Public Information

Lindsay is the Founder of Cornerstone Classical Academy and served as the founding board chair. She is now honored to serve as governing board chair. Seeing no public or private schools in Jacksonville that were purely classical, and realizing what her daughters would be missing if they did not receive a classical education, she decided to start a classical academy. Beginning in 2018, Lindsay started CCA around her kitchen table and worked tirelessly to open the school in a very challenging inaugural year: 2020. After opening, she spent the next 2 1/2 years stabilizing the school. Classical education became a passion when seeing first-hand the impact it had on her daughters and other students. Once CCA stabilized, she began working for Jacksonville Classical Academy in 2022 and served as the Executive Director. With her experience at CCA, she helped stabilize, brought joyful classical education and grew the school to an "A" rated school. Prior to her work in education, she was the co-owner of an electronics company that sold products across the U.S., Australia and Europe. Before business ownership, Lindsay has 10+ years of experience in sales and talent acquisition after making a career switch from the political sector in Washington, DC, where she worked in fundraising, media, and grassroots mobilization at several pro-family public policy organizations. Lindsay is local to the Jacksonville community, growing up in Neptune Beach, and is a Fletcher High School graduate. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida and bleeds orange and blue. Lindsay also serves as the Board Chair of the Cornerstone Classical Foundation (https://www.cornerstoneforamerica.org/), the Board Chair and Treasurer of Tallahassee Classical School, the Distinguished Board Chair for classical charter schools for the Classical Teaching Corps (https://www.cltexam.com/classical-teaching-corps/), a member of the Academic Board of Advisors to the Classical Learning Test (https://www.cltexam.com/), the Board Secretary of the Will King Foundation (https://www.willkingfoundation.com/), a member of the Local Advisory Board for Truist Bank (https://www.truist.com/), and a State Advisory Committee Member to Cognia Accreditation (www.cognia.org). Her most important job is being a mom to her two daughters, Virginia and Blakely, who were the inspiration to start CCA in the first place.

David Wood is a member of the Board of Directors and currently serves as Secretary. Professionally, David works in government relations at a global transportation and logistics firm based in Jacksonville. He is responsible for managing public policy and political issues at the federal, state, and local levels. David also serves on the board of the state's domestic maritime industry association. David has more than 15 years of experience working in and around government in the defense, aerospace, and transportation sectors. David holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Chapman University. He resides in Jacksonville with his wife and three children -- all Cornerstone students!

Dawn Kell is a member of the Board of Directors and currently serves as Treasurer. Dawn Kell is the Founder of Faith First Preschool. She has spent 22 years in education, fostering change, growth, values, leadership, child development, and love for children. She was the CFO at two private schools in Jacksonville. Ms. Kell is also a published children's author of two series: Lexie and Bug and Metro Mutt. Her ethical principles and spiritual development are always an example for others. She has been married to Michael for over 30 years and has two grown sons, Brandon and Cameron and an amazing daughter-in-law, Maddie, and a Granddaughter Bryn. She is finishing her doctorate degree in education from Southeastern University. Mrs. Kell also holds a master's degree in business management and accounting. Certifications held by Mrs. Kell are an advanced Florida director’s credential, a Florida childcare professional credential, a national administrator’s credential, and a professional educator's certificate in administration all level’s Kindergarten through 12th grade.

Sally started her journey in northern Indiana and found home in Jacksonville seven years ago. A graduate of St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, with a B.A. degree in Economics and Business, she started her financial career as a bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in the Chicago region. This was exposure to banking operations in all size banks and cities throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. She moved to hospital finance at the corporate office of Evangelical Hospital Systems Corporation, Oak Brook, Illinois, (today Advocate Health Care) and eventually became controller of one of their (then) five area hospitals. During this time she received an MBA from Keller School of Management, Chicago. A career change for her husband, Albert, then took them to Tokyo and Hong Kong for ten years. This was a language, cultural, and travel opportunity with international friendships remaining today. Returning to the US put them in Pittsburgh, the corporate office for Albert. There Sally had the chance to follow a long-held desire to study glass forming at the Pittsburgh Glass Center, which has developed into a hobby pursued today - along with gardening and Mah Jongg. Sally has supported and followed the growth of classical charter school education for many years. Its proven success drew her to be a part of that momentum.