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.

John David Bennett teaches English and is Mercersburg's first dean of curricular innovation. He previously served as head of the English department and coached softball (winning the 2012 Pennsylvania independent-school state championship), boys' cross country, and junior varsity boys' basketball. He has also sponsored Four on the Floor, the school's swing dance society. John David came to Mercersburg from the Talented and Gifted Magnet High School in Dallas (five times named Newsweek's "Best Public High School in America"), where he taught English and coached debate. He was an Advanced Placement Lead Teacher for the Dallas Independent School District and is now a consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative. John David graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. He and his wife, Denise, are the parents of three children: Cameron Rogers '12, Olivia Grace Bennett '19, and Augie Bennett '23.

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 holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and legal studies from Babson College and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and is pursuing a master’s degree in strategic management from Indiana as well. 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.

Shelley Swope is the dormitory dean in South Cottage and an admission counselor; she previously taught English. She was previously an English teacher and dormitory head at The Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn., where she worked with the school yearbook, coached cross country, and served as a student adviser. Shelley was Webb's Teacher of the Year in 2014; she has also worked as a reporter for People magazine. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Sewanee: The University of the South, where she captained the swim team and spent a semester studying in England. Shelley also holds a master of arts from Middle Tennessee State University. She and her husband, Associate Director of Admission & Financial Aid Zach Swope, previously lived in Fowle Hall; Shelley also spent her first two years at Mercersburg as an assistant swimming coach in addition to her academic and residential duties.

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.

José Nuñez came to Mercersburg from the Shippensburg University Foundation, where he spent two years as assistant director of the annual fund. As Annual Fund coordinator, José collaborates on fundraising goals, strategies, and communications and manages a network of phonathon and class agent volunteers. He holds a bachelor's degree in history education from Shippensburg.

Kim Strawoet works in Mercersburg's Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations as the development leadership team coordinator. She previously served as a staff accountant at First Community Bank of Mercersburg; before that, she spent nearly 20 years as a business manager at Bob Hoffman Chevrolet. Kim's husband, Larry, is the athletic director at James Buchanan High School in Mercersburg and was the Rockets' head boys' basketball coach for 31 years. The Strawoets have three children.

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.

Lauren Hoffman is an assistant director of athletics and the head softball coach at Mercersburg. Before coming to Mercersburg in 2016, she worked in the athletic department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. She has been head softball coach at her high school alma mater, Whitesboro High School in Marcy, N.Y. (where she also worked in athletic administration and coached junior varsity field hockey). Hoffman played varsity softball and varsity ice hockey at Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., where she was twice named All-Liberty League in softball and won the Athletic Director's Award for leadership in hockey. She earned a bachelor's degree from Union and a master's degree in sport administration from Canisius College.

Tersa Hess works in the Athletic Department's Issue Room. She joined the Academy in 2005. Hess previously worked for the Whitetail Rental Department and the Tuscarora School District and was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. She lives with her husband, Wally, and their children, Austin '13, Lucas, Ashley, and Morgan. Tersa enjoys sitting on her front porch, shopping, decorating, and spending time with family and friends.

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.

Amy Hendrickson is an assistant controller in the Business Office. She joined the Academy in 1998. Hendrickson graduated from West Virginia University, West Liberty State College (now West Liberty University), and Shepherd College with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She previously worked at American Woodmark, Seely Pine Furniture, and Summit Health, holding positions as assistant controller and senior accountant. Hendrickson and her husband, Rick (the school's director of athletics), previously lived in South Cottage on campus, and she has been a dorm faculty member there and in Fowle Hall. The Hendricksons have three children: Jennifer '03, Rachael '06, and Gabe '19.

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.

Before arriving at Mercersburg, Austin Curwen was the director of American studies at Kingham Hill School in England, where he taught U.S. history, U.S. government, geography, design, and technology; served as a college counselor for American and international students; was a boarding-house tutor and adviser; and was the school's U.S. student registrar and testing coordinator. Austin graduated from Syracuse University with bachelor's degrees in geography and history and holds master's degrees from the University of Washington, Columbia University, and the University of Bristol. He started his career in education working for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School in Rockland, Maine, as a sailing and kayaking instructor and leadership facilitator. His first classroom job was at the Queen Anne School in Seattle, and later he spent 12 years teaching at The Thacher School in Ojai, California. Outside academia, Austin has held a variety of positions, including service as a volunteer firefighter, a stint with the U.S. Army, and work as a carpenter; he also holds a U.S. Coast Guard captain's license. He and his wife, Alison, have three children: Darcy '17, Tag '19, and Stapley '20.

