Board of Directors

Longmeadow Montessori’s Board of Directors is made up of dedicated parents whose children attend or previously attended our school.

The Board provides leadership in support of LMI’s mission by helping to set policies for the school and provide guidance with finances, legalities, fundraising, and special events.

2024-2025 Board of Directors

A.J. Oleksak, President and his wife Amy have three children including two LMI alum and one current student. A.J. is Director of Investments at VIMCO Corporation and is a member of the Investment Committee. Previously, A.J. was Vice President, Middle Market Credit and Private Equity at HIMCO, an affiliate of The Hartford. Prior to that, A.J. was Director, North American Private Finance / Mezzanine and Private Equity at Barings, an affiliate of MassMutual. He began his career as an Analyst at TD Bank where he completed the TD Bank Risk Management Association Credit Training Program. A.J. was previously involved with the American Cancer Society, TD Bank’s iCare program, and The Hartford’s Playbook for Young Learners. A.J. earned a B.S.B.A. in Economics and Finance and an M.B.A from the University of Hartford.

Forrest Spatcher, Treasurer is an audit professional focused on control effectiveness and risk mitigation. He currently works at MassMutual as a Director of Internal Audit. Prior to MassMutual, he was an Audit Manager with Deloitte. Forrest received a BBA in Accounting from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. He also serves on the Board of Trustees at Berkshire Hills Music Academy. Forrest and his wife Molly live in Longmeadow with their two children, the oldest is an LMI alum and his youngest is a current student.

Leila Trutanich, Secretary, is the proud parent of two current LMI students. She is an attorney, running her solo practice, Leila Law, from her home in Longmeadow. Leila joined the board to offer her expertise in nonprofit governance and best practices, as she has devoted her career to providing legal services to all types of charities and other philanthropic endeavors. Leila graduated from Ithaca College with a Bachelor of Science in Television and Radio Production and minors in Legal Studies and Speech Communication. She then went on to graduate Cum Laude from Western State University College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctor Degree, obtained a Certificate in Business Law Studies with Distinction, and was awarded The Dean Maryann Jones Achievement and Leadership award upon graduation for her commitment to public service during law school. After living in Southern California for almost 15 years, in 2021, she and her family moved to Western Mass where she grew up.

Julianne Diamond is a technical solution engineer at Salesforce.com, with expertise in life sciences. Julianne started her career with Salesforce as a research analyst for an educational non-profit, following roles as a middle school math teacher, assistant administrator, and math curriculum designer. She holds two degrees from Boston College: a BA in Elementary Education and Computer Science, and an M.Ed in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation. She and her husband Greg live in Longmeadow along with their three boys, who are all proud LMI alumni.

Kristin Kantany is a mom of three, two proud alumni, and a current LMI student. Kristin joined the board to offer her experience in digital marketing and web development. She holds a strong branding passion and vision that coincides with the Montessori curriculum. Kristin has been specializing in brand and marketing strategies for nearly a decade. She has developed and overseen new marketing concepts for each company she has worked for that have each branched off to become their own divisions and/or entities. Kristin holds a BA in Communications and minor in Media.

Stephanie Gomes-Ganhao is a mom of two, including one current LMI student, and resides in Longmeadow with her family. Having grown up in western Massachusetts, she is always seeking opportunities to give back to her community. Stephanie graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in International Relations. She later graduated summa cum laude from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She is an attorney at Day Pitney LLP in Hartford, Connecticut.