STA News
Meet the New Faculty & Staff for 2022-23
Dear St. Albans School Family:
As we prepare for the next academic year, we are delighted to introduce you to several faculty and staff members who are joining (or have recently joined) our school. We also update you on colleagues who have agreed to take on new roles at St. Albans:
 | Cathy Campbell, who has taught in our School of Public Service for several years and who filled in as a Form II English teacher in 2018-19, will join us as the associate director of the School of Public Service and an Upper School English teacher. Campbell comes to St. Albans from the Bullis School, where she was assistant head for Upper School academics and a member of the English faculty. Campbell previously taught at the Highland School in Warrenton, Va., where she chaired the English Department, served as dean of students, and directed content strategy for the Advancement and Admissions teams. Campbell has also served as English Department chair at the Flint Hill School and has taught at her alma mater, the National Cathedral School, as well as the Potomac School and Albuquerque Academy. Campbell received her B.A. in English from Princeton and her M.A. in American studies from Yale. | |
 | Form I math teacher Bridget Corrigan received her B.A. in international relations and Slavic studies from Brown University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and her M.S. in education from Hunter College School of Education. Corrigan taught most recently at the Cooke School and Institute in New York City, where she delivered differentiated mathematics instruction to middle school students with disabilities. She previously worked as a private tutor, a crisis paraprofessional at the Churchill School in New York City, and a consultant focused on curriculum accessibility at Desmos, creators of a free suite of graphing calculators and other math tools and curricula. | |
 | A long-term substitute in the Athletics Department, Beth Hagler is joining us full-time as athletic trainer. Hagler has nine years of experience as an athletic trainer at other area independent schools including Potomac School, Stone Ridge, DeMatha, and Academy of the Holy Cross, where she was the head athletic trainer for three years. Beth has also worked at the International Maccabi Games and taught barre workout classes. Beth graduated from West Chester University with a B.S. in athletic training and an M.S. in exercise and sports physiology. | |
 | The Rev. Melissa Hollerith, who taught Form IV ethics in 2016-17 and Form III Bible in 2018-19 while some of our faculty were on sabbatical, will return full-time as our Upper School chaplain and religion teacher. Hollerith received her B.A. in psychology, with a minor in French, from Tulane University, and graduated with honors from Yale University’s Berkeley Divinity School. She previously served as the chaplain of the Upper School and chaired the Religion Department and the community service program at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Va. In 2016, the Rev. Melissa K. Hollerith Endowed Prize was established at St. Christopher’s for the graduating boy who best exhibits service, community building, and inclusion. In recent years, she has served as priest assistant at Christ Church in Washington, D.C. | |
 | Lisa Lavelle will teach Form II math and advise our Lower School Mathletes, and work with Lower School faculty on teaching math. Lavelle taught most recently seventh and eighth graders at the Catlin Gabel School in Portland, Ore., and worked as a professional tutor. She previously taught math and computer science at the Maret School, George Washington Middle School, the Madeira School, and the Blessed Sacrament School in Denver. Lavelle is also a teacher of teachers: teaching math teacher candidates at Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education, the Portland State University School of Education, and Warner Pacific College. As a volunteer, she has worked with the Rose City Rollers roller derby in Portland, taught T’ai Chi, coached softball, and instructed Sunday School. Lavelle received her B.A. in psychology with a concentration in computer science from Yale University, and her M.A. from the D.C. Fellows for the Advancement of Mathematics Program at George Washington University, where she focused on middle school math. | |
 | The school’s 41st writer-in-residence, Eduardo Martínez-Leyva received his B.A. in creative writing, with a minor in English and American literature, from the University of Texas at El Paso and his MFA from the Writing Program at Columbia University’s School of the Arts. He spent this past year in Provincetown, Mass., as a poetry fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center. He has previously taught students at all levels, ranging from third graders to middle schoolers to undergraduates—at Georgetown Day School, the School at Columbia University, and Columbia University. His poetry has appeared in several publications, including The Best New Poets 2015 Anthology, Assaracus, and the Adroit Journal. His translation of the collected poems and prose of Manuel Ramos Otero is forthcoming from Columbia University Press. | |
 | Macon Moyer, an IT systems support specialist knowledgeable with programming languages and hardware installation, received his B.S. last year in business administration, information systems, and technology from Old Dominion University. Moyer knows our campus well, having worked as a groundskeeper for the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation since 2018. He previously worked as a freelance contractor and as a sports turf assistant at James Madison University. | |
 | Auxiliary Associate Devin O’Donnell received her B.A. in psychology, with a minor in early childhood education, from Catholic University, where she was co-president of the Psychology Club. She previously worked on the behavioral support staff at the preschool Partners in Learning, as an intern at the Autism Society of America, and as a liaison with Public Safety and Economic Growth, helping college campuses implement covid protocols. | |
