ABOUT OUR STAFF
Patty Conway, Front Office Manager - Otherwise known as “the voice of Desert Academy”, Patty has been with us for 5 years, and has lived in Santa Fe for over 7 years. Before coming to Desert, Patty worked as a Program Coordinator for a Non-Profit Organization involved in organic farming and food products. Outside of school, Patty loves gardening, her cat Basho, camping, meditating & much more! She has traveled extensively throughout the world including New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, and Brazil just to name a few. She has a BS in Business, and is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Counseling at Southwestern College.
Kimberly Henely, Executive Assistant – Originally from Denver, Colorado, Kim came to us from the Los Angeles area where she had been living for the past four years and working as a Television Production Coordinator at Disney and ABC. She received her BS in Behavioral Science/Human Services from Metropolitan State College of Denver and worked in the arena of social work/counseling before moving further west to LA, and now Santa Fe . Kim and her husband have recently re-located to the Santa Fe area in search of a much better quality of life.
Chuck Jones, Director of Advancement - Chuck is one of the newest members of the Desert Academy staff, becoming a full-time staff member as of September 2008. He first came to New Mexico in 1977 to spend the summer after undergraduate school back east; two and a half years later Chuck regretfully returned to New York City for graduate school and a career in community mental health and health care advocacy. In 1993, Chuck returned to Santa Fe and has since served on numerous boards of local, regional and national organizations. Chuck developed a strong interest in blending marketing, fundraising and development while serving as the Trustee Chairman of Development at Rio Grande School where he helped complete numerous successful Annual Fund and Capital Campaigns. His interest in education also extends into the area of complex learning disabilities and he is a member of the Learning and the Brain Society. Outside of work, Chuck is an avid gardener and he and his partner have two children all of whom love to scuba dive, travel and entertain.
Randy Martinez, Facilities Manager
Margaret McNally, Director of Admissions, College Counseling - Margaret has been teaching high school English since 1996. She also brings to the classroom a depth of experience as a journalist, screenwriter, and political activist. She was the West Coast Correspondent for The Argus South African Newspapers, and a reporter for The Argus, Cape Town; covering the anti-apartheid movement, life-style pieces, politics, women's issues, and court cases. She is a seasoned administrator for environmental and social organizations. She received her Masters in Education from the College of Santa Fe, and her BA from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. She also received a Premier Degree in French from the University of Grenoble, France.
Jud Osborn, Finance Director /Human Resources - Jud joined Desert Academy in the Summer of 2005. Jud earned his BA from the College of Santa Fe in 1993 and has served as Business Manager/Finance Director in NM private schools for over ten years. In the winter of 2006-07 Jud initiated the Middle School Winter Mountain Sports Programs and in the fall of 2007 he resumed teaching Creative Writing, a class he has taught in six of the past ten years.
Colin Pierce , International Baccalaureate Diploma Program Coordinator- Growing up in the Bay Area, Colin spent his early education at schools similar to Desert Academy and knows first hand the positive effect that such a school can have. In 2002, he received his BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. While at Sarah Lawrence, Colin studied writing and literature before splitting his Junior year between schools in the Czech Republic and Indonesia. In Indonesia, Colin studied with an American born anthropologist as well as with a Balinese born linguistics professor and returned to the States with a newfound academic focus in Linguistic Anthropology and Music. Colin continues to read and write as much as he can, spends inordinate amounts of time collecting and listening to music, and tries to cook often and ambitiously. Since moving to Santa Fe, Colin has taken liberal advantage of the hiking, swimming and general adventuring that the area has to offer.
Tamara Rossi, Registrar, Academic Coordinator
After growing up in the Berkshires area of New England and receiving a BA in English from UMass/Amherst, Tamara migrated west via Chicago to Santa Fe. She is now entering her 14th year at Desert Academy after various stints in book sales and marketing. Her obsession is travel, so every time she gets another frequent flyer mile she's off on a another adventure.
Karen Sands, School Counselor - Karen has over twenty-five years of experience in the fields of child-development research, international adoption, addictions counseling and psychotherapy. She is on the faculty of Southwestern College where she teaches Ethics and Advanced Counseling. Karen has presented workshops in Ethics and Supervision throughout the region for the past ten years. Karen also serves on the Continuing Education Committee, and the Ethics Committee for the Counseling and Therapy Practice Board of the State of New Mexico.
