Leadership

Sage Ridge School is an independent school and community shaped by bold vision and principled leadership.

From our Head of School to our Board of Trustees, every leader plays a vital role in sustaining the excellence, integrity, and forward momentum of our mission.

Our leadership team is deeply committed to fostering a school culture where students are known, faculty are empowered, and families are valued partners in learning. This commitment is reflected in everything from strategic planning to daily operations to the future-focused expansion of our programs and campus.

At Sage Ridge, leadership means honoring our founding values while building what comes next.

2025 Divider Logo Here

Head's Welcome

Our Vision:

To inspire passion and purpose through the joy of learning.

Our Mission:

Sage Ridge School graduates curious and confident citizens who embrace rigorous scholarship, respect the dignity of individuals, choose integrity, embody courage, cultivate a compassionate community, and ultimately thrive in college and in our global society.

Welcome to Sage Ridge School – A Place of Purpose, Character, and Possibility

For more than 25 years, Sage Ridge has prepared students in grades 1–12 to thrive in school, college, and life. Rooted in our founding pillars—Scholarship, Respect, Integrity, Courage, and Community—we empower students to become curious thinkers, confident communicators, and compassionate leaders. Scorpions are equipped with academic strength, strong character, and a deep commitment to making a difference in the world.

Academic excellence at Sage Ridge is centered on interpersonal, instruction-based learning—putting meaningful connection and growth at the heart of every classroom. In our small classes, students are known, challenged, and supported by expert faculty who prioritize dialogue, critical thinking, and authentic engagement.

We are laser-focused on the individual student, committed to helping each one grow in intellect, confidence, and integrity. Every student’s journey is shaped by rigorous academics, dynamic extracurriculars, and personal mentorship that sparks growth, self-discovery, and stretching beyond what they thought possible.

What truly sets Sage Ridge apart is our community-first culture, vibrant with intellectual energy and purposeful dialogue. The close relationships among students, families, faculty, and staff foster a sense of belonging and shared ambition.

As Northern Nevada’s only non-sectarian, independent, college-preparatory school, Sage Ridge offers an education designed not just for college, but for life. Through leadership programs, outdoor adventures, the arts, and athletics, students uncover their passions and gain the courage to pursue them.

Whether you’re a prospective family, a long-standing member of our community, or someone learning about Sage Ridge for the first time, I invite you to engage with our incredible offerings. Come tour the school, attend an open house, cheer on a Scorpion team, join a Parents Association event, or enjoy a student production. Sage Ridge is more than a school—it’s a vibrant, connected community and a launchpad for future leaders and lifelong learners.

Warmly,

Dr. Ginger Hovenic
Head of School

Incoming Head of School

"The Sage Ridge School mission reflects what I believe education should be at its very best: the powerful combination of academic excellence, character development, service, and purpose, all working together to prepare students to make a positive impact on the world."

- Bill Delbrugge

Welcome, Bill Delbrugge

We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Bill Delbrugge as the new Head of School at Sage Ridge School. Bill joins Sage Ridge in this new role on July 1, 2026, following Dr. Hovenic’s planned retirement. With more than three decades of experience in educational leadership, Bill brings a global perspective, deep expertise, and an unwavering commitment to student success. His career has spanned classrooms and concert halls to leadership roles across the United States, the Middle East, and beyond, including serving as Head of School at The Village School, Founding Headmaster of Dunecrest American School in Dubai, and Headmaster of The American International School in Egypt. Bill holds a B.S. in Music Education and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, reflecting his belief in both creativity and strong, thoughtful leadership.

Throughout his career, Bill Delbrugge has served as a superintendent, principal, and state-level education leader, while also contributing to numerous boards, committees, and international organizations. His work reflects a rare blend of strategic vision and heartfelt care for school communities. No matter the setting, local or international, Bill has consistently focused on building strong teams, fostering meaningful relationships, and creating environments where students and educators thrive together.

At the heart of Bill Delbrugge’s leadership is a simple but powerful belief: Success for All. He believes every student deserves a secure, caring, and stimulating environment where their voice is heard, curiosity is encouraged, and learning is connected to real life. By empowering faculty and parents as guides, honoring student interests, and cultivating intrinsic motivation, Bill champions an approach to education that develops strong scholars, ethical leaders, and compassionate citizens.

