New Employees & Roles 2022-23

Kristie Avallon Associate Director of Communications Kristie previously worked for over seven years in our Communications Office, producing videos and creating social media content. She will be leaving the Admissions Office and bringing her passion, skills, and creativity to rejoin and round out our Communications Office as our Associate Director of Communications!

Joe Cardoza Lower School Music and Art Teacher We are thrilled that Joe, who was a long-term substitute this year in our music and art departments, has accepted a full-time position with us to continue working, and sharing his incredible skills, with the Lower School in our art and music departments.

Khadijah Campbell Dean of Student and Community Life Khadijah will move into a new role as the Dean of Student and Community Life. In her role, she will partner with team leaders, advisors, and division heads to support and enhance the student experience at school. She will organize outings and enrichment programs for Upper School students, and will also support student welfare and will be a leader in the implementation of our DEI initiatives.

Jen Cunningham Butler

Director of Teacher Residency Program

We are pleased to share that after many years in the classroom, Jen is stepping out of 3A to lead our Teaching Apprentice program, building off of the wonderful program that Pam has led so incredibly well for the past 10 years. In Jen’s three-decade career at Brookwood, she has held many positions, including fourth, fifth, and sixth grade teacher, Student Council Advisor, PGD Department Chair, Interim Head of Middle School, Director of After School and Summer Programs, and Dean of Students. Brookwood, and future Teaching Apprentices, are very lucky to benefit from her expertise in this way.

Doug Fodeman Data Administrator Doug has made the decision to retire after the 2022-23 school year and has reframed his role to aid in the transition to fill his *huge* shoes! Doug will return in the fall part-time as the Database Manager and Grade 7 teacher of Internet Literacy. He will lead our project to re-implement Veracross, will support David and Michael as they take on expanded roles, and will train the next Database Manager once they are hired.

Veena Hari Admissions Assessment and DEI Coordinator Veena has been an amazing Lower School classroom teacher for the past 2 years. In her new role, we are excited to have her support the Admissions team as well as partner with Khadijah Campbell in leading our DEI initiatives.

Rebecca Hildreth Early Childhood Assistant Rebecca is a familiar face on campus as a parent and volunteer with our art department. Rebecca brings 5 years of education experience to Brookwood’s Lower School, most recently serving as an assistant toddler teacher at Harborlight Montessori. Rebecca is currently earning a Masters of Early Childhood Education from Endicott College.

Denise Lorentz Kirchner Controller Denise joins our Business Office as our new Controller. She comes to us with over fifteen years of experience with accounting, most recently with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality as their Director of Finance and Operations. She studied business and accounting at Salem State University.

Laura Lilley

Upper School Science Teacher Laura graduated Union College with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a specialization in chemistry in addition to being a member of the Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Honors Society. As a middle school science teacher, she taught and advised in grades 6, 7, and 8 as well as coached basketball, soccer, and lacrosse. In addition to her teaching experience, she has worked as an environmental consultant working for various industries including aerospace manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and biotech. Outside of the science classroom, she has a passion for athletics, gardening, sailing, and fishing.

Gina Marcel Head of Lower School Gina comes to us with over 25 years of teaching experience and is currently serving as the Director of the Associate Program and STEAM integrator in the Primary Division at The School at Columbia University. In addition, she has marked experience as a professional developer of educators, having taught at Teachers College, Columbia University, and designed curriculum for Teach21, the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), and the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) for over 20 years. She is nearing completion of her doctorate in Early Childhood Education School Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University, and has published as an early childhood education researcher.

Kacey Morris Associate Director of Admissions We are thrilled to welcome Kacey Morris back to Brookwood to rejoin the Admissions Office as Associate Director of Admissions. As many of you know, Kacey served in a variety of roles here over her 26 year tenure, spanning from Director of Communications to Associate Director of Admissions. Most recently Kacey has been working as a Senior Associate at Forbes College Consulting in Portsmouth, NH. Mother of three Brookwood graduates, Katrina '09, Michaela '11 and Anna '13, Kacey looks forward to returning to campus and connecting with former and new colleagues and partnering with families in her role.

Kyla McMahon Director of Auxiliary Programming and Summer Camp With years of summer camp and after school leadership experience, Kyla joins our team to lead these vital programs for our school. Most recently, Kyla served as the Director of Children’s programs at Agassiz Baldwin, and before that taught at Donaghue School. She earned her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction at Merrimack College.

Robert Risley Athletic Director Robert will join our athletics and PE Department as the Athletic Director this fall. He hails from St. Matthew’s Parish School in Los Angeles, and currently teaches physical education classes to students aged 3 - 14 and is the Director of Athletics 20+ interscholastic teams. Prior to taking on the role of Director of Athletics, he served as Dean of the Middle School and Interim Lower School Principal. He will be joined on the North Shore with his wife and three children and they are very much looking forward to being closer to family and back in New England.

Rebeca Ruiz Mair World Language Teacher: French and Spanish Rebeca is a recent graduate from UCLA with a degree in Cognitive Science and a minor in philosophy. Originally from Mexico, Rebeca attended a French high school, so she is trilingual. While at UCLA, Rebeca has been in many different teaching roles, including a TA for lower-level psych classes. Guided by her passion for education and equity, Rebeca has served as a project manager with Walking Softer in Los Angeles, CA and created classroom material and activities for a Climate Science curriculum. Rebeca has also been a research intern with Center for Scholars & Storytellers in Los Angeles with a focus on media and teenage mental health. Rebeca loved her experience at an independent school and is excited to join Brookwood as a World Language Teacher.

David Saunders Director of Innovation, Changemaking, and Technology David will join our leadership team to lead Innovation, Changemaking, and Technology initiative in an expanded role, which includes oversight of academic curricula in technology, global partnerships, and design thinking.

Jean Skaane Wellness Coordinator Many of you will know Jean as a proud Brookwood parent to Nils ‘16, Ella ‘19, and Sander (8th grade). We are thrilled she will be formally joining the faculty to collaborate with Nurse Kiley, the Division Heads and Dr. Shayda Ahi to promote a whole community approach to wellness. This will include working with children on mindful movement, mindfulness, meditation, yoga, diet and sustainability. In addition, she will be supporting faculty with training and will be a resource to parents.

Katie Swanton 4th Grade Teacher Katie is no stranger to Brookwood, serving as a Teaching Apprentice in our 1st and 3rd grade classrooms the 2019-20 school year, and then as an Assistant Teacher in the fourth grade for the 2020-21 school year. She returns to us after spending a year at the Inly School. Anyone who’s worked with Katie this past year knows she’s a great fit for Brookwood’s culture and educational philosophy. Katie attended Salem State University where she studied psychology. She also earned her Master of Education from Lesley University.

Amy Walker Math Specialist With over thirty years of experience, Amy joins our team after most recently teaching at Bates Elementary. Over her extensive teaching career, Amy has also been a statewide math specialist leading Professional Development workshops for teachers and parents. Amy earned her Masters in Education from Lesley College and her Bachelors in Psychology from Brown University.

Michael Wise Director of Computer Networking and Systems Technology Michael will maintain and develop the network, manage IT security, oversee software and hardware upgrades, and oversee the technology that supports all our operations. As such, they will report into Letitia as a key component for all aspects of school.