Insight: Inside the Boardroom

By Amy Pannoni, 2025-26 Board President 

Welcome back!  Early September isn’t just back to school for EPS students, faculty and staff—it is also a new year for the Board of Trustees.  One of our Board commitments from the last year has been to increase communication and transparency with the broader EPS community about the work we do, which dovetails well with the EPS theme for this year: Act Responsibly, Care through Clarity.

Last year we provided updates on strategic goals and initiatives and what it means to be a Board member.  To kick off this year, I thought I would provide some clarity about how we govern.  While we convene six times a year as a full Board, much of our day-to-day work is accomplished through committees.  We have five Board sub-committees:  Executive Committee, Institutional Advancement, Asset Management, Committee on Trustees, and Health and Safety.  Through those committees, we engage in work that focuses on risk management and financial stability, a physically and digitally healthy community, and ensuring the Board is comprised of a robust slate of members with a wide variety of experience and perspectives.  And on this last note, I would like to do one of my favorite jobs as Board Chair—introducing and welcoming new Board members to the community.

It is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Thor Wagner as the newest member of the Eastside Preparatory School Board of Trustees. Thor brings to the Board a compelling combination of scientific expertise, thoughtful leadership and strategic perspective, and a personal investment in EPS.  Thor is a physician and research scientist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, where he treats children with pediatric infectious diseases and conducts research on cellular and gene therapies for HIV and virus-related cancers. His work reflects a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and care—values that resonate deeply with our mission at EPS.

A Seattle native, Thor returned to the area to raise his family and remains closely connected to the community. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University and his Medical Doctorate from Temple University. He and his wife Bradaigh live in Seattle with their two children, including their son Aksel, a member of the EPS Class of 2029.  Please check out the next issue of Inspire magazine for a full profile on Thor and all that he will bring to strategic work.  Please join me in warmly welcoming Dr. Thor Wagner to the Board!