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Writer's pictureBeth McDaniel

Meet Our Board President, Jeff Brandt

Jeff's involvement with CWS goes back years, but his passion for the school has never faded.


Then and now. Jeff's kids, Calvin and Ayla, during their early childhood years at the Cincinnati Waldorf School circa 2010. And, recently, at a Cincinnati Cyclones game.


When Jeff began volunteering at CWS, his kids were little. As you can see, they're not little anymore! Calvin is a senior preparing to graduate from Walnut Hills High School, and Ayla is a freshman at the School for Creative and Performing Arts.


Jeff recalls,"We were drawn to CWS because we had learned how our children would be able to be outside, play in and enjoy nature, and spend so many of those youngest years learning without even knowing that this was 'school' and that they were being taught."


Now Jeff is proud that his kids are the ones singing the praises of the education they received: "My children are thrilled that they had a Waldorf education. I now watch as they happily share with others how their Cincinnati Waldorf experience has given them advantages in both post-Waldorf education and everyday circumstances."


Jeff's tenure as a CWS volunteer goes back to 2008/2009. He remembers donating items for "A Holiday Affair," which turned into helping with events and fundraisers, chairing events, and then joining the Board while continuing to support school events and fundraising.


This past April, Jeff played a big role supporting our annual Spring Benefit. He owns the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar in Covington and worked with his staff to come up with a signature cocktail. Jeff also stocked the bar, donated liquor for our silent auction, and helped solicit one of the signature items for our Live Auction.


In fact, this tenure on the Board is not Jeff's first. Jeff recalls his initial impetus to join the Board: "I accepted the invitation to join the Board because the school was seeking a lawyer on the Board and because my mentors Sarah Singer-Nourie and Pete Kennedy were taking steps to strengthen the school's finances and take a more business-like approach to the school's legal and economic issues. To me, that sounded extremely important for the future of Cincinnati Waldorf and a great cause."


During his two tenures on the CWS Board of Trustees, Jeff is proud to have helped take steps to accomplish the objectives of two Strategic Plans and be a part of the fantastic things happening now toward completing the goals of the current Strategic Plan. Some of the things he's most proud of include being on the teams that institutionalized CPA audits of our finances, developed a reserve fund, increased and diversified the school's assets, opened the high school, and increased faculty salaries.


In some ways, the love Jeff has for Waldorf education is “in his blood.” As the son of a teacher and a former teacher himself, Jeff is passionate about education in general and about Waldorf in particular because of what he sees as the importance of Waldorf education for our future leaders.


Jeff says he returned to the Board, in part, because the school had goals to meet, and there were ways that he could help meet those goals.


CWS "hearts" you, Jeff! Thank you for the many years you’ve dedicated to our school!








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