AISF Board of Directors
Anita M. LaTorre
Board Member
Anita LaTorre was born and raised in New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Connecticut College. As a foreign language major, Anita spent her junior year studying in Paris, France. After spending time in retailing as a fashion buyer and working for British Airways, she pursued both her Teacher Certification and a Master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992.…
Douglas Laurie, BA, D.C. Med
Board Member
Douglas Laurie, BA, D.C. Med is the President and owner of American learning systems, the parent corporation that owns American Heritage Schools, American Academy Schools, C & L transportation, American Heritage summer day camps and the Heritage Institute for gifted students. American Heritage Schools has 2, 40 acre campuses with over 4300 students. Douglas Laurie has also taught Anatomy, Physiology Medical Terminology and Sports Medicine for 14 years.…
James R. McGhee, II
Board Member
Born in 1960, James and his brother Alex were the first students in the school founded by his parents Beverley and Jim McGhee, in 1963. James received his degree in Intercultural Studies from Trinity College (Hartford, CT). James earned Montessori teaching certificates for ages 3-6 from AMI (Perugia, Italy), and ages 6-9 and 9-12 from AMS (Dallas, TX.) He has worked in almost every role at Alexander Montessori School, including Maintenance, Teacher Assistant, Preschool and Elementary Montessori Teacher, Business Manager, and he presently serves as Co-Head of School with his wife, Dr.…
Julia Najera
Board Member
Julia is the Early Childhood Director for Central Florida Preparatory School and Kids ‘R’ Kids Learning Academy. She began her career in Early Childhood in 2008 when she earned her American Montessori Society Credential. Julia has a bachelor’s degree in management from University of Phoenix and a Master of Education in Instructional Technology from Purdue University Global.…
Dr. Carole Repensek
VP of Programming
Although Carole still considers her native New York her “forever” home, she has lived in her much beloved Miami most of her adult life. She began her career in dyslexia almost by accident. Graduating with a BS in Elementary Education at a time when there were no jobs available, she was offered a job and training in a school for children with dyslexia. …
Joshua Repensek
Executive Director
Mr. Repensek has a history of working in the information technology and services industry. He is a strong business development professional, skilled in negotiation, business planning, CRM platforms, Coaching, and Sales. Mr. Repensek brings his years of experience to Association of Independent Schools of Florida to enrich the association with a digital presence that will give its members a more streamlined and efficient platform.
Dr. Mercedes Ricon
Vice President, ECAP
Dr. Mercedes Ricon is the Associate Director of Killian Oaks Academy, a private Pre-K through 12th grade school in Miami. She has served on the AISF Board of Directors since 2007 and is the current Secretary. Dr. Ricon also serves on the boards of the Independent Schools of South Florida and the National Independent Private School Association.…