Directory

Dr. Brandon Bennett, Waterford’s Associate Head of School, grew up in the Salt Lake area, before going to St. Mary’s College of California on a basketball scholarship. At St. Mary’s, Brandon first encountered the liberal arts philosophy of education, and was inspired to pursue the life of the mind through graduate school and a career in teaching and school administration. Brandon earned a BA in English at St. Mary’s, an MA in English from the University of Virginia, and finally a PhD in English from the University of Utah. Brandon started his career in independent schools in 1991 at the Meridian School, where he taught English and philosophy, coached basketball, and served as the Upper School Supervisor. He came to Waterford in 2002, where he has taught English and philosophy, coached Middle School basketball, served as a Class Dean, the Accreditation Self-Study Coordinator, Academic Dean, Assistant Head, Interim Head, and now Associate Head of School. Brandon continues to be a passionate advocate for the transformative power of liberal arts education, and is committed to teaching, administering, and continually improving the liberal arts approach to learning at the Waterford School. Brandon has two sons who have attended the Waterford School, the older graduating in 2016, and the younger slated to graduate in 2019. With his wife, a pediatrician in the area, Brandon lives in Salt Lake City, and enjoys the opportunities provided by the Wasatch mountains.

Todd Winters, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management, is a graduate of the University of Utah where he earned a B.S. in Organizational Communications with a marketing concentration.

Todd envisioned a career in high finance, beginning his journey as an Analyst with Fidelity Investments in 1985.  Working on a special project for Fidelity in Boston, MA,  Todd learned about the ground-breaking work in computer-assisted education undertaken by the Waterford Institute back in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Drawn to some higher calling, Todd traded Wall Street for what he expected would be a pit stop at a start-up private school.  In 1987, Todd was appointed as Waterford's first Director of Admissions.  

In his leadership role at Waterford, Todd has been responsible for developing and administering all aspects of the comprehensive and strategic enrollment management plan, including admissions, marketing, communications, external affairs and financial aid and scholarship programs.

Todd was honored by his colleagues to receive the Waterford Educator Prize in 1995, the award's inaugural year.

Todd has raised his four children at Waterford and enjoyed the strong sense of community for his family and the abiding professional relationships with Waterford colleagues.

An avid cyclist, Todd logs an average of 5,000 miles per year.  In his additional free time, he plays golf or can be found in his home wood shop enjoying the cathartic exercise found in fine woodworking.

Andrew became the Director of Advancement at Waterford in 2019. In his role, Andrew focuses primarily on building a culture of philanthropy at Waterford. Prior to joining Waterford he served in various advancement roles at the University of Utah, including Director of Advancement for the School of Dentistry, Director of Major Gifts at the College of Engineering, and Major Gift Officer in the Central Development Office. Andrew currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Utah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

Andrew was raised in the Salt Lake City area and loves Utah. While earning his bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah, he played on the men’s rugby team. Andrew values community involvement, and giving back whenever possible. Andrew and his wife, Kiersten, love spending time in the outdoors with their two young children. Andrew enjoys making time for fly fishing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, road cycling, and golf. He believes that such endeavors are only as good as the company you share them with. 

Nancy Nebeker, Dean of Students, is a graduate of Brigham Young University where she received her B.A. in Political Science. She then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Communication with a focus on Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in Washington D.C. Shortly after finishing her Master’s degree, Nancy moved to Bangkok, Thailand where she and her husband lived for over a decade. While there, Nancy began work at The Early Learning Centre, the leading preschool for expat children in Bangkok. Her work was centered in the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy for preschool children, using a creative, project based curriculum rich in art, music and drama. When Nancy returned to the states, she came to work in Waterford’s PreK-Fours program for a number of years. Nancy stepped away from Waterford for a time when her last two children were born. She then started course work for a second Master’s in Library and Media Education through an online program at Minnesota State University. Nancy returned to Waterford in the Middle and Upper School Library while working on her Master’s degree. Her work with students soon expanded to Senior Class Dean, Middle School Dean in 2012, and finally, Waterford’s Dean of Students in 2018. Nancy and her husband Michael are the parents of six children, four of whom are Waterford graduates. As a family, they have been deeply involved in humanitarian work, most recently working with refugee families resettled to Utah. She served as the faculty advisor for Waterford’s Upper School Community Service Council and has helped lead three Waterford humanitarian trips to Kolkata, India.

Javen Tanner, Dean of Arts and Theater Department Chair, received his M.F.A. from The Old Globe / University of San Diego, where he was awarded the Craig Noel Fellowship. He has performed off-Broadway and regionally. Javen is the Artistic Director of The Sting & Honey Company.

Craig Morris, Athletic Director and P.E. teacher, is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he earned a BA and MA in History and Education and played lacrosse. Craig began teaching at Waterford in 1995 and has served as both the Athletic Director and P.E. Department Chair. Under his leadership, the athletic and P.E. programs at Waterford have grown and flourished. Waterford’s athletic teams have won 37 State Championships over the course of his tenure. Prior to coming to Waterford, Craig was Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Residence Life at the Juilliard School in New York City where he met his wife Kathy. After moving to Utah, Craig spent two years working for Video Journal of Education, a professional development company located here in Sandy, Utah. Craig has been Coach of the Year for Region 14/17 Girl’s Basketball in 2015-2016, 2012-2013, 2004-2005, and 2003-2004. He was also Coach of the Year for Utah High School Men’s Lacrosse League Division I in 2000 and Coach of the Year in the RMLC Division 1 Men’s College Lacrosse in 2012 with the University of Utah. Craig was awarded the Waterford’s Educator prize in 2010. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Craig is an Upper School advisor and participated in the Drug and Alcohol committee and was their keynote speaker. Craig was also Head Coach of the University of Utah Men’s Lacrosse from 2008-2012. Craig currently serves as the Region 14 Chair for the Utah High School Activities Association. He also serves on the UHSAA Executive Committee, Bylaws and Constitution Committee, the Awards Committee, the Music Committee and the Realignment Committee. Craig is also the Chair of the Executive Counsel for the Utah High School Lacrosse League and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Utah Lacrosse Association. Craig is happily married to Kathy Morris and has two children. He enjoys skiing, golfing, cooking, traveling and supporting his New York Teams - The Giants/Yankees/Rangers.

Nicole Miranda, Assistant Director of Admissions at the Waterford School, is a graduate of the University of Utah where she earned a B.A. in International Studies, a B.S. in Economics, and a Master of Public Administration.

Prior to her arrival at the Waterford School in 2012, Nicole was a Foreign Exchange Analyst for Goldman Sachs and an Admissions Counselor and Recruiter for the Office of Student Recruitment at the University of Utah. Having presented at nearly all high schools in Utah and visited all institutions for higher education in the state she continues to serve the K-16 population. As a first generation college graduate, Nicole is passionate about opportunity and empowerment through quality education for all students.

Nicole is a first-generation Chilean-American and spends a portion of her free time writing short stories about her parents' life in exile. She enjoys researching global birth experiences, reading historical novels and most of all spending time with the two little people that inspire her most, her children. Nicole lives downtown with her husband and two children. 

Lisa Sintz has held numerous volunteer positions at Waterford since 1999. She chaired Book Fair for many years, began the Waterford Parent Book Club, worked on every Auction/Gala held at Waterford, and was Parent Association Vice President. Her extensive volunteering and love for Waterford led to a position on the staff as Event Coordinator.  In 2014 Lisa transferred to the Advancement Department where she is currently Event and Operations Manager.

 

Lisa is a graduate from the University of Utah where she earned a B.S. in Communications. Prior to working at Waterford, Lisa worked for a Non-Profit in marketing and event management. She also owned a web design business and is HTML certified.

