GUNSTON - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Betsy McCown, P'11 is the Associate Director of Echo Hill Outdoor School in Worton, Md. She earned a B.S. in Community Leadership and Development from Springfield College, Springfield, MA. McCown is a former Gunston board member and a current Chesapeake Watershed Semester Advisory Committee member.
Job Titles:
- Director of Events, Alumni Coordinator
Dr. Fernando De Leon, P'22 is a pulmonologist with the University of Maryland Medical Center in Chestertown. Dr. De Leon received his medical degree from Boston University and completed his fellowship, residency and internship at University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and critical care. He also serves as a member of Gunston's Health Advisory Team.
Job Titles:
- Science Teacher, Coach for Girls' Volleyball
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Job Titles:
- Co - Director of College Guidance
Emily Coffey joined Gunston from Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas where she served as their first college counselor. She is the recipient of the 2021 national award "Counselor that Changes Lives" by the highly regarded Colleges that Change Lives consortium. She graduated magna cum laude with distinction from Hendrix College with a degree in sociology and English, and received her Master's in higher education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to becoming a college counselor, she worked in undergraduate admissions at Hendrix College and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is a former Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) board member, serving as the co-chair of the admission practices committee.
Job Titles:
- Buildings & Grounds Committee Member
- Director of University Sustainability for George Mason University
Greg Farley is the Director of University Sustainability for George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. He has held similar positions at Washington College (Chestertown, MD) and Chesapeake College (Wye Mills, MD). Before transitioning to sustainability, he also taught biology, environmental science, and related courses for Chesapeake College, where he was the Stuart M. Bounds Distinguished Teaching Chair. He also serves Gunston as an advisor to the Chesapeake Watershed Semester. A biologist by training, he holds an MS from Florida State University and a BS from Duke University. He is co-editor, with Jennifer Chirico, of Thinking Like an Island: navigating a sustainable future in Hawai'i.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Executive Committee
- Executive Director of ShoreRivers
Isabel Junkin Hardesty is the Executive Director of ShoreRivers and is a member of the Board of Directors for Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology. She received a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University, where she concentrated in coastal environment and management, and a B.S. from Bucknell University with a major in animal behavior. Hardesty has worked closely with Gunston for nearly a decade on various campus grant-funded research projects.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Jeff Frederick, P '23 '26 is the President of Fred Frederick Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-RAM in Easton, Md. He lives in Grasonville with his wife Janell, and 4 children. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he is also a member of Gunston's Development Committee.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Development Committee
Jill Caron, P'17 has served on Gunston's Development Committee since 2016, as well as serving as a new family mentor coordinator. Caron has worked at the Kent School in Chestertown, where she lives, in various roles since 2004. An avid swimmer, Caron has also served as the Co-President of the Sho'men Swim Club as well as President and VP of Kent School Parents, Teachers, Friends (PTF) Association.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Finance Committee
Joe Janney P'21 is retired after a 25 year career at Oracle Corporation, one of the world's largest software and technology companies. Most recently at Oracle, Joe was Vice President of Application Sales. He is an avid outdoorsman, enjoying boating, fly fishing and hiking. Joe and his wife, Martha, and their son Carter, live on the South River in Annapolis.
Job Titles:
- Athletic Director
- Transportation Director
Job Titles:
- Director of External Relations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Member of the Governance Committee
Megan Cook, P'22,'24 serves as Gunston's Executive Committee as Secretary. Cook is President of the Easton Town Council, Co-founder of CarePacks of Talbot County, and the assistant coach for the Easton High School tennis teams. Cook has a B.S. from the University of Rochester, and an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Vermont. She lives in Easton with her husband and three children. In addition, Cook serves on multiple boards including as the Finance Chair for the Neighborhood Service Center, the Secretary for Junior Achievement, and the board of the Salvation Army.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, Human Resources
Melissa Haber earned her Bachelor of Science in business management from the University of South Carolina and also has a master's degree in education from Johns Hopkins University with a focus on educational leadership. Ms. Haber previously served as the Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations at Kent School in Chestertown-a role she held for the past five years. Before Kent School, Ms. Haber held significant leadership roles in the Admissions and Finance departments of Indian Creek School in Crownsville, Md. In all of these roles, she has earned the highest praise for her skill, dedication, innovation, and care for students and families.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Moe Weimer is a wordnerd. Yes. That means that he reads to the point that his eyes start to hurt. When that happens, he'll (usually) put the book down and pick up a guitar or play fetch with his roommate's dog, Ruxin. Sometimes he'll even watch a baseball or hockey game. Every now and then he goes back to his hometown near Hershey, PA and will run half-marathons or root wildly for the Hershey Bears with his family. After working up an appetite, Moe will head to the kitchen where he loves to cook, eat, and share food with his friends. He enjoys a good cup of coffee (or two) and often dreams about the day when he finally finishes the novel that he's been working on since he graduated Kutztown University in 2013. Speaking of school, Moe always knew that he wanted to be a teacher and is thankful for the opportunity to share his passion for storytelling with his students.
