Directory

Maria Kimsey came to Mercersburg with an undergraduate degree and MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and an extensive background in the corporate finance world. Maria is a CPA. She was vice president of finance for Boehringer Mannheim, now known as Roche Diagnostics. Prior to Mercersburg, she was associate head of operations and chief financial officer at the Park Tudor School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Maria oversaw the finances, facilities, human resources, technology, food service, and auxiliary services departments at Park Tudor. In 2012, Maria was awarded a Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership for Independent Schools from Johns Hopkins University.

Quentin McDowell was appointed Mercersburg's assistant head of school for enrollment in 2016, and became associate head of school for external relations in 2019. In this role, he oversees the school's offices of admission and financial aid, advancement and alumni relations, strategic marketing and communications, and summer programs. He arrived at Mercersburg in 2007 as a member of the history faculty and became director of summer and extended programs in 2008–a position he held until July 2012, when he joined the admission office as senior associate director of admission and financial aid. Quentin has also served as the head boys' varsity soccer coach, leading the Blue Storm to its first-ever Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship in 2014. He is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and George Washington University. Quentin lives on campus with his wife, Lauren, and their three children, Nina, Ewan, and Rooney.

Jyl Hoover was appointed the school's registrar in 2019. She prepares transcripts and forms involving the dissemination of student records to other institutions. She also maintains records for students (permanent, academic, and enrollment) in electronic and permanent paper files. Jyl also manages records related to the master schedule. Transcript requests should be directed to her.

Liam Chatterton joined Mercersburg as director of financial aid and associate director of admission after nearly seven years with UBS Financial Services, during which he was based in New York City and worked in different roles including client and global strategy. Liam is a boarding school graduate, having attended St. George's School in Rhode Island, where he was a prefect and played hockey, football, baseball, and lacrosse. He earned a bachelor's degree in finance and legal studies from Babson College. Liam is an assistant coach for boys' varsity lacrosse, and he, his wife, Kathleen, and their two children, Maverick and Kennedy, live in Fowle Hall.

Michelle Faust joined Mercersburg Academy in 2009 as a member of the Office of Summer and Extended Programs before moving to the Office of Admission. Prior to Mercersburg, she worked in mortgage services as an underwriter and loan closer. Michelle has two daughters, including Emily '15.

Jaime Lohr came to Mercersburg in 2016 from APPLES (Alliance for Parent, Provider, and Local Employer Solutions) for Children in Hagerstown, Maryland, where she was an office administrator and registrar. Prior to her time at APPLES, she worked as an administrative assistant for Bright Horizons Family Solutions, the managing corporate childcare company of Citi Family Center in Hagerstown. Jaime and her husband, Mark, live in Mercersburg.

Zach Swope came to Mercersburg from The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, where he was an associate director of admission and dormitory head. He has also worked as a research technologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Zach graduated from The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia, and received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hendrix College. He and his wife, Shelley, are dorm deans in South Cottage.

Carolyn Yeager came to Mercersburg from Dickinson College, where she served as associate vice president for development and director of leadership giving. Prior to her 17-year tenure there, she served as assistant director of annual giving at Hood College. Carolyn is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office and working with other members of the office to develop and implement long-range strategic plans. She is also a major-gift fundraiser. Carolyn holds a bachelor's degree in English and sociology from Sweet Briar College. She and her husband, Gary, are the parents of two Mercersburg students, Jack '20 and Camryn '21.

Jenn Flanagan Bradley '99 began her career at Mercersburg in 2006 by working in development as an assistant director of alumni and parent programs. She spent four years as a member in the Office of Admission before rejoining the advancement team as director of the Mercersburg Annual Fund, and was named director of reunions in 2017. Jenn earned a bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University and worked in New York City as a paralegal for four years after college. She is one of 23 members of her family who have attended Mercersburg.

Brad Cramer oversees the processing of requests for data and analysis, manages the capital and operational budgets, and ensures the quality of advancement data and reporting. Prior to joining Mercersburg in 2001, he worked in the financial services industry. Brad received his accounting degree from Mansfield University.