 

She and her husband Ken have two children, Sam (alum ‘14) and Emma who is currently in Upper School.  When not at work, Lisa enjoys pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. She also enjoys reading, learning anything new, going on long walks with her dog, traveling, and spending as much time as possible with her family.

Nick Grenoble graduated from Connecticut College summa cum laude with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations and earned a Certificate in College Counseling with distinction from UCLA Extension. After a year of teaching Language Arts in Bogota, Colombia, Nick moved to Jackson, WY, where he founded Teton Educational Services, a college counseling, test preparation, and tutoring company. In addition to assisting families through the match, application, and financial aid processes, Nick developed and taught exam-preparation courses for students with learning differences and English Language Learners. He also offered college guidance, workshops, and courses on behalf of the Teton County Library from 2012 - 2018. Nick has been a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling since 2015. He is a co-founding member of Shelter Jackson Hole, a housing advocacy non-profit. In his free time, Nick can usually be found following his dog into the mountains, skinning his knuckles in the garage, or attempting to touch his toes in a yoga studio.

Melissa Armenta grew up just outside of Washington, DC (Go Redskins!) and graduated with honors from Hood College in Maryland with a degree in Early Childhood Education in 2006. After a couple years of student teaching, her career started at S. Christa McAulliffe Elementary where she taught kindergarten for two years. In the process, Melissa got married and followed her husband to Utah where he was in the midst of finishing his graduate school education. Melissa's first teaching job in Utah was at the Waterford School and she taught PreK-4 in 2008. After acquiring an ELL certification for the state of Utah, her career path led her to help open a charter school in Park City, where she taught for 6 years. She helped develop and implement the second grade curriculum. Melissa was also the team lead for first and second grade teachers as well as the ELL Director at Weilenmann. For her efforts, Melissa was awarded 2014 Teacher of the Year for the Weilenmann School of Discovery. In 2015, she jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Waterford School community again. Melissa taught full day Kindergarten at the Waterford School until 2019, sharing her passion for elementary education with students. Outside the classroom, Melissa enjoys shopping, skiing, running, relaxing on the beach and spending time with her family. She and her husband have one boy and a dog named Abby. Melissa feels that every child is an individual of great value, and she has high expectations for each student. 

Susan Banks, Kindergarten teacher and Pre-K and Kindergarten lead teacher, is a graduate of Utah State University where she earned a BS in Early Childhood Education with a minor in music. While doing graduate study at Utah State University in Family Human Development, Susan was a head teacher in the Adele & Dale Young Child Development Lab for three years. Her responsibilities included supervising and working closely with student teachers and practicum students who were majoring in early childhood education, as well as teaching 4-5 year old children and working with their parents. Susan also taught undergraduate early childhood development courses for USU at their Logan campus and at the Salt Lake's Regional campus. Susan began teaching PreK 3's and PreK 4's at The Waterford School in 1994. In 2010 she joined the Kindergarten team. Susan was recognized with the Waterford Educator Prize in 2015. Susan enjoys cooking, photography, and spending time with family, particularly on the family ranch in Idaho.

Michelle Curtis has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah with emphases in Psychology and English. Her undergraduate study also included language study in Latin. Michelle is a licensed Social Service Worker (SSW) with significant experience in mental health therapy, social work practice, social welfare policy, and human growth development. Her social service has included crisis and hospital intervention at the Rape Crisis Center in Salt Lake City, and counseling, advocacy, and long-term support for rape victims and their families. In her capacity as a Social Worker, Michelle has helped assess foster care visits, foster hearings, investigations, custody evaluations, home studies, and handicapped visits. On behalf of individuals and families, she has also attended hearings on case reviews and evaluations and has completed home studies for interstate compact custody evaluations. Michelle’s initial experience as a teacher bridged her work in education with her experience in social work.

She began her teaching career as a teacher of Intervention Drug Courses at Jordan School District (for which she also wrote the curriculum). Michelle taught parents and students in courses required as a result of students’ drug use, possession of drug paraphernalia, and/or distribution of drugs. Topics covered included drug education for parents, penalties and the law, self-respect, self-control, personal responsibility, and the physiological effects of drugs on individual perspective and choice.

Since 1996, Michelle has been a teacher at the Waterford School where she initially taught Latin in 4th- 6th grades and American History for 7th grade. Michelle also taught English as Independent Study courses to Middle and Upper School students in need of Special Topics and/or remedial support in that subject. In Waterford’s early years, Michelle served as a long-term substitute counselor in the Counseling Department. She has also been recommended as a math tutor to Middle and Upper School students who have needed support and remediation. For the last 12 years, Michelle has been a Class V Lower School teacher. In that capacity, she has developed advanced curriculum in Writing, English, and Mathematics, as well as curriculum in character education and study skills. Michelle has collaborated on the development of Waterford’s fifth-grade-level grammar units and has worked yearly on the development of standards that enable the smooth transition of Lower School students into Middle School, especially in math. Michelle loves to read fiction and history, and her hobbies include running, hiking, playing the cello, and participating in soccer and kick-ball leagues. She is known for her championship trophies in kick-ball, her Ninja videos, and her fantastic desserts and rolls.

Juli Dalton, PreK-3 teacher, has completed four years of undergraduate study with a focus in early childhood development at the University of Utah. Prior to her arrival at Waterford, Mrs. Dalton enjoyed tutoring math and teaching various children’s classes for Granite School District’s Continuing Education program while starting her family. Mrs. Dalton also taught and designed curriculum for 3 years at WhisperCreek Preschool. In 2005, Juli began assisting in the Kindergarten reading program at Waterford, then added math and reading tutoring to her responsibilities a few years later. In addition to tutoring during summer term, Mrs. Dalton teaches two camps for students at Waterford: ABC camp and Books and Cooks camp. In 2012, Mrs. Dalton was asked to create and teach the enrichment afternoon class for the full-day Pre-K students and continues to do this. Mrs. Dalton involves herself with family, enjoying hiking, skiing and other community activities. Her personal hobbies include gardening and cooking. Mrs. Dalton has and currently serves in church administrative and teaching responsibilities.

Susan B. Johnsen, is a graduate of Utah State University where she earned a B.A. She majored in Early Childhood Education and minored in Children’s Literature. While at USU she was awarded the coveted Greeves Memorial Scholarship. Susan loves to dance and was a performer in the USU dance company while also performing in community theater in her home town. Susan began her teaching career with a move to Connecticut so her husband, Ken Johnsen, could attend Yale Law School. Her first teaching job was at Gan Hayeled Nursery School of B’Nai Jacob Synagogue in Woodbridge, CT (1983 – 1985). In the afternoons, she worked as an Extended Day teacher at St. Thomas More, a private elementary school in Hamden, CT. Her next move was to San Francisco, CA for Ken’s judicial clerkship. Susan earned a teaching appointment at The Laurel School, a private elementary school that specialized in educating children with learning disabilities (1985-1986). The following year the Johnsens moved back to Utah, and Susan began teaching for the Waterford School in the preschool program during the first two years of the Sandy City Waterford campus (1986 – 1988). Susan then switched roles and became a Waterford parent for ten years. She returned to Waterford as a Class IV teacher in 2000. Prior re-entering the classroom, Susan served as Lower School Director, she was a Class IV teacher (2000 – 2012), Lead Teacher for Classes III – IV (2009 – 2012), Lower School Community Service Coordinator (2006 – 2009), and a preschool teacher (1986 – 1988). Susan received the Waterford Educator Prize in 2011. Susan’s three children are all Waterford graduates. She is extremely appreciative of the lasting impact their Waterford education continues to have on the their lives. She enjoys hiking, snow skiing, water skiing, reading, teaching, and traveling.