Rachel Mallory arrived at Mercersburg from Vanderbilt University, where she was a graduate assistant for the Peabody Office of Graduate Admissions and Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth. She was also a member of the residential leadership team for the Vanderbilt Summer Academy, a residential summer-learning program for students age 13-17. Rachel previously worked as an admission officer at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, and volunteered with the Pennsylvania Association for College Admissions Counseling as a coordinator of workshops for secondary-school counselors. Rachel captained the cross country and track & field teams at Mount Holyoke College (her undergraduate alma mater) before earning a master's of education in human development counseling with an emphasis in school counseling from Vanderbilt. Rachel is an assistant cross country and track & field coach at Mercersburg; her sister, Megan, works in the school's Office of Marketing and Communications. Rachel lives in Fowle Hall.

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.

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.

Emily Parsons teaches history and is the dormitory dean in Fowle Hall. She grew up in Mercersburg; her father, Sonny Parsons '59, was a Mercersburg graduate and owned and ran a pharmacy in the borough for many years. While in college, Emily worked as a research intern in Washington, D.C., where she became intimately acquainted with the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the National Building Museum. Emily served as Mercersburg's first director of Springboard (a capstone experience for members of the senior class), and also taught The Global Food Chain (a Springboard course) for its first four years. Emily holds the Marilyn and Robert M. Kurtz '52 Chair for American Studies, and received the 2011-2012 Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies. She is an adviser to Voices 4 Justice and previously organized the school's Model UN Club. Emily has three children, including Jay Howley '21 and Evan Howley '22.

Doonie Brewer teaches English, serves as dormitory dean in Swank Hall, and is Mercersburg's head field hockey coach. She arrived after eight years at Holderness School in New Hampshire, where she was chair of the English department, head varsity softball and field hockey coach (and assistant girls' varsity basketball coach), and a dorm parent and faculty adviser. Doonie has also taught and coached at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Mass., St. George's School in Newport, R.I. (her alma mater), and Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Conn. (where she served as director of athletics and assistant dean of students in addition to coaching and teaching). Doonie previously served as a head coach and assistant for Mercersburg's varsity softball team and as head coach of the junior varsity field hockey team. She holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Penn State University and a master's in American studies from Trinity College in Connecticut.

Chip has worked at Mercersburg since 2005; he has taught English in all four grades, as well as Journalism, Existentialism in Literature, and Film Studies. He became chair of the school's English department in 2017. Chip is also the dean of the dining hall and coaches junior varsity boys' squash. Before coming to Mercersburg, Chip served as the public information officer for the San Bernardino [Calif.] County Sheriff's Department and spent several years as a crime reporter, winning six California Newspaper Publishers Association awards. Chip previously served as Mercersburg's assistant dean of students. Chip and his wife, Laura, live in Tippetts Hall, where Laura is the dormitory dean. The Pattersons have three children: Mia '15, Dean '16, and Kat '18.

Christian Bancroft, a faculty member in the English department, most recently was an English instructor at Temple University in Philadelphia, as well as an English teacher at STEMCivics, a charter school located in Ewing, N.J. He has 10 years of teaching experience. Christian graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor of arts in English and creative writing. He has a master's in creative writing from the University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Houston.

Doonie Brewer teaches English, serves as dormitory dean in Swank Hall, and is Mercersburg's head field hockey coach. She arrived after eight years at Holderness School in New Hampshire, where she was chair of the English department, head varsity softball and field hockey coach (and assistant girls' varsity basketball coach), and a dorm parent and faculty adviser. Doonie has also taught and coached at Wilbraham & Monson Academy in Wilbraham, Mass., St. George's School in Newport, R.I. (her alma mater), and Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Conn. (where she served as director of athletics and assistant dean of students in addition to coaching and teaching). Doonie previously served as a head coach and assistant for Mercersburg's varsity softball team and as head coach of the junior varsity field hockey team. She holds a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Penn State University and a master's in American studies from Trinity College in Connecticut.

