Board of Directors

Visionary leaders committed to preserving and advancing our mission.

Our Governance

Chesterton Academy of St. Michael is governed by a dedicated Board of Directors who share a commitment to the school's Catholic mission and to providing a rigorous classical education for the next generation. The Board provides strategic oversight, financial stewardship, and accountability in service to the school's students, families, and faculty.

Dirk Bartram

Board President

Dirk grew up in Richland, Washington in a Catholic family and graduated from Seattle University. He was commissioned as an officer in the Regular Army after graduation, then served in Germany and Pennsylvania with U.S. Army organizations that maintained and upgraded missile systems. After completing five years of service, Dirk attended the University of Washington's combined JD and MBA programs, then practiced corporate and intellectual property law in Seattle until his retirement. He has served on boards of non-profit corporations including Healing the Culture, 3W Medical for Women, and Catholic Professionals.

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Harvard Wang

Board Vice President

Harvard Wang is married to Loc Uyen Nguyen and they have six children. The Wang family resides in Kent and are parishioners of North American Martyrs in Edmonds, a Traditional Latin Mass parish staffed by the Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). Harvard attended the University of Washington and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science. With over 17 years of professional experience in the software industry, he has served as software engineer and technical program manager for Avanade and Microsoft, and currently works for Oracle as Chief of Staff in Oracle's cloud organization.

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Bernadette Edwards

Board Treasurer

Bernadette is married to Aubrey Edwards and is mother to three adult children. She has been a resident of Sammamish for over 27 years, and the Edwards family are active parishioners of Mary, Queen of Peace. Bernadette attended Xaverian Catholic College and Leeds University, attaining advanced levels in Mathematics, Sociology, and English Law and membership to ACCA. For over a decade she worked for General Electric in leadership roles, earning the prestigious GE Phoenix Award for outstanding contributions to customer and partner satisfaction. Following her time at GE, Bernadette transferred to a Seattle-based GE financial company before concentrating on her vocation as a stay-at-home mother. She and her husband currently own and operate a local consulting business.

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Mike Rice

Mike Rice grew up in a small town in Michigan as the ninth of ten children of a cradle Catholic mother and convert father. He and his wife Julie were born six days apart and received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation together in infancy and youth. They began dating at the end of high school and were married in 1985. Mike and Julie are members of Parish Family 9 and worship at both St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Woodinville and St. Brendan Parish in Bothell. They co-chaired the ASCEND Eucharistic Revival in May 2026. Since retiring in 2023 as the CEO of Bothell-based BioLife Solutions, Mike serves on the boards of several private biotech companies and non-profit organizations including the Ferry Foundation and Magis Center. Their philanthropy focuses on three core areas of Catholic education, deacon, seminarian and priest support, and pro-life initiatives. Mike is currently completing a Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology degree at the Augustine Institute.

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