Sheri Kovacs wanted to be a teacher from the time she was a young girl. With the help of a scholarship and a part-time job, she entered Brigham Young University, completing her bachelor’s degree in three years, proud to be the first college graduate in her family. She married shortly after graduation, and began her first teaching contract on her twenty-first birthday. Following two years of teaching first grade in Alpine School District, Sheri retired and moved with her husband to California, where their first son was born. Shortly afterward, they returned to Utah, and Sheri to teaching, this time in third grade in Alpine School District. Following the birth of her second son, she co-wrote the proposal for and was a part of the pilot program for job-sharing in second grade in the Alpine District. When the Kovacs family moved to Sandy, Sheri was employed in the Jordan School District, teaching first grade for one year, and then third grade for seven years. Her career at Waterford began in the school year of 1998-1999, and she has enjoyed teaching Class II since that time. She loves Class II students and their parents, the Class II curriculum, and interacting with her colleagues. She has served as a Lead Teacher and was the recipient of the Waterford Educator Prize in 2012. In the course of her career, Sheri has taught more than 800 students. If asked, she will tell you that she plans to teach until she is 94. Sheri has enjoyed attending conferences, with special interest in math, reading and phonics, and learning about the brain. In her out of school hours, she is involved in her church, volunteered in an addiction recovery program, and loves to read, bake, and play with her grandchildren. During the summer, she enjoys going to the neighborhood pool daily and going to the beach as often as the opportunity presents itself. Currently, Sheri resides in South Jordan with her husband. Their family includes their two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two beautiful grandchildren. Sheri considers her family to be her most important accomplishment.

Shannon Lechner is a Maryland native who moved to Utah to continue her love for teaching. She received her B.S. in Rehabilitation and Human Services from The
Pennsylvania State University and played for their Division 1 Women’s lacrosse team. After graduating in 2014, Shannon continued her passion for education and lacrosse overseas at The University of Exeter in Devon, England. She was awarded a full-scholarship to coach and play for the Exeter lacrosse team, while earning her Master’s Degree in Education. Her M.A. studies focused on educational learning through technology, creativity, and thinking strategies. After her time abroad, Shannon began her teaching career at The Landon School, an all-boys school in Bethesda, MD. While at Landon, Shannon served as a third and fourth-grade homeroom teacher, head coach of the fifth-grade soccer and lacrosse teams, and was a mentor for all Lower School boys in and out of the classroom. She also was a member of the Social Emotional Learning (S.E.L.) committee and has attended the Lucy Calkins Writing Institute at Columbia University and Project Zero Conference at The Washington International School. During her free time, Shannon enjoys spending time outdoors. Whether it’s hiking a mountain or relaxing at the beach, you will always find her embracing nature. Being from the east coast, she is most excited about learning how to ski! Shannon is excited about this next chapter, both at Waterford and in enjoying new experiences exploring the beauty of Utah.

JoAnne Price grew up in West Lafayette, Indiana. She headed west to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, after which she studied for two years at Brigham Young University in the Early Childhood Education Masters Degree program. She was a lead teacher in the Child Development Laboratory School there, where she taught 3-5 year old students and interfaced with parents and other instructors. She was responsible to supervise and instruct undergraduate students who were majoring in early childhood education.

JoAnne taught Kindergarten in public schools in Alpine and Jordan School Districts for a total of 6 years, joining the Kindergarten team at The Waterford School in 2005. In 2014 she took a leave of absence to teach in a one room school house in Amish country of central Ohio, a life-changing experience. 

The mother of four children, JoAnne enjoys volunteering, working out, college football, reading, and traveling. She and her husband Jeff love spending time with their children and grandchildren, preferably out of doors.

Jen was born in Newport Beach, California, but grew up in Holladay, Utah. After more than 25 years of living away, she was happy to return to Utah in 2017. Jen has lived in California, New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, Utah, Guatemala, Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, and considers each place her favorite. She has taught in a variety of settings, from neighborhood preschools to foreign language institutes. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with minors in English and Spanish from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, a Graduate Teaching Certification in Early Childhood Education from the University of West Florida, and is at the tail end a Master’s Degree in Mindfulness Studies through Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Jen has worked in both our Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 classrooms and loves spending her days with our youngest learners. When not finger painting or playing in the sand, she can be found enjoying time with her family, including her five sons. Jen is thrilled to be a part of the Waterford community.

Jessica Shaffer is originally from Ohio, where she completed her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education at Baldwin Wallace College.  After graduating in 2009, she was hired as a Math Tutor at Brookfield Middle School in Brookfield, Ohio. During her 2 years there, she coached 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball and Softball, and taught a summer program for students entering Kindergarten.  In 2011, Jessica was hired as a 4th Grade Teacher at Brookfield Elementary.  During her 4 years there, she took on many leadership roles while completing her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership through Concordia University.  

In 2015, Jessica moved to Utah and continued to teach 4th Grade for 3 more years, until joining the Class I team at Waterford in 2018.  She loves living in Utah and is excited to be a part of the Waterford community.  

In her free time, Jessica enjoys playing softball, crafting, attending sporting events, and spending time with her dog, Bailey.

Jenny Sorenson received a Bachelors of Science degree, with a focus on Human Development and Family Studies, as well as a Early Childhood Education certification from the University of Utah in 2001. During her college years, she taught preschool with Granite School District and earned other real-world experience working in the fields of banking, dining service, floral design, and pet care. She also worked several years for the postal service. Upon graduation, she worked for the Jordan School District for 5 years as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in Herriman and South Jordan, Utah. Wanting to spend more time with her family, she ran an independent tutoring service, Yearning For Learning, from 2005 to 2009. Efforts to find more effective strategies to meet the needs of students with Dyslexia led Jenny to Waterford, a pioneer in Utah for the Wilson and Fundations programs for reading and spelling interventions. She began her journey with Waterford in 2009 in the tutoring program, where she tutored middle school students in English, history, and study skills. In 2010, she transitioned back into the classroom and has been teaching in Class III ever since. Jenny is proud to be teaching at The Waterford School, where the liberal arts program aligns well with her philosophies of teaching and living. She grew up in Sandy, Utah, just a few blocks away from the campus, where her parents continue to reside. Her husband and two daughters are also proud to be a part of the Waterford community. Jenny prides herself on being a life-long learner and is currently studying mindfulness and the positive effects of this practice, especially as it relates to the classroom environment. She enjoys learning through travel opportunities and drawing parallels between the ancient cultures explored in the Class III curriculum and other ancient cultures. Most recently, she visited Machu Picchu on a faculty trip to Peru in 2015 and Chichen Itza, in the Yucatan peninsula, in 2016. She also enjoys making jewelry, singing with her “family band,” and the beauty of nature in all of its forms. She looks forward to the adventures ahead.

Colleen Thompson is currently a Class III teacher and the Lower Schools Outdoor Coordinator. She received her B.A. in Human Development from Colby College in Waterville, ME. Subsequently, she completed a year-long Master's program at Lesley University where she focused her efforts on elementary education. Colleen began her teaching career at Wildwood School in Los Angeles, CA, as a fourth grade teacher. While at Wildwood, she also served as a Division Coordinator and spent two years on the Multicultural Leadership Team. She has training as a Critical Friends Group coach and in VISIONS multicultural work. Colleen also attended Lucy Calkins Reading and Writing Project. After seven years in the busy city, Colleen and her husband relocated to Salt Lake City where she promptly began teaching at Waterford. In addition to her enthusiasm for education, Colleen is thrilled to be living at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and can typically be found on a trail hiking, jogging, or biking with her dog. She is also an avid reader who is always eager to share book titles.

