2019-2020 Avalon Faculty
Rollin James Hawley III, Executive Director
September marks R.J. Hawley’s fifth year as Executive Director of both The Avalon School and Brookewood School. As a former Assistant Headmaster at both schools, he brings a deep knowledge of the schools’ cultures and a broad range of administrative skills to the extensive business and planning responsibilities of both institutions.
R.J. came to Avalon in 2003, following two years at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), following seven years as a teacher and administrator at The Heights School in Potomac, MD.
During his 25 years in independent school education, he has taught journalism and ethics and a wide range of science and mathematics courses, and also garnered extensive experience as a college counselor both here and in Europe.
R.J. is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied biology and philosophy and began his intensive exploration of Aristotle’s works on man. He completed his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Trinity Washington University in 2013.
He and his wife, Kristen, and their five children, Maggie (Brookewood’19), Will (Avalon ’20), Alec (Avalon ’24), Clare (Brookewood ’25), and George (Avalon ’36) live in Silver Spring, MD.
Richard B. McPherson, President, The Avalon School and Brookewood School
Headmaster, Brookewood School
Richard McPherson helped establish The Avalon School in 2003 after more than two decades of experience in the independent school education of young men. He is the former headmaster of The Heights School, an independent day school for boys in grades 3-12, located in Potomac, Maryland. Under his leadership, enrollment rose from 270 students to 460, and the number of Advanced Placement Scholars grew from three to 32. He also led the school through an ambitious building and improvement program of more than $3 million, providing an excellent foundation for shepherding Avalon and Brookewood through the coming years. Rich assumed the role of Headmaster at Avalon’s sister school, Brookewood, located in Kensington, MD, in 2016. In addition to his duties as President, Headmaster, and mathematics teacher, Rich will continue to serve as director of Avalon’s international student program.
A graduate of Harvard College (’79), Rich taught for two years before pursuing a career as an actuary in New York, where he held positions at Coopers & Lybrand and Metropolitan Life. In 1984, he was named an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. That year also marked his return to his true vocation – education. Prior to assuming the position of Heights' headmaster in 1997, Rich taught a variety of courses, coached a host of sports and led the 1991-92 varsity basketball team to a top-twenty ranking in The Washington Post. He was the recipient of a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship at Harvard in 1988, where he studied Aristotle’s natural philosophy.
In 2003, Rich’s leadership in the field of education, record of service to the Church, and volunteer service to the poor led to his investiture into the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem on Rhodes and Malta, commonly recognized as the Order of Malta, by His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
A native of Massachusetts, Rich is a devotee of author G.K. Chesterton, poetry, the Boston Red Sox, and mathematical conundrums. He, his wife Janice, and a selection of their six children - Avalon graduates Matthew (’10), Gil (’11), John Paul (’13), Michael (’17), Ann Marie and Maggie (Brookewood ’16), and a rotating roster of international students, reside in Clarksburg, MD.
Kevin J. Davern, Headmaster
Kevin Davern brings a wealth of administrative and classroom experience to his role as the first Headmaster of The Avalon School. September marks his thirtieth year in the independent school education of young men. He will continue to share his extensive knowledge of his favorite subjects this year, teaching U.S. History and Apologetics, as well as assisting with College Counseling.
The former Assistant Head of School and Director of Admission at The Heights School, he taught Lower and Middle School before moving to the Upper School in 1995. He concentrated his efforts on mathematics, history, and religion in addition to extensive administrative duties, and served as director of the summer math program for four years.
Kevin is an honors graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he majored in history, and also captained the varsity basketball team. He has the distinction of twice being named the school’s male Academic-Athlete of the Year, and was the recipient of the Landers Award for Achievement in History. He was awarded a master’s of education with a concentration in administration and supervision from the Johns Hopkins University in 2000.
Kevin and his wife, Jennifer, live in Silver Spring, MD and have six children: the late Jimmy Davern (Avalon ’15), Thomas (Avalon ’20), Katie (Brookewood ’12), Mary (Brookewood ’14), Tricia (Brookewood ’17) and Rachel (Brookewood ’22).
Barry Stohlman, Business Manager, The Avalon School & Brookewood School
Barry Stohlman brings more than two decades of experience as a small business owner, and a decade of working in independent school governance, to his role as Business Manager to The Avalon School and Brookewood School.
Prior to joining the faculty in July, he was a partner in the building firm of Stohlman~Kilner Construction. Earlier in his career, Barry worked as a master cabinetmaker in Northern Italy for nine years, before returning to the United States and opening his business as a custom cabinetmaker.
A founder of Brookewood School, he also has served as a member and chairman of the Board of Trustees for Avalon and Brookewood, providing fiduciary oversite and guidance to the schools.
A native Bethesdan, he attended Archbishop Carroll High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Philosophy from The Catholic University of America. It was there he met an Italian exchange student, Laura (nee Pellizzoni), who he eventually followed back to Italy and married.
To date, five of their eight children have graduated from Avalon or Brookewood: Matteo, Bill, Marta, Cecilia and Paolo. Currently, their son, Francesco is a student at Avalon and daughters, Maria and Monica are students at Brookewood School.
Barry, Laura, and a selection of children live on their farm in Boyds, MD, where they raise pigs and other farm animals for meats which Barry cures himself. If you are looking for some of the best locally raised prosciutto or salame, be sure to talk with Avalon’s new business manager!
Matthew Bronzi, Assistant Head of School, Middle School Coordinator
Matt Bronzi is an Assistant Head of School in addition to serving as Coordinator of the Middle School program. His also will continue his work in the classroom this year, teaching Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and Advanced and Placement Chemistry.
Matt brings his passion for the sciences to Avalon from both the academic and corporate worlds. Following graduation with honors from Rock Valley College in Illinois, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Dallas. A recipient of the Robert Welch Scholarship, Matt was an integral part of organic chemistry research (published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Jan. ’05) at the school. In addition to his studies, he tutored in both mathematics and the sciences.
Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, Matt worked with Baxter Bioscience in the manufacture of a meningitis vaccine.
He and his wife, Margaret, and six children reside in Frederick, MD.
Thomas Stroot, Dean of Students
Tom Stroot will share his all-encompassing passion for History and Math this year with the Upper school students, teaching Advanced Placement U.S. History, Geometry-SAT, and a seminar on Dystopian Novels, as well as History in the Lower School. In addition to his classroom duties, Tom serves as Avalon’s Dean of Students, overseeing day-today student activities and discipline.
Known as “the voice of the Avalon Black Knights” for his distinctive announcing skills at interscholastic sports events, he also will continue his coaching work with the Middle School swim team. In addition, Tom continues in his stewardship role of Avalon’s charitable works program, overseeing the student volunteer efforts at “The Lord’s Table” food program for the less fortunate, twice-weekly at St. Martin’s in Gaithersburg.
A graduate of The Heights School, Tom earned a B.A. in Political Science at Villanova University, and then worked for several years in the Montgomery County Public School system (MCPS) with students who had a variety of physical and educational needs. Accepted for the Education Master’s degree program at the University of Maryland in 1998, he graduated with a 4.0 and went on to teach fifth grade in the MCPS.