ABOUT OUR FACULTY
Randy Bennett, Chairman, Performing Arts - Randy has taught improvisation and comedy writing for over two and a half decades to over 2500 students including George Clooney, Jon Lovitz, Julia Sweeney, Darryl Hannah, and Phil Rosenthal (Executive Producer of Everybody Loves Raymond.) His career started in the early years of The Groundlings where he was a performing member of that now legendary comedy troupe with Phil Hartman and Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens. He ran The Groundling School of Improvisation for many years and opened Groundlings East in New York City, which is still operating under the banner of Gotham City Improv. He was a Hollywood talent agent in the early 80’s representing such talents as George Clooney, Kelly Preston, Lynn Redgrave, Cloris Leachman, Kirstie Alley, and Tom Selleck. As a LA theatre producer and casting director, he gave “first breaks” to Lisa Kudrow (Friends) and Peri Gilpin (Frazier), which helped launch their successful acting careers. He was also a television director on ABC’s Jam Bay, for Bunim/Murray Productions (Real World, Simple Life) and The Nanny for CBS. He graduated cum laude from the University of Southern California with a degree in Theatre Arts. Click HERE for a recent article about Randy at www.santafe.com.
Jessica Cavalli-Murray, Spanish, World Languages Chair - Jessica was raised in Santa Fe and graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico with a BA in Modern Languages. She holds a NM teaching license with endorsements in Spanish and French. She has lived and worked in various parts of Spain as a translator and interpreter, and she travels frequently to Mexico. Jessica also holds a diploma from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, and co-founded and edited The Fringe, a culture and lifestyle magazine for Santa Fe.
Thomas Christie, Mathematics – Thomas grew up in Little Rock, AR and graduated summa cum laude from Hendrix College in 2006. At Hendrix, he double-majored in mathematics and international relations, and had the opportunity to study in Graz, Austria. His interest in philosophy and the classics brought him to Santa Fe to attend St. John's college Graduate Institute, of which he is a graduate. Other interests include debate, photography, and he has won awards in both fields. In college, Thomas tutored individuals and groups in math and found the experience deeply rewarding. The desire to continue teaching and make mathematics interesting and relevant to students led him to seek a teaching position at Desert Academy, where he has been teaching math since August 2007.
Jocelyne Comstock, Science - In over 10 years of teaching, Jocelyne has had the opportunity to teach students from all walks of life, aged 13-20+ in a multitude of classes. She obtained her BA from the University of Hawaii at Hilo in Natural Sciences with a minor in Earth and Space studies. She has worked in some of the largest public schools in the state of Hawaii, an outside charter school in the state of Colorado, and at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley Colorado. She sets her standards high, and provides her students with a way to relate everyday life to the school subjects they learn through co-operative learning groups, hands-on lab work and research that delves more into subjects of interest for the students. She earned her MA in Earth Sciences with work directed in geology and astronomy. Jocelyne has published three articles, one referring to her master’s thesis and two regarding Astronomy and math applications and look forward to writing new articles as part of this faculty.
Claude Convers, French - Claude was born and raised in the French speaking part of Switzerland. She graduated from the École des Arts Décoratifs in Geneva with a degree in Graphic Design. Living and working in Germany and the U.S.A. brought her to speak three languages fluently. She began teaching French conversation and creative writing seven years ago and has worked with students from age 9 to 90; before then, she taught Clinical Imagery and Creative Development. She is also an artist, a poet and writer. Her artwork has been seen in several solo and group shows and her written words has been published in a few magazines.
Jill Felice, Assistance Dog Training - Assistance Dogs of the West was founded in 1995 by Jill Felice. Jill is a graduate of the Assistance Dog Institute in Rohnert Park, California. Dr. Bonita Bergin, the founder of Canine Companions for Independence, founded Assistance Dog Institute. The program is unique in its additional focus on the benefits for participating students, as well as for the recipient of an assistance dog. Student trainers enable Assistance Dogs of the West to train and place more dogs with recipients. There are only five programs of this type in the nation and this is the only one with a focus on students with learning differences. Desert Academy students have trained dogs that have been placed to help individuals with multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, degenerative nerve diseases, and victims of accident, stroke, and war injuries.
Christina Graves, Mathematic Department Chair, Christina graduated Cumlaude from West Chester University in Pennsylvania with a BSEd in Mathematics. She is the mother of 3 teenagers and comes to us from Oakbrook Preparatory School in Spartanburg, South Carolina where she taught for 3 years. She has a passion for math as well as seeing our youth reach their fullest potential. She helps her students reach the high standards she sets for them using various teaching methods. Outside of school she enjoys hiking, windsurfing or just watching movies.
Paul Hedrick, English - Paul hails from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received his BA in English from the University of New Mexico and his MA from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. This is his eighth year of teaching and his first year at Desert Academy. Despite his interests in science fiction and fantasy, comic books, gaming, Star Trek, film, and English lit, Paul likes to think he is not the world's biggest geek.