Brenda completed her BFA Modern Dance, University of Utah. She is certified in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum, Pre-Primary-Level 3. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique an innovative program for students to understand the depth of training muscle memory. Brenda is a certified Pilates, yoga, fitness instructor. Currently she teaches as Assistant Professor, Ballet Department, University of Utah, and for Ballet West Academy, Park City. She performed as a member of Mountain West Ballet company and was a Children’s Rehearsal Assistant  for Ballet West’s Nutcracker for 3 years. Brenda recently completed her ballet MFA at the University of Utah with research interests in dancer wellness and injury prevention.​ 

Lisa Durst teaches art to Waterford School’s incredibly imaginative Kindergarten, Class I and Class II students. She graduated from Grove City College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business and with a minor in Fine Arts. She went on to work for Coca-Cola International, Smith & Nephew Medical Technologies, and Dentsply International in global marketing roles. Lisa completed her Masters of Business Administration at Wilmington University with an emphasis in marketing research. She was able to combine her business experience with her love for the arts by creating a highly successful dental restorative system with her patented shade guide that helps dentists restore teeth back to their natural color and shade. Lisa later founded a small business that crafts and paints Courage Boxes for cancer patients. For the past four years, Lisa has taught art as a substitute at the Waterford School and the Granite School District. Volunteering at Waterford is a passion for Lisa who has participated on the Parent Executive Committee, managed Lower School class art projects for Waterford School’s auction, and helped to initiate Spirit Week on campus. Lisa grew up in Ohio, lived in Pennsylvania and Delaware, but calls Utah home. She loves creating art in her "craft cave" and enjoys kayaking and hiking with her family - the Downard men and Oaki their beloved dog.

Kylie Geci will begin her teaching career at Waterford in the Fall of 2019. Kylie graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 with a Bachelor Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in voice. She began her teaching career at Otto-Eldred Junior-Senior High School, where she conducted the choirs for grades 5-12. Kylie also developed a number of music elective curriculums, including Guitar, Piano and Modern Band. During her tenure at Otto-Eldred, Kylie organized many choral performances, as well as assisted the band director in other concerts, fundraisers and events. Kylie returned to Indiana University of PA to receive her Masters in Music Education and graduated in 2018.

In her spare time, Kylie built a strong fan base as a local musician in an acoustic group where she played guitar and sang lead vocals. Kylie also recorded a song on a Christmas complication CD, “Christmas Wonder” in 2017. Besides music, Kylie enjoys the outdoors, staying active biking, skiing and hiking. She is excited to begin her journey at Waterford where she hopes grow professionally and personally through collaborative, educational opportunities and threw rapports developed with her students. 

Kyle Haderlie, the Lower School Computer Lab Teacher at Waterford School, is a graduate of Utah State University where he earned his B.S. in Psychology in 2014. He is currently pursing his M.Ed at the University of Utah in Instructional Design and Educational Technology. He is entering his third year at Waterford, two of which have been teaching Lower School Computers. Prior to Waterford, Kyle held a variety of titles while attending Utah State University. He has a love for athletics and worked as the Co-Director of Athletic Marketing for USU. He helped produce scripts and marketing materials for all athletic events hosted at USU. Kyle was also a Director of Student Involvement at USU where he helped students program a variety of student events. Kyle was part of a collaborative research team during his undergraduate thesis, which was recently published in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Journal. His thesis uncovered the Influence on Parental Involvement in Youth Sport. Alongside Kyle’s teaching responsibilities, he has also been involved with Waterford athletics, coaching the 6th grade boy’s basketball team. Outside of Waterford, Kyle enjoys the outdoors and playing any sport. Kyle grew up outside of Utah in nearby Star Valley, Wyoming but now enjoys beautiful Sandy, Utah with his wife, Cami, and two-year-old son, Bronson.

Heather Miller is a graduate from Brigham Young University where she earned a B.S. in Physical Education Teaching/Coaching (K-12) with a minor in History Teaching. Before coming to Waterford, she taught Elementary PE in the Granite School District for 7 years at Hunter Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary. While teaching, she received endorsements in Health and ESL. Her love of teaching increased with that experience and she takes great joy in helping students discover a love for exercise and finding as many activities to keep them active as possible. In 2016, she was awarded Elementary Physical Educator of the Year through the Utah Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. She believes in being an advocate for her profession and enjoys being physically active and playing sports. In her free time, she hikes, paddle boards, snowboards, plays a variety of sports, and constantly looks for new adventures to embark on.  One of her favorite adventures was going to 5 National Parks in 8 days. Although she’ll always be a Colorado country girl, she’s learning to love all that the Utah Mountains have to offer!

Matt Robertson is an engaging and caring music educator who loves teaching and knows how to bring out the best in his students. He joins the faculty at Waterford with a wealth of experience in both music and child development, holding Master's Degrees in Child Development (Wheelock College, 1998) and Choral Conducting (University of Utah, 2015). Matt was previously a member of the music faculty at The Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, where he was Director of the St. Nicholas Choir and the MCS Chamber Orchestra. In 2016 Matt led the St. Nicholas Choir on its first-ever U.S. tour. 

During his graduate studies, Matt served as an Assistant Director and Section Leader for the internationally-renowned University of Utah Chamber Choir. He remains an active professional musician throughout the Wasatch Front, where he is a section leader for Utah Chamber Artists, sings and records frequently with groups ranging from the Utah Symphony Chorus to The Piano Guys, plays the double-bass for the Orchestra at Temple Square, and was recently named Associate Director of the Amavi Chorale. Over the last five summers, Matt has been a faculty member for Camp Experience Opera, a combined effort between The Madeleine Choir School and Utah Opera to train local teachers in helping their elementary-age students compose and produce their own opera or musical theater. 

Matt and his wife Heather live in Salt Lake City. They have a son, Miles (married to Madi) and two daughters, Emily and Lucy. They love going on walks, playing games, hanging out together, and they spend unseemly amounts of time in fits of laughter.  

Matthew Douglas is a History Teacher at Waterford. He graduated from Austin College where he earned a BA in History and Classical Civilization in 2008. He then finished his MA at the University of Texas at Arlington with a focus on eighteenth century criminal history in 2010. He is finishing his Ph.D. at Marquette University, while currently revising his dissertation on religious toleration in eighteenth century France. Before coming to Waterford, Matthew taught for three years at Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he taught at the University of Texas at Arlington, as well as tutored at both Irving and Irving Nimitz High Schools in Irving Texas. Matthew looks forward to teaching both the ancient and modern history courses offered at Waterford. Matthew is a published scholar, and continues to remain active in the wider historical community. He recently presented his work at conferences in Chicago and Milwaukee, and has future conferences in Nebraska, Iowa, and Toronto for the upcoming Fall and Spring. In addition to being a historian, Matthew enjoys reading historical fiction, playing pick-up games of basketball, and rooting on the Dallas Cowboys!