Tom and his wife, Mary, live in Damascus with their two daughters, Kaylor (Brookewood ’18) and Ella (Brookewood ’22), and a son, Patrick (Avalon '25).
Istvan Teleki, Lower School Coordinator
Istvan is an Avalon founder, gifted veteran teacher, and Head of Avalon’s Lower School. He has spent the last 16 years teaching lower school boys in a wide array of subjects, but he has a particular fondness for Natural History, Avalon’s lower-school study of plants, birds and insects, and is founder and director of a natural history summer camp held each year at the Avalon campus.
Istvan also brings multilingual skills to his positions at Avalon. He is fluent in Spanish and Hungarian, and has taught AP Spanish in the Upper School.
Istvan is a Cum Laude graduate of Providence College. Before joining the Avalon faculty, he spent a year in Pamplona, Spain, teaching economics to freshmen in the Bilingual Program at the University of Navarre.
He lives in Gaithersburg. MD with his wife Caitlin, and his seven children: Karoly (Avalon ’23), Joseph (Avalon ’25), Ignatius (Avalon ’35), John Paul (Avalon ’36) and daughters Lilianna (Brookewood ’27), Margaret (Brookewood ’28) and Lucy (Brookewood ’31).
John J. Acevedo, Director of Admission & International Student Program
John Acevedo continues his work, begun last year, to expand and enhance Avalon’s student body.
John brings a wealth of international and education-based experience to his role - overseeing the day-to-day admission process, including marketing and advertising, as well as guiding interested families through the application and interview process. He also will shepherd Avalon’s thriving international student program which has thus far hosted students from more than 12 countries.
Prior to joining the Avalon staff, John worked for more than two decades with Berlitz International, serving most recently as on-site president of the Berlitz franchise, Ecuador, as well as director of strategic planning US, director of Berlitz Virtual Classroom, and national director of government affairs (US), among other positions. He also has worked as an award-winning financial services representative with The Prudential Insurance Company of America.
John attended the University of the Andes, Bogota, Colombia with a major in physics, and is a native speaker of both English and Spanish. He and his wife, Amparo, reside in North Bethesda. They are the parents of two Brookewood graduates, Mary Joseph (’16) and Ann Marie (’14).
Charmie Vince, Director of Advancement & Alumni Relations
Charmie Vince, a founding administrator at the Brookewood School (2006-2013), returns to the school communities with exciting plans for advancement and alumni events. Following a recent update of the data base management system, she captured alumni contact information from all branches of the school communities, including the Thomas More Institute, in preparation for the Avalon & Brookewood Founders Feast Reunion in Spring 2020.
Charmie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Santa Clara University. She has used her degree in business and communications to serve Catholic schools and parishes in Los Angeles, San Jose, Springfield, MA and most recently as Director of Religious Education in Oakland, CA.
She and her husband, Bob, live in Glen Echo, MD. They are the parents of Charmi Ellaine (Brookewood ’10), Tommy (Avalon ’13), and Serena (a founding member of Brookewood ’16). Their granddaughter, Charmi Faustina is 2 years old and expects a baby brother in November.
Ellen M. Clifford, Associate Director of Advancement
Ellen Clifford, an Avalon founder, stepped down from her role as Assistant Head of School for Advancement in July, but will continue her work part-time as Associate Director of Advancement. She will remain coordinator of the Autumn Auction and the Spring Gala, and resume her role as editor of the Avalon~Brookewood magazine, which will be re-introduced this fall.
A development professional for 25 years in independent schools including Harbor School, Bullis, and The Heights School, Ellen also served for 12 years as a senior writer and editor at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as a production associate and publicist for the Washington Bureau of ABC News, on Capitol Hill in both the U. S. House and Senate, and as special assistant to the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Her work in education includes six years as an independent school trustee and board chairman.
The mother of two grown daughters (her youngest married a former Avalon teacher in 2011), Ellen lives in N. Bethesda, MD.
Patrick Duffy, Athletic Director
Patrick Duffy returns for his 17th season as head baseball coach at Avalon. During his tenure he has led the Black Knights to eight State Championship appearances, with a 236-120 record. In 2006 – the school’s third season of baseball but only its second season of playing a full varsity schedule – the Black Knights were victorious in their run for the state championship. In 2009 and 2010, the Black Knights won back-to-back titles with rosters mostly comprised of underclassmen. The team most recently won their fourth and fifth championships in 2013 and 2014.
The baseball team’s success has embodied the school’s attitude, “Small School, Big Possibilities”. Avalon players land opportunities to play at all levels of college baseball. Avalon, which typically graduates two or three baseball players a year, has produced a professional pitcher (Kevin Fuqua ’07), and college commitments in all of the school’s nine graduating classes. Additionally, one graduate received a walk-on invitation to an Atlantic Coast Conference school, and others have pursued opportunities on college club teams.
In 2012, Duffy took the title of Commissioner of the Old Line Baseball Conference (OLBC), which he helped to establish in 2007. He previously served as OLBC’s Head of Media Relations, and Webpage Facilitator. The Black Knights have either won or finished in second place in seven of the league’s nine years. Several Avalon players have received All-OLBC awards, including Bennie Sanchez ’09, Josh Brunvoll ’11, Niko Sanchez ’13, Billy Lennox ’14, and Erik Janss ’16 – all were named conference Most Valuable Player. In 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014, the Conference coaches unanimously voted Duffy OLBC Coach of the Year, and Co-Coach of the Year in 2015.
In addition to the baseball program, Coach Duffy teaches a variety of subjects to Avalon students in grades 1 through 12, including Upper School Journalism, Middle School Physical Education, and Lower School Language Arts and Physical Education.
Coach Duffy also is the collegiate coach for Dig in Baseball in the Maryland Collegiate Baseball League. He and his family live in Frederick, MD.
Fr. Roberto Amoruso
Fr. Roberto comes to Avalon via Kenya, Africa, where he spent 12 years serving as a chaplain, teacher, missionary and social services director. This year he will teach Lower and Middle School Religion and Sacred Scripture, and Chemistry and Spanish II in the Upper School.
Fr. Roberto holds degrees from the University of Milan in Agronomy and from the Lateran University of Rome in Philosophy and Theology. Following his ordination to the priesthood, he taught high school religion and Italian in Rome and served as the school chaplain and director of campus ministry. It was during this time that he perfected his skills as a skier and windsurfer, giving lessons during the winter and summer breaks. In 1993, Fr. Roberto was called to teach chemistry at Queen of the Apostles Seminary while he established an out-station for a large parish in Nairobi. His high school work continued at the Italian School of Nairobi Dante Alighieri where he taught philosophy and history.
Moving into social services in 1997, Fr. Roberto worked with terminal AIDS patients, single mothers, orphans and young men who had dropped out of school. He also conducted a Distant Adoption program linked to several parishes in Italy. His last post in Kenya was at Utalli College where he served as chaplain and taught Italian in addition to the martial arts of Karate and Aikido at the school and in the parish where he lived.