Robin Fiddler joined the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations in January 2014. Previously she worked for PNC Bank as a regional coordinator for its Frederick and Western Maryland regions and as an executive assistant to the regional president and a project coordinator for PNC University. Robin has completed coursework in the office technology program at Hagerstown Community College.

James came to Mercersburg in 2017 after serving as public relations and community affairs manager for Washington County, Maryland. As director of annual giving, he oversees a yearly $3 million fundraising effort among alumni, parents, and friends of the school. James has worked in marketing and communications with Armstrong World Industries, Carroll County (Md.) Public Library, and NBC25 WHAG-TV, and in budget analytics with Letterkenny Army Depot. He holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Kathy McCleary joined the Mercersburg community in 2016 after working as a regional principal secretary for the Chambersburg Area School District and as a senior project assistant and bid administrator for Progressive Services. As the data information manager for the advancement team, she assists with reports, targeting, data entry and analysis, budgeting, and appeals and provides a variety of other administrative support.

Evan Moats joined the staff of his alma mater in 2017 as a regional engagement officer. In his role, he works with both the Advancement Office and the Admission Office to connect with alumni and current and prospective families. Evan is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, where he majored in geography and international relations.

Barb Myers is the advancement services associate for the Advancement office and handles the processing of gifts made to Mercersburg, and deals with credit card gifts, monthly gift payments, receipts, and acknowledgments sent to donors. Prior to joining the Academy, Barb was a bank bookkeeper.

Denise Rogers-Bennett is a familiar face at Mercersburg, having previously served as assistant to the director of development in the Advancement Office and as an administrative assistant in the campus post office. She has also worked as an executive assistant and service department manager in her family's commercial construction business. Denise and her husband, Dean of Curricular Innovation John David Bennett, are the parents of three children: Cameron Rogers '12, Olivia Grace Bennett '19, and Augie Bennett '23.

Jim Brinson is highly experienced in choral arts, organ performance, and music history. He is the school organist (appointed 2003), carillonneur (appointed 2009), director of Magalia (the school's female a cappella group) and the Chapel music program, and assistant director of the Chorale. A graduate with distinction from both Union Theological Seminary's School of Sacred Music and Rhodes College, he is a member of the American Guild of Organists and the American Choral Directors Association and an associate member of the Guild of Carillonneurs of North America.

Jim previously worked at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and School in Winter Haven, Fla., and at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis, Tenn., where he served as a music staff member and organist and choirmaster at Church of the Holy Communion. He has also taught music history and organ performance at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla. Jim and his wife, Doree (who was a staff member in the library), lived in Swank Hall for several years and now live in a townhouse on campus.

Denise is Mercersburg's director of dance, a member of the faculty council and holds the Douglas Hale Teaching Chair. She served as the head of the arts department from 2008-2013 and is a former recipient of the Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious & Interdisciplinary Studies. Her choreography has been featured nationally and internationally at venues including DTW in New York City; the Regional and National High School Dance Festivals in Norfolk, VA, Miami, Philadelphia and Long Beach, CA; the Colony Theater in Miami Beach, South Africa, and India.

Denise has trained under scholarship with Trisha Brown and Bessie Schonberg and has danced with renowned choreographers and companies such as Liz Lerman, Stephen Petronio, Eun-me Ahn, Art Bridgeman, and Myrna Packer; Momentum Dance Company and The DanceNow! Ensemble of Miami Beach. She has studied Bartenieff Fundamentals and Laban Movement Analysis under Bill Evans, incorporating these concepts into her pedagogy and continues to study and train by participating in summer programs including Bates Dance Festival, ADF, Bill Evans Dance Intensives, and The Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop.

Denise has participated in several international dance service trip projects, including South Africa, Swaziland, India, and Peru. She previously taught at the University of Massachusetts, Florida International University, and Dillard Center for the Arts (a nationally recognized performing arts magnet high school in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). She is certified in MBSR and a member of NDEO.