Shira Fagan is a Dance and English teacher, the Lower School Dance Academy Director and coordinator of Middle and Upper School standardized testing. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Grinnell College and an Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She teaches Lower School creative dance, Middle School English and Upper School dance, as well as overseeing and teaching Lower School students in the Dance Academy after school. Her past responsibilities at Waterford have included tutoring, care of the garden, planning formal dances, helping during Middle School lunch and attendance monitoring. Before moving to Sandy, she lived in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2007 she performed in the Florentine Opera Company’s production of the Merry Widow and with Danceworks Performance Company II. Her master’s thesis piece, collaborating with a fine-art quilter, was presented at Danceworks in their annual show Art to Art. Since arriving in Salt Lake, Shira has participated in two seasons of the collaborative dance company, co.da, based out of SugarSpace and has done two years of the Ririe Woodbury Dance Teacher workshops. Shira enjoys reading, watching terrible movies, roller skating, pretending to organize, baking and funny cat videos. She has two daughters here at Waterford and her husband teaches in the history department. It makes the morning commute very efficient.

Tara Lynn Tanner, a teacher of English and theater, graduated from Middlebury College with a Master's Degree in English Literature. Tara is a founding member of The Sting and Honey Theater Company, a professional theater company in Salt Lake City. She has been at Waterford for ten years, teaching English, history, debate, and theater classes as well as directing and designing for the Waterford Theater Department. She also runs a summer Shakespeare program for Middle School. Before Waterford, Tara taught high school in New York City and San Diego. She has two children, River and Rain, who both attended Waterford.

Andrew Patteson teaches photography at Waterford and is the Class X Dean. He has a BA in English Literature (photography minor) from the University of Miami and an MFA in Studio Art/Photography from Ohio University. He started his career in education in 1999, teaching English at a large public high school in Florida, and then English and photography at a small upstart charter school. After four years he decided to return to school to pursue an advanced degree in photography, and in 2007 completed his MFA and moved to Utah to embark on his career at Waterford. He is active as a working artist and has had photographs selected for regional and national exhibitions. You can see galleries of his work at http://andrew-patteson.com. He spends his free time having fun with his wife and young son, and his other passions include Ultimate disc and vintage steel bicycles.

Suzanne Conine shares the experience of awe, inspiration, and intrigue produced by beautiful handmade objects with her students. These are the objects that enrich daily life and elevate mundane experience by connecting a maker and its user. The process of making things well comes with a series of problems that, when resolved, give the maker the confidence to accept the next challenge. Students in Suzanne’s classroom learn that it is not the solution, but the problem, that is the best teacher as they wind their way through processes required by their inventions. Suzanne’s teaching career started with guest lecture demonstrations at elementary schools in Southern Utah. She would be dying wool with local plants, making small weavings or clay projects with brave teachers in their classrooms; she found that she enjoyed sharing her passions with others. After completing her degree in art education at Southern Utah University she began teaching at Dixie High School in St.George. Suzanne earned her masters in Art Education at BYU. In 1998 she joined the Waterford School Art Department. She received an Art Educators Fellowship residency at Skidmore College in New York in the summer of 2008. Her art earned a public art commission from Utah Heritage and Arts in 2011 and she received the Waterford Educator Prize in 2013. Being a Waterford School art educator has been the highlight of Suzanne’s career along with seeing her students recognized with local and national awards every year.

Brenda completed her BFA Modern Dance, University of Utah. She is certified in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum, Pre-Primary-Level 3. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique an innovative program for students to understand the depth of training muscle memory. Brenda is a certified Pilates, yoga, fitness instructor. Currently she teaches as Assistant Professor, Ballet Department, University of Utah, and for Ballet West Academy, Park City. She performed as a member of Mountain West Ballet company and was a Children’s Rehearsal Assistant  for Ballet West’s Nutcracker for 3 years. Brenda recently completed her ballet MFA at the University of Utah with research interests in dancer wellness and injury prevention.​ 

Dr. Brandon Bennett, Waterford’s Associate Head of School, grew up in the Salt Lake area, before going to St. Mary’s College of California on a basketball scholarship. At St. Mary’s, Brandon first encountered the liberal arts philosophy of education, and was inspired to pursue the life of the mind through graduate school and a career in teaching and school administration. Brandon earned a BA in English at St. Mary’s, an MA in English from the University of Virginia, and finally a PhD in English from the University of Utah. Brandon started his career in independent schools in 1991 at the Meridian School, where he taught English and philosophy, coached basketball, and served as the Upper School Supervisor. He came to Waterford in 2002, where he has taught English and philosophy, coached Middle School basketball, served as a Class Dean, the Accreditation Self-Study Coordinator, Academic Dean, Assistant Head, Interim Head, and now Associate Head of School. Brandon continues to be a passionate advocate for the transformative power of liberal arts education, and is committed to teaching, administering, and continually improving the liberal arts approach to learning at the Waterford School. Brandon has two sons who have attended the Waterford School, the older graduating in 2016, and the younger slated to graduate in 2019. With his wife, a pediatrician in the area, Brandon lives in Salt Lake City, and enjoys the opportunities provided by the Wasatch mountains.

Erica was born and raised in Salt Lake City and is the youngest of three siblings. She attended Waterford as an Upper School student and graduated in 2010. After high school, she attended Utah State University. During her time there, she worked in the school library and studied abroad in Logroño, Spain. She graduated with a BA in English Teaching and minors in History Teaching and Spanish. After graduating, Erica received a teaching position at Matheson Junior High School before moving to Murray High where she taught for three years. Aside from teaching, Erica enjoys traveling, reading, doing Crossfit, and spending time with her dog Oliver, a lab border collie mix. 

Kirsten Jorgenson is the Class VI Dean and a homeroom, Humanities, and English teacher at the Waterford School. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama, an MA in British and American Literature from the University of Utah, and a BA in English and Creative Writing from Lake Forest College. She is the author of one full-length collection of experimental poetry, Sediment & Veil (Horse Less Press, 2014). Her poetry and prose has been widely published in both indie and established venues.

Before joining Waterford in 2015, she taught in the Writing and Composition Program at Appalachian State University. During her time at Appalachian State, she served as Co-Director of the University’s Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, which not only hosted diverse, influential writers from across the country, but also mentored students as they learned how to run and host reading series of their own. Though currently on hiatus, she also co-founded, co-edited, and co-curated Ark Press, a boutique independent poetry press and reading series with her husband.

When she isn’t teaching, Kirsten enjoys cooking, reading, and hiking with her husband, son, and dog.

Casey O'Malley grew up in Minnesota and moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where she douuble majored in English and Russian Language. While an undergrad, she studied abroad in Moscow, Russia, and was the captain of the Columbia University Sailing Team. Casey moved to Utah after graduating and has been at Waterford ever since. She completed her master's degree in school leadership from Vanderbilt University in the summer of 2018. 

Casey loves to backcountry ski in the winter and hike and garden in the summer. 

Charles Rosett teaches Middle and Upper School English and Economics at Waterford, and serves as Director of Professional Development. His roles at the school over the past 25 years have included Class Dean, English Department Chair, and interim chair of the Music, Art, and Foreign Language departments; from 2000-2010 he served as the Academic Dean. In 1999 he was selected by his colleagues as a recipient of the Waterford Educator Prize. He holds a B.A. in English from Yale University and an M.B.A. in finance and statistics from The University of Chicago. His academic focus includes Shakespeare, British poetry, and political economy. He is a regular participant at think-tank conferences and round tables on liberty, economics, and the role of markets in a free society. Charles' four children are all graduates of Waterford, and he feels fortunate to have raised them in the school community, where has wife Heather has also taught intermittently over the years. He enjoys hiking and skiing with his family in the Wasatch, and is an avid road cyclist who is a nine-time finisher of the Logan-to-Jackson Race, America's longest single-day bike race. When not teaching at Waterford or playing in the mountains, he can be found reading in a comfortable chair in his living room, just a few blocks from campus.

With over a decade of experience teaching Mandarin Chinese at independent schools, Betty Bienert joins Waterford as the newest addition to the high school Chinese program.

