Jacalyn Bak received her BFA from Arcadia University with a concentration in painting. Her experience includes teaching pottery and weaving for the children’s division at The Foundation for the Arts and Sciences in Loveladies NJ,14 years teaching Kindergarden through 12th grade at Doane Academy, and teaching privately. She hones her artistic voice by continuing to study her craft, believing that as she challenges herself as a student she will become an inspired teacher. She has been known to raise a few alpacas, sheer them in the spring, have their fiber spun into yarn and crochet a garment. She recently completed 2 years of Studio Incamminati’s professional program where she studied figure drawing and painting, color study and still life. Her favorite poem is one by Langston Hughes which says “Hold Fast To Dreams for if Dreams Die Life is a Broken Winged Bird That Cannot Fly”.

Jordan Bennett is a Doane Academy alumnus (1998). He completed a BA in English at Eastern University and an MLA in English at the University of Pennsylvania. After some time as an SAT tutor with Kaplan Test Prep, Jordan has been teaching at the high school level for 10 years, instructing students in Creative Writing, Academic Writing, American Literature, World Literature, and AP Language and Composition. Jordan’s connection to Doane runs deep, as he met his future wife, Dr. Rachel (Pazder) Bennett, in the eighth grade and they held their wedding reception in Doane’s dining hall and on its soccer field. From playing Joseph in the Christmas Mystery to scoring 1000 points on the basketball court, many of Jordan’s formative milestones occurred on the campus of Doane Academy. An amateur musician, golfer, and writer, Jordan brings a range of interests to the English Department along with an abiding belief in the power of narrative to transform the lives of young readers. Jordan will be teaching upper school English this year at Doane.

Roxane Blow graduated from Trenton State College with a Bachelor in Nursing and a minor in Biology. She has worked in various healthcare settings and held numerous positions from staff surgical nurse to rehabilitation center supervisor. Roxane’s main career focus was in emergency medicine as a certified emergency nurse, with specialized training in cardiac and trauma nursing. She is also an EMT and CPR instructor.

Roxane believes school nursing advances the well-being, academic success, and lifelong achievement of students. The school nurses’ role is multi-faceted. She is responsible for promoting individual student health and a healthy school environment, developing school health policies and procedures, and advocating communication and collaboration among students, family, and staff. As a past parent, Roxane was involved in many ways; helping at countless events, chairing numerous committees and assisting the women’s softball team.

Reverend Briggs is a native of Maine and received a BA in Political Science from Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick. He volunteered with Canadian Crossroads International working on sustainable practices in Zambia and was later employed by the Province of New Brunswick as an archeologist. Entering The General Theological Seminary in New York City, Paul completed Clinical Pastoral work at St. Luke’s Hospital, served as Chaplain to the Electrical Workers of NYC, and completed an internship at Trinity Church, Portland, ME. Since his ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, Paul has served parishes in New Hampshire, Texas, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and currently serves as the Interim Rector at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Yardley, PA. Paul will be teaching World Religions at Doane in addition to conducting chapel services.

Paul is married to the Rev. Barbara Briggs and together they live in Pennington, NJ with their teenage son, Caleb, and golden-doodle, Clancy. In addition, Paul has three grown children: Meghan, Joshua, and Matthew and two grandchildren, Henry and Wilder. Ask him to see pictures!

Jarred D. Fisher is a graduate of Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia, PA where he studied under living master artists and also holds a degree in fine art painting and drawing from Delaware College of Art and Design. Mr. Fisher works primarily in Oil and Metalpoint and specializes in still-life and figurative works.

An award winning, nationally exhibited, and published professional artist Mr. Fisher has spent three years working as the creative director and lead teaching artist for several paint and sip companies where he developed curriculum intended to make art accessible to anyone.

Mr. Fisher joins Doane in 2016 as an upper school art teacher and looks forward to teaching students a disciplined, skills based approach to art.