From his very first conversations with the Sage Ridge Board and community, Bill Delbrugge was inspired by the school’s purpose, passion, and people. He is deeply aligned with Sage Ridge’s mission to graduate curious, confident citizens who lead with integrity, courage, and compassion. As this exciting new chapter begins, Bill looks forward to listening, learning, and building alongside students, families, faculty, and staff. The future of Sage Ridge School is bright, and together, we will continue our journey of educational excellence.

2025-2026 Board of Trustees

The Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees’ charter is to hire the Head of School, set the Vision and Strategy for the School, establish and determine the membership of our Committees, and provide fiduciary oversight including approval of the School’s budget, and legal and governance oversight.

Eric Gangloff, President and Chairman

Eric Gangloff has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2019, and a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2018.

With a background in Electrical Engineering, Management Consulting, Executive Management, and Entrepreneurship, he brings a wealth of experience in Finance, Marketing, Strategic Planning and Complex Issue Resolution to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees.

He earned his undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Villanova University in 1990, followed by Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Management in Manufacturing (MMM) degrees from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, both at Northwestern University, in 1994. Eric has been an entrepreneurial leader in Consumer and Corporate Finance for 23 years. His companies sourced & acquired over $1 billion in performing loan portfolios, and one of them, AmeriFirst, originated many billions of dollars of consumer loans prior to its sale to the USA’s largest privately-held bank, First National Bank of Omaha, in 2022.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Gangloff is also committed to promoting entrepreneurship, supporting the arts and education, and the economic development of his local community. He also serves on the board of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN), and previously served on the Global Board of Directors of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and as the Chair of the Board of Trustees (among numerous other roles) of the Reno Philharmonic Association, where he spearheaded the creation of an updated Mission, Vision and Values for the organization and led it through its 49th and 50th anniversary seasons.

Eric enjoys skiing, car racing, tennis, boating, sailing, music, theater and travel.

He has one student currently attending Sage Ridge, Forrest Gangloff, in the Class of 2029.

As the Board’s President and Chair, Eric strongly believes that a quality independent school education can be life-changing. He is focused on both short and long-term strategic planning for the School. He led the team which created our Vision: “To Inspire Passion and Purpose through the Joy of Learning." During 2024-2025, among other initiatives, he brought more structure to our Donor Relations activity, including how we choose Emeritus Trustees. Eric also launched a new ad-hoc committee to more deeply research Tuition Pricing, with the goals of maximizing future enrollment, enhancing the student experience, and bolstering the financial health of the School.

Greg Hayes, President-Elect

Greg Hayes joined the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees in 2024 soon after becoming a member of the Sage Ridge School community in 2022.

He draws inspiration from his experiences in the entertainment industry, seeking creative solutions to complex issues with a focus on growth. He has most recently been working with and advising start-up companies such as pocket.watch, where he architected and built their video game division into a multi-million dollar business. Prior to that, he spent more than eight years at The Walt Disney Company (DIS), where he pioneered digital distribution partnerships with platforms like YouTube and managed video game portfolios for some of the most iconic global franchises, from Frozen to Star Wars to Disneyland.
Greg holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and earned his MBA at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. He is a lifetime member of the International Game Developers Association (IDGA) and is an active member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA).

Greg will apply his experience driving innovation and growth for both large and small organizations to his role at Sage Ridge, building upon its five value pillars. He is currently most passionate about and committed to strengthening the pillar of community. He sees many opportunities to work with a variety of stakeholders to expand the school’s appeal to new constituencies as well as to enhance recruitment and retention of exceptional faculty and staff with the goal of continuously improving the student experience.

Greg and his wife Paige are looking forward to seeing their daughter Morgan graduate with the Sage Ridge Class of 2026.

Karen Hovorka, Vice President

Karen Hovorka has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2023, and a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2022. Karen currently serves as the Chair of the Leadership and Governance committee.

With over 25 years of corporate cross-industry human resources and talent strategy consulting experience, Karen brings a wealth of knowledge to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees. In her work, she conducts assessments and advises client leaders to help them optimize and transform their human resources and talent capabilities through operating model design, process optimization, technology enablement, and change management.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Karen is a long-time nonprofit volunteer, and has served on the Boards of various nonprofit organizations whose missions range from immigrant employment to the arts to early childhood development to independent school education. She was active on prior board committees focused on HR, marketing and communications, and fundraising.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cornell University, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Karen and her husband have one child in Sage Ridge School’s Class of 2028.