Wells Gray approaches teaching by establishing a strong rapport with students and fostering their knowledge of art concepts and the mechanics of art in both the studio and for AP Art History. He believes by constituting a supportive atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, a foundation is developed for receptive learning. His academic appointments have included Bennington College, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, the Kildonan School, and many art centers throughout the country. In addition to teaching art, Wells continues to exhibit his ceramic vessels nationally.

Kristen Pixler teaches digital art and photography, as well as COMMARTS: The Art and Business of Graphic Design (a Springboard capstone course available to seniors). She is also the head coach for Mercersburg's girls' varsity soccer team, works with Mercersburg Outdoor Education, and is an adviser to Blue Review, the school's student literary-arts publication. Kristen came to Mercersburg from Harrisburg Area Community College, where she was an adjunct professor of web design. She is an experienced commercial photographer, illustrator, and designer, and owns KHP Photo and Design in Chambersburg. She received a bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University and a master of fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, both with an emphasis on photography. Kristen and her husband, Matthew, live off campus; Kristen is an adviser and dorm faculty member in Fowle Hall.

Leah joined the Mercersburg staff after spending eight years as the associate athletic trainer at Iona College, where she primarily worked with the women's soccer and softball teams. She also worked for a year with the softball team at the University of Detroit Mercy. (Both Iona and Detroit Mercy are NCAA Division I members.)

A native of Wilmington, Del., Leah earned a bachelor's degree in athletic training with a minor in sport psychology from Ithaca College, and a master's in management with a health care administration concentration from Iona. At Ithaca, she worked with a diverse array of teams, including football, women's soccer, baseball, track and field, and men's basketball. Leah is a Certified Athletic Trainer, is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania, and is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society.

Mike Collins is in charge of the day-to-day operations of Goldthorpe Athletic Complex, the Issue Room, the Hale Field House, the Smoyer Tennis Center, and all campus athletic facilities. He is past president of the Rotary Club of Mercersburg and a board member for local youth sports programs St. Thomas Sports Association and Tuscarora Youth Soccer Club. Mike lives in Mercersburg with his wife, Debra, and their two children, Caitlyn and Michael '15.

Andrew Myers has been working with Mercersburg athletes since the fall of 2011, and was promoted to director of athletic training services in summer 2018. He holds a bachelor's degree in athletic training from West Chester University and a master's in health education from Penn State University. While at West Chester, Andrew worked with a diverse array of teams that included men's soccer, softball, women's gymnastics, and men's lacrosse. Andrew also assisted with the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings as an intern during the 2008 NFL preseason, and was a graduate assistant at Penn State, where he worked extensively with the Penn State men's and women's soccer and softball teams, as well as the football, women's ice hockey, and field hockey teams. Andrew's area of focus throughout graduate school involved researching the issue of overtraining young athletes. Clinically, he also learned a variety of useful manual therapy techniques that he incorporates daily in his work with Mercersburg athletes. Andrew has been a Certified Athletic Trainer since 2009, is licensed by the state of Pennsylvania, and is also a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association and the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society.

Lori Cooper maintains the student billing system and prepares the monthly statements for parents. She also handles miscellaneous cash receipts and provides assistance to the Assistant Head for Finance and Operations and the Controller.

Jeff Goetz is a controller in the Business Office. He joined the Academy in 1990. Goetz graduated from Shippensburg University with a bachelor's degree in administration accounting. He previously worked as an international accountant at JLG Industries and senior project accountant at Perdue Farms. Goetz and his wife, Kim, have two children, Ben '06 and Nick.

Sean Flaherty joined the Campus Safety Team in March 2017. Prior to being named the assistant director of campus safety he served 25 years with the Pennsylvania State Police. During his tenure with the State Police, Sean attained the rank of sergeant and was the station commander of several barracks throughout the state. Administrative duties as a patrol corporal and station
commander included supervising enlisted and civilian personnel, facilitating training within the
state, and coordinating table top exercises within Fulton and Bedford Counties. He also
assessed emergency drills for local schools and developed organizational leadership
competencies that incorporated cultural diversity dimensions. Sean graduated from Slippery Rock University with a degree in Business Administration specializing in Management.