Esther Kovari, Social Studies - Esther is originally from England (accounting for her slightly odd accent) and was educated at Cambridge University (BA in Social Anthropology) and UC Berkeley (MS in Agricultural Economics.) She comes to Desert from McCurdy School in Espanola, where she taught social studies for 3 years. Before switching to a career in teaching, Esther worked for many years in sustainable agriculture and economic development. She co-founded the New Mexico Farmers’ Marketing Association, and worked with farmers’ markets around the state for 12 years. She is the mother of two sons who have just flown the nest. In addition to her interest in social studies, Esther loves to dance, play music and hike.
Karen Lindeen, Middle School Dean, Science Department Chair - Karen's passions lie not only in teaching students science, but teaching them how to be life-long learners. A native of Maryland, she has a M.Ed. from the University of Maryland and a B.S. in Biological Science from Salisbury State University. She has taught science for 9 years in both public and private schools. She has a special affinity for teaching students in the outdoor classroom as she has directed several outdoor education programs and participated in many experiential education workshops. She is the Dean of the Middle School, the Science Department Chair, and co-sponsors Desert's Outdoors and Sustainability Club. She wants to inspire students to know the natural world around them, in turn motivating them to become environmental stewards, academic scholars, and good people. She enjoys skiing, hiking, mountain biking, dancing, gardening, and learning.
Greg Mays, Chairperson, Digital Media Arts Program (D-MAP), Technology Teacher, Manager of Technology Systems
Born in Knoxville,Tennessee and raised in Southern New Mexico, Greg earned B.A. degrees in Public Relations and Pre-Law from New Mexico State University in 2005. While at NMSU, he was the editor and graphic designer for alumni magazine The Scoop, worked as a public relations assistant for the university, and volunteered as Associate Justice of the NMSU Supreme Court. He has taught and developed curriculum for Computer Literacy and Mathematics courses for several years, and he is involved with the production of several internet podcasts, including the very first podcast produced in the state of New Mexico, which has been featured nationally in many media outlets. Greg also edits and contributes content for college textbooks, including web supplements and encyclopedia articles. In his free time, he produces, mixes, and records digital music, and he currently resides in Albuquerque with his wife and daughter.
Rod Mehling, High School Dean, History teacher and Desert soccer coach - Rod is passionate about helping young adults realize their full potential—in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in other walks of life. In his fourth year at Desert, Rod brings to the school a background as an educator and a corporate leader. He earned his BA in History from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is certified as a high school history teacher by the State of New Mexico and is a graduate of the TESOL Program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) of the School of International Training in Vermont. As former Chairman and CEO of Catalyst Communications, Rod transformed this start-up company into an award-winning healthcare educational firm. Rod has also worked as a camp counselor for physically handicapped children, a Big Brother mentor, a Little League coach, and a summer youth recreation leader.
Sheila Miles, Art - Sheila has been an artist and taught for over 35 years at Universities, for the National Endowment for the Arts and Montana Arts Council, throughout Montana, in Hana, Hawaii, on reservations and one-room schools, after school programs and at teacher's conferences. She was also Director of the Provincetown Art Museum, Curator at the Yellowstone Art Museum and Education Curator, and Gallery Director at Universities. She has a Masters in Painting and Drawing and has exhibited in over 300 exhibitions and 100 of her works is included in various public collections as the Federal Reserve Bank . She has also received the Gottlieb Foundation grant and a Montana Arts Council Fellowship. After a vibrant career in Montana for over 27 years, Miles currently lives near Santa Fe. You can view her work at www.artistmiles.com.
Kevan Morshed, French and Economics - Kevan connected to the Francophone world the first moment he walked the streets of Paris as a pre-teen. He pursued his intuition by participating in an exchange program in France while in high school. He also continued by studying French and Economics at the George Washington University in Washington D.C. and went abroad to study in Nantes, France as a college student. For 2 years, Kevan taught students in D.C. from all walks of life in writing, journalism, French and literature. He has also worked in international trade in New York City for the Belgium Consulate. Kevan hopes to continue creating with the French language and share his experiences and understanding of the "economic" world in which we live. He is currently finishing his master's degree at St. John's College and hopes to share his learning with his students.
Greta Nelson, English - Greta teaches Eighth and Ninth Grade English and is new to Desert. She hails from New Jersey and most recently transplanting from Manhattan. She holds a BA from Rutgers University in English Language and Literature and MA in English Education from Columbia Teachers College in New York. Greta wrote her senior honors thesis on Modernist children's literature. Her interests outside of teaching include hiking, distance running, swimming (she will coach the Desert Swim Team), gardening, traveling, writing and yoga.
