Board of Trustees

Midtown International School Board of Trustees

The MIS Board of Trustees has governance and fiduciary responsibilities for the organization, and is responsible for approving the school budget, determining tuition, and supporting the mission and vision of the school in long-term strategic planning.

Dr. Sidney Baker - Trustee

Dr. Sidney Baker has worked as a career-educator for more than 37 years beginning as an elementary teacher in Birmingham, Alabama, and then holding various teaching and leadership roles in Georgia with Marietta City Schools, Cobb County Schools, and Atlanta Public Schools, including that of elementary principal for 19 years. His last assignment prior to retiring from public education was serving as Associate Superintendent of Elementary Schools in the Atlanta Public Schools.

In 2010, Dr. Baker received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Great Books Foundation for his school’s implementation of the Junior Great Books Program. His belief in the shared inquiry approach as well as the alignment with international education allows him to present workshops on how Junior Great Books can enhance an elementary school’s reading program.

Born in the small town of Eufaula, Alabama, Dr. Baker has realized the importance of encouraging students as well as adults to consider not only their local environments but international exposure as well.

Aisha DeBerry, J.D. - Trustee

Aisha DeBerry received her Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Northeastern University and her Doctor of Law degree from Lincoln Memorial University. She works at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia as the new director of diversity and community partnerships. Ms. DeBerry formerly served in the Office of Student Affairs and was the admissions coordinator/recruiter for the inaugural DO and Pharmacy classes at PCOM Georgia. Aisha currently works with faculty, staff and students around the topics of cultural humility, awareness, and support. She co-chairs the President’s Diversity Council and aides the LGBTQIA council on providing the campus with best health practices as it pertains to the LGBTQIA community. She has also been charged with leading diversity efforts at the new South Georgia campus in Moultrie, to include climate surveying, strategic programming, and community collaboration.

Aisha has a true passion for diversity and its effects.While in law school she charted the first Black Law Students Association, where she served as local chapter president and Sub-region Director for the National chapter. She was also an executive member of the Women’s Law Society, OUTlaw, a LGBTQIA organization, and the Immigration Law Society.

Aisha believes in community engagement and is a currently a board member for several organizations including the Georgia Diversity Council and the National Association of Minorities in Medical Education. Aisha also serves as a council member for the inaugural Diversity Council of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Aisha is a native of Jackson, Mississippi but calls Atlanta her second home.

David Ge - Trustee

David is currently the Chief Financial Officer of FX1 Mobile. Previously, he worked in investment banking at The Burke Group. Prior to investment banking, he founded and operated an online poker company called United Casino Review which eventually sold to Euro Partners. David started his career as a professional PC gamer competing in the game Counter-strike, where his team was consistently top 8 in the world rankings during his career.

Currently, David is in the MBA program at Emory University. He double majored in Finance and Insurance for his undergraduate studies at Eastern Kentucky University.

James Giuliani - Trustee

James M. Giuliani is the Chief Accounting Officer for SoFi. Previously, he was the CAO at GreenSky, a highly successful point of purchase financing platform, and in Ernst & Young’s financial services practice as an auditor for several years. James has a successful track record working on a variety of complex accounting and finance matters. He is a CFA Charterholder, CFP® Certificant and licensed CPA in the state of Georgia. James earned his M.B.A. with a focus in Strategic Management from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, where he was an Amy and Richard F. Wallman Scholar. He earned his B.B.A. with a focus in Accounting from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Lindsey Hicks - Trustee

Lindsey loves working with students and families and has truly found her school home in MIS. She has been working with students in a variety of facets for 22 years. Having worked as a professional school counselor for many of those years, Lindsey often finds herself partnering with various stakeholders to create innovative solutions. She has always believed that enthusiasm is one of her greatest strengths, and that was evident in her work with families. In the early years of MIS, Lindsey led MIS' admissions efforts to grow the student body. Lindsey brings a detail-oriented focus to her problem solving work and coaching MIS staff.

Lindsey has Master's and Specialist's degrees in School Counseling from Georgia State University, and will earn her Doctorate in Education from Lipscomb University in 2023.

Ande Noktes, Founder

Ande is an education professional with over 20 years of experience international education. Currently, Ande is the Head of School of the Midtown International School, a school that she founded in 2012. Prior to starting Midtown International School, Ande was the Executive Director of International Preschools in Atlanta, which she also founded. During her tenure she grew enrollment from 30 to over 250 students across two campuses. She led all fiscal and strategic planning activities, including the expansion and construction of the second campus. Prior to this, Ande was the Program Coordinator of Berlitz Language School in Bangkok, Thailand, where she was responsible for teacher development, program design and scheduling, enrollment, assessments, and class placement. Additionally, she launched a new kids program for schools through Southeast Asia. Ande was also a Lecturer at Assumption University in Bangkok.

Ande received her Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Assumption University in Bangkok, and her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Colorado State University. Ande has a Masters in Business Administration from Emory University, and she has completed doctoral work in education with dissertation research focusing on executive function development in gifted learners.

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