Brad Keefer joined the Academy in 2018 and works in the Campus Safety Office.

Karla Bingaman came to Mercersburg in 2001 and worked as administrative assistant for the Office of Summer and Extended Programs before joining the College Counseling Office. She holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Wilson College and lives in nearby Chambersburg with her husband, Jeremy, and son, Arlo.

Cindy Fowler comes to Mercersburg's College Counseling office with 14 years experience in college coaching and teaching high school math. She has been a swim coach at Division I, II, and III universities, including her time as assistant swim coach and women's recruiting coordinator at Rutgers University. She graduated from Montclair State University in New Jersey with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and computer science. At MSU she was co-captain of the swim team, earned multiple NJAC all-conference honors, and was the Metropolitan conference champion in the 200 fly. She also has a master of arts from Montclair State in physical education with a concentration in coaching and sports administration. Cindy's husband, Steve, is a member of the mathematics faculty and serves as an assistant swimming coach and as an adviser in Fowle Hall. The Fowlers have two children. 

Glenn Neufeld came to Mercersburg from the Upper Main Line YMCA in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, where he was the director of competitive aquatics and national team coach for 13 years. He also spent one season as assistant swimming coach at the University of Alabama. Glenn's teams consistently finished in the top five at YMCA Nationals, and his swimmers have won 44 YMCA national titles and a YMCA national championship in 2009. Glenn was the 2011 YMCA National Coach of the Year and spent three years on the YMCA Swimming National Advisory Committee. Glenn lives in Tippetts Hall, where he serves as a dorm parent and adviser. In 2016 (his second year at Mercersburg), the Blue Storm girls won the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships for the first time since 1987.

Stuart Titus previously taught English at St. George's School in Middletown, Rhode Island, where he served for six years as head girls' varsity tennis coach and for five years as an associate director of college counseling. At St. George's, he was also an assistant varsity football coach, the head boys' and girls' JV tennis coach, and a dormitory head and adviser. Stuart has worked as the director of admission and financial aid and as an English teacher at Pingree School in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, as well as a leadership gifts officer at Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts. He was a three-year letter winner in football at Bates College, where he earned his bachelor's degree. Stuart and his wife, Head of School Katie Titus, live in 1893 House with their daughters, Natalie '20 and Samantha '23.

Jackie Sweeney serves as the dormitory dean in Main Hall and is an administrative assistant in the College Counseling Office. Her husband, Mike, teaches mathematics and has been a member of the faculty since 2003. The Sweeneys have lived in Main Hall since 2012-2013 and are the parents of four children (all Mercersburg alumni or students): Megan '07, Sean '13, Fiona '21, and the late Jack '19.

Laura Patterson has served as dormitory dean of Tippetts Hall since 2013, though she and her family have been part of the Mercersburg community since 2005, when Laura's husband, Chip, joined the faculty as an English teacher. As the dean of Tippetts Hall, Laura oversees the largest boys' dorm on campus, which is home to more than 80 boarding students and serves as home base for an additional number of day students. Laura and Chip (who is the English department head and the dean of the dining hall) have three children: Mia '15, Dean '16, and Kat '18.

Kristin teaches English and is Mercersburg's head girls' varsity lacrosse coach; she is also an assistant coach for the Blue Storm's varsity field hockey team. She previously taught and worked in the library at Gilman School in Baltimore, where she also served as lead age-group coach for the Diamonds Lacrosse Club. Kristin has taught and worked at St. David's Day School in Baltimore and at Heritage Hall School in Oklahoma City, Okla. (where she was also the head field hockey coach). Her coaching experience includes stints as head field hockey and women's lacrosse coach at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe, Mich.; as head junior varsity field hockey and assistant JV lacrosse coach at Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore; and as an assistant field hockey and women's lacrosse coach at Oberlin College in Ohio. Kristin graduated from Gettysburg College, where she played varsity field hockey and lacrosse; she lives in Mercersburg with her four children, including Jill '19, Jake '21, and Bridget '22.