Matt teaches English, works with Stony Batter Players, and serves as a faculty adviser to the Washington Irving Literary Society and the Karux yearbook. Before coming to Mercersburg, he taught English and theatre at Beavercreek High School near Dayton, Ohio. Matt completed a master of arts in English at the University of Dayton in 2000, participated in the Lessac Research Institute's Voice and Body Summer Intensive in 2002, and after studying for three summers at the Theatre Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, earned his second master's in 2010, this one in directing. In addition to directing several other productions, Matt has adapted and directed three nondramatic texts for the Mercersburg stage: a children's book, a horror novel, and a short story by sci-fi author Ken Liu "The Perfect Match." Matt received the 2015-2016 Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious & Interdisciplinary Studies. He and his wife, Associate Head of School for School Life Dr. Julia Stojak Maurer '90, have five children: Emma '18, Will '20, Michael '22, Nathalie '23, and Mary.

Michele Poacelli teaches English and has served director of the Writing Center since 2015; she arrived at Mercersburg in 2007 when her husband, Todd McGuire, joined the English department faculty. Michele was the dormitory dean in Culbertson House for four years, and spent two summers as director of Mercersburg Summer Programs' Young Writers Camp. Michele has worked with Mercersburg students as a tutor in English and history and has held instructional and leadership positions with Teach for America, The Dalton School, Summerbridge of Greater Philadelphia, and Hagerstown Community College. She earned a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a master's from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. Michele and Todd live off campus with their 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.

Michael Quinlivan is a power plant operator in the Facilities Office. He joined the school in 1995.

Will became the director of environmental initiatives in 2012-2013 after having been sustainability coordinator since 2009 and working with the Green Team (a student group committed to environmental issues) since 2003; he was Mercersburg's director of international programs from 2005 until 2012. He worked in the alumni and development office (most recently as director of alumni annual giving) from 2001 to 2005. He is also a member of the science faculty. Will served as the executive director for Bitterroot Ecological Awareness Resources, a Montana-based environmental education nonprofit. He also worked for Andersen Consulting; before that, as a Fulbright Scholar, he taught English and American culture as a foreign-language teaching assistant to grades 5 through 12 in Schönebeck, Germany. He graduated cum laude with honors in geology from Colgate University with a double major in geology and German. Will is an adviser and dorm faculty member in Tippetts Hall after spending eight years as a dormitory dean in South Cottage and Culbertson House on campus. His wife, Betsy Cunningham, is Mercersburg's head girls' cross country coach; they have two daughters, including Molly Willis '22.

Jeff Zeis is a grounds technician in the Facilities Office. He joined the Academy in 1979.

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.

Denise Keefer is a staff nurse in the Rutherford Health and Wellness Center. She joined the Academy in 2013. Denise graduated from Franklin County Technology Nursing program and has been a school nurse for more than 16 years. She is the proud mother of three boys.

Before coming to Mercersburg, Becky Schook worked in a multi-physician office for 11 years. Becky assesses, treats, and monitors the health of students.

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.

After attending Mercersburg as a postgraduate student in 1995-1996, Nate Jacklin earned a bachelor's degree in economics and philosophy from Columbia University and a master's in social studies education from Teachers College at Columbia. As an undergrad, Nate garnered four varsity letters in wrestling and was named Columbia's Outstanding Freshman Wrestler. Nate spent six years teaching history and coaching wrestling and soccer in Stafford, Va., before returning to Mercersburg in 2008 to join the faculty. He taught in the International Baccalaureate Program at Mountain View High School in Stafford; at Mercersburg, he is head of the history and religion departments, head coach of the varsity wrestling team, and has also team-taught the Entrepreneurship Springboard course. Nate and his wife, Lindsay, live in Tippetts Hall on campus with their three children.

Emily Parsons teaches history and is the dormitory dean in Fowle Hall. She grew up in Mercersburg; her father, Sonny Parsons '59, was a Mercersburg graduate and owned and ran a pharmacy in the borough for many years. While in college, Emily worked as a research intern in Washington, D.C., where she became intimately acquainted with the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the National Building Museum. Emily served as Mercersburg's first director of Springboard (a capstone experience for members of the senior class), and also taught The Global Food Chain (a Springboard course) for its first four years. Emily holds the Marilyn and Robert M. Kurtz '52 Chair for American Studies, and received the 2011-2012 Ammerman Distinguished Teaching Award for Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies. She is an adviser to Voices 4 Justice and previously organized the school's Model UN Club. Emily has three children, including Jay Howley '21 and Evan Howley '22.