 | Madeline O’Donnell will teach algebra and geometry in the Upper School. O’Donnell received her B.S. in neuroscience from Bates College and her M.A. in learning disabilities from American University. Since 2009 she has worked at the Field School as a math and science teacher and most recently as chair of the Math Department. As a volunteer, she has worked at a hospital, aiding physicians at Project Mercy in Ethiopia, and provided library activities and tutoring to children at Imbassini Free Library in Tanzania. She has interned at both the Lab School and the Developmental Cognitive Neurology Department at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. | |
 | Maintenance Technician Marco Paredes is a familiar face on the Close, having worked for the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation from 2008-2020 and then in the Facilities Department at Beauvoir. Skilled in carpentry, plumbing, painting, locksmithing, and more, Paredes previously worked as a door installer for Building Hardware Co. He graduated from Amazonas High School in Quito, Ecuador. | |
 | Will Priest joins the Lower School Office as administrative support specialist. Priest recently received his B.A. in history from Sewanee: The University of the South, where he received the university’s Service Internship Award for his work with a local food bank and outreach center, and was named to the Order of the Gown. While at Sewanee, Priest also offered tours and interviews to prospective students for the Admissions Office, volunteered to help people with tax preparation, served as a sacristan at Sewanee’s All Saints’ Chapel, and worked as an environmental intern at the Wormsloe Institute for Environmental History in Savannah, Ga. | |
 | Claudia Romeo joins us as a Form B homeroom teacher. Since graduating in 2019 from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a B.S. in elementary education, Romeo has taught fourth and fifth grade at Beech Tree Elementary in Falls Church, where she was named Outstanding New Teacher. She has also served as a sixth-grade tutor and an intern in first- through fifth-grade classrooms. | |
 | Capital Projects Manager Steve Roth comes to St. Albans from Wagner Roofing, where he was director of service, supervising over 4,500 roofing projects a year. He previously served as regional director of operations at the facilities management company Vixxo and as director of operations for First Service Networks. Roth received his B.S. in economics and management science from Cortland State University. | |
 | Clinical Psychologist Alex Smith, who has long served our community as consulting psychologist, will join us as an independent consultant for academic support, helping us to develop a new teaching and learning program while supporting the testing of students for academic accommodations. The director of psychology at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington and an assistant clinical professor of clinical psychology at George Washington University, Smith also has his own private practice. Smith received his BFA in writing from the Pratt Institute, an MFA in poetry and fiction from the New School, and his master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University. | |
 | Kevin Walker joined the Facilities Team this year as a contract employee with Lincoln Property Company. Walker, who received his GED in 2006, is skilled in property maintenance, mechanical systems, welding, and safety. He previously worked at Capitol Boiler Works, RCD Inc. Electrical, AGW & Associates, All American Lawn and Tree Service, and as a self-employed handyman. |
Several faculty and staff members have accepted new roles.
Among our staff, Kavon Akhtar has assumed the role of director of annual and leadership giving. In his first year in this role, he has propelled the Annual Giving program to new heights, raising an unprecedented $3.3 million dollars. Catherine Carman is now the school’s director of stewardship, overseeing efforts to inform and engage supporters of St. Albans. For her skill in keeping our community well informed and supported, Kathy Russell has been promoted to associate director of communications. Former Director of Facilities David Hutchison has taken on the role of director of campaign capital projects and will be a key member of the team coordinating renovations to the Little Sanctuary and other new developments on our campus.
In the Athletic Department, Colin Heeter, who served as assistant lacrosse coach for many years and interim head lacrosse coach the past three years, is now our head lacrosse coach and will assist with athletics marketing and communications. Dan Pfohl, proctor, substitute teacher, and three-season coach with our baseball, hockey, and soccer programs, has agreed to serve as interim head hockey coach. Deanna Coll, who as our athletic trainer implemented strategies to reduce the risk of illness and injury to our student-athletes, administered comprehensive health care to the ill and injured, and assisted with educational programs designed to ensure the health and safety of all, has agreed to become the department’s athletic operations coordinator. In this position, Coll will maintain calendars and schedules, departmental records, and website content; plan and support special events; and coordinate schedules and logistics with opponents, officials, and the media.
And finally, Mark Wilkerson will be taking on a new role. Since becoming a B Form teacher in 1994, Mr. Wilkerson has instilled St. Albans’ values, traditions, and history in his students—whether through teaching them the school prayer and hymn, encouraging his students to write letters to a 50th Reunion Class, or sharing an historical insight as a lunch announcement. For almost a decade, he has also helped out in his “free” time as school archivist. This year, Mark will be supporting the school full-time as school archivist. We look forward to gaining a better understanding of our school and our community through the lessons we will learn from him.
Please join us in offering a warm welcome to the new members of our community and thanking those who have willingly accepted new responsibilities.
Sincerely,
| Jason Robinson Headmaster | Sherry Rusher Dean of Faculty |
Located in Washington D.C., St. Albans School is a private, all boys day and boarding school. For more than a century, St. Albans has offered a distinctive educational experience for young men in grades 4 through 12. While our students reach exceptional academic goals and exhibit first-rate athletic and artistic achievements, as an Episcopal school we place equal emphasis upon moral and spiritual education.