David Baad is the athletic director, head baseball coach, and middle school decisions teacher at St. Albans School in Washington D.C. He also serves on the honor council, admissions committee, and the school’s governing board as the faculty representative. Additionally, David works with a program in the Dominican Republic, Beisbol y Libros, introducing school based baseball and softball programs to the community of Consuelo. David earned a B.A. in History from Rollins College, where he was a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society and captained the baseball team. Outside of work, David enjoys spending time with his wife, Hafida, and his 9 year old daughter, Kinza, the latter of whom is as much of a baseball nut as he is.

Greg Bamford is community service director and English teacher at The Overlake School in Redmond, Washington.  In 2005-2006, he will also be piloting an interdisciplinary humanities curriculum.  Greg previously taught at Hawken School in Gates Mills, Ohio; the Brush Ranch School in Terrero, New Mexico; and Washington Ethical High School (now The Nora School) in Washington, D.C.  He attended Georgetown University, graduating in 1996, and St. John’s College, where he earned his M.A. in their “great books” program.  In 2002, he participated in the Klingenstein Summer Institute.  He lives in Seattle with his wife and cat, where they enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing, and breakfast pastries.  Thanks to their 1907 house, which they recently purchased, he is learning a lot about home repair.

Meredy Benson is the high school coordinator, college counselor and upper division English teacher at Oak Grove School in Ojai, CA, a pre-K through 12^th day school founded by the philosopher J. Krishnamurti.  Meredy graduated from Sussex University, England in 1982 with an Honors BA in English Literature; she completed her B.Ed. and teaching credential at York University, Toronto in 1993.   She is married to Dennis Rice, also a school administrator, and they have five children in their blended family, two of whom are working teachers – life in the Benson-Rice household is consequently steeped in education talk!  In her spare time, Meredy is a novelist and playwright, with two works of young adult fiction on the market to date - Dreamcatcher and A True Blue Dream of Sky, both published by Polestar Press; she is an active member of the Theater 150 Writer’s Group.

Meredy is interested in exploring the benefits of small schools, integrated curriculum built around “essential questions”, and authentic assessment.

Anna Bertucci is the upper school head at Oakwood Friends School, a Quaker boarding school in Poughkeepsie, NY.  In addition to her administrative duties, Anna currently teaches World History and Art History.  A Chicago native, Anna received her undergraduate degree in History of Art and Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago and her MA in Art History and Archaeology from Columbia.  Before coming to Oakwood in 1999, Anna taught social studies and art for three years at Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn.  Anna lived in Germany when she was young and has traveled extensively, most recently to Turkey, Korea, and Japan.  She lives on the campus at Oakwood with her husband, a history and philosophy teacher.  She is looking forward to the Klingenstein experience and to spending time in New York City again.

Wesley Clarke graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Mathematical Sciences and a second major in Spanish.  After one year as an actuarial consultant, he has spent the last five years teaching at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in Atlanta, GA.  Currently, Wes is the 10^th grade dean of students, teaches AP Statistics, and coaches girls fast-pitch softball and boys Varsity basketball.  He also has served as faculty advisor to the Integrity Council and as a faculty representative on upper school committees for admissions, development, and modification of the daily schedule.  Outside of school, Wes is an avid sports enthusiast, participating in basketball, tennis, and dodgeball leagues.  He has volunteered as a Spanish interpreter for the Special Olympics World Summer Games, chaperoned a student trip to Guadalajara, Mexico, and hiked the Inca Trail.

Luyen Chou is the executive director of the Center for Integrated Learning and Teaching, and the associate head of The School at Columbia University.  He is responsible for K-12 research and development initiatives; curriculum and pedagogy; institutional and corporate partnerships; business operations; and faculty recruitment and evaluation.  Previously, Luyen was founder, president, and chief executive officer of LearnTech, an educational software company.  Prior to founding LearnTech, he served as director of operations for the New Laboratory for Teaching and Learning at The Dalton School, and as project manager for the Dalton Technology Plan, a million-dollar-a-year grant to build the school of the future in the context of networked multimedia.  He also taught in the Dalton history department.

Luyen has a BA in Philosophy from Harvard College.  He is involved in several non-profit initiatives and is also a member of the New York City Department of Education Human Resources Advisory Board.

