The Stoa Board of Directors is pleased to introduce the two newest members of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is gratified that these two individuals are willing to serve as members of the Board. Patsy Butman is a Georgia Certified Teacher who received her BS degree from The King’s College in New York. After leaving the teaching field to raise and teach her own three children, she has returned to the venue of teaching homeschoolers. For the past 2 years, she has taught a 5th & 6th grade homeschooling class, in addition to speech & debate, at Veritas Classical Schools, a one day per week program with an emphasis on a classical Christian model of education. Mrs. Butman was the Regional and State Representative for NCFCA (National Christian Forensics Communication Association) for GA, SC, NC, and FL from 1996 to 2006. She has been a judge and coach for the Optimist Oratorical Speech Contest in Forsyth County from 2006-2010 and a coach for the National Oratorical Constitutional Contest. Some of her students, including her own daughter, have won national speech competitions and debate scholarships. Her passion is to work with students to instill a love for learning and to reach one’s highest potential. Patsy and her husband John are active members of a PCA church in Cumming, GA.
R. Mark Russell has been a homeschool dad since 1999. He is father to three children (Brady, Morgan and Mary), and has been married to his wonderful wife, Sherri, for 30 years. The Russell’s live on small farm in central Missouri with many fun animals to look after including chickens, peacocks, dogs, cats, horses, Corriente cattle and Nigerian dwarf goats (yes, being married to a veterinarian gives you all of these perks!!) Mark works in the world of business development as a career. He has been involved with his family in home school speech and debate for 10 years, wearing many different hats in the local club including pig-in-the-ground cooker and head community judge recruiter!! Additionally, Mark served as Missouri State Representative and as a Regional Coordinator for another league for several years. “Our family has been blessed by homeschool speech and debate activities. I hope to help STOA continue to grow and bless the families involved.” ~RMR |
New Board Members |