Happy Retirement to Faculty and Staff

During the past two years, 12 members of the community retired after serving a combined 367 years at EA. Their contributions impacted thousands of students and spanned four decades.

“Our retiring faculty and staff have made such an incredible impact on the EA community,” reflected Greville Haslam Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke. “They exemplify what EA is all about.”

Lee Billmyer, Hon. served in many capacities during her 37 years at EA. Most recently, she was a beloved advisor and English instructor in the Upper School, where she taught Honors American Literature and Honors British Literature. As one of EA’s best writing instructors, Lee’s approachable teaching style and unparalleled knowledge of literature always resulted in energetic discussions in the classroom. Throughout her tenure, Lee served as an advisor for various clubs, including the Young Republicans, Tabula, and Scholium, led the college counseling department, and served as Assistant Head of Upper School. She was named a D’Ambrosio Fellow in 2019 in recognition of her unwavering commitment to her students.

Joanne Crystle was a treasured member of EA’s music department for 48 years. Early in her career, she served as an instrumental music teacher for the Lower School and then transitioned to a substitute teacher and accompanist. She shared her musical talents during hundreds of musicals, concerts, Chapel services, closing ceremonies, and more. Joanne focused on supporting student musicians, always keeping them front and center, while interweaving melodic lines that perfectly conveyed the musical message.

Dr. Julie Faude served as Lower School Psychologist for the past 24 years. In this role, she helped students explore their emotions in a healthy way, working with faculty to deliver differentiated educational approaches for a variety of learners, and partnered with families to navigate life’s many transitions. Over the years, Julie helped build emotional support networks, leveraged design thinking techniques to help solve classroom challenges, and helped expand the social and emotional learning curriculum. Julie was both a true expert in her field and a true joy to those she supported.

Joan Giancristoforo, Hon. served as Business Office Coordinator for 26 years. Fondly referred to as “Joanie G.,” she wore many hats and was instrumental in managing billing practices, student transportation, and more. Students always came first for Joanie, and she was a constant presence at many arts performances and school events, and she loved attending Commencement to say goodbye to the seniors and their parents. Her consistent kindness, positive attitude, and willingness to lend a hand were some of the many reasons Joanie earned the Staff Excellence Award in 2019.

Tom Greenwood ’67 served as a Middle School English teacher for 37 years. As a graduate of the Class of 1967, Tom experienced first-hand the positive impact a teacher can have on students. When he returned to EA, he embraced the teacher, coach, advisor, mentor model and placed equal attention toward honing his skills in each of these roles. Tom was known for setting a high standard of excellence and helping his students achieve success. During his tenure, he served as English department chair and head varsity coach for the boys’ indoor and spring track teams. Tom was a recipient of the Class of 1940 Award and Borkowski Coaching Award.

Marilyn Kistler, Hon. sparked students’ scientific curiosity in Lower School for 23 years. Her dedication to teaching and passion for the environment led to exciting outdoor lessons, highly engaging classroom experiences, and inspiring discoveries. As schools pivoted to STEAM programs in more recent years, she helped to ensure the science program was progressively aligned with a cross-curricular focus. An incredibly growth-minded educator, Marilyn always brought a calm and thoughtful presence to her classroom, and she was named a D’Ambrosio Fellow in 2020.

Tom Kossuth, Hon. inspired thousands of students as an exceptional math teacher, welcomed hundreds of new families to EA as Director of Financial Aid, and mentored many new faculty members. In his Upper School math classroom, he encouraged all students to embrace mathematics and successfully converted many students to math lovers over the years. During his 33 years at EA, he coached every season, including football, basketball, golf, and baseball. Tom may hold the record for coaching the most student-athletes in recent EA history and maintaining the most meticulous team stats. Tom received the Class of 1940 Award in 2012 in recognition of his devotion to EA.

Michele Mammele, Hon. dutifully served as the Admissions Office Assistant for 23 years. She wore many hats and was known for her logistical prowess when it came to admission events. She helped greet thousands of new families and helped oversee the Key Club, which was one of her favorite tasks because it allowed her to work with EA’s amazing student tour guides. Always a team player, Michele’s energy was infectious as she approached her busiest days of the admissions season with calmness and positivity.

Ellen Milewski, Hon. played a pivotal role in the Head of School’s office for 28 years. As administrative assistant to the past three heads, Ellen provided steadfast service and consistent support. She was known for her professionalism, school-first attitude, even-keeled disposition, and incredible sense of humor. Her attention to detail and ability to multi-task were unmatched, and she greeted every day with a smile and a “whatever it takes” mentality.

Paulette Petrie, Hon. inspired generations of students in the Lower School for 37 years. She showered her students with love, making each one feel special. The care and attention she offered to every child led to many of them coming back to visit her year after year. Paulette embraced reading and writing workshop in recent years and worked to further enhance her teaching techniques to benefit her students’ experience. Her students consistently emerged from her classroom as curious and confident learners.

Nancy Evans Reinhard, Hon. built a remarkable and incredibly impactful career over her 38-year tenure. Embracing the ideals and mission of EA in everyday actions, Nancy enthusiastically welcomed every role she was asked to serve, including coach, Athletic Director for girls’ programs, Assistant Head of Lower School, Head of Lower School, and—her favorite—teacher. Nancy was passionate about early childhood development and taught from a true inquiry-based stance, which helped her students embrace the power of curiosity. She is a recipient of the Class of 1940 Award and the Bishop William White Award.

Leslie Trimble, Hon. made a significant impact as an Upper School science teacher at EA throughout the past 13 years. Her infusion of problem-based learning consistently excited and challenged students, and her love for her students and thoughtfulness led to her being a highly sought-after advisor. Leslie single-handedly created the Environmental Science curriculum, helped design the Sid Buck Community Garden, and spearheaded the development of transformative service programs with EA community partners. She was a founding coach of the Middle School rowing program and enjoyed coaching the golf team.