Austin Curwen has been at the Thacher School in Ojai CA for the past seven years.  He is currently serving as teacher of history and geography, a riding instructor, and dormitory head for the 9^th grade boys’ dormitory.  Prior to arriving to Thacher, Austin taught at the Queen Anne School, a K-5 one room school house in Seattle for two years, then attended the University of Washington’s Teacher Education Program and received his MEd.  He then joined his wife living in Index, WA (pop. 141) for a year and a half.  Outside of the classroom, Austin has worn many hats ranging from work as an instructor and course director for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School to being a self employed carpenter to being a volunteer firefighter.  His current work has him living the good life with his wife Alison and their three energetic kids amid the sage and orange groves of sunny Southern California.

Jon Deveaux has served as an admissions officer in independent schools for 17 years.  He is the director of admissions at Westminster School in Simsbury, CT where he has worked for the past 12 years.  He began his boarding school career at Cheshire Academy where in addition to being director of admissions and financial aid, he taught psychology, coached soccer and supervised a dormitory.  Growing up in Woking, Surrey, England, Jon has had a life-long passion for soccer.  He serves as the assistant coach of the boys’ varsity team at Westminster, plays in a Hartford-area men’s league and watches his two daughters matches whenever possible.  Jon and his wife Sara, who is chair of the language department at Westminster, live in a house on the Westminster campus with their daughters Ellie and Katie, and their dog, Brody.

Brian Easler is the assistant head of school and dean of students at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Massachusetts.  In addition to his official duties, he also assists with the Outdoor Adventure program and teaches an Ethics and Literature course in the English Department.  Brian has a B.A. in English and Philosophy from the University of Maine at Farmington and an M.Ed. from Springfield College.  Particularly useful to him in his current role are the lessons he learned in the military and his experiences as a wilderness trip leader for adolescents.  Brian lives on the WMA campus with his wife, Stephanie, and their two dogs.

Clay Elliott has been teaching, coaching, and living in a dormitory for the last seven years at the Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, Massachusetts.  He joined the faculty there after graduating from Williams College in 1998.  During his time there, he has taught Colonial, Ancient, and Military history.  He has also coached football, wrestling, baseball, and the academic team.  As with most Eaglebrook faculty, the most important part of his job is guiding the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th grade students in their daily routines and activities.  Clay originally hails from Houston, Texas where he attended the St. John’s School.

A native of the DC area, Bret Federigan is excited to return to New York City, where he earned his BA in Classics from Columbia.  For the four years after college, he cut his teeth at New England boarding schools, teaching both English and Latin at Avon Old Farms School and Loomis Chaffee School.  For the past two years, he has been a faculty member at the Lakeside School in Seattle, where he teaches Latin, serves as the 12^th grade coordinator, assists in theater productions as music director, and directs the campus a capella group.  Bret looks forward to getting to know and working with passionate and talented school people.

Wortie Ferrell works at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, where he has taught history, served as the freshman dean and dorm head, and coached football, wrestling, and lacrosse.  In the 2005-2006 academic year, he will assume the role of dean of students.  Prior to working at Episcopal, Wortie graduated from Princeton University and taught history and math at his high school alma mater, Collegiate School, in Richmond, Virginia, where he also served as head varsity wrestling and lacrosse coach.  After seven years at Collegiate, he earned his MBA from the University of Virginia and worked briefly in investment banking before returning to education and Episcopal.  His wife, Courtney, looks forward to spending time in New York City as she enjoys a “radical sabbatical” from her job as a creative consultant.

Margarita Gerharz attended Maryland public schools and started her teaching career in the public schools in West Virginia.  The scarcity of long-term teaching prospects in WV led her to a small private school in Washington, DC to teach middle school science.  Since then, she has also been a math teacher, science department chair, middle school division coordinator, and technology coordinator.  For the past four years Rita has been teaching middle school technology and math at the Bullis School in Maryland.  She has a BA in Biology and Environmental Science from Davis and Elkins College and an Advanced Certificate in Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University.  Rita is interested in learning more about expanding new teacher training and support, developing school culture, and finding ways to increase interdisciplinary collaboration.  She is excited to explore these and other topics at Klingenstein.  Rita’s other interests include hiking, biking, kayaking, and trying to play guitar.