Frank Betkowski spent nine years as Mercersburg's associate director of college counseling (while also teaching English) before moving to the English department full time. He previously was director of college admissions counseling and taught AP English at Wakefield School in The Plains, Va. After graduating from Georgetown University, Frank taught first at his high-school alma mater, St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City, N.J. At the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, Frank was twice a named scholar, affording him the opportunity to spend summers in residence in Santa Fe and at Lincoln College, University of Oxford. For five years, Frank operated his own college admissions consulting firm, Higher Edge LLC. Frank and his wife, fellow faculty member and Director of Learning Services Margaret Maciulla, have four children: Michael '19, Maggie '21, Francis '22, and Charlie. In addition to his academic and residential duties (which are in Fowle Hall), Frank also serves as an assistant diving coach.

Maggie Howes teaches English and history at Mercersburg. She previously worked at Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., where she was a history and literature teacher as well as a dormitory head. She has taught and worked in schools and programs in Maryland, Michigan, and Massachusetts. Maggie is a graduate of the University of Vermont and Tufts University. She and her husband, Assistant Head of School for Student Life Chris Howes, live on campus with their children.

Todd has taught at Mercersburg since 2008; he came to Mercersburg from Camden Catholic High School in Camden, N.J., where he taught English and Spanish. In more than 20 years of teaching in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Washington state, Todd has designed curriculum that reflects the lives of students and incorporated project-based educational experiences into his classes—including Mercersburg's Entrepreneurship course. Todd coaches boys' thirds soccer and previously served as Mercersburg's head boys' lacrosse coach. He is also a successful small-business entrepreneur who created Rain City Skate Park in Seattle, an indoor recreation facility that received national recognition. He spent four years living in Culbertson House, where his wife, fellow English faculty member and Writing Center Director Michele Poacelli, was the dormitory dean. Todd and Michele live off campus with their two children.

Ryan Tyree is Mercersburg's director of squash and a member of the English faculty. He arrived from Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Mass., where he taught English and served as a dormitory head in addition to holding head-coaching positions in boys' squash and boys' tennis (for seven years apiece). Ryan coached a U.S. Squash Division 6 Nationals-champion team at Williston, and has worked with legendary coach Paul Assaiante's International Squash Academy summer camps. He previously taught and coached at Eaglebrook School and taught summer-session classes at Northfield Mount Hermon School. Ryan earned a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Massachusetts, as well as master's degrees in English literature from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English and in secondary education from the University of Phoenix. His wife, Haley, is the testing coordinator in the Office of College Counseling. The Tyrees have two children.

Randy Campbell is the facilities housekeeping supervisor in the Facilities Office. He joined the school in 2005. Campbell previously worked as a custodian and was part of the athletic staff. Prior to Mercersburg, he was a dispatcher supervisor for 15 years with Franklin County Emergency Management in Chambersburg. He resides in Chambersburg and has a daughter, Ashlyn.

Pamela Chamberlin is part of the housekeeping staff in the Facilities Office. She joined the Academy in 2008.

Avery Cook's interest in nature, gardening, and landscape design led to his position at Mercersburg. He oversees a campus of more than 300 acres, which contains more than 200 species of plant life. He supervises a team of employees that care for the campus and manage all mail and delivery services. Avery, who studied landscape architecture at Purdue University, is also involved with the John McFadden Railroad Museum on campus.

John Hunt is a grounds technician in the Facilities Office, where he has worked since 2008.

Dan Izer is a project manager in the Facilities Office. He joined the Academy in 2015. Izer graduated from Pennsylvania College of Technology with a bachelor's degree in HVACR technology and construction management.

Bill Mann is a grounds technician in the Facilities Office. He joined the Academy in 1997.

Linda McCombie is the office manager in the Facilities Office. She joined the Academy in 1992. Previously, she worked 15 years as an accounts payable manager for the Business Office. Her husband. Steve, oversees the mail room at the school.