Fr. Roberto brings a unique skill set to Avalon. Along with his pastoral and athletic expertise, he is fluent in Italian, English, French, Kiswahili and Gikuyu, Latin, and has a reading knowledge of Greek. He is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right. Fr. Roberto lives in Bethesda, MD.
James Bostick
Jim Bostick’s passions are history and languages. This school year he is teaching History in the Middle School and Spanish I, Spanish III, and Advanced Placement European History, in the Upper School. Jim has been an educator for more than fifteen years, during which time he has coached debate, served as a forensic judge, and led cultural tours of Spain.
In addition to his classroom work, Jim is the moving force behind the school’s system of Houses, and also designed the House crests for both Avalon and Brookewood School.
A cum laude graduate of the University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, he is a master’s candidate at the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain, where he served on the faculty of economics. He also is the recipient of a scholarship from the Embassy of Spain for summer courses in language and culture in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
A native Texan, Jim now lives in Damascus, MD, with his wife, Colet, daughter, Eleanor (Brookewood ’23), and son, James (Avalon ‘24).
Kevin Michael Caughlan
Kevin Caughlan brings almost four decades of mathematics teaching experience to his Pre-Calculus and Calculus AB/BC classes at Avalon. Prior to joining the faculty second semester, Kevin was semi-retired following 29 years at De Matha Catholic High School, where he taught all levels of math including Geometry and Trigonometry, Algebra 2, Pre Calculus and Advanced Placement Calculus AB.
He began his career in Wallace, Idaho, teaching 8th grade math and 9th grade Algebra I, followed by two years in a Judith Gap, Montana school. In 1972, he was accepted by the Peace Corps and assigned to Lesotho in Southern Africa, where he taught math, Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Returning to the United States in 1974, he served on the math faculty at Sandy Spring Friends School until assuming his extensive teaching duties at De Matha in 1983.
Kevin also taught rock climbing for 16 years at a Quaker camp near Thurmont, MD, and he currently sings in two local choruses.
The father of two adult children, Kevin lost his beloved wife in 2007. He lives in Sandy Spring, MD.
Charles Devereux
Chuck Devereux continues his role in the Middle School, teaching Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, in addition to Civil War history and Algebra I. He also shares the expertise and wisdom he garnered during his years as a professional athlete as coach of the Middle School basketball team and assistant coach of Avalon’s award-winning varsity baseball team.
A native Washingtonian, Chuck attended the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship and captained the team in 1992. The Terrapin earned a degree in criminal justice in 1993. He joined the Orioles organization in 1992, playing for the Frederick Keys, the Bowie Baysox and the Baltimore Orioles through the 1995 season. His baseball career also took him to Taiwan, where he played for the Taipei Tigers, and to Perth, Australia with the Wanerroo Giants, before returning to the U.S. in 1998.
Upon his return, Chuck served as an assistant baseball coach and substitute teacher at Landon School for Boys through 2012. He also worked as a substitute teacher and coach at Avalon and other independent schools in the area. In addition, Chuck coached the B-CC Baseball Association Youth Travel Team from 2000-12, and served as a camp coordinator and pitching coach at the Maryland Baseball Academy and The Baseball Zone from 1998 to the present.
Chuck, wife Deena, and their son, Ren (Avalon ’25) live in Derwood, MD.
Quinton Dulic
Quinton Dulic begins his second year at Avalon teaching Math and Physical Education in the Lower and Middle schools.
He also serves as Avalon’s Black Knight Varsity Basketball Head Coach, and brings a wealth of experience to the court, having coached more than a decade in the highly regarded WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference). In addition to his work at CPA, Quinton held coaching positions at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and at Mr. Zion Prep School in Baltimore. Coach Dulic also has been heavily involved on the AAU scene, having coached, through the District Basketball Club, over 50 student-athletes who’ve gone on to play college basketball. Overall, Quinton remains committed to the holistic development of young men, focusing on academics and personal character, as well as athletics. He came to Avalon following several years as a teacher at College Park Academy in Hyattsville, MD.
A Montgomery County native, Quinton graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore with a degree in Sports Administration. It was a Morgan State where he met his wife, ShaNay, whom he married in 2017. They currently reside in Parkville, MD
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Patrick Finegan
Pat joined the Avalon faculty in January 2017 with a diverse international background in education, art, and business.
After receiving his B.F.A. from Penn State University and his B.A. from Thomas Aquinas College, he taught for seven years in Pittsburgh and the DC area before being tempted away by the art and business worlds in New York City. There he served as executive manager of an art foundation and the executive director of a family-centered private foundation. He also studied at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, receiving a graduate certificate in American Decorative and Fine Arts.
Desirous of a return to teaching, Pat moved to Russia, and taught as a certified English as a Second Language instructor, both within a classroom setting and as an independent tutor. While in Moscow, he also met and married his wife, Natalia.
After living in Moscow for five years, Pat returned to the US to run an after-school program in San Antonio, Texas.
Pat currently lives in Gaithersburg with his wife, Natalia, and son, Nikita, who is a student at Salisbury University.
Matthew Hand
Matt Hand spent five formative years at Avalon and returns this September to join the faculty. He will teach Civil War History, Religion, and Geography in the Middle School, and share his expertise as a cross-country runner as the Black Knight Varsity Cross Country coach.
Prior to his recent graduation from the University of Maryland (UMBC) with a BA in History, Matt played a variety of sports in high school and lettered in baseball and cross country. He also is an Eagle Scout.
In addition to running, the Damascus, MD native is passionate about the outdoors, travelling, and the New York Mets.
Jeff Kantor
Now in his seventh year at Avalon, Jeff Kantor continues to bring a “dead” language to life in the Middle and Upper schools through Latin A and Latin III, as well as religion and literature in the Lower School. He also brings a superb voice and musical knowledge to Lower School Choral Arts, the Spring Gala revue, and the annual Gentlemen Adventurers’ Dinner.
Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from George Washington University. He practiced immigration law in the D.C. area for many years, representing asylum claimants from countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Laos, and Cambodia before the Arlington and Baltimore Immigration Courts.
In addition, he has undertaken a variety of volunteer work, including serving as a sacristan at Old St. Mary’s Church in Chinatown, where he assists in preparations for both Tridentine (Latin) and Novus Ordo (English) Masses, and as a tutor at Avalon. His hobbies include collecting classical music recordings and engaging in Catholic-Muslim dialogue on theological topics.
Jeff is an Avalon founding parent; his son, Billy ’14, studied studying civil engineering at Virginia Military Institute on an Army R.O.T.C. scholarship, and is a 2016 VMI graduate. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Gaithersburg, MD.
Adele Kolf
The Kindergarten continues under the able direction of Adele Kolf this year, who brings dedication, heart and energy to our youngest Black Knights and Ladies.
Adele taught elementary school in San Diego, CA for five years after receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Thomas Aquinas College. In addition to her prior teaching experience, she served as an aide in the Avalon Kindergarten for two years before assuming leadership of the program.