Timothy Hipp is anxious to return to Teachers College after completing the school's MA in Computer and Education this past spring. Hipp graduated from the University of Notre Dame with degrees in accounting, computer applications, and history.  He has held teaching and administrative roles in several Catholic schools, including St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, IL and Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, GA. He has recently joined the faculty at Woodward Academy in College Park, GA, and is excited to teach, coach, and lend his technical expertise to the school's burgeoning campus. His wife, Shannon, teaches English at the Marist School and coaches cross country during the fall season, while Tim coaches girls basketball in the winter. Next spring they hope to finally enjoy a few dinners together.

Sarah Johnston is currently the director of admission and financial aid at Hathaway Brown School, an all girls’ school located in Shaker Heights, Ohio.  She has served in the admission office for the past six years as well as coached middle school lacrosse and served as an advisor.  Prior to HB, Sarah worked in the admission office at Western Reserve Academy where she headed a dorm, coached, taught and served as an advisor. She is a 1995 graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, earning a B.A. in political science, and has worked in independent schools since graduation.  Sarah is the proud daughter of a college administrator and a college professor and grew up on college campuses throughout her life.  She resides in University Heights, Ohio with her husband of six years, Jeff.

Brian Jurek earned his B.A. from Amherst College and began his teaching career at Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, where he taught English, lived in the dorm, and coached football and hockey for six years. He left Indiana to teach for one year at Gilmour Academy in Cleveland before returning to his native New England.  Brian had a two-year stint as a product manager for EBSCO Publishing before heading back to boarding school life at Hebron Academy, where he currently lives and works with his wife Jeanine, a Hebron art teacher, and their daughters Rachel (8) and Avery (5). In his free time, Brian enjoys running (plodding, actually) and fly-fishing.

Jim Justice teaches English and serves as the Class of 2009 Boys Grade Chair at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia.  Currently teaching 9^th grade, he has also taught a senior course in Southern Literature and has spent the past five years working with School for the Common Good, an interdisciplinary and experiential course on the history and practice of civil society in America offered jointly by Westminster and Benjamin E. Mays High School, a City of Atlanta Public School.  In addition, he helps coach Boys Varsity Cross Country, sits on the High School Admissions Committee, and is working to develop a visiting authors series.  Married with two labs and a hive of honeybees, Jim enjoys running, reading, and fly fishing.

Andrea Killian joins the Leadership Academy from Havertown, Pennsylvania.  After graduating from Boston University with a B.A. in Geography in 1993, she moved to California where she owned and operated a personal training business.  A desire to combine her experience as a coach and trainer with her love of history drew her back East to her home state of PA.  The past 5 years she has been a teacher, advisor, coach and fitness center director at The Episcopal Academy in Merion, PA. Outside of school, Andrea enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, eclectic restaurants, reading and travel.  Andrea has recently been announced as the next assistant head of middle school at EA.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Leslie Ann Little couldn’t escape her family’s roots and settled on a college in Macon, Georgia.  After receiving her B.A. at Mercer, she taught in the gifted program at a rural public school before entering private education.  She spent the next 9 years teaching English at Stratford Academy and serving as community service coordinator.  The next transition took her to the “big city” and The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia, where she has taught English for 10 years and has served as the Seventh Grade Girls’ Chair for the past 6.  She will begin the fall as the new dean of girls in the Westminster Junior High.  During 20-plus years in teaching, she has sponsored, chaired, chaperoned, and developed, everything from lesson plans to site plans, and has enjoyed most every moment.

Tom Little has spent his entire 29-year career at Park Day School, in Oakland, Ca. As one of the founding teachers in 1976, Tom taught grades 4-6 for ten years and has been head of school for the past nineteen years. Tom was selected as a Klingenstein Visiting Fellow in 2001. In addition to his work in education, Tom was a basketball referee for 30 years, officiating at the NCAA Division 1 level until his retirement in 1999. He is married to Elizabeth, and they have two children, Courtney and Matt.

Shane MacElhiney has been teaching for seven years, all of them at Wooster School, an incredible K-12 coed day school in Danbury, Connecticut. Currently, he is the upper school dean of students. In addition, he teaches 3 sections of math and a semester of economics as well as coaching the varsity boys soccer team and the JV boys tennis team. Despite the full schedule, he is grateful for all the opportunities the school has presented him to learn about schools, education, community, and himself.  He is looking forward to summer for three reasons: the opportunity to wrestle with the complexities of his profession with other excited educators, the opportunity to take an extended backpack, and the arrival of a yellow lab puppy.