Michael Fouchet is a lifelong learner with an interest in just about everything. Hailing from a small town on Long Island, Mike came to Doane Academy from Lehigh University, where he received his B.A. in Mathematics and his M.Ed. in Secondary Math Education. Since starting in 2014, Mike has coached middle school soccer and founded two clubs: Math Competition Club and the Gaming Club. He hopes that his newness to the teaching profession will bring new energy and new ideas to the classroom.

In his free time, Mike is a world class Pokemon Trading Card Game player, a spoken word poet, and a frequenter of free online courses.

MS from New Jersey Institute of Technology-1978, emphasis in Chemistry

BA From Rutgers – 1971, majored in Chemistry. Certified to teach in Physical Science.

Experience: Taught Chemistry and other science courses at North Hunterdon High School for forty years.

Teaching at Doane Academy for the past five years. Assistant Men’s Varsity Baseball Coach.

Interests: sports – New York Mets, reading, gardening.

Madeline Gray is thrilled to join Doane this year as its’ first School Counselor. Madeline grew up in Texas and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and English Writing from DePauw University in Indiana. While in college Madeline interned at Children’s Crisis Treatment Center in Philadelphia and became passionate about connecting education, mental health, and social justice. She went on to work in Chicago-area public high schools for three years as a reading & writing coach and academic & college counselor for the Schuler Scholar Program. Madeline’s students inspired her to pursue her Master’s of Social Work at The University of Pennsylvania. Since making Philadelphia home, Madeline has worked at Henry C. Lea Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, and Belmont Behavioral Hospital. As a licensed social worker, Madeline has provided individual and group psychotherapy for children, adolescents and adults coping with a broad range of mental health concerns, including eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, trauma, suicidality, and relationship issues. Madeline believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn, heal, and grow from the experiences and challenges life presents us, and is committed to creating safe spaces and supportive relationships with young people to explore their unique strengths, challenges, and identities. In her free time, Madeline is usually teaching or practicing yoga, cooking, reading, or seeing some kind of artistic performance.

Lacy Hall is a graduate of Muhlenberg College with a BA in Art History. During her time at Muhlenberg College she also played on the rugby and softball teams. Lacy returned to Doane Academy in 2012, and has worn many hats. She has had a hand in teaching, coaching, and in admissions. She is currently The Dean of Admissions and helps to coach the Doane Academy Varsity Softball Team.

Meg Herron (B.S., University of Delaware) has been teaching at Doane Academy since 2004. Prior to teaching at Doane, Meg taught preschool age children at Depth Child and Family Development Center, Burlington County Head Start, and Family Services Cooperative Preschool. She is also a certified Montessori teacher and has served as an educational consultant for other local preschool programs.

Paul Howe graduated from La Salle College with a BA in English and spent his junior year abroad studying at Reading University, UK. He received his MA in English Literature from Harvard University, where he also taught for five years in the Expository Writing program. Mr. Howe spent 27 years teaching at both high schools in his home town of Cherry Hill, NJ, eventually covering every core English course at every level, as well as electives such as Film Appreciation, Public Speaking, Creative Writing, and Non-Western Cultures. He was also an advisor for the literary magazine, dramatic productions, the film club, and the Poetry of Popular Music club. A passionate cinephile whose favorite films include Marcel Carne’s Children of Paradise and Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, Mr. Howe also devotes a good deal of his spare time to studying many kinds of music from classical (late Beethoven quartets) to jazz (Louis Armstrong) to world music (Orchestre Baobab). Paul will be teaching upper school English this year at Doane.

Jamar W. Jennings was born in Philadelphia, PA and a graduate of The Ohio State University with a B.A degree. Mr. Jennings has worked for the Philadelphia Eagles for 3 years in the game day management phase and coached Division II college football for 5 seasons as well as holding the title of Director of Basketball Operations for a season, also at the Division II level.

