Advisory Council

Arnold Holtberg (Arnie) serves as an Education Consultant and Strategic Advisor to The Compass School of Texas. Arnie has served as the Headmaster, Dean of Students and as teacher of Social Studies in numerous U.S. private and public schools, as well as the principal of the Hong Kong International School where approximately 40 nations were represented at all times. He served as Head of School of St. Mark’s School of Texas from 1993-2014, making him the longest-tenured head in the school’s history. During his time at St. Mark’s, Arnie led two multi-million-dollar fundraising campaigns geared towards campus improvement, resource endowment for financial aid, and faculty support. Hailing from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Arnie is a graduate of Princeton University and holds his Master of Arts in Religion degree in Pastoral Care, Counseling, and Theology from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.  

Arnie Holtberg's experiences on the Board of Directors of many non-profit organizations and private schools, as well as being a regional panelist for the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships has informed his leadership strategies and skills to improve education systems. Arnie has always placed an emphasis on instruction in ethics, aesthetics, and character development — what he calls “the whole person.” 

Looking ahead, he aims to “inspire our youth to lead us to higher moral ground and create an environment where all people experience unconditional respect.” He recently published his first novel, “Game On!: One Boy’s Odyssey,” which explores the challenges of a young boy navigating middle school and imparts valuable lessons to today’s youth. His second novel, "The Pathfinder": Second Down and Life to Go" is meant to inspire the next generation of leaders to commit to finding their moral compass and to lead with integrity.

Mary Ann Greene is the Founder of The da Vinci School, which she started as a non-profit organization in 1987. From the proceeds of a garage sale, The da Vinci School has grown into a highly respected and successful early childhood program in Dallas under her leadership.

Recently retired (July, 2023), Mary Ann continues to serve as an active consultant at The da Vinci School and, as Founder, remains a lifetime member of the Board of Directors.

Having the support and mentoring of Greenhill founder, Bernard Fulton and other educational icons over the years, Mary Ann is happy to give back to the educational community by sharing her insights and experience with the Compass School. “Dallas desperately needs more high-caliber private schools to serve the students in our community. I look forward to
helping Compass grow!”

Originally from New Jersey, Mary Ann moved to Dallas in 1975. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, emphasizing early childhood development, and a master’s degree in educational administration. She is married to Dallas native, Stan Greene, who served by her side at The da Vinci School until retiring in 2023.
 

Stan is a Dallas native and is one of five siblings. He received a business degree from SMU. Stan’s appreciation for education evolved as he grew up watching his father help to build the first facilities for the Greenhill School.

He met Mary Ann through Bernard Fulton who was the founder of the Greenhill School. They were married in Dallas in 1991 and they have partnered in the growth of The da Vinci School since that time.

In 1987, Mary Ann founded The da Vinci School and Stan was the one who came up with the tagline “da Vinci…where great minds start in little bodies”. Stan has a background in woodworking and cabinet making, which he applied to the unique needs of a preschool.

As The da Vinci School grew, Stan’s role became increasingly focused on safety, security, and building management.
 

Larry brings a wealth of experience and leadership to his role as a member of the Compass School of Texas Advisory Board. With a distinguished career spanning multiple sectors, Larry has dedicated himself to the advancement of education and technology.

Originally from Canada, Larry's journey in education began with his service on the boards of top tier independent schools such as Lamplighter, Christ the King, John Paul II Exploratory, Hockaday, and St. Mark's. His commitment to fostering educational excellence has been evident throughout his career.

In addition to his contributions to education, Larry is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology innovator. He served as the Founder and CEO of Lacerte Tax Software from 1977 to 1998.

In 2001, Larry embarked on another entrepreneurial venture as the Founder and CEO of ExponentHR, where he continued to drive innovation in human resources and workforce management until his retirement in 2022.

Larry's expertise extends beyond the realm of education and entrepreneurship, as evident by his tenure on the Board of Directors of Universal Display (OLED) since 1998.

Outside of his professional endeavors, Larry finds fulfillment in his personal life. He has been married to Joyce the past 40 years, and together they have seven children: Megan, AJ, Madison, Monroe, Quincy, Adam, and John. All of his children attended independent schools in Dallas. His dedication to his family underscores his values of integrity, commitment, and community.
 

In her role at Sunwest, Whitney works directly with the corporate social responsibility division team to expand services including strategic planning, fund development planning and process management focusing on civic projects, corporate social responsibility impact, and nonprofit organizations. Her clients have ranged from family private foundations, large nonprofit organizations, public/private civic projects, charitable causes for celebrities and athletes and international philanthropic work. 