Dorothy Sandler Meyer graduated from Yale University in 1998 with a B.A. in Classical Languages and Literature.  After graduation, she studied in Italy and England for two years, receiving an M.A. in History from the Warburg Institute at the University of London.  For the past five years, she has been teaching at Friends Seminary, an independent Quaker school in New York City.  She teaches middle school history and upper school Latin, and is a 6th grade homeroom advisor.  She is also the co-president of the Teachers' Association, the organization responsible for representing the faculty in contract negotiations.

Marta Miskolszy has been the director of admissions and financial aid for Santa Fe Prep since 1998. A fourth-generation graduate of independent schools, she first started giving tours for the Middlesex School admissions office as a freshman, headed west after college to work as an events coordinator and tour guide for the Aspen Skiing Company and still gives tours, now for Santa Fe Prep. She has a BS from the University of Vermont. She has studied in Greece and Hungary and has done graduate work in education at Wheelock College in Boston, MA.  While at Prep, she has participated in the NAIS School Leadership Program, the SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) project, and various committees ranging in focus from accreditation to diversity. She loves being an integral part of school life. She looks forward to TC and exploring the cultural richness of New York with her husband and 3 ½ year old son.

Michael O'Donnell has completed his fourth year at Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, MA.  He currently serves as chair of the Philosophy and Religion Department, debate coach, and faculty resident.  He teaches courses including Political Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism.  Michael began his teaching career in Lyon, France where he taught constitutional law at the Edouard Lambert Institut de Droit Compare (Lyon III) and economics at The American Business School.  He returned to Boston to practice law for five years (a nightmare from which he awoke).  He has since taught at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA and split time between teaching and college counseling at The Cambridge School of Weston in Weston, MA.  A graduate of Brooks School in North Andover, MA, Michael pursued his passion for philosophy at Boston College where he received his B.A. with majors in English and Philosophy.  He received his J.D. from the University of Richmond Law School.  His most prized possession is his relationship with his wife Sonja, an English teacher at Deerfield, and their six-year-old son, Julian.

After graduating from Stanford University, Candice Olson was a leader in outdoor education at both Outward

Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School.  She went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School and subsequently built and ran businesses at American Express and Time Warner.   After her success working in established public companies, Candice then created a successful media company, iVillage, where she served as CEO until 2000.

In recognition of Candice’s contributions, she was awarded the Matrix Award, the highest media award based on peer recognition, the MIT Institute Award for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and an Emmy.  Her first book, “Chapters: Create a Life of Exhilaration and Accomplishment in the Face of Change”, won praise from academic and business leaders.

Candice is currently a Trustee of the Convent of the Sacred Heart School.  She is married and lives in New York City with her husband, Peter, CEO of Random House, and their two children.

Louis O'Prussack just turned 40 recently, and lives in a home on 450 acres at a boarding school in rural Southern California with two dogs, one enormous cat, his wife and 3 ½ year old son.  Having grown up in New York City, he finds himself living in an environment that could not be more different from that of his childhood. While he is still able to teach two math classes, most of his time is spent coordinating the academic program. Louis works with teachers, residential counselors, other administrators, parents, and students designing, shaping and implementing a college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes creative expression in the Arts.  This is his 13th year at Happy Valley School.

Peg Pavelec currently teaches 5^th and 6^th grade math and science at the Ancona School in Chicago, IL.  She comes to the Leadership Academy with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Iowa and eight years of experience teaching children both in the Chicago Public Schools as well as in private institutions. Peg’s professional interests lie at the middle school level. She especially enjoys exploring environmental sustainability, social justice issues and community based learning experiences in her classroom. Peg and her husband Bill live in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, and eagerly await the arrival of their first child in October.

Brett Penny is an elementary trained teacher from New Zealand. He studied at Otago University where he graduated with a Diploma of Teaching and Bachelor of Education.  His first year teaching was at Remuera Primary School in Auckland. He then spent three years at King’s School in Auckland, an independent school for boys. His international teaching career started at the New International School of Thailand in Bangkok where he spent three years as a Grade 5 teacher and Grade Level Coordinator. Brett has spent the past two years in Switzerland where he holds the positions of deputy principal and IBO Primary Years Programme coordinator.

Jody Phillips grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida where she attended a Jewish Day School kindergarten through eighth grade   She holds a B.A. in Near Eastern Judaic Studies from Brandeis University and an M.A. in Computing in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.  Jody has been teaching at Cohen Hillel Academy in Marblehead, Massachusetts for the past six years in grades three, four and five, and she is currently teaching seventh grade Judaic Studies and Hebrew.  She hopes to one day soon return to Florida as principal of her alma mater.  She is very excited about returning to Teachers College and joining the Leadership Academy Cohort.