Steve Welch, Treasurer

Steve Welch Board of Trustee Sage Ridge School

Steve Welch has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2016, and a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2011. With a background in Finance, Accounting and Operations he brings a wealth of experience in Strategy, Finance, HR, Operations and Project Management to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees.

He earned his undergraduate BS Finance degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Indiana University. Steve has worked in large petrochemical and oil refining and marketing operations in various roles all over the world for over 35 years. His positions of responsibility included CFO Gas & Power, CEO Petrochemicals, and COO US Refining & Marketing, where in various roles he was responsible for $90+ billion in sales, workforces of 40K+ and many multi-billion dollar construction projects.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Steve is committed to improving child welfare, supporting the arts, and education and development of young business leaders. He enjoys being outdoors, skiing, art, music and international travel.

Wife Robin and he had two students who graduated from Sage Ridge, son, Jordan, SRS Class of 2014 (Purdue University 2018) and daughter, Madeleine, SRS Class of 2016 (Georgetown 2020).

As a board member, Steve is focused on working for the long term success of Sage Ridge through maintaining and improving Academic Excellence, expanding and improving facilities available to students and growing enrollment long term. He believes Sage Ridge is uniquely positioned to develop outstanding leaders who will shape the future of Northern Nevada and the world.

Michelle Sherven, Secretary

Michelle Sherven has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2021 and a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2018.

She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Dickinson College. Michelle has worked in the Environmental Science Industry for 25 years. She is currently Owner/ President of WETLAB, an Environmental Analytical Laboratory.

In addition to her professional accomplishments, Michelle is committed to giving back to our local community. She is active with Girls on the Run Sierras, a program that inspires girls in 3rd-8th grade to be joyful, healthy, and confident, as well as Entrepreneurs Organization, an organization dedicated to "engage leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow." In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking and reading.

She has two students currently attending Sage Ridge School, Lauren in the Class of 2026 and Ryan in the Class of 2028.

As a board member, Michelle is excited to bring her knowledge as a small business owner to help Sage Ridge with best practices.

Beth Brenner

Beth Brenner joined the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees in 2025 and has been a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2024.

Beth is a philanthropy executive and strategist with more than 20 years of experience in higher education advancement, nonprofit management, and fundraising technology. She brings a growth mindset to the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees, as an architect of entrepreneurial fundraising and programmatic strategies, resulting in transformational philanthropic funding, meaningful engagement with industry leaders, and high-performing teams.

Beth holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Sonoma State University and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from University of San Francisco. She founded Michael Macrae LLC in 2023 with a mission to help organizations and individuals be their best. She provides interim executive leadership for high-achieving institutions. Over her career, Beth has provided strategic leadership for complex teams responsible for campaigns ranging from $50 million to $2 billion, managed philanthropic initiatives for foundations, and developed purpose-driven organizational plans and mentorship programs, enabling fundraising professionals to exceed audacious goals.

She has devoted much of her career to higher education, leading sophisticated Advancement programs in the California State University and University of California Systems, as well as private institutions. Beth has accelerated the achievement of institutional cornerstones such as funding to construct leading-edge STEM facilities and endowment growth. Beth has provided consulting services to higher education executives at public and private institutions across the country to achieve increased constituent engagement and fundraising results through technology and operational transformation.

As a board member, Beth is excited to bring her depth of experience in educational leadership and philanthropy to advance the strategic goals of Sage Ridge School and amplify the school’s extraordinary work. Beth and her husband have two sons, the
youngest of which is part of the Class of 2029 at Sage Ridge School. They enjoy spending time at Lake Tahoe, snow skiing, and actively supporting Sage Ridge School, McQueen High School Football, and Lakeridge Swim Team.

Steve Cotton

Matt Hill

Matthew has recently joined the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees, and has been a member of the Sage Ridge School community since early 2023. With a background in finance, M&A, urban and regional planning and leadership, he brings a wealth of experience in asset management, master planning and finance to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees.

Matthew grew up in Sydney, Australia and attended one of Australia’s oldest independent schools, Barker College. He earned his officers commission from the Royal Military College Duntroon (Canberra) and completed his qualifications in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New England (New South Wales) and an MBA in International Business. Over the last 32 years, Matthew has worked in national security, regional planning, and, most recently, in investment banking across Australia, Europe and North America where he was a partner in an infrastructure fund specializing in marine ports and freight rail infrastructure.