When Mr. Jennings changed careers from athletics to education, he held the title of Admissions Executive for a ‘for-profit’ university. Receiving promotions from an advisory position to a higher executive advisory position, he was #1 in the Philadelphia Metro for all 7 years recruiting students out of high school to attend college.

Mr. Jennings was also the very first Director of Athletics for the “for-profit” university and first Head Basketball Coach.

Lynne Levin earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in speech pathology from Temple University. After her graduate program, Lynne worked at Elwyn Institute and started the first Language Impaired classroom in the Philadelphia School District at Solis-Cohen Elementary School. She started her own private practice in speech pathology in 1981, specializing in speech and language disorders with pre-school through high school age children. In addition to working at Doane Academy one day a week, Lynne provides pre-school screening in Cherry Hill area preschools, as well as administering complete speech and language evaluations for the Voorhees Child Study Team and MARC Inc. Her areas of expertise include articulation disorders, childhood apraxia, receptive and expressive language delay, and phonological awareness weakness. Lynne also has experience in addressing dysfluency and voice disorders.

Kirk John Lombardi graduated from the University of the Arts of Philadelphia in 2001 with a BS in Music. He also has a certification in Elementary Education grades k-8 and is a certified Personal Trainer. Mr. Lombardi is a Physical Education teacher at Doane Academy, the Personal Trainer for the Upper School students and is also the coach for three sports, Varsity Cross Country, Girl’s Basketball and is the Assistant Coach for the Crew Teams.

Mr. Lombardi has been teaching and coaching for 12 years and every year he tries to find new and exciting ways for his students to learn to live a healthy life style and to succeed in athletics.

Peggy Majane is a graduate of Salem College with a B.S. in elementary education, certified to teach K-8. Peggy worked for the Boys Scouts of America for 17 years in New Hampshire, Boston, and Central New Jersey. Her work with the Boy Scouts included an in-school character education program in inner-city Boston. This experience renewed her interest in classroom teaching and led to her hiring at Doane Academy. Peggy has been at Doane Academy since 2003. She has taught Kindergarten, Second Grade, and is currently teaching Fifth Grade.

Born and raised in Hyde Park, New York, Adrienne Mazar moved to New Jersey where she fostered her love for music while attending Lawrence High School.

Mrs. Mazar is a graduate of The College of New Jersey with a BA in Music Education with a concentration on trumpet. Mrs. Mazar and her husband Mark have one child, a son, Shane.

Mrs. Mazar came to Doane Academy in 2010 after a very successful career in public school. As a High School marching band director she led her ensemble to two Group I USSBA Conference Championships. Her instrumental ensembles have performed in Salzburg, Florence (Italy), Preservation Hall, Epcot, on several cruise ships, and many other locations throughout the US.

Mrs. Mazar is a two time recipient of the distinguished New Jersey Governor’s Award for excellence in teaching. Upon her retirement from public school Mrs. Mazar was recognized for her commitment to education and dedication to the community with a special Resolution from the town of Florence dedicating November 6, 2010 as “Adrienne Mazar” day.

Mrs. Mazar currently teaches instrumental music lessons and directs the Lower School Band, Upper School Band, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion ensemble, Rock Band, and Pit Orchestra at Doane Academy. She is also the Director of the Fine and Performing Arts Department.

David McCormick comes to Doane Academy from Friends Academy of Westampton, where he spent 7 years teaching Environmental Science and Library skills. Previous to teaching at Friends Academy he spent 6 years as a parent and the librarian at Haddonfield Friends School. He holds a degree in Hotel Management and Institutional Catering from the City of Glasgow College.

David also teaches Lower School science students. When not engaged in classroom studies he likes to take students on adventures out into the natural environment, hiking through the woodlands and stomping in streams tracking animals, identifying native and invasive species of plants and having students gain an appreciation for preserving the integrity of our environment. All classes take an environmental field trip related to their studies.

He enjoys singing in his church choir, and gardening, with a serious focus on native plants. David has been a Scottish Country dancer since his early days in primary school and has danced all over the East Coast.

