Faculty & Staff Recognition

Years of Service Awards

Each year, WMA honors faculty and staff who reach milestones for their years of service at the Academy. The following 16 people—with comments from colleagues— are our honorees during the 2019–2020 academic year.

5 years

Karen Dufresne, Middle School Mathematics “Karen Dufresne embodies the Middle School mind. She is a true teacher as she models the very idea of an independent master learner. We all know when Mrs. Dufresne is in the building because we can often hear her cheery chant of ‘It’s almost Friday’ even when it’s Tuesday morning.”

—Jes Rohan, Middle school english

Charles Gambino, Maintenance & Facilities Department “We are very lucky to have Charlie in the Facilities Department. He is the jack of all trades. He’s a talented carpenter with a background in landscaping and can fix any equipment that breaks down.”

—chRis Reed, diRectoR of facilities

Christa Robinson, Middle School Health “Christa has worked very hard during her time at WMA to develop a comprehensive Health program, designed to support our Middle School students as they develop physically, socially and intellectually. She is a true professional and very dedicated educator and coach.”

—Jeff VaRtabedian, Middle school health and Physical education

Kimberly Therieau, Controller, Business Office “Kim has brought a breadth of knowledge and experience to the Business Office. She is dedicated and passionate about WMA and is an invaluable part of our team.”

—KiM daVis, chief financial officeR, business office

10 years

Josh Bain, Information Technology Department “It is my pleasure to work with Josh Bain. His professionalism is a quality that I admire. Josh has an uncanny ability to effectively interact with all community members. He is thoughtful, resourceful and he is genuine.”

—dR. MaRxan Pescetta, diRectoR of infoRMation technology

Virginia Giokas, Middle School Art “A creative and tireless art educator, Virginia coined one of the best phrases in education—Artitude. Basically, it speaks to one’s willingness to show up and try one’s best while remaining positive and open to new ideas and approaches. What a beautiful philosophy and what a great fit for Virginia.”

—stuaRt WhitcoMb, Middle school diRectoR

Bill Rosenbeck, English Department “Billy has done a wonderful job developing the English 10 curriculum over the years. He is a kind, dedicated and caring teacher who shares his passions and creativity with his students. The new Meditations and Literature class, which merges all his interests, has become a favorite here at WMA.”

—Meg lenihan hutcheson, english dePaRtMent chaiR

Clark Seibold, Fine & Performing Arts Department “Much appreciated and beloved by parents, students and staff, Clark has been delivering his personal style of ‘serious fun’ to hundreds of young ‘cats’ since his arrival 10 years ago. Thank you, Clark, for instilling your passion and commitment to

Sue Dziura, English Department, Fine & Performance Arts Department “Sue is able to bring her infectious excitement to all that she does at the Academy, whether in the classroom, stage or planning activities for students. She has been a thoughtful colleague and a generous friend to my family since we arrived on campus many

years ago.”—Wally sWanson, dean of faculty Bill Passy, Head of Security “Bill Passy protects the school while the rest of us sleep. He keeps us safe, and he has a sixth sense about when something on campus might be amiss.”

—bRian easleR, head of school

Stuart Whitcomb, Middle School Director “Stuart and I met in graduate school decades ago, and his influence helped me to land at the Academy. Since that time, he has continued to be a constant source of support for students, teachers and parents here on campus. His blend of gentle humor, thoughtfulness and care have helped many students through their

time here.”—Wally sWanson, dean of faculty

20 years

John Boozang, Director of College Counseling “John is the ultimate team player. As captain of the College Counseling team, he is always rooting for his students on their academic journeys and supporting his colleagues and the success of WMA in every

way possible.”—MauReen Kelly chesKy ’02, college counseling dePaRtMent

Mark Fischer, Associate Director of College Counseling “Math Phobia runs away when Mr. Fischer enters the math classroom. His calmness in teaching math to students is surpassed only by the clarity of his presentations and his passion for good teaching and his desire to lead students to success.”

—don Kelly, faculty MaRshal

Kate Gaw, Director of Admission & Financial Aid “Kate Gaw was one of my first hiring decisions as Head, moving her up to Director of Admission—and she was a fantastic choice. Kate has built a powerful Admission team that serves the Academy well, she keeps the right priorities in focus during challenging times and she fills the school with top-notch students. Kate’s work ethic and drive are second to none.”

—bRian easleR, head of school Current full-time Faculty & Staff with 10 or more years through the 2019–2020 academic year

(with current position/department)

Don Kelly, World Languages (44) Gary Cook, History & Global Studies (41) Don Nicholson ’79, Director of Athletics (37) Charles D’Avanzo, Science (31) Todd Jenkins, Maintenance (31) Bill Passy, Director Security (30) Doreen Majka, Athletics (27) Erika Whipple, Athletics (24) Erik Kindblom, Dean of Academics (23) Marxan Pescetta, Director of Information Technology (23) Brian Easler, Head of School (22) Sandi Scott, College Counseling (22) Lucie Ziemba, Health Services (21) John Boozang, Director College Counseling (20) Mark Fischer, Mathematics Chair (20) Kate Gaw, Director of Admission & Financial Aid (20) Rose Power, Director of Health Services (20) Sarah Wakelin, Advancement (20) Meg Hutcheson, Chair, English (18) Anne Kindblom, English as a Second Language (18) Tina Girhiny, Advancement Office (17) Brian Lautenschleger, World Languages (17) Linda Pietras, Business Office (17) Paul Bloomfield, Chair, Fine & Performing Arts (16) Michael Dziura, English/History & Global Studies (16) Tim Harrington ’73, English (16) Caroline Smith, Executive Assistant to the Head of School (16) Wally Swanson, Dean of Faculty (16) Susan Dziura, Fine & Performing Arts/English (15) Stuart Whitcomb, Director of the WMA Middle School (15) Jeff Vartabedian, Health and Physical Education (14) Gayle Hsiao, CEEF/International Student Program/Director of Summer Programs (13) Maureen Kelly Chesky ’02, College Counseling (13) David Weeks, Athletics (13) Barbara Conlon, Deans Office Registrar (12) Staci Kelley, Administrative Assistant to the Director of the WMA Middle School (12) John Lombard, Mathematics (12) Mike Mannix, Dean of Residential Life (11) Josh Bain, Information Technology (10) Virginia Giokas, Fine & Performing Arts (10) Bill Rosenbeck, English (10) Clark Seibold, Fine & Performing Arts (10)

Rose Power, Director of Health Services “Rose is the most caring person anyone could meet, and she’s always willing to go the extra mile for everyone.” Sarah Wakelin, Director of Annual Giving, Office of Advancement “Sarah has been guiding the Annual Fund and developing strong relationships with alumni and parents for the past 20 years. She is a terrific team member and always willing to do whatever is necessary to support the Advancement program and the Academy.”