St. Luke's Welcomes New Faculty and Staff for 2008-2009
9/20/2008

Sonia Bell
Entering her 24th year in education, Sonia Bell comes to St. Luke’s as Co-Director of College Counseling. She will serve alongside Tim Cantrick, Director of College Counseling, during this school year before transitioning to the role of Director in the 2009 - 2010 school year. Prior to joining St. Luke’s, Ms. Bell served as Dean of Students and Director of Community Service at Springside School, a private pre-K - 12 girls’ school in Philadelphia, PA. She has also served as Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD; Director of Admission and Financial Aid, Senior Class Dean, and Associate Director of College Counseling at Nichols School in Buffalo, NY; English teacher at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT; and has spent seven of the past eight summers working as Site Director and Dean of Residential Life at the Center for Talented Youth (CTY), a program for gifted students run by Johns Hopkins University. Ms. Bell holds a B.A. in English from Spelman College, a M.L.A. from Johns Hopkins University, and is currently writing her dissertation for a doctorate in linguistics at the University of Georgia.

Ms. Bell believes St. Luke’s commitment to academic excellence and community service sets the School apart. “I could not miss St. Luke’s motto – Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve – when I first interviewed at the School,” says Ms. Bell. “Each of the students I have since met has talked about the impact service has had on their lives. I could tell these students were genuinely and profoundly affected, and committed to helping people long after they have said their final goodbyes to St. Luke’s. That is a great legacy for a school to have.”

Nat Smitobol
Nat Smitobol also joins the St. Luke’s College Counseling team as Associate Director of College Counseling, reporting to Sonia Bell. Mr. Smitobol most recently served as Associate Director of Admissions at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where he also led the college’s multicultural recruitment efforts. Over the course of five years, he read well over 5,000 application essays and interviewed hundreds of college-bound seniors—experiences that will benefit St. Luke’s students. Mr. Smitobol is also a former special education teacher and tennis professional, coaching tennis to some of the country’s top junior players. He holds a B.S. from Skidmore College.

Kathleen Murphy
Kathleen Murphy joins the Development team as the new Annual Fund Director and Assistant Director of Development. A former sales and marketing executive at IBM, Ms. Murphy also brings extensive experience in nonprofit management and fundraising to St. Luke’s. Since 1991, she has been an active member of the Executive Board and Board of Directors at the Family Children's Agency Inc. in Norwalk, CT. Her roles have included Chair of the Board of Directors for three years and Chair of the Development and Marketing Committee for eight years. During this time, her efforts have led to increased fundraising participation and community awareness for the organization. “We are delighted to have Kathleen join the Development team at St. Luke's,” adds Ninette Enrique, Director of Development. “With her charisma, passion for education, and experience in sales and marketing, she is a powerful advocate for the School’s mission and values. She will play an important role in helping the School achieve its financial goals.” Ms. Murphy is a graduate of the College of New Rochelle, with a B.A. in Psychology and Education.

Mindy Breva
The Development team has also appointed Mindy Breva to the new position of Development Manager. Ms. Breva will help oversee such activities as grant writing, database management, and research, as well as assist with the Annual Fund Campaign. She has several years of nonprofit development and corporate marketing experience from Norwalk Community College, the New Canaan Nature Center, and the Minneapolis Foundation. Ms. Breva earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a M.A. in Public and Nonprofit Administration at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, MN.

Jereme Anglin
Building on the School’s strong program in the performing arts, Jereme Anglin joins St. Luke’s as Director of Theatre Arts. As a member of Actors Equity Association, Jereme has worked professionally as an actor, director and teacher. He trained at the Sorbonne in France, The Moscow Art Theater, University of Connecticut, and with the Argentinean Commedia dell’arte troupe “Diablo Mundo.” He holds a M.F.A. in Theater Arts from the University of Connecticut and since moving to the area, has directed productions at the Tabor Community Arts Center, the Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School, The Neighborhood Music School, and Hamden Hall.

Steve Andelman
St. Luke’s has awarded the School’s first Teaching Fellowship to Steve Andelman, a 2008 graduate of Haverford College. This new fellowship offers a one-year position for an outstanding recent college graduate interested in exploring teaching at an independent school. While at Haverford, Mr. Andelman studied Philosophy and Chemistry, and completed the pre-medical course of study. He participated in independent research in an infectious disease lab and his findings were recently presented at the National American Society for Microbiology. Mr. Andelman was also captain of the baseball team at Haverford. During the 2008 - 2009 school year, Mr. Andelman will teach tenth grade chemistry at St. Luke’s.

Franz Batoh
Frantz Batoh is a member of St. Luke’s World Language Department, teaching Middle and Upper School French. Most recently, Mr. Batoh taught French at Hilton Head Prep in South Carolina. A native of Cameroon, he graduated from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon with a B.A. and a Secondary and High School Teacher’s Degree - Second Grade in French and English. Mr. Batoh also holds a M.A. in Teaching from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT.

Eleanor Page
Eleanor Page serves as Database Manager, assisting in the management of the School’s educational and website databases. Ms. Page most recently worked at Hyperion, a leading provider of performance management software, where she acted as a technical expert in the development and testing of new products. Ms. Page earned a B.A. in Economics and French from Hollins College in Roanoke, VA.

Patrick Clarke
Patrick Clarke joins as Systems Support Specialist in the IT Department. He is a recent graduate of a dual Bachelors-Masters program at PACE University, where he majored in Childhood Education & Special Needs and Educational Technology. During his college experience, Mr. Clarke held a number of technical positions, including Educational Technology Intern with the Pleasantville School District.

Ginny Bachman
The Communications Department welcomes Ginny Bachman to the role of Communications Associate, responsible for advertising, public relations and parent communication. Ms. Bachman has a long career in product marketing and strategic planning, having worked on such brands as Hanes, Champion, and Coach domestically and internationally. She holds a B.B.A. in Finance and Business Economics from the University of Notre Dame and a M.B.A in Marketing and Strategic Planning from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.

Richard James
Richard James is the School’s new Library Associate. A native of New Canaan, Mr. James received his B.A. in Government from Cornell, M.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is currently working on his Ph.D. in Political Theory at the University of California, Los Angeles.