She and her husband, Paul, and their three sons, James (’23), John (’23), and Greg (’25) live in Rockville, MD.
Tabitha Payne McLoughllin
Tabi McLoughlin, who joins the Lower School faculty this year, will bring a spirited energy and impressive communication skills to teaching 2nd Grade Math and afternoon Kindergarten. She also is a licensed massage therapist and motivational coach.
Tabi is a proud United States Air Force veteran. Her work in the area of Aviation Management took the Maryland native around the world, and she considers Italy, Greenland, and Korea her most memorable duty stations. She and her husband, Ron, and their son, Lucius (’28) live in Derwood, MD.
G. K. McPherson
Gil McPherson (Avalon ’11) returns to the Avalon faculty for his second year in the classroom. He will teach across the grades. including Algebra II in the Upper School, English and Literature in the Middle School, and Religion and Natural History in the Lower School. The son of Richard McPherson, Gil, prior to signing onto the “family business” fulltime, worked in the non-profit sector and a tech startup, and served as a semester-long math teacher at Avalon.
Entering Avalon in its inaugural year as a fifth grader, Gil would go on to graduate as the class Salutatorian. During his years as a Black knight, he served as Stewart House Captain and played varsity basketball, football, and soccer. He also performed in the school’s theatrical productions, talent shows, and the annual Spring Gala musical revue.
After a short stint at the University of Maryland, Gil continued his studies at The Catholic University of America (CUA) where he majored in Philosophy, graduating Cum Laude. He also served as a student leader of the lay ecclesial movement, Communion & Liberation.
An avid fan of folk music and Boston sports, Gil and his wife, Lydia, live in the neighborhood of Takoma, in Washington, D.C.
Yvonne O’Neill
Yvonne O’Neill, who will continue to mold Avalon’s youngest scholars in First and Second Grades, has first-hand experience teaching boys; she and her husband have raised six sons.
Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, she served as a substitute teacher and First Grade teacher assistant at St. Jane de Chantal School in Bethesda. Yvonne began her formal teaching career at Bradley Hills Pre-school, and also taught at the Holton Arms Creative Summer Program.
Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College, and a Masters from The American University.
Her son, Jim, is a 2014 Avalon graduate. She, her husband Tom, and a selection of sons, reside in Bethesda, MD.
Kevin Oriani
Kevin Oriani returns for his sixth year at Avalon to share his passion for languages…living and dead! In addition to his teaching duties at Avalon, he will continue in the role as director of the Thomas More Institute, Avalon and Brookewood School’s homeschool umbrella program. Kevin also serves as faculty head of Stewart House.
A natural linguist, Kevin studied five languages (three ancient and two modern) while pursuing his undergraduate degree. He applies this knowledge of both classical and spoken languages to the classroom by teaching his students to speak as well as read Latin. His special area of interest is using current research on modern languages to inform his Latin pedagogy. This year he teaches Latin B, Latin II, Latin IV, Junior English, and Algebra I.
Kevin graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from The Catholic University of America (CUA) with a BA in Classics. During his time at CUA he traveled to Germany and spent a semester studying Classics and Theology at the Albert-Ludwigs Universitat in Freiburg.
Kevin and his wife, Sophie, live in Hyattsville, MD with their daughters Tessie and Lucy, with whom he primarily speaks Latin.
Tyree Spinner, Physical Education, Varsity Coach, Study Hall
Tyree Spinner’s true love is developing, molding, and assisting student-athletes to be better men, and ultimately, better husbands and better fathers, through his work as Avalon’s head football coach and physical education teacher. He also shares his passion for literature, grammar, and poetry with the students of the Upper School during two periods of structured study hall each day. In addition, Coach Spinner teaches physical education in the Lower School.
A graduate of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, VA, Tyree was an honor roll student and also recognized as one of the nation’s top high school tight ends and small forwards. Offered more than 100 college scholarships, he chose to attend the University of Virginia, where he majored in communications and was a two-sport athlete, playing both football and basketball for the Cavaliers. Following a successful but injury-stricken athletic career, Tyree went into coaching on the field and training athletes during the off-season. Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, Tyree was responsible for placing more than 30 high school athletes in colleges on athletic scholarships. He not only prepared them for the rigors of the next level of athletics, but also improved their academic habits both in and out of the classroom.
Tyree is a father of three: his daughter Cameron, and sons Tyree Jr. and Mason. During his tenure at the school, he hopes to be known for this service to the community and for his successful work with Avalon’s Black Knights, both on and off the athletic field and court.
Rebecca Streeter
Rebecca Streeter brings both professional and personal independent school experience to Avalon. A former teacher at the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church Preschool where she served as faculty liaison to the School Board, she also served on the executive board of The Heights School Parents’ Association and edited their monthly newsletter.
She honed her editing and writing skills at the National Rifle Association, where she worked for its Institute for Legislative Action as a production manager for publications.
A graduate of the University of Maryland she holds a B.A. degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Her many duties at Avalon include teaching second and third grade Reading and Language Arts, serving as the school Registrar and overseeing operation of the school’s administrative office.
Becky is the mother of three sons, James, Charles (’07), and William (’11). She resides in Gaithersburg & Culpepper, VA with her husband, Jim.
Matthew Stroot
Matthew Stroot continues to bring his extensive and dynamic classroom skills to the Middle School this year, where he teaches English, as well as Geometry, Algebra II, and English III Honors in the Upper School. Matt also serves as the faculty Head for Washington House, and coordinates Avalon’s transportation program.
Matt’s nineteen years of classroom experience is augmented by more than two decade’s work as a coach. His success leading a local swim team, the Cedarbrook Seahawks, to division championships was reflected in the successful inaugural year of the swim team he established at his alma mater, The Heights School, and as coach of the junior varsity basketball team.
Matt earned his B.A. from Wake Forest University, where he majored in English. He also aided in growing the college’s club swim team and worked with the homeless at the Samaritan Inn, a men’s shelter in the Winston-Salem area.
Matt and his wife, Lesley, and their two daughters, Katie (Brookewood ‘26) and Audrey (Brookewood ‘28), and son, Kolbe, reside in Brookeville, MD.
Thomas Tobin
Tom Tobin’s love of language is reflected in his history, which includes more than a decade of teaching English at all levels of the curriculum at Springbrook High School, where he designed and implemented the English component of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, the school’s signature program.
Now in his twelfth year at Avalon, Tom brings his experience to the school as head of the Upper School English program, where he teaches Advanced Placement English, English I & II, and specialized History course.
A graduate of the Georgetown University with a B.A. in English literature, Tom received an M.P.A. from George Washington University and a M.Ed. from the University of Maryland. He lives in Aspen Hill, MD with his wife, Grainne, and their four children, Matthew (Avalon’16), Daniel ‘18), Liam, and their daughter, Maggie (Brookewood ’22).