Lena Miller is a custodian in housekeeping working in the Facilities Office. She joined the school in 2015 and previously worked as a waitress for 27 years. She and her husband, Danny, have two children, Amanda and Adam.

Jeff Rion is a custodian in housekeeping working in the Facilities Office. He joined the school in 2013.

Jamie Stoner is a custodian in housekeeping working in the Facilities Office. He joined the school in 2011 and had installed floors for more than 25 years. He has lived in and around Mercersburg all of his life.

Amanda Zeis is the operational services technician in the Facilities Office. She joined the Academy in 2018. Zeis had previously worked with McDonald's as a crew member and store manager since 2009. She has two children, Leighton and Wade.

Stephanie Comer-Concordia is a nurse practitioner in the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. She joined the Academy in 2017. Stephanie graduated from the University of Maryland with a master's degree in nursing; her daughter, Susan Concordia '22, is a member of the student body.

Lisa Harmon is a registered nurse in the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. She joined the Academy in 2011.

Mehret Kidane is a nurse in the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. She joined the Academy in 2005 and graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in nursing. Kidane's three children, Lola Tijani '13, Timi Tijani '14, and Laila Tijani '18, are all Mercersburg alumni.

Maranda Sheffield is a certified nursing assistant in the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. She joined the Academy in 2015.

David came to Mercersburg in 1997 (he officially joined the faculty one year later, in 1998). He worked in the library for 11 years while also teaching history classes. In September 2008, he became a full-time history teacher and the director of community service; he has since traded his community-service duties for responsibilities as the school's sports communication director. David is the 2017-2018 recipient of the school's Zern Excellence in Teaching Award, and received the Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious & Interdisciplinary Studies in 2007-2008. He previously taught history for more than a decade at Sanford High School in Sanford, Maine.

David's educational background includes a B.S. in secondary education (with a major in history) from the University of Maine at Farmington and an MLIS from the University of Rhode Island. His 10 years of basketball experience prior to coming to Mercersburg included stints as a high-school varsity coach and a college assistant. At Mercersburg, David has coached varsity girls' basketball and softball, as well as JV boys' basketball and baseball; he is also the public-address announcer for varsity football games. David enjoys reading, golf, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Julie, have two daughters: Jennifer '17 and Emily '18.

Selas Douglas has a bachelor of science degree in communications and a minor in film studies from Old Dominion University and a master of arts in liberal arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Md. Before coming to Mercersburg, Selas was the director of residential life and head wrestling coach at Sandy Spring Friends School in Montgomery County, Md. He was previously the director of residential life, a history teacher, dorm head, and an assistant wrestling and lacrosse coach at Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School. Selas is a member of the history faculty and is an assistant wrestling and boys' soccer coach. He lives in
Keil Hall.

Tim Kerr is Mercersburg’s head boys’ varsity lacrosse coach and teaches history. He spent 13 years at Kent Island High School in Stevensville, Md., where he taught social studies and was head boys’ lacrosse coach (for six seasons). As a head coach, Kerr’s Buccaneers compiled an 89-24 record, four regional championships, and four state semifinal appearances; he has coached 24 future college lacrosse players. 

Kerr has also served as an assistant coach (and defensive coordinator) at Washington College (his undergraduate alma mater) in Chestertown, Md., where he taught a graduate course in history and served as an academic adviser. Kerr has served as an assistant coach for the Finland national lacrosse team, and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Washington College and a master’s in administration and leadership from the University of Phoenix. He and his wife, Carrie, live off campus with their children.

Allison Stephens has taught at Mercersburg since 1989. She was first hired in 1987 as the school's director of annual giving before moving into the classroom, where she has taught history, English, American studies, and the Quinn-Ferguson Honors Seminar. Allison serves as an adviser to the Mercersburg News, Mercersburg Model United Nations, the Rainbow Alliance, and the Women's Activist Club. She is a faculty adviser in Swank Hall. Allison has held the Rumbaugh Chair for excellence in teaching since 2011. She and her husband, fellow faculty member Dave Holzwarth '78, have two children: Wynn Holzwarth '11 and Zack Holzwarth '13.

