In a recent internal e-mail, David Rhodes, headmaster, announced new faculty and staff joining the Darlington community for the 2003-04 academic year along with internal changes.
Chip Audett joins the development office as capital gifts officer. Audett comes to Darlington from The Lexington School, Lexington, Ky., where he was director of admission and external communications. Audett earned a bachelor’s degrees in economics and French from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.
Peter Bergen is the new head of house in Wilcox (formerly Zimmer House). Bergen, formerly a resident of Pennsylvania, has served as resident dean of a boys dorm and assistant dean of residential life staffing and taught history at Phelps School, Malvern, Penn. He has also served as senior camp director at Upper Main Line YMCA, Berwyn, Penn., and has coached varsity soccer and baseball. Bergen earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Penn., and a master’s degree in education from Cabrini College, Radnor, Penn.
Bergen’s move to campus is in direct relation to an internal change. Casey Zimmer will step down as head of Zimmer House to become the director of admission. Former director of admission Brian Boone accepted a position at Trinity Preparatory School, Winter Park, Fla. where he will serve as director of development.
Eva Marie Burns ’79 will teach art at the Middle and Upper schools. Burns has eight years of teaching experience including serving as a private teacher, substitute teacher at the Spruill School of Art, Dunwoody, Ga., and an art instructor at West End Elementary and East Rome High School, Rome, Ga. Burns has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Georgia.
Madge Crawford ’84 will work as a library aide at the Upper School. Currently, Crawford serves as an office assistant at First Baptist Preschool, Rome, Ga. Previously, she served as a litigation paralegal for Willcox, McLeod, Buyck, and Williams, Florence, S.C., corporate paralegal for Resolution Trust Corporation, Atlanta, Ga., and a commercial real estate paralegal for Glass, McCullough, Sherrill, and Harrold, Atlanta, Ga. Crawford earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Georgia and paralegal training from the National Center for Paralegal Training, Atlanta, Ga.
Bailey Duncan ’98 joins the campus as a history department intern and will be teaching Modern World History and assisting with the sets for the Upper School’s fall play. Duncan earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in history from Auburn University.
Heidi Hicks will teach Middle School Spanish and coach Middle School soccer and basketball. Hicks grew up in Honduras where her parents were missionaries. She has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Shorter College, Rome, Ga. Some of her previous work experiences include admission and business offices assistant, Shorter College and summer counselor, Boys and Girls Club of Rome. Her husband Daniel will serve as a duty teacher in Inman House.
Mac Jackson plans to teach English and coach lacrosse and Middle School football. He graduated from Wheaton College, Norton, Mass. with a bachelor’s degree in English. Jackson has worked as camp counselor at Camp Winaukee, Center Harbor, N.H., senior admission intern, Wheaton College, and substitute teacher and coach, at Bement School, Deerfield, Mass.
Dan King joins the history department, as an intern, teaching Modern World and U. S. History. King earned a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in moral philosophy from Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H. He has served as resident instructor of ethics, excel program at Amherst College, Putney Student Travel, Putney, Vt. and instructor and tutor at The Princeton Review, Boston, Mass.
John Merchant joins Darlington as the School’s chaplain. He will also teach history at the Upper School. Merchant earned a bachelor’s degree in English from The University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn. and a master’s degree in divinity from The Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va. He served as headmaster at St. George’s Episcopal School, Milner, Ga., assistant headmaster and head chaplain at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, Atlanta, headmaster at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School, Memphis, Tenn., Chaplain and assistant headmaster, Saint James School, St. James, Md., and acting headmaster, St. Mark’s School, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Rachel Rice ’98 joins Darlington as a foreign language department intern. She will teach Spanish I and coach cheerleading and girls junior varsity tennis. Rice earned a bachelor’s degree in international business with a minor in Spanish from Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla. As part of her education, Rice had the opportunity to spend a semester in Spain.
Jeanne Sparks will be an administrative assistant in the development office. Sparks earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing from the University of Georgia. She has served as a substitute teacher and temporary assistant to admission at the Lower School, office manager for William F. Sparks, attorney, and served as a sales representative at King Cherry/Jamart Ltd.
Lauren G. Ledbetter has joined the development office as the alumni officer and will manage the class agent program, support the alumni council, and participate in Darlington’s Centennial Celebration, to be celebrated in 2005.
Ledbetter previously worked for Colonial Pipeline Company, Alpharetta, Ga., as a decision support analyst and at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Atlanta, as a senior associate in the corporate value consulting group. She received her bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. Ledbetter currently lives in Cartersville with her husband David Ledbetter ’88.
Internal changes will take place across the campus, as well. Casey Zimmer will step down as head of Zimmer House to become the director of admission. Marisa Ortega will teach two additional English courses at the Upper School; Greg Foreman will teach a Computer Programming class and assist with the cross country team; Rob Meaney will teach an additional math class; George Awsumb will teach Cinema; Rob Davis will teach an additional Graphic Design class; Phil Titus will teach A.P. Biology; Tim Garrett will teach an additional Chemistry class; Rusty Jordan will teach three Latin classes at the Upper School; Marit Mniszewski will assist the swim team; Kandi Riddle will coach junior varsity cheerleading; Karen Rieley will be the faculty adviser to the Jabberwokk (yearbook); Jason Turner will assist track; James Hutchins will serve as duty teacher in Griffeth House and his family will move into the House; and Caroline Blaylock ’91 and her family will move into Erlandson House where she will serve as a duty teacher. Nancy Gray has been named head librarian.