Kim Raccio is currently a member of the science department at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, Connecticut, where she teaches AP Biology, General Biology, Marine Biology, Human Sexuality and, occasionally, Chemistry.  In addition to her general teaching load, Kim coordinates Hamden Hall’s New Faculty Program, coaches Academic Decathlon and is faculty advisor for the Gay-Straight Alliance.  Prior to Hamden Hall, Kim was program director for the Schooner Harvey Gamage Foundation and later, CT Sea Grant education specialist for the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.  Kim and her husband, Jesse, are proudly owned by one cat and three ferrets - who will undoubtedly hide all of her socks while she is away during the summer!

Amani Reed has been the assistant middle school director at Lakeside School in Seattle, Washington, for the past three years. Lakeside School is a coed 5-12 day school divided on two campuses. Along with his administrative duties, Amani has also been involved in teaching history, ethics and coaching soccer. Prior to coming to Lakeside, Amani spent 6 years at Sewickley Academy, outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His career has included many different assignments including teaching, Summerbridge, admissions, and diversity director roles. He and his wife Jules have just welcomed their new son.

Peter Reinke has been a teacher and administrator at Head-Royce School in Oakland, California since 1996.  Previously, he worked for U.S. Senator John Chafee.  At Head-Royce, Peter is a history teacher and the school’s civic purpose director, overseeing Head-Royce’s strategic partnerships with Alameda County.   For many years, Peter was development director for the school’s Heads Up Alliance, an enrichment program for minority youth.  Peter is past vice-president of Oakland’s municipal ethics commission and a board member for California Common Cause.  He is also board vice-president of Clausen House; an agency that provides essential services to 180 developmentally disabled adults.   Peter is a graduate of Brown University and is married to the wonderful Teresia.  He is the proud brother of Steven, a resident at Clausen House.

Robin Renschler graduated from Indiana State University Evansville with a B.S. in Elementary/Middle School Education. She enters the Leadership Academy with a background that includes a diversity of education experiences including administration and teaching in the primary division.  Currently she is completing her ninth year at Saddle River Day School, an independent K-12 school located in Bergen County, New Jersey.  Aside from her teaching responsibilities Robin has served as mentoring coordinator to new faculty, assistant coordinator for the school’s accreditation process and recently completed an administrative internship to the divisional dean.  When not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Eric, and their two daughters.

Daniel Kikuji Rubenstein is currently head of the Mathematics department at Collegiate School in New York City, having worked in secondary education for thirteen years.  Dan previously served as mathematics teacher and administrator at Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC and  School Year Abroad Beijing.  After eight years of independent school teaching, Dan was recruited to help build the math program of the fledgling SEED Foundation Public Charter School in South East Washington.  Dan is a Nationally Board Certified Mathematics Teacher and an associate member of the Teacher's Advisory Board to the National Academy of Science.  In 2002, he was awarded the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching.  He holds degrees from Hamilton College and St. Johns College in Santa Fe, NM and is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Teachers College in Education Leadership.  Dan likes to remind young faculty members of the importance of parent's night.  After a 10 minute meeting with Dan, the mother of a senior at Sidwell insisted on introducing him to her niece.  Dan and Melanie (the niece) have been married for three years and recently gave birth to their first child, a girl named Celia. 

Matt Sawyer currently teaches at The Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA.  He has been teaching English and coaching football, boys’ and girls’ basketball, and baseball there since his graduation from Amherst in 1994.  He earned his M.A. at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English in 2002.  At Bread Loaf he met his wife Sarah (Amherst ’97, Bread Loaf ‘02), who also currently teaches English at Williston.  Their son Will turns two in July of 2005.  Since his graduation from Bread Loaf, Matt has spent his last two summers as the assistant to the director of the Williston Summer Programs.  His hobbies include golf, biking, and doing his best to satisfy Will’s desire to play every kind of “ball” imaginable.

