HERONFIELDACADEMY - Key Persons
Amy lives in Exeter, NH with her husband, Ben. She is a financial controller of two companies specializing in commercial HVAC sales and service that she and her husband started. Amy volunteers her additional time in the nonprofit sector including the Music Hall and Leadership NH. She is a parent of two Heronfield alumni.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair
- Vice President of Human Resources at Profile Bank
Angela is the Vice President of Human Resources at Profile Bank and lives in Lee, NH. She is the parent of one Heronfield alumna and she has volunteered as a coach for Girls on the Run, served as Girl Scout co-leader as well as a board member of the UNH Partnership Advisory Board, the Rochester ELO Program, and the Wolfeboro Area Children's Center.
"I chose to teach Physical Education in hopes to share the joy of moving and playing that I found in my own school experiences"
Arin is our physical education and health teacher, as well as our Director of Athletics. He has been on the faculty of Heronfield Academy since 2008. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in physical education. In addition to teaching, Arin has coached hockey, soccer, and basketball, and has experience with outdoor experiential education. He has successfully coached our cross-country team, our basketball teams, and our award-winning track and field team at Heronfield. Arin lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three dogs.
Beth lives in Portsmouth, NH. She is a former teacher, coach, and wilderness survival educator for at-risk teens. She has served on the board for The Acorn School, and the Seacoast Women's Giving Circle. She has two children, one is a current student at Heronfield and the other is an alumna.
Job Titles:
- Financial Advisor With Vigilant Wealth Management
Colin is a financial advisor with Vigilant Wealth Management in Portsmouth, NH. He and his wife, Karla, live in Hampton, NH with their son, Alex. Colin is very active at the University of New Hampshire, serving on boards as well as teaching classes in the evening.
Debbie is our math teacher and a founding faculty member at Heronfield Academy. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics Education, and has taught mathematics and computer science at the high school and middle school level. After five years of teaching, she went to work for Liberty Mutual where her programming skills earned her the prestigious RISE award. She is proficient in several programming languages, including: Fortran, Pascal, COBOL, C, FOCUS, and SQL. After her two daughters were born, she worked for St. John's Church in Portsmouth, where she was the Religious Education Director for ten years. Debbie is a certified math teacher in middle school and high school. She resides in Portsmouth with her husband, Harry, who is a mathematics teacher at Exeter High School.
Job Titles:
- Humanities Teacher
- Science Teacher
Hannah teaches seventh- and eighth-grade science, and also serves as our Coordinator of Student Life. She joined the faculty in the fall of 2012. Hannah holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic in Maine, and she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Davidson College in North Carolina. Her research has included acoustic monitoring and behavioral studies of breeding grey whales in Baja, Mexico and grey seals in the Gulf of Maine. Before coming to Heronfield, Hannah spent several years working as an outdoor educator with Chewonki, leading several week-long canoe and backpacking trips for girls in Northern Maine, and teaching ecology and natural history to school groups. Hannah resides in Maine with her husband and sweet puppy Luna. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, camping and exploring the outdoors.
Don teaches humanities and joined the faculty at Heronfield Academy in 2009. He also serves as our Director of Technology. In 2017 Don received the James Madison Fellowship, America's most prestigious award in Constitutional history and government for secondary teachers. Through the fellowship and his studies at Georgetown University and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, he earned a Master of Science in Political Science with a concentration in International Affairs. Don also graduated with highest honors in Political Science from the University of Maine. Don is trained in discussion-based learning, or Harkness method, and has studied at the Humanities Institute at Phillips Exeter Academy. He and his wife raised three Heronfield graduates, and lives in Maine.
Harper lives in Hampton Falls, NH, with his wife, Jodi, and their two daughters, Evelyn ‘24 and Piper. Harper is a Partner at Peloton Advisory, an investment banking firm based in Portsmouth, NH.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Principal of Strategic Leadership Group
Joan is the Founder and Principal of Strategic Leadership Group. She lives in New Castle, NH with her husband, Claude. She is past president of the board of both the NH Children's Museum and the NH First Tee, as well as the Chancellor's Advisory Board at UMass Lowell. Her grandson is a current Heronfield student.
John is the Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at UMass Lowell, and he has nearly 35 years experience in education. He lives in Hampton, NH with his wife and therapy dog, who has her own Instagram account (@therapydogsookie).