Matthew was seconded to the US in 2007 to establish an investment capability in transport M&A. His family relocated from Incline Village to Reno to benefit from the unique educational capabilities at Sage Ridge School. Matthew enjoys skiing, mountain biking and international travel with his wife Minh and their two children. He has one student currently attending Sage Ridge in the Class of 2028.

As a board member, Matthew is focused on improving school facilities, serving as an advocate for the school community and promoting awareness of teenage mental health.

Karl Hutter

Karl has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2022. With a background in aerospace engineering and manufacturing, he brings a wealth of experience in corporate finance and financial planning to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees.

He earned his B.S.E in Systems Engineering and B.S.Economics with a concentration in Operations Management from The University of Pennsylvania. Karl has worked in the aerospace and defense industry for 24 years, where he has held numerous roles in engineering, sales, and management at Click Bond, Inc. in Carson City, and has served as its CEO for the past ten years. He serves on the Board of Governors of the Aerosapce Industries Association and the Executive Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Karl is also committed to independent education, serving on the Board of Trustees of the Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, NH. He is an ATP certificated pilot with over 5,000 flight hours and serves on the Carson City Airport Authority, and enjoys adventure travel and skiing.

As a board member, Karl chairs the Finance, Audit, and Risk Management Committee and the Development and Donor Relations Committee and is focused on strengthening the long-term financial position of the school and the successful planning and pursuit of capital projects to expand its signature programming.

Thomas J. Monroe, J.D., CTFA

Sage Ridge Board Member Thomas J. Monroe

Thomas Monroe joined the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees in 2025. As Founder and President of Blue Sky Trust, a Nevada-chartered trust company, he brings more than 25 years of experience in legal, fiduciary, and tax matters. Thomas works closely with ultra-high-net-worth private clients and their investment, tax, and legal advisory teams to design and steward complex trust, estate, philanthropic, and family office planning.

Before founding Blue Sky Trust, Thomas led a boutique Nevada trust company from its inception through a period of strategic growth. He is a dedicated advocate for professional education and industry leadership, serving as President of the Nevada Fiduciary Association and Chair of the annual Nevada Tax and Trust Conference, which he helped establish.

Thomas is active in the Reno community as a Trustee and Treasurer of the Nevada Museum of Art, where he chairs the Finance Committee and serves on the Executive and Investment Committees. He holds a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and a B.S. in Accounting Information Systems from Bentley University.

Thomas and his family are deeply invested in the mission and values of Sage Ridge School, where integrity and a commitment to others are not only taught but lived. They value the school’s character-driven education to cultivate courage and community—and are especially grateful for how it helps shape their own children into thoughtful, principled individuals.

Karen Purcell

Karen Purcell, PE, has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2024.

She is the founder, owner, and president of PK Electrical, Inc., a prominent electrical engineering, design, and consulting firm based in Reno, NV and Denver, CO. With over 35 years of experience in the field, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Widener University. In 2015, Ms. Purcell was appointed by Governor Sandoval to the Nevada State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors and continues to serve as a board member.

Karen is a passionate advocate for women in STEM and authored the book, Unlocking Your Brilliance: Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), drawing on her experiences in a male-dominated industry to inspire confidence in young women pursuing STEM careers. In addition to this, her firm hosts two annual scholarships through the Nevada Women’s Fund to support woman pursuing a degree in STEM.

Karen's leadership and achievements have been recognized with prestigious awards, including the 2012 Reno Gazette-Journal’s Entrepreneur of the Year award, being named Northern Nevada Business Weekly's Most Influential Leader to Know in 2021, and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada’s Philanthropy Hero in 2023. She is actively engaged in her community, serving as Board Chair for the JUSTin Hope Foundation, which supports families and individuals with disabilities. Karen also contributes her expertise to industry organizations, holding a board position with American Council of Engineering Companies Nevada.

As a board member, Karen is dedicated to identifying opportunities that actively immerse students in STEM initiatives. This encompasses providing exposure to professionals in STEM fields, creating opportunities for engaging in STEM-focused activities, and fostering connections with the local community through STEM involvement.

Ranson W. Webster

Appointed: 1998, Founding Member.

Currently, CEO of Chargerback, the leader in lost and found solutions for the hospitality and travel industry. Founder, Ex-Chairman & CEO Computing Resources, Inc. Managing Member, Evergreen Capital LLC.