Barbara Scott is currently the director of admissions at The Nightingale-Bamford School.  She holds a B.A. from Hamilton College and received training in human development at the Gesell Institute.  She currently serves on the ISAAGNY Admissions Directors’ Board, and is a trustee of The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.  She has been a classroom teacher, faculty advisor and administrator during her tenure in New York City independent schools.  She also designed and co-authored curriculum for the New York Times Learning Network on the web, which targets classroom teachers, parents and students in grades 3-12.  Barbara lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.  In her free time she enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, tennis and boating; she also likes to read when time permits.  Joining her colleagues at the Klingenstein Center is the realization of Barbara’s goal to be a student among peers who can connect practice and pedagogy with application.

Kathleen Swafford comes to the Leadership Academy from Dallas, Texas with twenty years experience in independent school education.  She earned a B.S. in special education from the University of Texas at Dallas and an M.Ed in elementary education from Texas A & M University.  Kathleen taught kindergarten, second grade, and classes for the talented and gifted for over fifteen years at St. John’s Episcopal School and the Episcopal School of Dallas.  She most recently served four years as headmistress at Holy Trinity Episcopal School in Heath, Texas.  Heading this small school – ages three through fifth grade – gave her great insight into this demanding and challenging profession and confirmation that leading an independent school is her true calling and passion.

Phil Thornton

After graduating from Amherst College as a Physics major, Phil went to work at St. Andrew's School in Middletown Delaware where, for 3 years, he supervised a boys' dorm, taught physics and math, and coached soccer and basketball. After a 9 year stint at IBM, Phil joined the staff at University School in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. During his 14 year tenure at US, Phil served as assistant headmaster and director of development with overall responsibility for the School's fund raising and alumni programs. He was acting headmaster at US for the 1999-2000 school year (seeing the school safely through the Y2K crisis......).  Phil is now the director of development at The Roxbury Latin School in Boston.  Outside of school, Phil has studied improvisational comedy at The Second City Training center, acted in local community theater and hiked the Wind River Range through a two week National Outdoor Leadership (NOLS) program. He also enjoys reading and playing soccer.

Nameeta Tolia-Henbest teaches second grade at The San Francisco School.  She also serves on the boards of two regional organizations, POCIS (People of Color in Independent Schools) and AsEA (Asian Educator Alliance) that cultivate diversity, equity and justice within Bay Area independent schools through conferences and events.  At her own school Nameeta leads a SEED seminar for faculty professional development and has served on various committees such as finance, board, and diversity. Nameeta came to teaching via a teacher recruitment program after spending a few post-college years in Russian Studies.  Having grown up on the East Coast, Nameeta now enjoys hiking, farmers marketing, and living in the vibrant Bay Area where she has been for the past twelve years.

Gareth Vaughan is currently serving as head of the upper school at Washington International School (WIS) in Washington, D.C... He has been at WIS for over 20 years in a wide range of roles including teaching Science in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, dean of students in middle and upper school and soccer coach.  A strong supporter of the IB Program, Gareth holds an IB diploma himself from the United World College of the Atlantic in the UK.  After graduating from the University of York, Gareth worked for the alumni organization of United World Colleges before deciding to make education his career.  He went to the Institute of Education in London to gain his teaching certification and still has vivid memories of his first day of “teaching practice” in South London when a student attempted to burn the school down. He is married to a school administrator, but they try never to talk about work at home.

Holly Williams is teaching middle and upper school math at Cascades Academy in Bend, Oregon. Originally from New England, Holly earned a BA in Geology and Mathematics at Hamilton College. Directly after graduation, Holly began teaching math and outdoor education in private schools back-east. Her love of the outdoors and hankering for a good adventure brought Holly to the Pacific Northwest and to The Overlake School in 1997. While at Overlake, Holly chaired the math department, coached tennis and soccer, led outdoor education trips, and served on more committees than she can count. Ready for another adventure, Holly recently headed to Oregon to join the faculty at the fledgling school, Cascades Academy. In only its second year and with plans for much growth, Cascades Academy is a fertile environment for Holly to apply all that she learns at the Leadership Academy!

John Zwack graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in history.  He began his teaching career as a 6^th-8^th-grade history teacher and coach at Foothill Country Day School in Claremont, CA.  After four years at Foothill, John worked on an expedition-style cruise ship that explored remote destinations from Gibraltar to New Zealand. Since his return to dry land, John has been working at Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey for seven years. He spent his first five years teaching 8^th grade history and coaching lacrosse.  John is currently the 10^th Grade Level Advisor, a Modern World History teacher and a soccer coach. John lives in Manhattan with his wife Michelle and seven-month old daughter Olivia.