John is the Head of School, coming to Heronfield with 26 years experience working with middle school students. John earned a Bachelor of Arts in English at Dartmouth College, and he also holds a Master of Education in Educational Administration. He began his teaching career at Severn School near Annapolis, Maryland, starting as a young middle school teacher before taking on other leadership roles, eventually serving as the school's Academic Dean. For the last ten years, John was the Head of Middle School at Foote School in New Haven, Connecticut, introducing and supporting initiatives in authentic and collaborative learning experiences, social emotional wellness, and restorative justice. John's family includes his wife, Elisa and their children - Holden (21), Graley (18), and Egan (15) - and they enjoy playing games and exploring the outdoors, especially visiting National Parks.
Justin lives in Exeter, NH with his wife Leah, and their daughter Catherine, a Heronfield alumna. Justin is Director of Investments at Phillips Exeter Academy.
Kendall is a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After completing her undergraduate studies in communication from James Madison University in 2013, she was determined to pursue her passions of education, travel, and athletics. Kendall was an Assistant English Teacher at a primary school in Madrid, Spain. For the past five years, she has been a member of the Leadership Team at Camp Wicosuta in Hebron, NH as an Athletics Activity Head and a Head Counselor. In addition to her camp experience, she has coached soccer, ski-racing, and winter and spring track. Most recently, she was a Paraprofessional for Special Education at the high school level. Last summer, Kendall began a Dual M.Ed in Spanish Language and Culture from James Madison University and The University of Salamanca. She is excited to be a part of the Heronfield community as a Spanish teacher.
Kirsten teaches sixth- and eighth-grade Spanish and is our Director of Special Programs. She has over 25 years' experience working with middle schoolers and their families as a teacher, advisor, mentor, and Dean, the bulk of which she earned at The Meadowbrook School, an independent K-8 school in Weston, Massachusetts. Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wellesley College in Spanish and Women's Studies, and a Master of Education degree in Secondary Education, Foreign Language, and English as a Second Language from George Washington University. Beyond her love of teaching Spanish, Kirsten brings a passion for multicultural education and inclusion, social justice and equity, and the social emotional learning of adolescents. Kirsten lives in Portsmouth with her spouse, Amy, their two children, and Golden Retriever, Booker, and spends as much time as possible on the dock in Belgrade Lakes, Maine.
A nonprofit fundraising professional for more than 25 years, Kristen is delighted to be a part of the Heronfield community. Her past experiences include serving as Executive Director of the Tate House Museum in Portland, Maine; Director of Development at Spurwink, a statewide Maine behavioral healthcare agency; Director of Advancement and Alumni Relations at Fryeburg Academy; and development and communications positions at Sweetser, Maine Medical Center, and Ingraham (now The Opportunity Alliance). Kristen is actively engaged in a variety of community organizations and has served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees. She is a past president of the Junior League of Portland, Maine and is currently serving as president of the board of Greater Portland Family Promise. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Smith College and a Master of Arts in Education degree from The College of William and Mary. She is also a graduate of the Chi Class of Leadership Maine through Maine Development Foundation.
Leslie re-joined the staff at Heronfield Academy in July 2020, after a short time away. She was born in East Boston and attended Boston University on a full, four year scholarship, graduating with a BSBA in Marketing. She worked for many years for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a teaching order of Catholic nuns. It was during that time, she witnessed the lasting impact that a teacher has on his/her students. It was her secret hope to someday work in an academic environment. When she is not working, Leslie likes to spend time creating her primitive cloth dolls as well as working on punch needle pieces.
Molly lives in Rye, NH with her husband, Darby, and their two children, Lila and Henry. Molly serves as a Director on the J.M. Huber board, an engineered material business that her great, great grandfather started in 1883. Molly is a frequent speaker and panelist in family business forums, and she has presented at family business programs at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management and Columbia Business School.
Rob (stage name RC Thomas) joined Heronfield Academy in 2019 with over 20 years of performing and teaching music. He is a NH native and certified music teacher. Rob earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education with honors from New York University in 2001. He is also an accomplished singer-songwriter and professional musician who thrives on passing his passion and love of music on to others. Rob is known throughout New England for his solo, duo, and full band performances. He has been featured on NPR's ‘Word of Mouth' for his original songwriting and his most recent solo album features his own recording, mixing and mastering in his private studio. Rob has recorded several full-length albums and is well-versed in modern music technology as well as professional audio engineering. In addition to being a seasoned entertainer, Rob has taught K-12 chorus and band, including beginner through advanced guitar, piano, and vocals to students of all ages. He resides in Dover, NH with his wife and son.
Job Titles:
- Director of Enrollment and Outreach