Meet St. Luke’s Newest Members

Since the start of the school year, St. Luke’s has welcomed a few new faculty and staff members to the Hilltop! Read a little bit about our newest community members.

Kelsey Clegg: Kelsey is St. Luke’s Human Resources Manager. She comes to us from New York City, where she spent the last 10 years growing her career in human resources. Most recently, she held the position of People Director of North America for a London-based hospitality company, opening hotels in Brooklyn, Chicago, Portland, and Los Angeles. After recently moving from New York, she now resides in Norwalk with her husband, Bryan, and four-year-old rescue dog Nola. In her spare time, she can be found walking the trails at Cranbury Park with Nola, spending time with family at Candlewood Lake, watching Syracuse sports, and traveling. 

Will Creighton: Will joined St. Luke’s in November as our Digital Content Specialist. Will comes to St. Luke’s with more than 15 years of experience in marketing and communications. Most recently, he worked at Solebury Trout, a financial communications firm, where he was part of the corporate communications team and managed the firm’s digital and creative services offerings. Will has a background in website design, film production, graphic design, presentation development, and strategic marketing and communications. He earned a B.A. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Duke University and an MBA from George Washington University. He also has a degree in digital media. Will lives with his wife Lisa, son Wesley, and daughter Rose, in New Canaan.

Melanie Fieffe: In October, Melanie joined St. Luke's as a Sixth Grade Science Teacher and Eighth Grade Advisor. After a medical leave this winter, Melanie is back on the Hilltop, substituting for various classes, assisting in the St. Luke's library, and supporting ESS until she returns full-time to the classroom in August. Melanie graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Roger Williams University and a M.S. in Science Education from New York University. Melanie spent the last five years working for Norwalk Public Schools. She lives in Norwalk with her three boys, Andrew, Cameron, and Mattew, and her husband, Dale. When not at St. Luke's, Melanie enjoys attending her sons’ sporting events, such as baseball, rowing, and basketball, as well as coaching her boys’ basketball teams for the last 11 years. Melanie loves spending time in nature with her family, including kayaking and hiking.

Rachel Finlaw: Rachel joined St. Luke’s as a Learning Specialist, just as the year kicked off in late August. Shortly before joining St. Luke’s, she graduated with her master’s degree in social work from UConn. While getting her MSW, Rachel worked in the disability services office at the university, where she met with students to address their academic challenges and strengthen their executive functioning skills. Prior to that, she worked with high schoolers and their families at a nonprofit in New York City, where she first found her passion for working with students. When not at St. Luke’s, Rachel enjoys hanging out with family and loved ones, being outdoors, and listening to music, audiobooks, and podcasts, and she’s always up for a new adventure—near or far!

Jay McMahon: Jay is St. Luke’s Director of Safety and Security. Jay has a long career in law enforcement and is a former policeman with the city of Rye Brook and New Rochelle, NY. Before joining St. Luke's he worked in security for the Lakeland School district in Yorktown, NY, helping to train faculty on emergency procedures. 

Daniela Pontaza: Daniela “Dani” joined St. Luke’s as an Upper School Spanish Teacher. Originally from Mexico, Dani developed a love for other cultures and languages at a young age. Having grown up in an international boarding school community, she was exposed to various cultural backgrounds that helped to instill a desire to learn foreign languages and the art of teaching. Dani is a recent graduate of Western Connecticut State University, where she received her degree in fine arts and Spanish. In recent years, Dani has collaborated in various art shows, traveled abroad for photography projects, and continued her journey of learning languages. When not at school, Dani can most likely be found on long-distance runs, chatting in French, or traveling with friends to coffee shops and art galleries. 

Laurel Scarozza: Laurel is the Executive Assistant to the Head of Middle School & Head of Upper School. She joins St. Luke's from Saint Thomas Church and Choir School in Manhattan, where she worked for 15 years as the Music Office Manager. In that role, she wore many hats, from producer of over 250 choral services a year to manager of various international and domestic tours to planning and running the yearly Choirmasters' Conference, which drew musicians from all over the world. As a freelance singer, Laurel has performed in various small ensembles across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey. In 2012, she moved to Norwalk with her husband, Daniel, a fellow musician and solar business development manager at Purepoint Energy, Inc. They have two energetic children, Henry, 6, and Lucy, 4. She also has two fantastic felines, Colonel Meow Meow Pants and Mama Nutmeg. When she's not working, Laurel enjoys reading her favorite magazine, The Sun, preferably by the beach in a tropical destination. She also enjoys lifting weights, cooking, eating great food (ergo, the weights), and learning classical guitar (a life goal!).