Tom, who is in his second tour of duty as head of Mercersburg's classical & modern languages department, studied Latin and economics while attending Dickinson College. At Dickinson, he received the M.G. Filler Prize for Excellence in Classical Studies. Before coming to Mercersburg, he taught at Christ School in North Carolina. At Christ School, Tom developed a Paideia-inspired seminar approach for ancient history courses, and headed the foreign languages department. His excellence in teaching earned him the James M. Johnston Instructor's Award at Mercersburg for the 1996-97 school year, and he has held the David F. Chapman Chair since 2001.

Tom was the invited speaker at Mercersburg's 2008 Commencement exercises and at the school's Baccalaureate ceremony in 2013. He also serves as an adviser to the KARUX (the school's yearbook). Tom and his wife, Barb, are the parents of two Mercersburg graduates: Elissa Thorne Shashai '06 and Julia Thorne '07.

Heather Prescott previously taught French in Massachusetts and Vermont, Spanish in New Hampshire, and English at a bilingual school in El Salvador. Heather likes to focus on cultural and political awareness in the classroom. Two of her research publications on Second Language Acquisition and Writing to Learn were published in 1994 and in 2001, and she is a member of AATF and ACTFL. She was a presenter at the 2005 Quebec City conference of the AATF, speaking about Mercersburg's newest advanced-French course: Contemporary Issues in the French-Speaking World. She is a College Board Examination Reader for the Advanced Placement French Language and Culture Course. Heather was the 2008-2009 recipient of the Distinguished Teaching Award supported by the Allen Zern Endowment and is a former head of Mercersburg's classical and modern languages department. Heather stays in touch with many of her former students, both by letters and by email.

Ben McNeil teaches French and is an assistant coach for Mercersburg's football and boys' varsity lacrosse teams. He came to Mercersburg from the Tilton School in New Hampshire, where he was a French instructor for all four grades as well as the AP level; served as Tilton's summer programming coordinator and emergency response coordinator; and was a dorm head and dorm parent. Ben was head coach of Tilton's boys' "B" varsity hockey team and junior varsity lacrosse team, as well as an assistant varsity lacrosse coach. Ben played football, hockey, and lacrosse at Williston Northampton School, where he earned 10 varsity letters and was an All-New England All-Star in lacrosse. He went on to play lacrosse at Providence College, where he earned a bachelor's degree in French. Ben has three sons: Manny, Finnegan, and Everett.

Alicia Hawk is a Spanish teacher, an adviser in Tippetts Hall, and works in athletic development. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has lived in the U.S. since 1990. Alicia graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a major in history and a concentration in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and earned a master of arts from Indiana University. She previously taught and coached field hockey and ice hockey at Portsmouth Abbey and Groton, where she also chaperoned spring break trips with the Appalachia Service Project, taught ESL in the summer, and was the faculty advisor to the Spanish Club. Alicia, who spent seven years as Mercersburg's head varsity field hockey coach, was inducted into the Holy Cross Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition of her accomplishments as a student-athlete. She coached at her Division I alma mater from 2005-2009. Alicia came to Mercersburg in 2010 and was named the 2011 Area Field Hockey Coach of the Year by the [Chambersburg] Public Opinion. She lives in Mercersburg with her husband, Kent, and their children, Jonas and Clara.

Julie returned to the library in 2003 as assistant librarian. Previously, she had spent eight years on the faculty as a French teacher (1983 to 1989) and director of the library (1997 to 1999). Julie is the library's cataloguer, participates in all aspects of library service, and especially enjoys working with students and faculty. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College, where she received a B.A. in French with a minor in Russian. She also holds an MLIS from the University of Rhode Island. Besides enjoying time with her family, Julie loves to read, create family photo albums, and participate in book-discussion groups. She lives off campus with her husband, David (a history teacher and the director of sports communication), and their two daughters, Jennifer '17 and Emily '18.