A native of Changchun, China, Betty began training for a career in foreign languages at age 13, when she was selected to study at one of China’s specialty language schools established to support the country’s opening up to the West.  She later attended the Foreign Language School of Changchun University and graduated with honors with a degree in English Language, with a focus on teaching and international business.

After college, Betty moved to the United States to marry her husband, Phil, and began a career in business.  She worked through a series of successful corporate roles in the retail and technology space until leaving the workforce for the birth of her two girls.  It was during this time that she (re)discovered her interest in teaching. As she researched and applied how to successfully raise her own children to be multilingual and multicultural, she found herself being asked to share her knowledge of Chinese language and culture as a volunteer at local schools in California and Florida.

This newfound passion for teaching quickly became her full-time career when the family moved to Atlanta, and Betty was asked to join the foreign language department at Woodward Academy.  In her first year of teaching, she was named a Star Teacher for the State of Georgia, and during her time at Woodward, she rebuilt the Chinese curriculum, adding new cultural activities, class immersion trips, and exchange programs.

When the family moved from Atlanta to Phoenix, Betty joined the faculty at Phoenix Country Day School, first as a part-time teacher, then taking over a program that spanned 7 levels of Mandarin Chinese for grades 7 to 12.

Betty’s move to Utah is the 7th with her family, and she is excited to take advantage of all the outdoor activities the Salt Lake City area offers with 4 full seasons.  During her spare time, she also enjoys traveling to different parts of the world with her family.

Heidi Poole, a Latin teacher at the Waterford School, is a graduate of the University of Florida where she earned an M.A. in Latin. Prior to her studies at the University of Florida, Heidi completed a B.A. in Secondary Education with a focus on History, Latin, and English as a Second Language at the Karel de Grote Hogeschool in Antwerp, Belgium. Before arriving at the Waterford School in 2011, Heidi taught Latin, Spanish, and French for seven years at the Madeleine Choir School in Salt Lake City, Utah. From 2003 to 2004, Heidi taught Latin, History, English as a Second Language, and Dutch Language Arts at the Sint-Ludgardis School in Merksem, Belgium. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Heidi coordinates the Waterford Ski and Ride program and leads the Waterford New Faculty Mentoring program. She has chaperoned several overseas student trips and leads the Waterford Summer Term Italy trip. An avid traveler and learner, Heidi enjoys spending time in Europe, playing classical guitar, studying languages, and attending spoken Latin events.

Dr. Timothy G. Stout, Foreign Language Department Chair and Chinese Teacher at Waterford School, earned his M.A. in Japanese Pedagogy from Columbia University (2002) and his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Utah State University (2013). He jointed Waterford as a Japanese teacher in 2006, and has served in various student support roles, including MS Homeroom Teacher, US Advisor, and Class X and XI Dean. Timothy started the new Chinese program at Waterford, and currently teaches Chinese 1, 2, 3, and AP Chinese.

Timothy lived in Japan for 20 years, and he has visited China numerous times. He has served on the AP Japanese Development Committee, working with specialists from the College Board and Educational Testing Services, creating test items to be used in the annual AP Japanese examinations. As a member of the APDC Timothy has presented at numerous regional and national conferences, including the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Annual Convention and the Advanced Placement Annual Conference in locations such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Denver, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Timothy also serves as an AP test reader each year in Salt Lake City.

Timothy has published several language study books, including the best-selling “Japanese Hiragana and Katakana for Beginners,” and the forthcoming “Japanese Kanji for Beginners.” These books highlight Timothy’s love for drawing, and feature original picture mnemonics designed to help readers better learn and recall kanji characters. Timothy uses these same methods in his classes at Waterford to help students learn hundreds of new Chinese characters each year.

Timothy and his wife, LaNae Stout, have five children and two grandchildren. In his spare time Timothy enjoys reading, traveling, and hiking with his family.

Matthew Douglas is a History Teacher at Waterford. He graduated from Austin College where he earned a BA in History and Classical Civilization in 2008. He then finished his MA at the University of Texas at Arlington with a focus on eighteenth century criminal history in 2010. He is finishing his Ph.D. at Marquette University, while currently revising his dissertation on religious toleration in eighteenth century France. Before coming to Waterford, Matthew taught for three years at Marquette University in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he taught at the University of Texas at Arlington, as well as tutored at both Irving and Irving Nimitz High Schools in Irving Texas. Matthew looks forward to teaching both the ancient and modern history courses offered at Waterford. Matthew is a published scholar, and continues to remain active in the wider historical community. He recently presented his work at conferences in Chicago and Milwaukee, and has future conferences in Nebraska, Iowa, and Toronto for the upcoming Fall and Spring. In addition to being a historian, Matthew enjoys reading historical fiction, playing pick-up games of basketball, and rooting on the Dallas Cowboys!

Emily Glende received her B.A. from the University of Utah in History and Political Science. She is currently working on her master's degree in American History and Government from Ashland University. Emily loves social studies education. She spent the past four years designing and teaching social studies and humanities curriculum. She has participated in numerous institutes for social studies teachers and is committed to lifelong learning. Emily grew up in Utah and loves all this state has to offer. Her spare time consists of spending time outside with her family and friends or trying out new, local restaurants.

Jason LaBau joined the history department at The Waterford School in 2015. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and a BA from Pomona College. Before arriving at Waterford he taught at three campuses of the California State University system in the Los Angeles area. Dr. LaBau enjoys exploring a wide variety of historical subjects with his students. At Pomona he wrote a thesis on W.E.B. Du Bois and black autobiography, then shifted focus to modern conservative politics for his dissertation at USC. In graduate school he taught about the Holocaust and later offered courses in American Studies and California History. Now, at Waterford, he teaches Ancient History and Human Geography, with an elective on Political Science in Fall 2016. Outside of the classroom, Dr. LaBau is a voracious follower of politics, religion, and race in America. He loves playing board games and is always in the middle of a good book. He lives in Sandy with his wife, a professional pastry chef and recipe developer, and his son, who loves attending Waterford with his dad.

Julie Ransom teaches the AP European History classes and sixth grade Humanities at The Waterford School. She also serves as a class six homeroom advisor. Prior to her arrival in 2014, she was on the faculty at Brigham Young University for 20 years, specializing in teaching the History of Civilization courses for the Humanities and Honors departments. She received her BA from BYU where she studied Humanities and Political Science. She received her MA from Penn State University where she studied Humanities and wrote her graduate thesis on art and literature of the Harlem Renaissance. Ms Ransom enjoys writing and has published articles about art, parenting and religion. She also enjoys collecting and sharing good literature and thought-provoking podcasts.

Tim Dolbin, Math Teacher at the Waterford School, is a graduate from Brigham Young University where he earned a B.A. degree in Mathematics Education and an M.A. degree in Mathematics. He also completed minors in Physical Education and Coaching. He was Chair of the Mathematics Department at Waterford from 1996-2005 and earned the Educator Prize in 2006. In addition to teaching a full load of mathematics classes, Tim currently serves on the school wide Emergency Preparedness Committee, runs the racquetball program as head coach, serves as assistant coach to the Upper School boys soccer team, and is the Upper School girls soccer team head coach. He has lead the racquetball and soccer teams to a combined 18 state championships. Before arriving at Waterford in 1994, Tim taught and coached at Murray High School (Murray, Utah) for three years. He has remained a Utah level 4 licensed and certified math teacher since that time. Tim is married with 5 children (4 Waterford graduates and 1 current student). He moonlights as a Brigham Young University evening mathematics instructor and has been a racquetball pro at three different athletic clubs for more than 25 years. He spends his summers roofing homes and doing other construction projects. He enjoys running half-marathons, spending time in the mountains, and racing dirt bikes across the desert.