Mr. Webster founded Computing Resources, Inc. (CRI) on April 1, 1978 as a general purpose data processing service bureau specializing in automating accounting functions, with a primary focus on payroll processing for small businesses. Forming strategic marketing alliances with financial institutions in Nevada, California, and the Midwest, CRI gained momentum in the 1980s by providing unparalleled customer service and investing in cutting-edge technology. CRI developed several innovations during the 1980s including: phone-in payroll, automatic payroll, and around-the-clock 24/7 customer support. Mr. Webster’s continued vision allowed CRI to gain national recognition as the nation’s fourth largest quality payroll services provider, servicing over 100,000 businesses nationwide.

During CRI’s 21 years as a privately held company it enjoyed record revenue and net income growth compounded annually of 22.9% and 30.5% respectively. CRI established itself as an industry leader in generating the highest profit margin per payroll transaction processed. In 1997, CRI embarked on an exciting new payroll services venture with Intuit—the makers of QuickBooks and Quicken financial software. CRI successfully integrated its proprietary tax and electronic direct deposit processing systems with QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro. In March of 1999, CRI announced it had agreed to a merger with Intuit. Mr. Webster served as Chairman and CEO of Intuit’s payroll division (CRI) until March 2000.

Mr. Webster has extensive experience developing, implementing, and marketing technology-based transaction-processing systems. Areas of expertise include: accounting, credit authorization, ACH payments, payroll, and payroll tax systems. Mr. Webster formed Evergreen Capital LLC during 1998. Evergreen Capital is an early stage investment company that focuses and invests in start-up internet, service-oriented and biotech companies.

Mr. Webster currently serves as board Chairman of Inzap Inc and Capital Resources, Inc. Mr. Webster is also a founder, Vice Chairman, and director of Heritage Bank of Commerce (HTBK) located in San Jose, California. A resident of Reno, Nevada since 1972, Mr. Webster is currently Chairman of the Board for the National Automobile Museum, The Harrah Collection, and Chairman of the Board for the Nevada Policy Research Institute and past Chairman of the Financial Advisory Board for the City of Reno. Other civic affiliations include Vice Chairman, Sage Ridge School board, the Rotary Club of Reno, and Executive Board member of the Nevada Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America.

Dr. Richard Welcome

Rick Welcome has been a member of the Sage Ridge School Board of Trustees since 2012, and a member of the Sage Ridge School community since 2005. With a background in Medicine and Healthcare, he brings a wealth of experience in to the Sage Ridge Board of Trustees.

He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from UCLA. He graduated from Medical School from the University of California Irvine and completed his Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Harbor UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California. Dr. Welcome also completed an Interventional Radiology Fellowship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, California. Rick has worked in his group’s private practice at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center here in Reno since 2000 for 24 years, where he has helped to implement and provide state of the art diagnosis and treatment to the patients of our community. He has served as the President of his group for the past 4 years.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Rick is also committed to Boy Scouts of America and served as an adult leader during the time his sons both became Eagle Scouts.

He enjoys traveling with his wife and family, skiing, hunting and off road travel, and golf.

He and his wife Mary Ann have 2 former students who have graduated from Sage Ridge, Andrew Welcome Class of 2012 and Brandon Welcome Class of 2014.

As a board member, Rick is focused on the finance committee and has tried to attend and contribute to many fundraising events over the past 19 years.

Emeritus Trustees, Founders, Past Presidents & Special Friends

The Emeritus Trustees and Special Friends are a group of individuals with close connections to, and a passion for, the type of college prep education and environment supported by the School and its mission. Many, but not all, are past Trustees.

Both as individuals and as a group, they offer advice, serve on committees, provide input on policy initiatives, and promote the School in the broader community. Some individuals appear in multiple categories.

Sallie Armstrong
Kristen Avansino
Skip Avansino
Charlotte Carpenter
Rob Cashell
Cory Clemetson
Michael Dermody
David Geddes
Alan Hoffman
Patrick Johnston
Cathy Mauer
Dalynne R. Moore
Erin Mulvaney
Ted Mulvaney
Kent Robison
Bruce Shipman
Bill Silver
Gary Silverman
Jerry Smith
Paula Smith Dermody
Peter Stremmel
Richard Trachok II
Norma Webster
Ranson Webster

Faculty & Staff

Exceptional Educators

Campus

Curiosity Is Encouraged

Careers

Inspire & Empower