Meet the Trustees

Christina K. Black
Тrustee since 2011

Education: Master of Business Administration, New York University

Occupation & Employer: Chief Budget Officer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Reason for Service on Board: Ms. Black’s grandfather, Floyd Black, was President of ACS (1926-1942). Her father and mother both served on the ACS Board of Trustees. She joined the Board in 2011.

Avis T. Bohlen
Trustee since 2002

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Radcliffe, Harvard (1961), Master of Arts, Columbia University (1964)

Occupation & Employer: retired, former US diplomat

Reason for Service on Board: As a US Ambassador to Bulgaria (1996-1999), Ms. Bohlen was able to resolve some major issues with the Bulgarian government. After Ms. Bohlen retired, she was asked to join the ACS Board.

James E. Clayton
Trustee since 1996

Education: Master of Arts, Public Affairs, Princeton University

Occupation & Employer: retired, former Washington Post editor

Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Clayton is the nephew of Dr. Floyd H. Black. He is a past chairman of the Board.

Jonathan B. Clayton
Trustee since 2008

Education: Juris Doctor, University of Virginia; Master of Business Administration, University of Texas

Occupation & Employer: Practice Manager, McKinsey & Company

Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Clayton has a long-term connection to the school and brings a valuable practical problem-solving perspective to the Board.

	John H. Clymer Trustee since 1986 to be updated
	Ann Ferren Trustee since 2010 Education: Bachelor of Arts, Radcliffe College; Master of Arts in Teaching, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Doctor of Education, Boston University, School of Education Occupation & Employer: 30 years as higher education administrator at American University, Washington, D.C.; Radford University in Virginia; recently retired from the American University in Bulgaria Reason for Service on Board: Ms. Ferren is committed to quality education and spent five years in Bulgaria during which AUBG admitted many students from ACS.
	Nellie Gencheva-Gipson Trustee since 2004 Education: Master of Arts, New York University Occupation & Employer: volunteer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Reason for Service on Board: Ms. Gipson joined the staff of the College for the second year of operation in 1993. She has a strong belief in education and its major effect on building a civil and democratic society.
	Valentin Georgiev Trustee since 2011 Education: Master of Laws, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski; Pew Economic Freedom Fellow Program, Georgetown University Occupation & Employer: Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria; over 15 years of experience in the private sector as attorney at law and in the civil service as general secretary of the Bulgarian Parliament (1997-2001) and general secretary of the Central Election Committee, Bulgaria Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Georgiev is committed to high quality education as he sees it as the basis for social prosperity, economic growth, creativity, innovation, and business competitiveness. His daughter graduated from the College in 2011.
	Theodora Konetsovska Trustee since 2012 Education: Bachelor of Arts, Political Science & Economics, Williams College Occupation & Employer: Assistant Treasurer, Harvard University Reason for Service on Board: Theodora is an alumna of the Class of 1997, the first graduating class after ACS’ reopening.
	Charles P. Lord Trustee since 2007 Education: Bachelor of Arts in History, Yale University; Master of Philosophy in History, University of St Andrews, Scotland Occupation & Employer: retired; formerly worked at Squibb Corporation International, President of Hydro-Med Sciences Inc.; History and English Teacher, Ohio; School Headmaster, St Timothy’s School, Baltimore & Holton-Arms School, Washington D.C. Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Lord’s friend of many years, Avis Bohlen, introduced him to the College and he joined the Board in view of his educational and international interests. Currently, he is also a trustee of an educational program co-founded by one of his sons in the poor area of the South Bronx, Dreamyard.

Teodor Milev
Trustee since 2005

Education: Master of Science, Electronics Engineering, Technical University of Sofia

Occupation & Employer: Solutions Specialist and Partners in Learning Lead, Central & Eastern Europe K12; formerly held leading positions at IBM Bulgaria Ltd., Deloitte & Touche, Bulgaria, Oracle AG, and Microsoft Bulgaria

Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Milev had a student enrolled at ACS until the family moved to Germany. He maintains an interest in ACS.