Prior to Sunwest, Whitney has had an extensive background in nonprofit and corporate social responsibility leadership including roles at the AdvoCare Foundation,March of Dimes, Greenhill School, Lockheed Martin, Dallas Regional Chamber and U.S. Department of Education. In addition, Whitney is also a published award-winning children’s’ book author of the series “My Sweet Child Born in….” with additional titles in the work. Whitney has extensive board service and board governance experience. Now, Whitney serves on the boards of Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, Texas Ballet Theater, Turtle Creek Chorale and the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. She also serves on the Global Advisory Board for the Asante Africa Foundation focusing on bringing educational opportunities to Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Whitney has also authored two award-winning children’s books and plans for future titles to read to her two sons, Bobby and Timmy. Dr. Strauss has a doctorate in interdisciplinary studies of behavioral science and human rights from SMU and true specialist in social change and impact. She is also a sustainer member of the Junior League of Dallas and Leadership Dallas Alumni Association, and her family is very involved with the North Texas Food Bank.

George grew up in Dallas and attended Hillcrest High School. He studied accounting and sculpture at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and later graduated with a Juris Doctor degree from SMU Law School. He is married to Julie Tobolowsky and they have four children and live in Dallas.

He began his career as an accountant at an accounting firm in Dallas before working at the legal and tax departments of the Zale Corporation. With partners, Tobolowsky owned franchise businesses including, at one time, up to 75 Blockbuster stores and several Dunkin' Donuts locations.

He was on the Board of Directors of Greenhill School for over 12 years and was in charge of construction for the Board for Greenhill’s new Gymnasium, Natatorium and Middle School and was also involved in the conversion of the old Middle School into the new Fine Arts Center.

Tobolowsky began making sculptures in the mid-2000s. He has created more than 500 sculptures which have been exhibited in over 62 National and International Museums, University Collections, and Public Art Collections. He built a sculpture studio in Mountain Springs and much like the sculptures he would later create, the studio was constructed with reclaimed materials.

He has also served in a leadership role and/or is currently participating with the following organizations: The International Sculpture Center, NJ; The Museum of Biblical Art; The National Center for Jewish Art, Dallas TX; Texas Sculpture Association, Co-Founder, Dallas, TX​; Public Art Committee, Panelist, Dallas, TX; Meadows School of Arts Executive Committee (SMU); ​Meadows, Museum Advisor Council (SMU); Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX; Dallas Contemporary, Dallas, TX; Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Young Presidents Organization (YPO)& (WPO), Dallas, TX; Dallas and Texas Bar Associations​s; Texas Map Society, Past President; Communities Foundation, Advisory Board; ​M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation; Abe Zale Foundation; Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, San Antonio, TX; and Texas Sculpture Group, Texas. 

Barbara served as Head of Lower School and also taught students for 22 years at St. Mark’s School of Texas, a private, nonsectarian, college-preparatory boys’ school in Dallas. Her dedication to the growth, development, and learning of children extends beyond her time in Dallas.

Before coming to Dallas, Barbara held several administrative and teaching positions. She was Assistant Head of Lower School, Fine Arts Department Chair and then Dean of Seventh and Eighth Grades while teaching classes at Breck School in Minneapolis. She began her independent school teaching career as a 3rd grade teacher at Columbus Academy in Columbus, Ohio.  Over the years, Barbara taught students in Kindergarten to 7th grade. She taught English, science, character development, and conflict resolution. She feels strongly that a robust academic curriculum serves as the foundation on which schools can build their programs and that parents and schools must work together to give children the tools they need for the present and future.

Barbara earned a Bachelor’s in Education and Library Science at Ohio University. She earned a Master’s in Educational Administration at the Ohio State University. She continued her post-graduate work at the University of Minnesota and Southern Methodist University. After she began teaching in independent schools, Barbara enjoyed serving on multiple evaluation committees for NAIS schools in the Midwest and South.

“I feel that I have had a delightful and fulfilling adventure while being able to work with so many wonderful children, parents, and teachers.”
 

Michael’s administrative and teaching career began at Columbus Academy in Columbus, Ohio. He was Director of Admissions and taught European History and Russian Studies in the Upper School. He was also the Director of Summer School.

At Breck School, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was chairman of the History Department and he taught European History and International Politics. He also served as Dean of Students in the Upper School.

In Dallas, Michael was the Head of Upper School at Greenhill School; in this role, he also served as a member of the college counseling team. At The Episcopal School of Dallas, he taught several history classes: 8th grade Medieval History, 10th grade European History, and AP European History for seniors. He served as a member of the eighth-grade advisory team, eventually becoming the head of the team.

During his career, Michael enjoyed being involved in a variety of school activities, ranging from advising student council and student honor council to participating in several outdoor education and community service programs. He was privileged to serve on several regional NAIS evaluation teams for schools, such as Chicago Latin School in Chicago, Park Tutor School in Indianapolis, Casady School in Oklahoma City, and St. John’s School in Houston, Texas.

Michael earned a Bachelor’s in History at Hobart College and a Master’s in European History at the University of Illinois.