September marks R.J. Hawley’s fifth year as Executive Director of both The Avalon School and Brookewood School. As a former Assistant Headmaster at both schools, he brings a deep knowledge of the schools’ cultures and a broad range of administrative skills to the extensive business and planning responsibilities of both institutions.
R.J. came to Avalon in 2003, following two years at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), following seven years as a teacher and administrator at The Heights School in Potomac, MD.
During his 25 years in independent school education, he has taught journalism and ethics and a wide range of science and mathematics courses, and also garnered extensive experience as a college counselor both here and in Europe.
R.J. is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied biology and philosophy and began his intensive exploration of Aristotle’s works on man. He completed his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Trinity Washington University in 2013.
He and his wife, Kristen, and their five children, Maggie (Brookewood’19), Will (Avalon ’20), Alec (Avalon ’24), Clare (Brookewood ’25), and George (Avalon ’36) live in Silver Spring, MD.
Richard B. McPherson, President, The Avalon School and Brookewood School
Headmaster, Brookewood School
Richard McPherson helped establish The Avalon School in 2003 after more than two decades of experience in the independent school education of young men. He is the former headmaster of The Heights School, an independent day school for boys in grades 3-12, located in Potomac, Maryland. Under his leadership, enrollment rose from 270 students to 460, and the number of Advanced Placement Scholars grew from three to 32. He also led the school through an ambitious building and improvement program of more than $3 million, providing an excellent foundation for shepherding Avalon and Brookewood through the coming years. Rich assumed the role of Headmaster at Avalon’s sister school, Brookewood, located in Kensington, MD, in 2016. In addition to his duties as President, Headmaster, and mathematics teacher, Rich will continue to serve as director of Avalon’s international student program.
A graduate of Harvard College (’79), Rich taught for two years before pursuing a career as an actuary in New York, where he held positions at Coopers & Lybrand and Metropolitan Life. In 1984, he was named an Associate of the Society of Actuaries. That year also marked his return to his true vocation – education. Prior to assuming the position of Heights' headmaster in 1997, Rich taught a variety of courses, coached a host of sports and led the 1991-92 varsity basketball team to a top-twenty ranking in The Washington Post. He was the recipient of a National Endowment of the Humanities fellowship at Harvard in 1988, where he studied Aristotle’s natural philosophy.
In 2003, Rich’s leadership in the field of education, record of service to the Church, and volunteer service to the poor led to his investiture into the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem on Rhodes and Malta, commonly recognized as the Order of Malta, by His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick.
A native of Massachusetts, Rich is a devotee of author G.K. Chesterton, poetry, the Boston Red Sox, and mathematical conundrums. He, his wife Janice, and a selection of their six children - Avalon graduates Matthew (’10), Gil (’11), John Paul (’13), Michael (’17), Ann Marie and Maggie (Brookewood ’16), and a rotating roster of international students, reside in Clarksburg, MD.
Kevin J. Davern, Headmaster
Kevin Davern brings a wealth of administrative and classroom experience to his role as the first Headmaster of The Avalon School. September marks his thirtieth year in the independent school education of young men. He will continue to share his extensive knowledge of his favorite subjects this year, teaching U.S. History and Apologetics, as well as assisting with College Counseling.
The former Assistant Head of School and Director of Admission at The Heights School, he taught Lower and Middle School before moving to the Upper School in 1995. He concentrated his efforts on mathematics, history, and religion in addition to extensive administrative duties, and served as director of the summer math program for four years.
Kevin is an honors graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he majored in history, and also captained the varsity basketball team. He has the distinction of twice being named the school’s male Academic-Athlete of the Year, and was the recipient of the Landers Award for Achievement in History. He was awarded a master’s of education with a concentration in administration and supervision from the Johns Hopkins University in 2000.
Kevin and his wife, Jennifer, live in Silver Spring, MD and have six children: the late Jimmy Davern (Avalon ’15), Thomas (Avalon ’20), Katie (Brookewood ’12), Mary (Brookewood ’14), Tricia (Brookewood ’17) and Rachel (Brookewood ’22).
Barry Stohlman, Business Manager, The Avalon School & Brookewood School
Barry Stohlman brings more than two decades of experience as a small business owner, and a decade of working in independent school governance, to his role as Business Manager to The Avalon School and Brookewood School.
Prior to joining the faculty in July, he was a partner in the building firm of Stohlman~Kilner Construction. Earlier in his career, Barry worked as a master cabinetmaker in Northern Italy for nine years, before returning to the United States and opening his business as a custom cabinetmaker.
A founder of Brookewood School, he also has served as a member and chairman of the Board of Trustees for Avalon and Brookewood, providing fiduciary oversite and guidance to the schools.
A native Bethesdan, he attended Archbishop Carroll High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Philosophy from The Catholic University of America. It was there he met an Italian exchange student, Laura (nee Pellizzoni), who he eventually followed back to Italy and married.
To date, five of their eight children have graduated from Avalon or Brookewood: Matteo, Bill, Marta, Cecilia and Paolo. Currently, their son, Francesco is a student at Avalon and daughters, Maria and Monica are students at Brookewood School.
Barry, Laura, and a selection of children live on their farm in Boyds, MD, where they raise pigs and other farm animals for meats which Barry cures himself. If you are looking for some of the best locally raised prosciutto or salame, be sure to talk with Avalon’s new business manager!
Matthew Bronzi, Assistant Head of School, Middle School Coordinator
Matt Bronzi is an Assistant Head of School in addition to serving as Coordinator of the Middle School program. His also will continue his work in the classroom this year, teaching Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and Advanced and Placement Chemistry.
Matt brings his passion for the sciences to Avalon from both the academic and corporate worlds. Following graduation with honors from Rock Valley College in Illinois, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry from the University of Dallas. A recipient of the Robert Welch Scholarship, Matt was an integral part of organic chemistry research (published in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Jan. ’05) at the school. In addition to his studies, he tutored in both mathematics and the sciences.
Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, Matt worked with Baxter Bioscience in the manufacture of a meningitis vaccine.
He and his wife, Margaret, and six children reside in Frederick, MD.
Thomas Stroot, Dean of Students
Tom Stroot will share his all-encompassing passion for History and Math this year with the Upper school students, teaching Advanced Placement U.S. History, Geometry-SAT, and a seminar on Dystopian Novels, as well as History in the Lower School. In addition to his classroom duties, Tom serves as Avalon’s Dean of Students, overseeing day-today student activities and discipline.
Known as “the voice of the Avalon Black Knights” for his distinctive announcing skills at interscholastic sports events, he also will continue his coaching work with the Middle School swim team. In addition, Tom continues in his stewardship role of Avalon’s charitable works program, overseeing the student volunteer efforts at “The Lord’s Table” food program for the less fortunate, twice-weekly at St. Martin’s in Gaithersburg.
A graduate of The Heights School, Tom earned a B.A. in Political Science at Villanova University, and then worked for several years in the Montgomery County Public School system (MCPS) with students who had a variety of physical and educational needs. Accepted for the Education Master’s degree program at the University of Maryland in 1998, he graduated with a 4.0 and went on to teach fifth grade in the MCPS.