	Donald B. Murphy Trustee since 1975 Education: Bachelor of Arts, Yale University; Master of Business Administration, Columbia University Occupation & Employer: Banker, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., New York City Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Murphy has served on the Board since before the College was reopened. He maintains an interest in seeing the College succeed.
	Elisaveta Kostova Ogata Trustee since 2012 Education: Master of Business Administration, Harvard Business School; Bachelor of Arts, International Studies, German Studies; Bachelor of Sciences, Management, Finance, University of Pennsylvania Occupation & Employer: VP of Product, Bright.com. Reason for Service on Board: Lisa is an alumna of the Class of 1997, first ACS’ graduating class since the school’s reopening.
	Ivo Panteleev Trustee since 2005 Education: University for Civil Engineering and Architecture, Sofia Occupation & Employer: Founding Partner, Architectural Design Agency Ltd. Sofia; Vice President, Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria; Chair, Foundation Friends Together, Sofia Reason for Service on Board: Various contacts with the American College of Sofia since its reopening in 1992 have led to a deepening connection to the College and Mr. Panteleev's commitment and support of ACS in any possible fashion. He was the local architect of the New American Embassy in Sofia when he joined the Board in 2005. Both his son and his daughter graduated from ACS in 2004.
	Evgenia Peeva Trustee since 2011 Education: Bachelor of Arts, Social Studies, Citation in Spanish, Harvard College Occupation & Employer: CEO at Teach For Bulgaria, a partner in the Teach For All network Reason for Service on Board: Evgenia is an alumna of the ACS Class of 2004.
	Sol Polansky Trustee since 1992 Education: Bachelor of Arts, University of California, Berkeley Occupation & Employer: retired, former US State Department/Foreign Service Officer Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Polanski became aware of the importance of an American missionary education institution (1860) in Bulgaria’s history while in preparation for serving as US Ambassador to Sofia (1987-1990). In April 1990, he witnessed in Sofia a voluntary petition-signing campaign for reopening the American College of Sofia, which had been closed during WWII and was kept closed by the communist party after the war.
	George Prohasky Trustee since 2010 Education: Doctor of Philosophy, International Economics, Academy of Sciences, Moscow Occupation & Employer: Chairman, Center for Economics Development; General Manager, Agromachina Ltd. Reason for Service on Board: As a former Director of Open Society Foundation in Sofia, he was involved in the reopening of ACS after 1990. His elder son Mario graduated from ACS in 2001 and his other son, Slav, is currently a senior at the school.
	Andrew Robarts Trustee since 2009 Education: Doctor of Philosophy, History, Georgetown University Occupation & Employer: Lecturer in Middle East History, University of California, Riverside Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Robarts taught Geography and Sports at ACS (1992-1994) and maintained his connections to the College and Bulgaria through his father, Richard Robarts, who stepped down from the ACS Board of Trustees in 2011 after serving for 25 years, as well as through his own research and scholarship in Bulgarian History.
	Robert Stewart Trustee since 2002 Education: Juris Doctor, College of William and Mary Occupation & Employer: Retired Circuit Court Judge, Commonwealth of Virginia Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Stewart traveled to Bulgaria in the mid-1990s and visited the American College which impressed him so much that he joined the Board of Trustees.
	Joel F. Studebaker Trustee since 1980 Education: Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Stanford; Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Physics, Harvard Occupation & Employer: Project Manager, National Institute for Early Education Research Reason for Service on Board: Mr. Studebaker’s principal interests in ACS are the science curriculum, facilities for computing, and laboratories. His original connections to the school came through Dr. Floyd H. Black, whom he met in graduate school and H. H. Bliss, his wife’s father, who taught English at ACS from 1938 to 1942.
	Roger Whitaker Trustee since 1990 Education: Doctor of Philosophy, Boston University Occupation & Employer: University Professor, The George Washington University Reason for Service on Board: Dr. Whitaker was the founding President of the College when it reopened in 1992 and has served as Trustee since 1990. Currently he is Chair of the Board of Trustees.
	William J. Williams, Jr. Trustee since 1990 Education: Bachelor of Arts, College of the Holy Cross; Juris Doctor, New York University, School of Law Occupation & Employer: Lawyer, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Reason for Service on Board: There has been a relationship for more than 75 years between partners of Sullivan & Cromwell and ACS. Mr. Williams is а past chairman of the Board.