Board and Executive Office

BILL ELMAN
International School of Ulaanbaatar
director@isumongolia.edu.mn

President
Serves as spokesperson for ACAMIS. Works closely with the Executive Director. Calls meetings as required; sets agendas for meetings; chairs meetings of the Board, executive committees and the Annual General Membership (AGM); appoints committees and fills vacancies in accordance with the Constitution; communicates with similar roles in similar organizations.


DR CLARE MCDERMOTT
QSI International School of Chengdu

clare-mcdermott@chengdu.qsi.org
Vice President
Acts in the President's absence and serves as lead officer for orientation of new Board members; assumes other duties as assigned by the President.
 

DANIEL LEGAULT
Shen Wai International School

daniel.legault@swis.cn
Treasurer
Manages the finances of the organization and prepares the annual budget for approval at the final ACAMIS Spring Board Meeting; reports on finances at each Board Meeting; Reports on Finances at AGM.

ADDIE LOY
International School of Nanshan Shenzhen

Addie.loy@isnsz.com
Board Officer
Records and prepares documentation of all official ACAMIS Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM); assists with preparation of legal documents for Registration as a Society.

STEVE MOODY (PAST PRESIDENT 2020-24)
International School of Tianjin

steve_moody@istianjin.org.cn
Board Member


DR LILY LIU
Xi'an Liangjiatan International School

lily.liu@xalis.com
Board Member


LORNE SCHMIDT
The International School of Macao

lorne.schmidt@tis.edu.mo
Board Member

LARRY HOBDELL
ed@acamis.org
Executive Director
ACAMIS Executive Office
Reports to the ACAMIS Board of Directors and works closely with the Board President. The ED provides leadership to the ACAMIS office, serves as the face of ACAMIS, develops relationship, leads the strategic and developmental planning for ACAMIS, and recommends organizational and policy changes to the Board of Directors.


ACAMIS Operations Assistant

ALEXA WANG
operations@acamis.org
Operations Manager
ACAMIS Executive Office


ACAMIS Operations Assistant

WENDY FAN
office@acamis.org
Sponsors Manager
ACAMIS Executive Office


ACAMIS Accountant

EMILY CHAN
finance@acamis.org
Accountant
ACAMIS Executive Office


ACAMIS Operations Assistant

LEO LAROCHE
it@acamis.org
IT Technician
ACAMIS Executive Office


ACAMIS Operations Assistant

MILLY ZHANG
support@acamis.org
Operations Assistant
ACAMIS Executive Office

Dr Larry Hobdell appointed Executive Director

Dear ACAMIS Heads of School and Community Members
I am delighted to share with you all the exciting news that the ACAMIS Board of Directors has confirmed the appointment of a new Executive Director to replace Tom Ulmet when he steps down from the role at the end of Summer 2024.

The response to the opening was extremely positive, reflecting the significant and growing status of our wonderful association under Tom’s dedicated stewardship these past nine years (not to mention his five additional earlier years as a Board member!) An assortment of high quality candidates submitted applications to the selection committee, but in the end one candidate stood out noticeably from those identified for interview, and the Board of Directors is pleased to have been able to confirm his selection and appointment.

On behalf of the Board of Directors I am therefore delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Larry Hobdell to the position of ACAMIS Executive Director, effective 1 August 2024. Larry is an outstanding candidate in all possible regards, with significant senior leadership experience in highly reputable schools both internationally and in the USA. Additionally, Larry brings considerable additional regional experience from his previous role as an East Asia Regional Education Officer for the Office of Overseas Schools, U.S. Department of State. Larry has the passion, vision, interpersonal skills, and strategic and operational experience and expertise that we feel is needed to fulfill the demands of such a challenging position (and to replace someone with Tom’s remarkable ability and reputation!)

As a Board of Directors, we are thrilled to have been able to recruit an educational leader and former diplomat with such relevant experience and with so much ability and potential to continue Tom’s fine work and lead our association into an exciting future. We are also pleased to have managed to complete this appointment well in advance of Tom’s departure, thus allowing for an orderly succession. Closer to the end of his tenure we will be sure to find ways in which to celebrate Tom’s immeasurable contributions to our association.

For now, however, our focus is firmly upon celebrating Larry’s appointment and welcoming him into the ACAMIS family of schools. Welcome Larry – we look forward to seeing you here in China soon!

On behalf of the ACAMIS Board of Directors,

Steve Moody (Director, International School of Tianjin).

President

Name

Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Hobdell

Career

U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Schools, Head of School, Superintendent, Chief School Officer, High School Principal, Teacher

Prior to his appointment as the new Executive Director of ACAMIS, effective August 2024, Dr. Hobdell served as the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas School’s Regional Education Officer for the East Asia Pacific region. Before joining the Office of Overseas Schools, Larry served as the Head of School at the International School of Florence, in Florence, Italy, for over four years. Prior to his tenure in Italy, he spent over twenty five years in American public schools in various leadership capacities. Larry was a School District Superintendent for fifteen years, in three School Districts in the State of New Jersey, and prior to his role as Chief School Officer, he served as High School Principal, for a U.S. Model High School, in Wilmington, Delaware. He also served in Principalships in two Elementary Schools exposing him to a rich and broad breadth of administrative experiences, K-12.
Larry began his career as an elementary teacher before moving to the secondary level as a High School English teacher and sports coach. He and his wife, Karen, reside in Winslow, New Jersey. Dr. Hobdell was born and raised in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He believes passionately in the power of positive relationships and teamwork and looks forward to using these core beliefs in his new role. His personal interests include family, white water rafting, reading and travel.

Hide Larry's Biography