retirement Community. Previously, he served as the Executive Director at Brandon Oaks Retirement Community in Roanoke, Virginia since 2013. Prior to this, he served as an Administrator at Brandon Oaks, The Brain Center Nursing Care, and Richfield Nursing Center. He also served as the Director of Wellness Services at the Roanoke Athletic Club and Kinesiotherapist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Mountain Home, Tennessee and Marion, Indiana. Prior to his work in the healthcare industry, Joseph served in the United States Navy as Quartermaster on the Destoryer USS Conyngham (DDG-17). Joseph received a B.S. from East Tennessee State University. He lives in Roanoke, Virginia with his wife, Ann Cartledge Hoff '83. They have two current North Cross students, Will '23, and Cole '27, and one Class of 2020 graduate, Riley '20


Anne Turner Huff ’76
​
Anne has been a registered financial advisor since 1985 and is currently with Truist Wealth. Before becoming a financial advisor, Anne worked at the Trust Company of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City and the Office of the Legislative Counsel on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Anne is a native Roanoker, a 1980 graduate of Sewanee, and is married to her North Cross classmate, Leigh Huff.  Anne has been a Trustee for North Cross School since 2018. Previous North Cross activities have included serving on the North Cross Corporate Advisory Board and as past president of the North Cross Alumni Association. Other community activities have included serving on the Board of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, now the Taubman Museum (past treasurer), the 2003 Decorator Show House (past revenue resources chair), the Taubman Museum Womens' Luncheon Committee (past co-chair), and the United Way President's Council.

Picture
John D. Lugar
John is the president and founder of Virginia Varsity Transfer, Inc., a regional moving company serving the Eastern and Central United States and Virginia Varsity Storage, Inc., a local self storage company operating 5 locations. John founded the transfer company in 1988, storage in 1999, and serves as president of both companies. John has served on the boards of: The Roanoke Jaycees, The Better Business Bureau of Western Virginia, The Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Roanoke Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Health Focus of Southwestern Virginia, Salem Presbyterian Church, Session, The Backbone Club (Past President), Mill Mountain Theatre, Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors Economic Development Committee (Current Chair), American National Bank, Roanoke Advisory Board, Virginia Self Storage Association Board, and Virginia Movers & Warehousemen’s Association (Past President). John also co-founded Valley Forward, a young professionals advocacy group that launched an ongoing, annual greenway fundraiser, Gallop 4 the Greenways. He received Radford University’s Young Alum Award in 2001, and Virginia Varsity Transfer, Inc. won the inaugural “Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics” and was a national finalist in 2001. John lives in Roanoke City with his wife and two children, Henry '25 and George '28. 


Picture
John Parrott '76
​
John currently serves as Executive Vice President of Marsh & McLennan Agency in Roanoke. He previously served as a member of the Executive Committee, Executive Vice President of Sales and Division President. John currently serves DePaul Community Resources as a member of the Executive Committee, Treasurer, Chairman of the Finance Committee and Board member. He is a past member of the board of directors of Virginia Special Olympics, Easter Seals of Virginia, Dare to Care Charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Roanoke Valley, Mill Mountain Theater, Science Museum of Western Virginia, American Heart Association of the Roanoke Valley, St. John’s Episcopal Church Vestry and the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce. John graduated from North Cross in 1976 and from the University of Virginia in 1980. He has been married to his wife Martha for almost 35 years and has three children; Hank, Eliza, and Buck.
​


Kevin R. Quinn
Kevin is the Chief Financial Officer at Fisher Auto Parts in Staunton, Virginia. He oversees accounting, finance planning and analysis, commercial credit, and treasury for this high growth company with over 400 locations and over 5,000 employees in 18 states. Prior to this, he served as vice president, finance and treasurer for Advanced Auto Parts and as senior tax accountant for Norfolk Southern Corporation. He has been a member of the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce, the Roanoke Valley Speech and Hearing Center (past treasurer), and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Roanoke Chapter (past treasurer). Kevin received a B.S. in Accounting and a Master of Accounting from Virginia Tech. 

Picture
Linda Leigh Rhoads Strelka
Leigh received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Tennessee. After graduating law school, Leigh served as judicial law clerk for two years, worked for a large regional law firm, and ultimately joined her spouse, Tommy Strelka, to create Strelka Employment Law, a  boutique civil rights/employment law firm focusing on representing the rights of employees in the work place.  Leigh adores her twins, Vivienne and Griffith, enjoys hiking our gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains, tries to adequately practice yoga, and is an avid traveler.