Jud Osborn, Finance Director /Human Resources - Jud joined Desert Academy in the Summer of 2005. Jud earned his BA from the College of Santa Fe in 1993 and has served as Business Manager/Finance Director in NM private schools for over ten years. In the winter of 2006-07 Jud initiated the Middle School Winter Mountain Sports Programs and in the fall of 2007 he resumed teaching Creative Writing, a class he has taught in six of the past ten years.
Natalie Passalacqua, Athletic Director - Natalie received her BA in education from the University of Pittsburgh State. She was a 4-year letter winner in basketball and track & field, and captain of the basketball team. She placed all four years at the MIAA track and field conference championships and was awarded Outstanding Student Athlete. Natalie was a special education instructor from 2000 to 2004 in Kansas, and coached volleyball and softball. She gets great satisfaction helping students achieve difficult goals.
Colin Pierce, Social Studies - Growing up in the Bay Area, Colin spent his early education at schools similar to Desert Academy and knows first hand the positive effect that such a school can have. In 2002, he received his BA in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. While at Sarah Lawrence, Colin studied writing and literature before splitting his Junior year between schools in the Czech Republic and Indonesia. In Indonesia, Colin studied with an American born anthropologist as well as with a Balinese born linguistics professor and returned to the States with a newfound academic focus in Linguistic Anthropology and Music. Colin continues to read and write as much as he can, spends inordinate amounts of time collecting and listening to music, and tries to cook often and ambitiously, which results, more often than not, in meals that are fairly edible. Since moving to Santa Fe, Colin has taken liberal advantage of the hiking, swimming and general adventuring that the area has to offer. Colin is extremely happy to be a part of the Desert community, and looks forward to the coming year.
Joslyn Pretz, Science - Joslyn received her BA in General Science and Biology from Grinnell College in 2002. She comes to Desert from Maryland where she taught chemistry and biology for four years. When not in the classroom, she can usually be found outdoors hiking, camping or riding horses. Joslyn is an accomplished equestrian who has ridden since the age of six, has started horses for over a decade and founded the training company Premium Sport Horses in 2005. She looks forward to exploring the mountain trails of New Mexico.
Catherine Robinson, Music, English - Catherine relocated to Santa Fe five years ago from the Flathead Valley in northwest Montana. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Idaho and taught choral music, drama and English in junior high schools and high schools in Montana, Washington and Idaho. Ms. Robinson did graduate study at the University of Washington in voice performance, choral conducting and English/Language Arts and continued her work in choral conducting with Rodney Eichenberger from Florida State University. Currently, Ms. Robinson is a candidate for a Master's Degree in Choral Conducting at California State University, Los Angeles, working with Dr. William Belan and Donald Brinegar in choral conducting and Donald Brinegar in voice performance. Ms. Robinson has performed leading and supporting roles in opera productions, light opera and Broadway shows, and has sung in solo recitals. Some roles include Musetta in La Boheme, Magda Sorel in The Consul, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes and Sarah in Company. Since moving to Santa Fe, Ms. Robinson has performed with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale winter and summer ensembles, Santa Fe Pro Musica and Canticum Novum. Ms. Robinson teaches 7th grade English, 7th and 8th grade music classes and choir at the Santa Fe Desert Academy. This past spring Ms. Robinson sang the role of The Mother in Santa Fe Opera's One Hour Opera production of The Timid Twosome (I Due Timidi) by Nino Rota.
Fu-Mei Tsai, Chinese - Fu-Mei is a certified Mandarin Chinese teacher in Taiwan and has taught Mandarin Chinese in junior high school (grades 7, 8, and 9) in Taiwan for over ten years. She graduated from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan with a major in Chinese literature. She is excited to be teaching Chinese at Desert and is pleased that Desert is serious and willing to offer its students the opportunity to learn a useful and important language.
Eric Wynn, History, English - Eric graduated from McGill University in 2004 with a BA in English Literature and came to Desert shortly after. He has since been pursuing a Master's Degree in literature through the Breadloaf School of English. He currently coaches soccer and heads up a small debating and public speaking society within the school. Eric is an avid outdoorsman in all seasons, and loves living in Santa Fe.
Chris Zappe, Digital Media Arts - Chris received his BFA in Art and Technology from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His roles at Desert Academy include teaching digital animation in the school's burgeoning Digital Media Arts department and providing technical assistance with campus computers and technology infrastructure. He also works in the math department teaching middle school math. Despite his field of interest, Chris maintains a healthy skepticism toward computers and enjoys the many outdoor activities Santa Fe has to offer, previously lending his talents to the St. John's College Search & Rescue team.
For contact information about Faculty and Staff, CLICK HERE.