Evergreen Community Charter School Board 2024-2025

Board meetings are held at Evergreen on the third Thursday of each month and are open to the public. See our Calendar Page for exact dates. Minutes from these meetings are posted publicly on our Board Minutes Page.

Correspondence to the board should be sent to Board Chair, TJ Toothman and/or Executive Director Jen Watkins. Correspondences will be included in board packets and become public records.

Now Accepting Applications for New Board Members

Evergreen Community Charter School is currently recruiting Board members who can represent our Asheville community for the 2025-2026 school year!

Are you interested in stepping into Evergreen’s leadership?  We encourage everyone interested to apply!
To be considered for the 2025-2026 school year, please submit your application by February 28, 2025.

Serving on the Evergreen Board is both an honor and a gift offered by Board members. A Board term is three years. See the ‘Board Overview’ below for information about the structure of the Board, Board roles, and expectations of Board members. Please share the Board Application with friends and others in your network!!

Before serving on the Board applicants are highly encouraged to serve on one of Evergreen's standing committees. To join an Evergreen committee or for questions about joining the board, please use the contact form at the bottom of this page. Learn more about the committees HERE.

Board applications received after February 28, 2025, will be considered for the Board term beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. Sometimes, Board positions open up mid-term. In this circumstance, Board members will be recruited from the pool of submitted applications, so we recommend completing an application sooner rather than later.

Meet our Board

Jen Watkins | Executive Director

Jen Watkins has worked at Evergreen since 2006, beginning as an Academic Support teacher before transitioning to Associate Director of middle school in 2016, and into her current role as Executive Director in 2023.

She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and lived in several different states before settling in Asheville. After graduating from Furman University, she began her career as a classroom teacher before joining the Evergreen community. Her children both graduated from Evergreen and she cherishes her experience as an Evergreen parent for many years. She is an avid soccer player, runner, paddleboarder, and hiker, and loves working with children and families to make Evergreen such a special place to grow and learn.

TJ Toothman | Board Chair & Parent

TJ earned a B.S. degree in Physics from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA from Arizona State University. He served in the Air Force as a Logistics Officer. He has a background in manufacturing, logistics and quality operations and business management. TJ is the father of two Evergreen students. He spends his recreational time playing soccer, riding bikes, tinkering in the garage, and exploring in the woods with his family.

Susanne Sichta | Vice Chair & Parent

Susanne is an appellate attorney with The Sichta Firm LLC, focused on criminal justice advocacy. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Writing from Northland College, and a J.D. from the University of Idaho College of Law. Her work has resulted in the reversal of death sentences, corrections of illegal sentences, and sentence reductions. In her down time, Susanne enjoys reading, tending to her gardens, and exploring the outdoors with her husband/law partner, Rick, and their two young daughters.

Isaac Rowles | Board Treasurer & Parent

Isaac is a CPA working in assurance service with DMJPS PLLC. At DMJPS he works with a variety of industries including hospitality, manufacturing, construction, real estate development, and non-profit.  He moved to Asheville in 2010 to complete a BS in accounting at UNC Asheville. Prior to becoming an accountant, Isaac worked as a professional chef for over 12 years across the east coast, starting his cooking career with a degree in Professional Cooking and Baking from Baltimore International College. Isaac is a member of the Board of Directors for Homeward Bound of WNC whose mission is to prevent and end homelessness in our community through permanent housing and support. He is also assistant treasurer at the Hatch Innovation hub and advisory board member for the UNCA Department of Management and Accountancy.  In his free time, Isaac enjoys cycling, cooking, baking, camping, and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Rob Durr | Secretary & Parent

Rob completed a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Southwest semester program during college that solidified strong values in experiential education, environmentalism, and social responsibility. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Denver and then completed his post-doctoral training at Northwestern University, where he continues to serve as an Adjunct Faculty member. He is a Licensed Psychologist and Health Services Provider (HSP) in the state of North Carolina and is the principal owner of Carolina Psychological Assessment Center. Rob currently specializes in psychological assessment, autism assessment, emotional intelligence, mindfulness-based executive coaching, and leadership development. He is also the President of the Western North Carolina Psychological Association (WNCPA). He and his wife Lauren have three daughters at Evergreen, and he spends his free time in nature, going to concerts, and having backyard bonfires.

Ashley Shores-Bobowski| Community Member

Ashley Shores-Bobowski is a proud Hickory, NC native. She was granted a scholarship to attend High School at The Asheville School and that was the beginning of falling in love with the mountains. After attending UNC-Chapel Hill and earning a BA in Religious Studies and a minor in Biology, Ashley joined Teach For America (TFA). TFA brought Ashley to Memphis, TN where she taught High School Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science and AP Biology. After her TFA commitment, Ashley joined The Soulsville Charter School in South Memphis in 2010 and had the opportunity to spend thirteen years in various roles like teacher, Dean of Curriculum, HS Principal for six years and Managing School Director for four years. Ashley lives in Asheville, NC with her husband Andy and two young children and spends her non-work and family time traveling, running and listening to as many podcasts as possible.