R. Christopher Teter ’74
​
Chris spent his early career in sales and marketing for the television industry before shifting gears in 1996 to move into the restaurant and food industries. His last position was as the Southeastern Regional Manager at Frontline Marketing where he spearheaded a southeastern thrust of the second largest in-store marketing company in the U.S. and initiated direct client contact making presentations to vice president's of marketing, brand and promotion managers on behalf of their chain of 5,200 supermarkets. He received a B.A. from the University of Richmond. 

Armistead Lemon '95
Head of School


​Philosophy & Objectives
North Cross School endeavors to be among the finest independent schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In pursuit of that goal, we will:
  • Compose a diverse student body, one that is able to make full use of the school’s academic, athletic, and artistic offerings;
  • Assemble—from across the region, the nation, and internationally—a talented, committed, well-compensated faculty, whose members are excellent in their respective subject areas and eager to be involved in the lives of their students beyond the classroom;
  • Develop a Board of Trustees, together with a governance structure, that embraces its stewardship role, is generous in providing its diverse resources to the school’s benefit, and is representative—in composition and experience—of the larger NCS community;
  • Offer a comprehensive, rigorous academic program, enhanced and complemented through broad offerings in the fine and performing arts, interscholastic athletics, and community service; and,
  • Ensure its facilities and financial resources fully support the goals of the program and the individuals responsible for

Vertical Divider

4254 Colonial Avenue
Roanoke, Virginia 24018
540-989-6641 • (540) 989-7299 (FAX)

HOURS: M-F; 8AM-4PM

North Cross School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school founded in 1944 and governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

All contact information listed on this website is for official North Cross School business only. North Cross School does not accept unsolicited advertisements sent to school email addresses, phone numbers, or fax numbers listed on this site.

North Cross School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid or employment policies, or any other programs administered by the School. For more information, read our Inclusivity Statement.

​Accreditation
North Cross is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. North Cross School's Junior Kindergarten is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools who is recognized by the Board of Education pursuant to §22.1-19 of the Code of Virginia authorizes the Virginia Council for Private Education to accredit private nursery, preschool, elementary and secondary schools in Virginia
.

Memberships
North Cross is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, National Association for College Admission Counseling, and Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling, The Cum Laude Society and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

​
Privacy Policy
Faculty and Staff Links
North Cross Shanghai
Employment Opportunities
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Vision & Values
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Building Character
    • Board of Trustees
    • Our Head of School: Armistead Lemon '95
    • Leadership Team
    • Key Contacts
    • Campus Map
    • In the News
    • Employment Opportunities
  • ACADEMICS
    • Lower School >
      • Early Childhood Program
      • First through Third Grades
      • Fourth and Fifth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Middle School >
      • Sixth through Eighth Grades
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • Upper School >
      • Ninth through Twelfth Grades >
        • Global Studies Distinction
        • STEM Distinction
        • Fine Arts Distinction
        • Internship Program
      • Course Catalog
      • College Counseling
      • Meet Our Faculty
    • The Talfourd H. Kemper Library
    • CrossWalk for Learning Differences >
      • Meet Our Faculty
  • ARTS
    • Band
    • Chorus
    • Studio Art & Graphic Design
    • Theater
    • Friends of the Arts
  • ATHLETICS
    • Athletics Calendar
    • Teams & Schedules
    • Championships & Awards
    • Forms
    • Facilities
    • Meet Our Athletics Staff
    • Athletic Boosters
    • In the News
  • STUDENT LIFE
    • Dress Code
    • Extracurriculars
    • International Students
    • Boarding at North Cross
    • After-School Opportunities
    • Summer Programs
  • PARENT/Alumni RESOURCES
    • Log in to FACTS
    • School Calendar
    • Back-to-School
    • Student & Parent Handbook
    • Parent Opportunities
    • Key Contacts
    • Covid Protocols
    • Alumni >
      • Alumni Reunion Weekend
      • Awards
      • Athletic Hall of Fame
      • In the News
      • Class Notes
      • In Memoriam
    • Spirit Store >
      • Athletics
  • ADMISSIONS
    • What is an independent school?
    • Inquire & Tour
    • How to Apply
    • Tuition and Fees
    • International Student FAQs
    • Meet Our Team
  • GIVING
    • Make a Gift to North Cross
    • Annual Fund
    • Foundation Tax Credits Program
    • Planned Giving
    • Stock Gifts
    • The Legacy Campaign
    • Other Ways to Give
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Meet Our Team