Ben Dize was born and raised in Crisfield, Maryland where he gained a deep appreciation for the Chesapeake Bay and its heritage. Ben graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1968 and received an M.Ed. from Towson State University in 1972. He began teaching in Howard County in February of 1969 and moved to teach art in Kent County in September of 1969. After completing 30 years of teaching at Kent County High School he started teaching art at Gunston in September of 1999. Besides art, Ben's hobbies include hunting, fishing, boating and gardening. He enjoys cooking, learning Italian, and traveling.
Job Titles:
- Counselor Fly - in to Paul Smith 's College
Juan Angarita was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia, where he attended Saint George's School from kindergarten to senior year. After completing high school, he went on to study economics and music at the Javeriana University in the country's capital. Juan immigrated to the United States (Easton Md.) in 2001 to finish his studies at the University of Maryland, earning a B.A in Music Composition.
Juan began teaching Spanish and Music at Wye River Upper School while managing the school's soccer program. In addition to teaching, Juan was a head coach at Tetrabrazil Soccer Academy during his free summers. After five years, he joined Gunston as a Spanish Teacher. In 2011 he took on the role of Instructional Technology Coordinator, developing a plan to introduce technology as a major teaching resource. In 2015, Juan became the head of the World Languages Department at Gunston. In his extracurricular activities, Juan enjoys coaching soccer and has been the Boys' Varsity Soccer head coach for several years.
Juan's true passion is spending time with his wife Liana and 2 children, Sofia ‘22,(Amherst College class of 2026) and Andrey (future Gunston class of 2033!). He loves playing soccer and tennis but you can also often find him playing music with his younger brother Cam in Juan's music home studio.
Michael Kaylor grew up in the Boston area. He has a B.A. in English from Eastern Nazarene College and studied the History of the Book and Book Arts in the Graduate program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Both his daughter and son are Gunston Alumni. Michael Kaylor is a master printer and in addition to teaching at Gunston he has taught Letterpress Printing and Book Arts at Washington College. He opened the Literary House Press in 1986.
Michael McFarland teaches AP history courses, electives, and is the head of the history department. He also runs the Model United Nations Club and the Business/Investment Club. Mr. McFarland has a BA in history from Burlington College and an MA in Liberal Studies from St. John's College in Annapolis. He enjoys reading history and fiction, film, hiking, and Michigan State basketball.
Job Titles:
- History Teacher, Head Coach for Cross Country Team, Head Coach for Triathlon
Ryan Redding '17 returned to Gunston in 2022 to coach rowing and in 2023, he also joined the faculty as a math teacher. Mr. Redding holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Washington College and a Master of Arts degree in Chemistry from the University of Delaware. With professional experience as a technician in the Research and Development Lab at the Lamotte Company, Mr. Redding gained valuable expertise in lab management and analytical skills. In the computational chemistry lab at the University of Delaware, he developed proficiency in computer languages and molecular dynamics simulations. Additionally, his role as a Teaching Assistant sharpened his communication skills and ability to effectively guide peers in lab procedures. Beyond academia, Mr. Redding is also an Eagle Scout.
Job Titles:
- Director of Technology, Coach for Boys' Basketball, Coach for Sailing Team
Job Titles:
- English Teacher, Co - Head Coach for Recreational Tennis
Will Freda is from Kennebunk, Maine. He attended Deerfield Academy and subsequently Kenyon College where he double majored in Religious Studies and Italian. Will has combined his interest in religion with his passion for travel on numerous occasions, including a year long study in Italy, time spent in a Buddhist monastery in China, and a Fulbright scholarship in Thailand. His experience includes two summers at St. Paul's in New Hampshire teaching Literature and Creative Writing, one year as an Italian TA at Kenyon College, and most recently as a History, Literature and ELA teacher at Hebron Academy's new China campus near Hangzhou. His passions also include literature, film, music, and hiking.
