Board of Directors

Ann Hriciga has been associated with WMS since her older daughter started kindergarten. She was named chair of the board in April 2018. As her two daughters, both WMS graduates, pursue very different career paths as adults, she constantly sees links to the education and values they experienced at WMS.

Ann left DuPont after a career that included management assignments in technology, manufacturing and marketing. A strong supporter of STEAM education, Ann has a Bachelor of Science (Michigan State University) and Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley) in chemistry.

Anna Quisel served briefly on the board in the late spring of 2011, and returned to the board as vice chair in May 2012. She served as chair of the board from November 2012 until April 2018, when she assumed the vice chair role again.

An alumna of WMS and Wilmington Friends School, Anna has a B.A. in Biology from Haverford College and her M.D. from the University of Washington. She attended residency at the Christiana Care Family Medicine Program, after which she was hired as a researcher and author for the Delaware Department of Health’s Lesser Known Diseases Research Project. She also worked part-time in urgent care and started a private practice focusing on disease prevention through healthy eating and exercise.

Anna currently works as a full-time mom to her four children and has been involved with a variety of projects including helping with a healthy eating initiative aimed at kids and schools called “Let’s Talk Lunch,” technical stream monitoring for the Delaware Nature Society, helping run the First Day School at Centreville Quaker Meeting, coaching Odyssey of the Mind at WMS and native plant gardening.

Calissa Brown serves as corporate counsel and assistant secretary for DuPont. She is lead counsel on the company’s periodic filings, disclosure obligations, investor relations communications, corporate restructurings and various governance issues. Calissa leads the Corporate & Securities practice group and is secretary to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. Her daughter started in the “two’s” classroom at WMS in 1996, graduating from sixth grade in 2006. Calissa, her husband, Allan, and their daughter continue to maintain close ties to the extended WMS community.

Paul Sakaguchi served on WMS's board from 2005 to 2010 and rejoined the board in 2012. Paul is an alumni parent. His daughter started at WMS in preschool when she was 3 years old and graduated from the program in sixth grade. She is currenty thriving at American University in Washington, D.C.

Paul earned a B.A. in computer science from Rutgers University, an M.S. in computer science from Villanova University and an M.B.A. from the University of Delaware with a concentration in finance. Paul has been employed by DuPont for more than 25 years as an information technology professional in various roles in research and development, manufacturing and finance. Paul is currently an equity systems analyst at DuPont Capital Management. In his current role, Paul researches and builds quantitative models for equity portfolio management.

Israel Floyd has a B.A.  in economics, M.B.A. in finance and J.D., and years of experience in law and business, both domestically and internationally. He is an experienced member of nonprofit boards. His three children are WMS alumni. Since their graduation, Israel has continued his association with WMS and commitment to WMS's success.

Lisa Hastings-Sheppard has worked in higher education since 1997, when she began teaching English at Delaware Technical Community College. Since 2006, she has served in various marketing and communication roles at the college. Having spent years as a local climate change educator for The Climate Reality Project, Lisa's volunteer work has been focused on environmental issues. Lisa and her husband, David, are the parents of a WMS Lower Elementary student.

Sharon attended WMS from 1968 to 1970, and her daughter is a recent graduate (2016). She was co-chair of the WMS annual fund for three years. A graduate of Goldey-Beacom College with a B.S. in accounting, Sharon spent 27 years in retail management and administration as Vice President of Operations for Miller’s Furniture Industries. Currently she is the Vice President and COO of The Miller Group, where she is responsible for all development and long-term planning for their inventory of commercial real estate.

Stephanie Simms has been part of the WMS community for six years and is a parent of a WMS Upper Elementary student. A graduate of Widener University with a bachelor's degree in management, Stephanie enjoys giving back to the community. At WMS, she has chaired the annual auction and assisted with other various activities. Outside WMS, Stephanie served as president of her neighborhood's home owners association and has introduced philanthropic programs and initiatives at her place of employment.

Mayura Simon and her family have been a part of the WMS community since they moved to Wilmington from Atlanta in 2012. Her daughter graduated from WMS in 2013, and her son is currently in the Upper Elementary program. Mayura is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in mathematics and computer science and a minor in art history. She is currently employed by one of the big four financial services firms as an information technology program leader and also serves on steering groups focused on people engagement and diversity. 

Mayura has a passion for Montessori education that was fostered even before having children herself. She is an active part of the WMS community and has co-chaired the annual fund for three years. As an avid supporter of the arts, she also volunteers with First State Ballet Theatre and Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

Susie Ventresca, a former WMS parent, joined the board in May 2012.

Susie grew up in Newark, Del., and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Delaware with a degree in chemical engineering. She began her career as a process engineer with Rohm and Haas company and has had roles in production, training and supply chain. She specializes in project management and mentoring and currently works as a supply chain planner with Dow AgroSciences.

For several years, Susie was in charge of the Sunday School program at her church and has been active in Cub Scout Pack 1313, based at WMS, serving on the Planning/Leadership Committee and as Pack Leader.

Zehra Wamiq is a long-time member of the WMS community. Her daughters, Iman and Enaas Sultan, began at WMS as preschoolers in 2000 and 2002 respectively, and eventually graduated. Her son, Asad, is currently a student in the 9-12 Program.

In addition to being an active member of WMS community, Zehra is a founding member and executive director of the Delaware Valley Speakers Bureau, an interfaith organization working to build bridges between different faiths and groups by education, serving the Greater Philadelphia area, parts of Delaware and Southern New Jersey. She has been involved with many community development projects and currently serves as co-chair of the outreach committee of Circle of Hands, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing intercultural and interfaith understanding in and around Wilmington. Zehra has a bachelor's degree in political science from University of Karachi, Pakistan. She later studied interior design at Delaware College of Art and Design.