ces
on Campus
Brad King
Ellen Cuthrell
Julie Garner
More than 20 campus projects took shape this summer, including a new roof on the Performing Arts Center, significant renovations to The Barn Theater, a striking new handrail and support structure for the bridge to the south side of campus, and more. The expert overseeing these improvements is Brad King, our new Director of Facilities. Brad has worked in facilities management for over 30 years. He was a contractor for the state of Pennsylvania, and oversaw projects from Maine to South Carolina, and as far west as Ohio. Brad cultivated his work ethic on his family’s farm in Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania. Outside of work, he keeps busy as a Boy Scout leader, a volunteer fireman, an amateur radio operator, and also is an avid sailor. He loves the fluidity of his job at Solebury. You can find Brad riding a lawn mower, re-sealing the driveway, painting the girls’ dorm, or working in the office. “I love the people, I love the atmosphere—there is so much talent here,” Brad said.
“Improvement in reading equates to improvement in life,” said Ellen, who loves to teach reading because progress in language skills is reflected in so many areas of student life. She has worked with students with a range of reading differences for fourteen years. Prior to Solebury, Ellen taught reading at the college level (Bucks County Community College), as well as at the high school and elementary school levels. Today, she teaches in the Learning Skills Department. “I love that students feel safe and accepted here, and that teachers eagerly and passionately work with them,” she said. In her spare time, Ellen and her husband have been building an eco-friendly house. The home’s wooden frame is made entirely of timber milled from trees destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. It will have a geo-thermal system, an aluminum standing seam roof, and radiant floor heating.
Her name is not quite Garden-er, but it is pretty close. Julie, Solebury’s new Garden Coordinator, is brimming with excitement and creative ideas for the Memorial Garden. She sees the area as a multipurpose community space, a perspective enriched by her background in fine arts. She and her husband, Cholo, have owned Las Flores, their New Hope based landscaping design business, since 2000. Julie’s family has been in the area since the Revolution. In fact, she shares heritage with the infamous British spies, the Doan brothers, who were outlaws buried outside the walls of the Friends Meeting House cemetery in Plumsteadville, Pennsylvania. She understands the land and is closely tied to Bucks County. Julie is looking forward to throwing herself into the Solebury community and working with teachers to develop ways to incorporate the garden in lesson plans.
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