Tom and his wife, Mary, live in Damascus with their two daughters, Kaylor (Brookewood ’18) and Ella (Brookewood ’22), and a son, Patrick (Avalon '25).
Istvan Teleki, Lower School Coordinator
Istvan is an Avalon founder, gifted veteran teacher, and Head of Avalon’s Lower School. He has spent the last 16 years teaching lower school boys in a wide array of subjects, but he has a particular fondness for Natural History, Avalon’s lower-school study of plants, birds and insects, and is founder and director of a natural history summer camp held each year at the Avalon campus.
Istvan also brings multilingual skills to his positions at Avalon. He is fluent in Spanish and Hungarian, and has taught AP Spanish in the Upper School.
Istvan is a Cum Laude graduate of Providence College. Before joining the Avalon faculty, he spent a year in Pamplona, Spain, teaching economics to freshmen in the Bilingual Program at the University of Navarre.
He lives in Gaithersburg. MD with his wife Caitlin, and his seven children: Karoly (Avalon ’23), Joseph (Avalon ’25), Ignatius (Avalon ’35), John Paul (Avalon ’36) and daughters Lilianna (Brookewood ’27), Margaret (Brookewood ’28) and Lucy (Brookewood ’31).
John J. Acevedo, Director of Admission & International Student Program
John Acevedo continues his work, begun last year, to expand and enhance Avalon’s student body.
John brings a wealth of international and education-based experience to his role - overseeing the day-to-day admission process, including marketing and advertising, as well as guiding interested families through the application and interview process. He also will shepherd Avalon’s thriving international student program which has thus far hosted students from more than 12 countries.
Prior to joining the Avalon staff, John worked for more than two decades with Berlitz International, serving most recently as on-site president of the Berlitz franchise, Ecuador, as well as director of strategic planning US, director of Berlitz Virtual Classroom, and national director of government affairs (US), among other positions. He also has worked as an award-winning financial services representative with The Prudential Insurance Company of America.
John attended the University of the Andes, Bogota, Colombia with a major in physics, and is a native speaker of both English and Spanish. He and his wife, Amparo, reside in North Bethesda. They are the parents of two Brookewood graduates, Mary Joseph (’16) and Ann Marie (’14).
Charmie Vince, Director of Advancement & Alumni Relations
Charmie Vince, a founding administrator at the Brookewood School (2006-2013), returns to the school communities with exciting plans for advancement and alumni events. Following a recent update of the data base management system, she captured alumni contact information from all branches of the school communities, including the Thomas More Institute, in preparation for the Avalon & Brookewood Founders Feast Reunion in Spring 2020.
Charmie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Santa Clara University. She has used her degree in business and communications to serve Catholic schools and parishes in Los Angeles, San Jose, Springfield, MA and most recently as Director of Religious Education in Oakland, CA.
She and her husband, Bob, live in Glen Echo, MD. They are the parents of Charmi Ellaine (Brookewood ’10), Tommy (Avalon ’13), and Serena (a founding member of Brookewood ’16). Their granddaughter, Charmi Faustina is 2 years old and expects a baby brother in November.
Ellen M. Clifford, Associate Director of Advancement
Ellen Clifford, an Avalon founder, stepped down from her role as Assistant Head of School for Advancement in July, but will continue her work part-time as Associate Director of Advancement. She will remain coordinator of the Autumn Auction and the Spring Gala, and resume her role as editor of the Avalon~Brookewood magazine, which will be re-introduced this fall.
A development professional for 25 years in independent schools including Harbor School, Bullis, and The Heights School, Ellen also served for 12 years as a senior writer and editor at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and as a production associate and publicist for the Washington Bureau of ABC News, on Capitol Hill in both the U. S. House and Senate, and as special assistant to the co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. Her work in education includes six years as an independent school trustee and board chairman.
The mother of two grown daughters (her youngest married a former Avalon teacher in 2011), Ellen lives in N. Bethesda, MD.
Patrick Duffy, Athletic Director
Patrick Duffy returns for his 17th season as head baseball coach at Avalon. During his tenure he has led the Black Knights to eight State Championship appearances, with a 236-120 record. In 2006 – the school’s third season of baseball but only its second season of playing a full varsity schedule – the Black Knights were victorious in their run for the state championship. In 2009 and 2010, the Black Knights won back-to-back titles with rosters mostly comprised of underclassmen. The team most recently won their fourth and fifth championships in 2013 and 2014.
The baseball team’s success has embodied the school’s attitude, “Small School, Big Possibilities”. Avalon players land opportunities to play at all levels of college baseball. Avalon, which typically graduates two or three baseball players a year, has produced a professional pitcher (Kevin Fuqua ’07), and college commitments in all of the school’s nine graduating classes. Additionally, one graduate received a walk-on invitation to an Atlantic Coast Conference school, and others have pursued opportunities on college club teams.
In 2012, Duffy took the title of Commissioner of the Old Line Baseball Conference (OLBC), which he helped to establish in 2007. He previously served as OLBC’s Head of Media Relations, and Webpage Facilitator. The Black Knights have either won or finished in second place in seven of the league’s nine years. Several Avalon players have received All-OLBC awards, including Bennie Sanchez ’09, Josh Brunvoll ’11, Niko Sanchez ’13, Billy Lennox ’14, and Erik Janss ’16 – all were named conference Most Valuable Player. In 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014, the Conference coaches unanimously voted Duffy OLBC Coach of the Year, and Co-Coach of the Year in 2015.
In addition to the baseball program, Coach Duffy teaches a variety of subjects to Avalon students in grades 1 through 12, including Upper School Journalism, Middle School Physical Education, and Lower School Language Arts and Physical Education.
Coach Duffy also is the collegiate coach for Dig in Baseball in the Maryland Collegiate Baseball League. He and his family live in Frederick, MD.
Fr. Roberto Amoruso
Fr. Roberto comes to Avalon via Kenya, Africa, where he spent 12 years serving as a chaplain, teacher, missionary and social services director. This year he will teach Lower and Middle School Religion and Sacred Scripture, and Chemistry and Spanish II in the Upper School.
Fr. Roberto holds degrees from the University of Milan in Agronomy and from the Lateran University of Rome in Philosophy and Theology. Following his ordination to the priesthood, he taught high school religion and Italian in Rome and served as the school chaplain and director of campus ministry. It was during this time that he perfected his skills as a skier and windsurfer, giving lessons during the winter and summer breaks. In 1993, Fr. Roberto was called to teach chemistry at Queen of the Apostles Seminary while he established an out-station for a large parish in Nairobi. His high school work continued at the Italian School of Nairobi Dante Alighieri where he taught philosophy and history.
Moving into social services in 1997, Fr. Roberto worked with terminal AIDS patients, single mothers, orphans and young men who had dropped out of school. He also conducted a Distant Adoption program linked to several parishes in Italy. His last post in Kenya was at Utalli College where he served as chaplain and taught Italian in addition to the martial arts of Karate and Aikido at the school and in the parish where he lived.