Christie Grabis has been an educator for forty years. She earned her B.A. in French with a concentration in education from Roanoke College and her MA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She taught French in the public school system in North Carolina before arriving at Gunston in 1984 where she has taught French, Ethics, and The Gunston Experience classes and coached field hockey, basketball, and softball. During her tenure at Gunston, Christie has fulfilled the administrative roles of Director of Studies, Dean of Students, and Assistant Head of School. She enjoys Gunston's extracurricular program and advises the Mental Health Awareness Club and actively participates in the Student Diversity Leaders Group, the Environmental Club, and NHS. Christie is currently a Commissioner on the AIMS Committee on Accreditation and she holds professional certifications with MSDE, Mental Health First Aid, and Adolescent Depression Awareness. Outside of the Gunston community, Christie serves on a number of local boards and promotes programs focused on mental health and wellness. Christie fills her downtime with running, biking, kayaking, and beachcombing. Christie was born and raised in Rock Hall, Maryland where she grew up playing in and around the water-a passion that continues to shape her life.
Linda Jayne, P'24 joined Gunston from Kent Island High School, where she was the Math Department Chair and lacrosse coach. In addition to her longtime experience teaching Advanced Placement AB & BC Calculus, Jayne has written curriculum at the county and state level, and she's been an advisor for the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. She earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Frostburg, and a Masters in Administration and Education from Western Maryland College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice Chair of the Executive Committee
Chair of Governance Committee Mrs. Patricia Parkhurst '88, P '18,'21,'23 currently teaches Art at The Country School and has served on several area boards including the Kent School Board of Trustees, RiverArts KidSpot, Gunston's Second Century Capital Campaign committee and Co-chaired the Strategic Planning committee. An alumna of Gunston, Pat lives in Centreville with her husband, Steve, and their three children, two of whom currently attend Gunston. She earned her M.A. in Art Education from the Art Education University, Certificate in Fundraising from George Washington University, and B.A. from Roanoke College.
Tammy Boone is the Academic Support Coordinator. She works directly with students, fellow tutors and faculty to ensure that students' additional or special learning requirements are met. She began working part-time at Gunston in 2008 and has steadily grown her position to full time beginning in 2017. She also assists with the rowing team, an interest that stems from her own son's participation in the program during his four years at Gunston. Additionally, Tammy may be one of the most enthusiastic chaperones for the Chesapeake Bay Studies Program and has treasured her experiences with the students, including kayaking, camping and last year's trip to the Amazon rainforest outside of Iquitos, Peru.
Tammy grew up in Olympia Washington and attended Western Washington University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education. After graduation, she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska working with the Fairbanks Native Association as a parent educator and home visitor. While in Alaska, she met her husband, Scott, a native to Maryland's Eastern Shore, and married him in Fairbanks on the longest day of the year. She now lives in Centreville, Maryland with her husband. She is the proud parent of three Gunston alums, Ethan '17, Helen '21, and Maria '27.
Natalie Reading '16 oversees the waterfront athletics complex. She is a familiar face in the Gunston community, having graduated as an honor student in 2016, and she's coached rowing for several years at Gunston. Natalie was four-year rower during her time at Gunston, and she has experience both competing and coaching at the collegiate level for St. Mary's College and the University of Maryland club team. She earned her B.A. in Sociology at the University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Finance Committee
Patrick Shoemaker joined the Board of Trustees in 2012. After graduating from Gunston in 2003, he went on to Bucknell University. He currently co-owns and manages PEAKE Technology Partners, an IT MSP for private healthcare organizations in the Mid-Atlantic. He is also the founder of Greensite, a company building a 100% renewable energy powered, grid-independent data center technology to sustainably address the mission-critical needs of environmentally conscious companies. Additionally, he founded and developed a facilities-based internet service provider for the Washington, DC metro area called Vector Data Systems, LLC, which is now a business unit of PEAKE Technology Partners.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
Job Titles:
- Co - Director of College Guidance, Head Coach for Girls' Soccer