Alan Layton first arrived at The Waterford School as a fifth grader in 1986, graduating seven years later in 1994. Alan completed degrees in psychology at Brigham Young University and in mathematics at the University of Utah, followed by a Masters in Mathematical Education from the University of Utah. He taught mathematics at the Stillwater Academy for two years and at Butler Middle School for nine years. He made his return to Waterford in 2015, where he teaches Middle School and Upper School mathematics. Alan and his wife Janette have two young sons, Samuel and Everett. They can often be found at the zoo or Thanksgiving Point, when they aren’t hanging out in the sandbox dueling with Nerf swords.

Shawn Orton is a graduate of Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina, double majoring in Math and Physics while also obtaining a teaching certificate. Her first teaching job was at an all-boys, Catholic, military high school (St. John's College High School) in Washington DC. She retired from teaching for 20 years to raise four delightful children, keeping her foot in math education through substitute teaching. Being a sub at Waterford led to a full-time teaching position in 2006. Since then, she has also served for many years as a Class Dean and is currently the School Scheduler. Though she enjoys teaching all types of math, she has come to find great satisfaction in teaching statistics. She was selected to be an AP grader for the College Board last year and plans to continue AP grading for many summers to come. Outside of school, Shawn enjoys quilting - a craft where creativity and mathematics intersect on a regular basis.

Trey Sayes received his B.S. in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. After fulfilling his military service he attended Utah State University where he earned a secondary teaching certificate with two endorsements (level 4 mathematics and physics), and later a M.Ed. from the University of Utah.

His first teaching assignment was in Granite School District at John F. Kennedy Junior High School. He then moved on to Cyprus High School where he taught every math course in the curriculum while serving as the department chairman for 10 years. While at Cyprus, he was a club advisor/mentor for several clubs and coached the boy’s and girl’s tennis teams for nineteen years. Skyline High School, sorely in need of an AP Calculus BC teacher, enticed Trey to transfer to Skyline, where he taught for seven years.

Trey also served on the Utah Council of Teachers of Mathematics (UCTM) for several years and in that capacity presented at many state and regional NCTM mathematics conferences. Throughout his career as a teacher, Trey has been recognized by several different institutions. In 1992, he was designated the Granite School District’s Teacher of the Year and he was a two-time recipient (1999 & 2007) of the Outstanding Utah High School Teacher in Mathematics and Sciences from the University of Utah’s School of Mines and Earth Sciences. Trey received the Inspirational High School Teacher award from the Mathematics Department at the University of Utah, the George Shell Award in 2007 from the UCTM, and the Presidential Scholar Program’s Teacher Recognition Award from the United Sates Department of Education. He once received an “attaboy” from The Waterford School where he has taught for 9 years.

He lives in Sandy and enjoys photography, playing squash, racquetball, tennis, biking, and hiking.

Scott Harris began teaching music at the Waterford School in the fall of 2000. He has also taught, as an adjunct, at Weber State College, Los Angeles Pierce College (as a Chamber Music instructor), and at Judge Memorial High School. He completed a degree in Clarinet Performance at the University of Utah. He also studied privately with some of the country’s finest musicians: Mitchell Lurie, Dominic Fera, Martin Zwick, and Gary Bovier. Scott Harris has worked throughout the United State as a professional musician. He has performed with numerous ensembles including the Utah Symphony, Ballet West, the Utah Wind Symphony, Burbank Symphony, the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, and Opera Ala Carte. He is the founder of The Prevailing Winds woodwind quintet. Scott has performed numerous recording, theatrical, and live performances with many popular and jazz artists including Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Ray Charles, The Moody Blues, Phil Woods, Kurt Bestor, Gladys Knight, and Seth McFarland. While living in Los Angeles Scott worked on numerous film scores including Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and Schindler's List. He also worked on TV scores for the Academy Awards and The Simpsons. Scott continues to perform in Salt Lake City and elsewhere as well as teaching Woodwinds and directing the Jazz Bands at Waterford School. Scott is a member of the American Federation of Musicians and a past member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS - The Grammy's). Among Scott’s hobbies are golf, travel, and raising dogs.

Betsy Weidner, an English teacher and head girls’ lacrosse coach at the Waterford School, is a graduate of the Boston College Lynch School of Education where she earned an M.Ed. in Secondary Education with a focus on English instruction.  Prior to her studies at Boston College, Betsy graduated from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.  At Bates, Betsy majored in History and Criticism of Art and Visual Culture and earned departmental honors for her senior thesis titled, “Not Dead Yet: Rethinking the Visual Representations of Music in the Age of iPods and YouTube.”  Betsy was also a member of the Bates College women’s lacrosse team and played defense for the Bobcats during her time there. After graduating in 2010, Betsy worked at an advertising firm in Boston before returning to Bates to serve as an assistant coach for the women’s lacrosse team for the 2011 season.  

Before arriving at the Waterford School in 2017, Betsy taught English at Needham High School in Needham, Massachusetts for three years.  At Needham, Betsy was a member of the Needham Steps Up mentoring program and was the coach of the Needham freshman and junior varsity girls’ lacrosse teams.  

Betsy is a proud New Englander and enjoys cheering for the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins.  She also loves hiking, skiing, singing and studying popular culture trends during her free time. Betsy lives with her beloved Bernese Mountain Dog, Rosemont, in Park City.  

Mrs. Callens grew up splitting her time between Western Montana and Washington state. She attended college at Texas Christian University where she earned her degree in General Engineering with a mechanical and aerospace focus. She began her engineering career working for Bell Helicopter in departments ranging from readiness and sustainability to hands on pilot training and simulation. She continued working in engineering for a few years diving into specialties involving industrial machinery and RF remote design. In 2013 she decided to take her love of science and design to the classroom and has been teaching at private and parochial schools ever since. 

Growing up in the pacific northwest instilled in her a love of the great outdoors and everything that they have to offer, so a year ago she and her husband moved to Salt Lake City. They love to hike, camp and ski year-round, and can often be found adventuring with Bailey, their German Shepherd, at their side. 

James Harris teaches Middle and Upper School Science, is the Science Department Chair, and leads Waterford’s Robotics Program. James earned a Bachelors of Science degree at Cornell University where he studied Natural Resources. While attending university he competed as part of the Lightweight Rowing team. A faculty member at Waterford since 1990, James has filled many roles over the years. James has taught both in the Math and Science Departments and has held numerous leadership roles including Upper School Dean, MS/US Dean of Students, and founder of the Outdoor Program. James has a keen interest in facility and campus design and has been involved in planning as Waterford’s campus has grown and developed. Specific projects of interest include design and construction of the indoor climbing wall in the East Gym, design and development of the campus Arboretum, development of the Campus Master Plan, and the design of a future science facility. James has been Science Department Chair since 2010. In this role he has facilitated technology integration initiatives, founded and designed the Robotics program, and has worked to optimize learning in current facilities while planning for future expansion. Having grown up in Massachusetts, James misses the ocean but greatly enjoys the landscape of Utah and, in particular, the proximity of the Wasatch Mountains, where he spends time with friends and family hiking, biking, skiing, and rock climbing. And, whether in his backyard or in the wild, James always keeps eye and ear alert for interesting birds. James particularly enjoys the opportunities that come from a multi-generation career at Waterford. He finds it gratifying and fun to teach alongside students-turned-colleagues and to teach, with increasing frequency, the offspring of alumni who have included their own children in the Waterford community.