Virginia Miller (B.A, Temple University) has been with Doane Academy since 1992. She has previously taught fourth, fifth and sixth grade. This is Ginny’s eleventh year teaching Kindergarten. Prior to teaching at Doane, Ginny was a public school speech therapist and long-term substitute teacher. Ginny is also a certified Montessori Teacher.

Irina Ottley holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Communication Arts and Minors in Spanish and French from Hood College. Irina moved back to the United States from Panama, Republic of Panama in 2015 where she taught at her alma mater for three years. Irina has also completed her Masters in Education: Teacher Leadership from Walden University.

Mrs. Yvonne Perrottet (“Mrs. P”) – Mrs. P has worked at Doane Academy for over 10 years. Before working at Doane, she was the Gold’s Gym Children’s Program Director and a double certified personal fitness trainer. Currently, Mrs. P is the director of Doane Academy’s Extended-Day program (an after school homework, fitness, and character development program) and is the creator and director of the “Camp Doane” program.

Hillary Rupert is a graduate of Doane Academy. She began attending Doane Academy as a kindergarten student and graduated in 2006. After graduating from Doane she went on to earn a bachelor’s of science in Marine Biology from Roger Williams University. While attending Roger Williams University, she studied in Australia at the University of Wollongong. Upon completion of her bachelor’s degree, she began teaching science at Hamilton High School West. Hillary has also taught special education students at Northern Burlington Regional School District. Hillary earned her post-baccalaureate in Autism in June 2014. Hillary began teaching life sciences at Doane Academy in September 2014. Hillary loves that she is able to teach at her alma mater and inspire her students to pursue careers in the life science field. Hillary is currently a faculty advisor for the class of 2020. In her free time Hillary likes to travel and spend with her family and friends.

Michael Russell grew up splitting time between Tampa, Florida and the suburbs of New York City. He is a graduate of Jesuit High School in Tampa, and received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester. Michael spent two years as a field engineer for an oilfield services company in Texas and Oklahoma prior to coming to Doane in 2010.

Mr. Russell is currently the Chair of the Math and Science Departments. He is also the head of Doane’s S.T.E.A.M. program, which has grown under his leadership to include upper school course electives, after school clubs, competition teams, summer camps, and international trips. His passion for teaching students how to creatively “tinker” led to him earning his M.Ed. in Curriculum Development from the University of Cincinnati.

Michael and his wife, Liesel, are proud members of a multinational family with relatives living on five of the seven continents. They love to travel internationally and to seek out challenging hiking trails to explore. He is also an avid fan of the New York Mets, Batman, Canadian theater, professional wrestling, and science fiction.

Mr. Timothy G. Sadar grew up in Cleveland Ohio and is a graduate of Oberlin College with an AB in Political Science. He was one course shy of also completing a second major in Mathematics. He also has a M.Ed. from Temple University.

Mr. Sadar taught mathematics at Cherry Hill West for 38 years, teaching all levels of mathematics with the exception of Calculus, and also served as the Mathematics Department Chair for a number of years. While at Cherry Hill West, he was also an assistant coach for football with one of the years helping to coach a team that was undefeated in Group IV. He also was the head girls’ softball coach where he had a record of 193 wins and 96 losses, reaching the State Finals during that span.

He came to Doane Academy in 2004 as a mathematics teacher. He moved into his present administrative position in 2008. He was one of the advisors to the Class of 2010.

