As more than 600 girls returned to Girls Preparatory School this week, not only did they welcome new classmates, but they also saw new faces teaching classes, serving in the school, and coaching on the athletic fields.
“Over the summer, we worked diligently to find highly qualified, dedicated women and men to fill positions here at GPS,” says Dr. Autumn A. Graves, head of school. “Please help me welcome our new employees, who are eager to encourage our girls to ask questions and challenge assumptions as they learn to think critically.”
Joining the GPS senior administration team are Lynne Macziewski, head of Middle School, and Jay Watts, athletic director.
Ms.
Macziewski obtained a BA in biology and secondary education plus an MA in curriculum and instruction from University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, Mn.). She also holds an MEd in educational leadership from the University of Minnesota. As a part of her master's program, Ms. Macziewski focused on women in leadership and the early factors that support or inhibit their success, an area of interest she says drew her to GPS.
For the Bruisers, Mr. Watts will oversee the school’s sports programs and serve as the varsity basketball coach. He previously served as the assistant athletic director at Westminster School in Atlanta for 17 years, the largest high school athletic department in Georgia. He is a graduate of McCallie and the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Va.). He received his MS in sports administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta.
Dr. Brandon Noel will teach biology at GPS and help coach Middle School softball. He has a degree in marine biology from the University of West Florida, a graduate degree in biology from Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, Ga.), and a PhD in environmental science from Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, Ar.). He most recently taught at Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, Fl.).
Dr. Steve Harrison, history teacher, earned his BA from East Carolina University (Greenville, NC), his MA from North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC), and his PhD from Vanderbilt University (Nashville). He taught at several universities including University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Vanderbilt, as well as Wenzhou-Kean University (Wenzhou, China) and Lingnan University (Hong Kong) before joining GPS. He also worked for the U.S. Foreign Service in London, England, and Guangzhou, China.
Lisa Wilkes will teach math in both Upper and Middle Schools. She obtained her degree in mathematics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her MEd in secondary mathematics with licensure from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Ms. Wilkes worked as a math teacher with Hamilton County Schools at Brainerd High School and Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. She also taught at UTC in STEM education.
John Holleman, a playwright and director, will be the theater arts teacher and director at GPS. He holds a BA in theater from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and an MEd in elementary education from Vanderbilt University (Nashville).
Originally from Memphis, Katie Outlaw has been a school psychologist for the past 12 years with Hamilton County Schools and will be a learning specialist at GPS. She has a BS in psychology and holds an education specialist degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and has extensive experience working with children who have learning difficulties. She was also a track and cross-country coach at Normal Park Museum Magnet. She will coach Middle School GPS track and cross country.
Coach David Hall will serve as the Bruisers’ interim varsity rowing coach. He has a degree in exercise science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has been a part of the rowing community in Chattanooga most of his life. Kipton Tugman ’92 and Maegan Gossett Collett ’08 will serve as his assistant coaches.
Sam DeFriese and David Barrueta join Bruiser Athletics as assistant soccer coaches. Jenny Bullard will serve as the head bowling coach. Candi McGowan will be the assistant bowling coach.
The Middle School administrative assistant position has been filled by Sara Wood. She has a BA in psychology from Agnes Scott College (Decatur, Ga.) and worked as a child life specialist in Atlanta. Most recently, she worked as a senior administrative assistant at Thrivent Financial.
Marcy Wilson joins GPS as the coordinator of the Cadek Conservatory of Music. She has a bachelor’s degree from Stetson University and a master’s degree from University of North Texas in violin performance. She also holds a master’s in music education from the University of Alabama. Ms. Wilson has lived in Chattanooga for eight years, teaching music and freelancing as a violinist for several orchestras including Greenville Symphony, Tuscaloosa Symphony, and Chattanooga Symphony.
Joining the communications team are Pamela Hammonds, senior writer and media relations manager, and Laura Jane Walker, communications manager. Ms. Hammonds has a degree in marketing from Ball State University (Muncie, In.) and most recently worked as the editor of a lifestyle magazine in Texas. She also worked as a writer and photographer in education for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ms. Walker is a Chattanooga native with a degree in magazine journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has extensive experience as a writer and editor.
Brad Nance joins the IT department. He worked at First Bank (formerly Northwest Georgia Bank) for over 15 years as their network administrator. He received his associate’s degree in computer network specialization from Northwestern Technical College (Rock Spring, Ga.).
Tammy Limbaugh serves as the new manager of the advancement office. She comes to GPS with more than 25 years’ experience at Unum, spent mostly in the marketing and knowledge management areas.
New GPS Food Service Director Brad Grafton is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) with a degree in culinary arts. He has been a chef in Chattanooga for more than 20 years, opening the Southside Grill and working at Bluff View Art District and the Fairyland Club on Lookout Mountain.