Fr. Roberto brings a unique skill set to Avalon. Along with his pastoral and athletic expertise, he is fluent in Italian, English, French, Kiswahili and Gikuyu, Latin, and has a reading knowledge of Greek. He is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, a Society of Apostolic Life of Pontifical Right. Fr. Roberto lives in Bethesda, MD.
James Bostick
Jim Bostick’s passions are history and languages. This school year he is teaching History in the Middle School and Spanish I, Spanish III, and Advanced Placement European History, in the Upper School. Jim has been an educator for more than fifteen years, during which time he has coached debate, served as a forensic judge, and led cultural tours of Spain.
In addition to his classroom work, Jim is the moving force behind the school’s system of Houses, and also designed the House crests for both Avalon and Brookewood School.
A cum laude graduate of the University of Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, he is a master’s candidate at the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain, where he served on the faculty of economics. He also is the recipient of a scholarship from the Embassy of Spain for summer courses in language and culture in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
A native Texan, Jim now lives in Damascus, MD, with his wife, Colet, daughter, Eleanor (Brookewood ’23), and son, James (Avalon ‘24).
Kevin Michael Caughlan
Kevin Caughlan brings almost four decades of mathematics teaching experience to his Pre-Calculus and Calculus AB/BC classes at Avalon. Prior to joining the faculty second semester, Kevin was semi-retired following 29 years at De Matha Catholic High School, where he taught all levels of math including Geometry and Trigonometry, Algebra 2, Pre Calculus and Advanced Placement Calculus AB.
He began his career in Wallace, Idaho, teaching 8th grade math and 9th grade Algebra I, followed by two years in a Judith Gap, Montana school. In 1972, he was accepted by the Peace Corps and assigned to Lesotho in Southern Africa, where he taught math, Biology, Physics and Chemistry. Returning to the United States in 1974, he served on the math faculty at Sandy Spring Friends School until assuming his extensive teaching duties at De Matha in 1983.
Kevin also taught rock climbing for 16 years at a Quaker camp near Thurmont, MD, and he currently sings in two local choruses.
The father of two adult children, Kevin lost his beloved wife in 2007. He lives in Sandy Spring, MD.
Charles Devereux
Chuck Devereux continues his role in the Middle School, teaching Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, in addition to Civil War history and Algebra I. He also shares the expertise and wisdom he garnered during his years as a professional athlete as coach of the Middle School basketball team and assistant coach of Avalon’s award-winning varsity baseball team.
A native Washingtonian, Chuck attended the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship and captained the team in 1992. The Terrapin earned a degree in criminal justice in 1993. He joined the Orioles organization in 1992, playing for the Frederick Keys, the Bowie Baysox and the Baltimore Orioles through the 1995 season. His baseball career also took him to Taiwan, where he played for the Taipei Tigers, and to Perth, Australia with the Wanerroo Giants, before returning to the U.S. in 1998.
Upon his return, Chuck served as an assistant baseball coach and substitute teacher at Landon School for Boys through 2012. He also worked as a substitute teacher and coach at Avalon and other independent schools in the area. In addition, Chuck coached the B-CC Baseball Association Youth Travel Team from 2000-12, and served as a camp coordinator and pitching coach at the Maryland Baseball Academy and The Baseball Zone from 1998 to the present.
Chuck, wife Deena, and their son, Ren (Avalon ’25) live in Derwood, MD.
Quinton Dulic
Quinton Dulic begins his second year at Avalon teaching Math and Physical Education in the Lower and Middle schools.
He also serves as Avalon’s Black Knight Varsity Basketball Head Coach, and brings a wealth of experience to the court, having coached more than a decade in the highly regarded WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference). In addition to his work at CPA, Quinton held coaching positions at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School and at Mr. Zion Prep School in Baltimore. Coach Dulic also has been heavily involved on the AAU scene, having coached, through the District Basketball Club, over 50 student-athletes who’ve gone on to play college basketball. Overall, Quinton remains committed to the holistic development of young men, focusing on academics and personal character, as well as athletics. He came to Avalon following several years as a teacher at College Park Academy in Hyattsville, MD.
A Montgomery County native, Quinton graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore with a degree in Sports Administration. It was a Morgan State where he met his wife, ShaNay, whom he married in 2017. They currently reside in Parkville, MD
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Patrick Finegan
Pat joined the Avalon faculty in January 2017 with a diverse international background in education, art, and business.
After receiving his B.F.A. from Penn State University and his B.A. from Thomas Aquinas College, he taught for seven years in Pittsburgh and the DC area before being tempted away by the art and business worlds in New York City. There he served as executive manager of an art foundation and the executive director of a family-centered private foundation. He also studied at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, receiving a graduate certificate in American Decorative and Fine Arts.
Desirous of a return to teaching, Pat moved to Russia, and taught as a certified English as a Second Language instructor, both within a classroom setting and as an independent tutor. While in Moscow, he also met and married his wife, Natalia.
After living in Moscow for five years, Pat returned to the US to run an after-school program in San Antonio, Texas.
Pat currently lives in Gaithersburg with his wife, Natalia, and son, Nikita, who is a student at Salisbury University.
Matthew Hand
Matt Hand spent five formative years at Avalon and returns this September to join the faculty. He will teach Civil War History, Religion, and Geography in the Middle School, and share his expertise as a cross-country runner as the Black Knight Varsity Cross Country coach.
Prior to his recent graduation from the University of Maryland (UMBC) with a BA in History, Matt played a variety of sports in high school and lettered in baseball and cross country. He also is an Eagle Scout.
In addition to running, the Damascus, MD native is passionate about the outdoors, travelling, and the New York Mets.
Jeff Kantor
Now in his seventh year at Avalon, Jeff Kantor continues to bring a “dead” language to life in the Middle and Upper schools through Latin A and Latin III, as well as religion and literature in the Lower School. He also brings a superb voice and musical knowledge to Lower School Choral Arts, the Spring Gala revue, and the annual Gentlemen Adventurers’ Dinner.
Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a J.D. from George Washington University. He practiced immigration law in the D.C. area for many years, representing asylum claimants from countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Laos, and Cambodia before the Arlington and Baltimore Immigration Courts.
In addition, he has undertaken a variety of volunteer work, including serving as a sacristan at Old St. Mary’s Church in Chinatown, where he assists in preparations for both Tridentine (Latin) and Novus Ordo (English) Masses, and as a tutor at Avalon. His hobbies include collecting classical music recordings and engaging in Catholic-Muslim dialogue on theological topics.
Jeff is an Avalon founding parent; his son, Billy ’14, studied studying civil engineering at Virginia Military Institute on an Army R.O.T.C. scholarship, and is a 2016 VMI graduate. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Gaithersburg, MD.
Adele Kolf
The Kindergarten continues under the able direction of Adele Kolf this year, who brings dedication, heart and energy to our youngest Black Knights and Ladies.
Adele taught elementary school in San Diego, CA for five years after receiving a Bachelor of Arts from Thomas Aquinas College. In addition to her prior teaching experience, she served as an aide in the Avalon Kindergarten for two years before assuming leadership of the program.