Katie Sereduk spent the decade after graduating college exploring life’s many opportunities. She was a ski instructor in Stowe, Vermont. While in Vermont, she also worked as a behavior interventionist for children with Autism. She traveled to Chile and worked for the Ministry of Education as an English teacher for high school students pursuing careers in mining. She spent time in Ecuador as a technology and English teacher to impoverished children. She also dipped her toes in the field of International Development on a summer program in Croatia. She earned her Master’s degree in Education while working as a classroom teacher in the Bronx, NY. Ms. Sereduk returned to New Jersey in 2011 and co-founded an adaptive ski program for children with physical and learning disabilities at Campgaw Mountain in Mahwah. She began working at Doane Academy in 2012 in the role of Director of Communications. She transitioned back into a teaching role and now teaches Doane Academy's very own brand of leadership classes. Ms. Sereduk has served as an advisor to the class of 2017 and the Equality Club. She was the summer camps coordinator through the summer of 2016. After a brief hiatus, she is now returning as a member of the school's green team. Ms. Sereduk enjoys being outside, reading, running, being a poster child for pinterest fails, gardening, working on her "new" 170 year old house, going to NYC, spending time with her friends and family, and creating memories with her husband and daughter.

Ms. Bonnie Smith joined the faculty at Doane Academy in 2010. Her roles at Doane include coordinating classes, the book collection, and the activities in the Katherine Potts Children’s Library. She also conducts Nature Discovery classes and activities for our younger students. Additionally, she works with the Doane faculty to assist with or develop a variety of field trips and activities related to our environmental science curriculum and various “River Connections.” Ms. Smith was born, and has lived in, New Jersey all of her life. Her “undergraduate studies of nature” took place in and around woodlands, fields, brooks, rivers, forests, gardens, and other habitats along the Atlantic coast. Her devotion, stewardship, and respect for the natural world were enriched by several adult mentors, as well as travels across the United States, and summers spent in Rhode Island, and Ontario, Canada. She served as a volunteer backpacking and survival skills instructor for several years with the Outdoor Club of South Jersey. Ms. Smith has been the recipient of the New Jersey Audubon Environmental Education Award. She participated in an Environmental History Summer Seminar at Miami University sponsored by the Geraldine Dodge Foundation. An “Advanced Degree of Wonder and Awe” was acquired as a result of over two decades of work with students and monarch butterflies, culminating when she was sent on several life‐ changing trips to visit the overwintering sites of monarchs in the remote mountains of Mexico. Ms. Smith can be found inside in the Katherine Potts Children’s Library, or perhaps in an outside garden, in “Discovery Woods”, on a field trip, or along the river, looking for new discoveries with our students. If it involves books, bugs, birds, or boats….it just might involve Ms. Bonnie Smith.

Allison Trosko attended high school in Virginia, and the University of South Florida in Tampa. After living in Colorado, Allison relocated to New Jersey in 1999.

Allison worked for several years in the Medford public school system as a Special Ed. Assistant prior to coming to work at Doane Academy. Allison has worked as the Assistant to the Athletic Director and Dean of Student Life since 2013. Allison’s hobbies include reading, spending time with her beloved dog Baron, cooking and travelling.

Mr. Wenger began playing the violin at the age of twelve. He graduated from the Philadelphia Musical Academy (University of the Arts). Mr. Wenger has performed with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic Of Southern NJ, and the Pennsport String Band.

He has been teaching music (violin, viola, cello, bass, mandolin, guitar, and piano) for forty years to students from ages three to eighty five.

Mary Ann Williamson is a graduate of Rutgers University with a B.A. in History. Mary Ann received her Secondary Certification in History from the New Pathways to Teaching in New Jersey from New Jersey City University in 2009. Her teaching career began at Delaware Valley High School in 2003. In that same year her career began at Doane Academy as the Head Varsity Women’s Soccer Coach and Assistant Varsity Women’s Softball Coach. In 2005 Mary Ann was hired as a full time Social Studies teacher. Her teaching responsibilities have included teaching grades 9-12: Modern World History, Pre-AP US History, AP US History II, and Sociology. In 2014 Mary Ann began the Department Chair of the History Department.

Courtney Zimmer earned a B.A. in English and Education from Boston College, and an M.A. in Elementary Education from Fordham. Prior to joining the staff at Doane Academy, Courtney taught for five years in Manhattan.