Katie Edwards| Faculty

Katie has a BA in Anthropology and an MAT in Elementary Education, both from East Carolina University. She began teaching in Greenville, NC in 2006, and this will be her seventh year teaching first grade at Evergreen. She enjoys camping, hiking, swimming, kayaking, and traveling.

Dusty Fox | Faculty

bio coming soon!

Shayma Khalil | Community Member

Shayma Khalil is a Health Science Specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, overseeing the compliant and ethical conduct of human subjects research programs nationally across the VA system, and brings a unique perspective to her work to ensure the welfare and integrity of research participants. Shayma holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Psychology, and attributes much of her interpersonal and professional style to her academic background and experience as a first generation Arab American. A resident of Asheville for nearly two decades, Shayma has immersed herself in the vibrant community and its abundance of outdoor activities. Alongside her roles as a professional and busy mother of two, Shayma cherishes spending quality time with her husband, children, family and friends, exploring and engaging in various outdoor adventures, and enjoys experimenting with traditional middle eastern cooking.  She strives to make a positive impact both professionally and within her community.

Hayden Lilien | Parent

Hayden Lilien is a non-profit leader, attorney, and family mediator. She has spent more than 15 years leading finance, H.R., and operations departments of national non-profit organizations. She is currently the fractional CFO at the Center for Conscious Living and Dying, a non-profit in Swannanoa, NC. 

Alongside her financial work, she has a private mediation practice supporting individuals, couples, and groups in navigating divorce or separation. She believes that bridging understanding during conflict deepens connection and builds community. Hayden lives in West Asheville with her partner, daughter, and big fluffy dog. She loves gardening, dancing, a quiet house, and coffee!

Rose Schepps | Community Member

Rose grew up in WNC and earned a BS in Environmental Studies from UNCA. She spent the past decade working in multiple start-ups, helping to scale growing organizations and putting progressive and equitable people programs in place. Her experience includes supporting thoughtful DEIB programs, equitable performance management, organizational development and change management. Last year she left the corporate world and started her own fractional HR business, Rooted Consulting. She is passionate about environmental and racial justice and loves living and playing in these mountains.

Rachel Smith | Faculty

Rachel H. Smith (she/her/hers) joined the Evergreen community in 2022 as a 5th grade associate teacher for Math & Science. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Grinnell College. Previously, she was at a local public middle school first as a 6-8 Math Interventionist and then as a long-term sub in 6th grade math. For over a decade, she worked with an Asheville artist making quilts and teaching a quilting technique based on methods of stained glass construction. Rachel is an avid reader and is always looking for new book suggestions. She likes to do crosswords, dance and has a cat named Oolong and a dog named Dahlia. 

Keilayn Tate | Alum

Keilayn Tate is an Everlaster who graduated in 2016, and was a recipient of the Zoe Cole Weiss Spirit of Evergreen Award. She recently graduated from Howard University with a BBA in Business Management, and has begun her career at Google in HR. Keilayn is very passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and hopes to bring her knowledge to the board. In her spare time, Keilayn loves exploring with her dog Finley, trying new food spots, and reading. 

Nara Weatherstone | Community Member

Nara Weatherstone is an immigrant living in the US since 2016. Born and raised in Brazil, she taught English for kids and teens and Portuguese for immigrants for 5 years, while acquiring her degree in Law. She has a post-grad degree in Business and Corporate Law, in which field she worked as a lawyer for over a decade. Nara is also a musician who has always been deeply involved in the culture of her country and developed extensive research into Afro-Brazilian rhythms, a passion she cultivates until present times. She relocated with her family to Asheville in 2023, where she started her own business as an artist and is currently featured in some of Asheville's famous art venues. Nara lives and shares a life full of love with her husband and two little kids, constantly surrounded by butterflies, nature, music and friends.

Nevin Wisnoski | Alum

Nichole is a psychiatry Physician Assistant who brings experience responding to the specific needs of children with autism, ADHD, and mental health challenges. In a previous career, she taught American Sign Language to preschool children. Nichole is a parent of two, including one Evergreen student. Nichole earned her Bachelor of Science in biology and Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Florida. She moved to Asheville in 2009 to be closer to family. She spent most of her professional career working with underserved populations, including school-based health clinics. Currently, she works at Appalachian Counseling and Psychological Services, providing psychiatric medication management to the community.

Emily Wright-Moore | Parent

Emily is a design researcher and the co-founder of Bloom Works, a Public Benefit LLC, where she focuses on improving access to foster care and early childhood services for traditionally underserved families. Emily also volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem in Buncombe County. She moved to Asheville in 2018 from the Bay Area and lives with her family in West Asheville.