Rebekka Joslin, joins Waterford's Science Department as a Middle and Upper School science teacher. She graduated in 2006 from Dartmouth College with a Masters of Science in soil science. Her research brought her to the far southern reaches of the planet where she studied biotic and abiotic factors influencing nutrient cycling in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.

Bekka started her teaching career in New Hampshire, where she taught, coached and served as the New Hampton School's sustainability coordinator for 10 years. Her passion for teaching beyond the curriculum and engaging students in self-reflection is what keeps her inspired and enthusiastic. At Waterford, Bekka will teach a variety of science courses at the Middle School level as well as Upper School electives. 

Bekka is joined at Waterford by her husband, Justin (science and math teacher), and her two daughters. In her free time, Bekka loves to explore the outdoors with her family, camping, skiing, biking, hiking, swimming and just plain sitting and observing. 

Dr. Daniel Osipovitch, chemistry teacher at Waterford, received his Ph.D. in Experimental and Molecular Medicine from Dartmouth College (NH) in February of 2015. His thesis research used protein engineering/bioengineering to develop new ways of treating drug-resistant Staph. infections with engineered enzymes. Daniel also has a B.S. in chemistry and a B.S. in forensic science from the University of New Haven (CT). Daniel spent much of his life (from tenth grade on) as a tutor, either working independently, for a school, or for a tutoring company. It was through this work that he developed his passion for teaching and recognized that he needed to be in the classroom inspiring our future scientists and engineers; he hopes to show students that chemistry, although challenging, is a beautiful and exciting view into how the world around us works. Daniel believes that science is one of the best ways to connect to the world around us. Other passions of his include playing competitive Scrabble, cooking (which includes canning jam, baking bread, and making cheese), hiking, and traveling. Daniel brings these passions into the classroom--his Scrabble club at Waterford helps to build critical thinking skills. At Waterford, Daniel regularly teaches sixth-grade chemistry, honors chemistry, and AP chemistry. In 2016, he worked alongside Dr. Pope to create a pharmacology senior elective, a topic that is relevant to everyday life, and that helped to unite all areas of science that the students have learned at Waterford. He has also developed a forensic science summer class for class VI titled “Solving Mysteries with Chemistry.” This engaging class has allowed students to explore how chemistry can be used beyond the classroom, providing an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in many lab activities including fingerprinting, casting footprints and tire tracks, identifying art forgery, and analyzing potentially poisoned samples. It is Daniel’s goal to develop in his students a curiosity about the world, and he hopes his students leave with a true understanding of Rosalind Franklin’s poignant statement, “science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.”

Amy Dolbin, Registrar at the Waterford School, is a graduate of Brigham Young University where she received a BS in Recreation Therapy.

Prior to her employment at Waterford in 2006, Amy worked at IHC in the Rehabilitation unit as a recreation therapist. After taking some time off to raise her five children, Amy began her employment as the Middle and Upper School scheduler when her youngest child began Nursery 3’s. Her role expanded to include School Registrar in 2011.

Amy’s children include four Waterford graduates, who all began attending Waterford’s Preschool program and her family has been very involved in the Waterford community for many years.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her family hiking, biking, boating or hanging out at their Midway getaway. She also enjoys gardening and home projects. 

Sara has a degree in health information management and a certificate in business administration. During her time working at BJC Healthcare, she felt drawn to work more directly with patients. Sara completed an accelerated second bachelor degree in nursing. She spent her direct care years in medical surgical stepdown, intensive care units, and triage management in the Pennsylvania, Chicago, and New York areas. Prior to joining the Waterford community, Sara most recently worked in care management and quality improvement for Intermountain Healthcare, where she developed a passion for prevention. As a Waterford parent, Sara is excited by the opportunity to give back to this great community in a larger capacity. In her spare time, Sara can be found binge watching cooking challenges with her family and trying to tackle home improvement projects. Her favorite ways to de-stress are weight training and spending time outdoors. As the former child who lived for the end of summer when it was time to buy school supplies, Sara’s personal goal is to complete her doctorate one day.

Sherry Egan, the Reading Specialist for the Waterford Lower School, is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she received her B.A. degree in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Reading Specialty. Sherry began teaching in 1981 as a Class I teacher at the Waterford School Provo Campus and continued teaching until she moved overseas in 1986, to Australia and New Zealand. Upon returning to Utah, she once again began teaching at the Waterford School, this time at the Sandy Campus as a Class III teacher, where she remained for nine years. Sherry then began working with the Waterford Institute of Research in educational (reading) software development. In 2001, in addition to her research, Sherry began the Waterford School Reading Intervention Program, which is currently in it’s fifteenth year. The association with the institute provided a strong research foundation for the reading tutoring program, which after a few years became her sole responsibility. Before joining the Waterford School, Sherry taught in the Jordan School District, teaching grades I-III at Crescent Elementary, Granite School, and opening Willow Canyon School. Sherry has privately tutored students in reading over the past 20 years, particularly Dyslexic students. She regards the University of Utah Reading Center staff and its director, Dr. Kathleen Brown, as her mentors. She has received her training in Next Steps, Higher Steps, Wilson Training, and more, through their program. She attends national conferences in the area of reading, particularly the International Dyslexic Conference and Wilson Conferences. In addition to her school responsibilities, Sherry spends a lot of time on the East coast (Boston and Philadelphia) where her children and grandchildren live. Sherry has six children that have graduated from Waterford School and are now productively involved in their professions and college careers. She enjoys reading, cooking, sewing, and hiking.

Ilana Fogelson is a writer, translator, and educator originally from Salt Lake City. She studied Creative Writing and Chinese in undergrad at Macalester College and received her MFA in Fiction from Brown University. She has taught English abroad in China as well as leading Creative Writing courses for a wide variety of students. She utilizes her writing to better understand the ways in which the world changes from day to day. Her work has previously been seen in such publications as The Broome Street Review, No Tokens Magazine, and Monster House Press. She also works as a writer for film and television. When she isn't writing or teaching others to write, Ilana can be found climbing big rocks or hiking big mountains.

Rich Gaebler is a retired financial professional and New York emigre who lived and worked in the canyons of Manhattan for most of his adult life. He grew up only a short hitchhike away from the great white sand beaches of Long Island, and has many fond memories of his teenage summers at the beach, as well as his frequent frustrations golfing the Bethpage Black course with his friends. He has a BA in Economics from Cornell University, an MBA, and is also a CPA, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and a Financial Risk Manager (FRM.) Rich has tutored mathematics at the Waterford School since 2013, and he has enjoyed every minute!

Rich loves spending time with his wonderful family. He met his wife Deborah, a registered nurse who once ran a St. George Marathon in under 3 hours, in the New York Public Library. His younger son Tristan is a voracious reader, a tough debater, and on his way to becoming a great writer. His older son Trevor, a recent BYU grad in Statistics and Math, lives across the street with his amazing wife Brandy (and their two dogs.) Rich always looks forward to cooking sumptuous dinners every Sunday for his family, but he has not yet figured out how to get everyone sitting at the table while the food is still hot.

An ardent Cubs fan and former college baseball pitcher, Rich still relishes playing on a beautifully green baseball field, grooving batting practice fastballs to his son Trevor and watching him hit majestically-arced home runs, both father and son reveling in a spectacular afternoon together amid the backdrop of the sun-drenched Wasatch Mountains! Rich also enjoys a great read, winning a hotly contested family board game, watching his son’s baseball games, playing with his kettlebells, indulging in the occasional long family hike, and sometimes listening to the 60’s music he grew up with.

Rich is enlivened and inspired by the students at Waterford and he feels indeed privileged to teach math and work closely with so many wonderful, potential-laden young people.