She and her husband, Paul, and their three sons, James (’23), John (’23), and Greg (’25) live in Rockville, MD.
Tabitha Payne McLoughllin
Tabi McLoughlin, who joins the Lower School faculty this year, will bring a spirited energy and impressive communication skills to teaching 2nd Grade Math and afternoon Kindergarten. She also is a licensed massage therapist and motivational coach.
Tabi is a proud United States Air Force veteran. Her work in the area of Aviation Management took the Maryland native around the world, and she considers Italy, Greenland, and Korea her most memorable duty stations. She and her husband, Ron, and their son, Lucius (’28) live in Derwood, MD.
G. K. McPherson
Gil McPherson (Avalon ’11) returns to the Avalon faculty for his second year in the classroom. He will teach across the grades. including Algebra II in the Upper School, English and Literature in the Middle School, and Religion and Natural History in the Lower School. The son of Richard McPherson, Gil, prior to signing onto the “family business” fulltime, worked in the non-profit sector and a tech startup, and served as a semester-long math teacher at Avalon.
Entering Avalon in its inaugural year as a fifth grader, Gil would go on to graduate as the class Salutatorian. During his years as a Black knight, he served as Stewart House Captain and played varsity basketball, football, and soccer. He also performed in the school’s theatrical productions, talent shows, and the annual Spring Gala musical revue.
After a short stint at the University of Maryland, Gil continued his studies at The Catholic University of America (CUA) where he majored in Philosophy, graduating Cum Laude. He also served as a student leader of the lay ecclesial movement, Communion & Liberation.
An avid fan of folk music and Boston sports, Gil and his wife, Lydia, live in the neighborhood of Takoma, in Washington, D.C.
Yvonne O’Neill
Yvonne O’Neill, who will continue to mold Avalon’s youngest scholars in First and Second Grades, has first-hand experience teaching boys; she and her husband have raised six sons.
Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, she served as a substitute teacher and First Grade teacher assistant at St. Jane de Chantal School in Bethesda. Yvonne began her formal teaching career at Bradley Hills Pre-school, and also taught at the Holton Arms Creative Summer Program.
Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington College, and a Masters from The American University.
Her son, Jim, is a 2014 Avalon graduate. She, her husband Tom, and a selection of sons, reside in Bethesda, MD.
Kevin Oriani
Kevin Oriani returns for his sixth year at Avalon to share his passion for languages…living and dead! In addition to his teaching duties at Avalon, he will continue in the role as director of the Thomas More Institute, Avalon and Brookewood School’s homeschool umbrella program. Kevin also serves as faculty head of Stewart House.
A natural linguist, Kevin studied five languages (three ancient and two modern) while pursuing his undergraduate degree. He applies this knowledge of both classical and spoken languages to the classroom by teaching his students to speak as well as read Latin. His special area of interest is using current research on modern languages to inform his Latin pedagogy. This year he teaches Latin B, Latin II, Latin IV, Junior English, and Algebra I.
Kevin graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from The Catholic University of America (CUA) with a BA in Classics. During his time at CUA he traveled to Germany and spent a semester studying Classics and Theology at the Albert-Ludwigs Universitat in Freiburg.
Kevin and his wife, Sophie, live in Hyattsville, MD with their daughters Tessie and Lucy, with whom he primarily speaks Latin.
Tyree Spinner, Physical Education, Varsity Coach, Study Hall
Tyree Spinner’s true love is developing, molding, and assisting student-athletes to be better men, and ultimately, better husbands and better fathers, through his work as Avalon’s head football coach and physical education teacher. He also shares his passion for literature, grammar, and poetry with the students of the Upper School during two periods of structured study hall each day. In addition, Coach Spinner teaches physical education in the Lower School.
A graduate of Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, VA, Tyree was an honor roll student and also recognized as one of the nation’s top high school tight ends and small forwards. Offered more than 100 college scholarships, he chose to attend the University of Virginia, where he majored in communications and was a two-sport athlete, playing both football and basketball for the Cavaliers. Following a successful but injury-stricken athletic career, Tyree went into coaching on the field and training athletes during the off-season. Prior to joining the Avalon faculty, Tyree was responsible for placing more than 30 high school athletes in colleges on athletic scholarships. He not only prepared them for the rigors of the next level of athletics, but also improved their academic habits both in and out of the classroom.
Tyree is a father of three: his daughter Cameron, and sons Tyree Jr. and Mason. During his tenure at the school, he hopes to be known for this service to the community and for his successful work with Avalon’s Black Knights, both on and off the athletic field and court.
Rebecca Streeter
Rebecca Streeter brings both professional and personal independent school experience to Avalon. A former teacher at the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church Preschool where she served as faculty liaison to the School Board, she also served on the executive board of The Heights School Parents’ Association and edited their monthly newsletter.
She honed her editing and writing skills at the National Rifle Association, where she worked for its Institute for Legislative Action as a production manager for publications.
A graduate of the University of Maryland she holds a B.A. degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology.
Her many duties at Avalon include teaching second and third grade Reading and Language Arts, serving as the school Registrar and overseeing operation of the school’s administrative office.
Becky is the mother of three sons, James, Charles (’07), and William (’11). She resides in Gaithersburg & Culpepper, VA with her husband, Jim.
Matthew Stroot
Matthew Stroot continues to bring his extensive and dynamic classroom skills to the Middle School this year, where he teaches English, as well as Geometry, Algebra II, and English III Honors in the Upper School. Matt also serves as the faculty Head for Washington House, and coordinates Avalon’s transportation program.
Matt’s nineteen years of classroom experience is augmented by more than two decade’s work as a coach. His success leading a local swim team, the Cedarbrook Seahawks, to division championships was reflected in the successful inaugural year of the swim team he established at his alma mater, The Heights School, and as coach of the junior varsity basketball team.
Matt earned his B.A. from Wake Forest University, where he majored in English. He also aided in growing the college’s club swim team and worked with the homeless at the Samaritan Inn, a men’s shelter in the Winston-Salem area.
Matt and his wife, Lesley, and their two daughters, Katie (Brookewood ‘26) and Audrey (Brookewood ‘28), and son, Kolbe, reside in Brookeville, MD.
Thomas Tobin
Tom Tobin’s love of language is reflected in his history, which includes more than a decade of teaching English at all levels of the curriculum at Springbrook High School, where he designed and implemented the English component of the International Baccalaureate curriculum, the school’s signature program.
Now in his twelfth year at Avalon, Tom brings his experience to the school as head of the Upper School English program, where he teaches Advanced Placement English, English I & II, and specialized History course.
A graduate of the Georgetown University with a B.A. in English literature, Tom received an M.P.A. from George Washington University and a M.Ed. from the University of Maryland. He lives in Aspen Hill, MD with his wife, Grainne, and their four children, Matthew (Avalon’16), Daniel ‘18), Liam, and their daughter, Maggie (Brookewood ’22).