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 and now the Human Resources 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.

Grace Abel came to Mercersburg from Hastings College in Hastings, Neb., where she was adjunct faculty teaching Chinese language and culture. Prior to Hastings, she established the first-year Mandarin Chinese program for the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. (2009-2010), and from 2003 to 2008, she was the Mandarin instructor (level one through advanced placement) at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. She has also been an AP Chinese reader for the Educational Testing Service. Grace and her husband, Andrew (an adjunct assistant professor of sociology at Gettysburg College), live in Tippetts Hall on campus with their son, Nathan '17.

Peter Kempe has taught at all levels of educational institutions, from preschool to university in Germany and the United States. He is a College Board and ETS consultant, having served from 1995-2000 on the AP German Test Development Committee. He has served as a table and question leader during the grading of German AP exams. As an athlete, Peter played soccer in Germany and the U.S. for a number of clubs and also played college soccer for both San Francisco State University and the University of Hannover in Germany. He holds the national B license of the DFB (German Soccer Federation), and spent 12 seasons as Mercersburg's head boys' soccer coach. Peter is director of Mercersburg's Advanced Program for Global Studies (MAPS) and is the school's Mary Keeler Lawrence Distinguished Teaching Chair. He coordinates Mercersburg's exchange program with the Gauss Gymnasium in Worms, Germany, and regularly takes his students on study/travel trips to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Peter is an avid runner of marathons and has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. He and his wife, Lucia, have three children: Anika '09, Stefan '13, and Antonia '18.

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.

Tom Rahauser's career as a student at Mercersburg came full circle when he returned to work as a Spanish teacher, coach, and dean of students. As a senior at Mercersburg, Tom captained the soccer, basketball, and baseball teams and was awarded the Headmaster's Prize and the Yale University Aurelian Prize for the Class of 1974. He continued his studies at Franklin & Marshall College, where he majored in Spanish and was captain of the soccer team his 11th- and 12th-grade years. Tom spent his junior year of college at the Institute International in Madrid. He has served on the faculty since 1978; he was the school's dean of students from 1996 until 2017, as well as its head boys' soccer coach from 1984 to 1996. (Tom returned to the sidelines in fall 2017 as an assistant coach for the boys' varsity soccer team.) He also chairs the Conduct Review Committee. Tom and his wife, Director of Counseling Services Susan Rahauser, live in the Wyman House on campus. Their three children (Eric '05, Tim '07, and Laura '12) all graduated from Mercersburg.

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.

Alison Curwen is a library assistant at the Academy's library located in Lenfest Hall. She joined Mercersburg in 2015. Alison graduated from Connecticut College and the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in teaching credential, a reading specialist credential, and a master of arts in education. She grew up in New York City, but teaching and working in schools has taken her many places, including a small town in Washington State, sunny and occasionally incendiary California, and to the bucolic Cotswolds in England.

Before arriving at Mercersburg, Jeff Cohen worked as an actuarial analyst focusing on retirement benefits consulting. He majored in mathematics and economics and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Bucknell University. While there, he also served as a teaching assistant, grader, high-school tutor, and campus tour guide. Jeff also holds a master's degree from the University of New Hampshire. At Mercersburg, Jeff coaches the JV baseball and girls' JV tennis teams. He has helped lead trips to Costa Rica, China, Singapore, and Brazil, and worked for the ESL+ summer program for four years. He also received the Zern Excellence in Teaching Award in 2007-2008. Jeff enjoys TV nights, movie and bowling trips, and Sheetz runs with his advisees, and he considers his close relationships with students and alumni to be the most rewarding part of his job. Jeff lives in Main Hall.

Amy Kelley teaches mathematics and has also team-taught 3D Design, one of the offerings in Mercersburg's Springboard capstone course program for members of the senior class. She came to Mercersburg from Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Ga., where she was an associate professor of mathematics. Amy and her husband, Joe, lived in Fowle Hall for six years and now live in a townhouse on campus. She holds a bachelor's degree from Manhattanville College, a master's degree from Boston College, and a Ph.D. from the University of Albany, State University of New York. Amy continues to serve as an adviser and dorm faculty member in Fowle.