Meet the Board of Directors

Each June, the Board of Directors holds an annual meeting to nominate members, select officers and recognize members who are ending terms of service. The nominations and roles are effective beginning July 1.

Leona Lucas, Board Chair and Treasurer – Leona Lucas is a retired Senior Technical Director from AT&T. She has experience working for AT&T, Southwestern Bell and the Missouri Higher Education Learning Authority. She volunteers with Big Brother Big Sister, Girls Incorporated and St. Louis Crisis Nursery. She is a member of Telephone Communication Pioneers and the AT&T Community Network Mentoring and AT&T Aspire Mentoring programs. She has a degree in business administration and a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Lindenwood University. She is the owner of Lucas Consulting LLC specializing in leadership development, supervisory training/coaching, Human Resource training, mediation specialist, SWAT analysis, Customer Service analysis and training. Ms. Lucas joined the Board in June 2014.

Jack Williams., Ed.D – Vice Chair Jack Williams has served as an interim leader for two charter schools: Preclarus Mastery Academy and St. Louis Language Immersion Schools. He has over 10 years of experience as a building principal and 16 years of experience as an assistant superintendent. As assistant superintendent, he has served in the areas of curriculum and instruction and human resources. He is currently an assistant professor in the School of Education at Maryville University. He has leadership and volunteer experience as a member of the Rotary Club of Overland for 20+ years as well as serving on the Board of the Ritenour Pride and Promise Foundation and the Ready to Learn Organization. His experience is extended and not limited to strategic and school improvement planning, budgeting, leadership development, evaluation of professional and classified staff, and curriculum planning. He has a Bachelor of Education degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology from Lincoln University, a Master of Elementary School Administration from Saint Louis University, and a doctorate degree in Educational Administration from Saint Louis University.

Charlisha 'Charli' Greene, Secretary – Charlisha 'Charli' Greene is Vice President, Supply Chain Commodities at Boeing Company, having over 20 years of experience in areas, namely supply chain and governance. Her longevity with Boeing has allowed her opportunities to understand business strategy and execution across several disciplines and regions nationwide. Charli enjoys making a difference in the community and does so through her service as Boeing's university relations focal for Florida A&M University, a volunteer with Urban League St Louis and Oklahoma City, and an advocate with several other local outreach efforts.

Sheila Ward., PhD – Sheila Ward is a principal at the Ferguson Florissant School district and over 20+ experience in a teaching position. She has experience in implementing and developing school improvement plans. She has served as a leader in providing effective instructional and curricular leadership to increase student achievement, and maintain a positive school and learning environment. She is is very involved and has often collaborated with classroom teachers, parents, or other school personnel in solidifying and building relationships to help progress student needs and achievements. Sheila also has many certifications including: Reading Recovery Teacher Leader, Learning Disability and Special Reading, Cognitive Coaching, Administration (K-8)., and Comprehensive Intervention Model. She has a doctorate's degree in Educational Leadership, Masters of Arts in Educational Processes, and a Bachelor of Science in Communicative Disorders.

Delesha George – Delesha George grew up in the city of St. Louis and returned home in 2012 from Washington, DC. Delesha has worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations and is now a Program Specialist for the Steward Family Foundation at United Way of Greater St. Louis. Delesha tries to live by the saying, “We rise by lifting others”, always keeping in mind that helping and understanding others is a way of life. She feels strongly about community building and is in support of giving all children access to a quality education. Delesha feels that children should have the overall support they need to succeed beyond school, but the school resources are extremely vital to their success. As a mom of a high school freshman, Delesha is very active with her daughter’s school’s parent organization. She is also a member of FOCUS St. Louis and the East St. Louis Chapter of Jack and Jill. She recently completed the Neighborhood Leadership Fellows Program and is currently in the Fall 2020 Cohort of CORO Women in Leadership.

Kimberly Salls - Kimberly Salls is the owner and CEO of Behavior Intervention Services, which has been providing a range of services to individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities since 2004. Prior to founding BIS, Kimberly worked in the Special School District as a behavioral consultant in several school districts in St. Louis County. She has been involved in the educational system for the past 25 years. She is also intimately involved with providing education to children in Uganda and travels annually to support the educational system for underprivileged children from several small villages. Providing access to and supporting the educational journey of children is a passion that she hopes to extend to her position on the Confluence Board of Directors. Kimberly also serves on the Board of Directors for Fight CRC, a non-profit, whose mission is to advocate for the early detection, prevention, and cure for colorectal cancers.

Barbara Geisman - Barbara Geisman is currently part-time counsel at Thompson Coburn LLP. For 35 years, she worked for the City of St. Louis, as director of the City’s Community Development Agency, as chief assistant to the President of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, and most recently for 9+ years as Mayor Francis G. Slay’s Executive Director for Development. Barbara is both a registered architect and a licensed attorney, having graduated from Washington University School of Architecture in 1975 and Washington University School of Law in 2013. She is skilled at problem-solving in a wide variety of contexts. Barbara’s work with the City and as an attorney has involved budgeting for the City and its various agencies as well as participating in a variety of nonprofit financings, including the Confluence Academy real estate refinancing in 2022.