Employee Directory
Jessica started at Gould in 2020. She enjoys the fast-paced nature of her work and interacting with the students. She lives in Mason Township, and in her free time, Jessica enjoys hiking and biking with kids, and photography.
A graduate of St. Michael’s College, where she was on the Dean’s List, Megan Ahearn grew up in New Jersey. She also raced for their Division I ski team. Now, a USSA Level 100 Alpine Ski Racing Coach, she has worked with youth alpine ski racers during school breaks as a volunteer with the Magic Mountain Alpine Ski Team since 2012. She has also volunteered as a ski racing coach Cochran’s Day Camp. In 2015, she was awarded the Ginny Hunt Athletic Scholarship from the Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA). She is also a practicing artist, creating works in oil, watercolor, and acrylic, as well as illustration and photography. You can see her work at Megan Ahearn Art.
Mr. Alford has been at Gould for more than 20 years, teaching Spanish, directing the ski patrol program, and musical theater. During the school year of 2009-10, he spent a year teaching in Zaragoza, Spain for School Year Abroad. When not teaching at Gould, Mr. Alford spends his time rafting (he’s a registered Maine whitewater guide) and playing music (he’s also an accomplished professional singer and guitarist). Most recently Mr. Alford checked another item off of his bucket list and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain with his family. Mr. Alford lives on campus with his wife, Andee, and their children, Ben ’18 and Chaia.
Coach Baribeau is a passionate and enthusiastic coach who has been involved with Gould Academy’s Tennis Program for 20 years. He has participated in nationally recognized tennis programs and has a keen interest in applying new and exciting approaches to this fantastic sport. A member of the United States Professional Tennis Association, the United States Tennis Association, and an active player, Coach Baribeau emphasizes proper stroke technique and urges his players to improve their match tactics along with maintaining good sportsmanship.
Coach Baribeau attended Union College and Bowdoin College studying philosophy and Russian History. When he’s not coaching tennis, he is an avid outdoorsman with particular interests in mountaineering, ice climbing, and Search and Rescue. He resides in Bethel with his wife, Visual Arts Teacher, Lauren Head, and their son, Alexander. He is the father of Gould Alumni Elizabeth Baribeau ’01, Yves Baribeau ’05, Hilary Baribeau ’07, and R.Scot Baribeau ’09.
A New Hampshire native and Nordic skier, Ms. Barstow previously taught history at Portsmouth High School and was a Special Education teacher in Durham, New Hampshire. She loves reading and spending time with her husband, Chris, a timber framer, their son, Lucas, and their daughter, Rosie. The Barstows live in Bethel, just off-campus.
Mr. Bean has taught full-time since 1991 in public and private schools in Utah, Massachusetts, and Maine. His fiction, non-fiction, journalism, and poetry are widely published, and his commentaries have appeared on National Public Radio. He and his wife, Ms. Brooke Libby, Director of College Counseling, live near campus with their daughters Zoe ‘17 and Lilo ‘19; and son, Utah. Mr. Bean enjoys protecting and wandering wild places.
Mrs. Bean joined Gould Academy in 2014 as the Business Office’s Accounts Payable Manager where she also helps out in the School Store from time to time. Prior to Gould she worked at the Bethel Key Bank as their lead teller. Mrs. Bean lives nearby in Woodstock with her two children, Madisyn and Matthew. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, camping, swimming, hiking, and occasionally dancing.
Jerry has been at Gould since 2011 and finds the variety of his work to be interesting and energizing. He lives in Woodstock with his wife Nicole, and in his free time he enjoys “van life,” camping, and traveling.
A Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for adventure, Tighe is committed to providing ethical and evidence-based interventions through a person-centered lens.
He has experience in wilderness therapy, as well as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and CASE Suicide Assessment. As an undergraduate, he majored in English and Outdoor Education.
Before coming to Gould, he worked at Summit Achievement, in Stowe, Maine, where he provided individual, family, and group therapy for students aged 13-20 and served as a team lead in student crisis interventions, and at Adventurelore in Danville, NH. Prior to that, he served as a social worker and SEL teacher for the public school system in Berwick, Maine.
While earning his master’s degree in social work, he completed internships with Concord High School in Concord, NH, and with the Center for Life Management in Derry, NH, where he assisted new American students with their academic and cultural transition to the USA and developed and piloted post-secondary planning counseling and tracking program to 65 high school seniors. He also facilitated weekly young men’s group for African refugee students and multi-cultural club meetings.
In his free time, Tighe enjoys adventures in the mountains with his family and friends and his two dogs, Miles and Moe, rock climbing, running, snowboarding, and telemark skiing.
Mr. Blauss studied Mathematics and Physics at Colgate University and the University of Rochester, and has since taught both at a succession of schools. An avid outdoorsman, he has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, built a wooden sea kayak, spent a year as an outdoor educator at the Chewonki Foundation, 10+ seasons in the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Alpine Huts and Construction Crew, and spent many years working as a carpenter. He is willing to argue about almost anything. Having recently moved to Bethel with his wife, Elke (who teaches Biology at Telstar), he is consistently thrilled at the chance to learn something new about the world, and aspires to become his hero, Merlyn, from The Once and Future King.
Joanna Brown is Gould’s new director of Health Services. She has been a school nurse for the Oxford Hills School District since 2018. Prior to that, she was a registered nurse at Stephens Memorial Hospital and became nursing director of Medsurg and Special Care there in 2015, successfully managing a team of 75 nurses and certified nurse assistants. A nursing instructor for sophomore nursing students in their clinical rotation while at Stephens, she was also a clinical instructor at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. As a staff nurse, her background is in critical care nursing, having worked in intensive care units at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and Yale New-Haven Hospital in Connecticut.
Mr. Chase is Gould Academy’s Director of Technology. He came to Gould with more than a decade of experience in software engineering, systems integration, and project management. His enthusiasm for technology extends into the classroom, where he teaches computer science classes. Mr. Chase lives on campus with his wife, Darcy, and daughters Isabel ’20 and Allison ’24.
Dr. Clarke has been teaching and coaching at Gould for over twenty years. Over the years he has taught many courses including AP Comparative Government, AP US History, Eastern Philosophy, Psychology, and Dylan and American Culture. In his time at Gould, he has coached a variety of sports including baseball, basketball, softball, cross country, mountain biking, road cycling, and Nordic skiing.
In Dr. Clarke’s spare time he enjoys climbing mountains with his corgis, listening to music, collecting vinyl, and doing crossword puzzles. He likes long walks on the beach and has a soft side for the Carpenters, especially “Rainy Days and Mondays.” He lives in Bethel with his wife Beth, the principal of Agnes Gray Elementary School in West Paris. They have four children, Jeb ’12, Aiden ’15, Caleb ’16, and Liv ’19, who continue to amaze and inspire them.
Gould Academy’s Accounts Manager, Ms. Coffin, has been a staple in the Business Office for over a decade. Her prior experience includes working as a teller and loan servicing clerk for Norway Savings Bank; working within the accounting department at Sunday River Resort; and as a stay at home mom. Outside of Gould’s Business Office, Ms. Coffin stays just as busy volunteering as treasurer of Ring McKeen Auxiliary #151 of West Paris Maine and as a member of the Woodstock Elementary School Parent Teacher Association. She also enjoys cooking, snowshoeing and camping in the winter, and being outside with her family and dogs in the summer. She lives with her husband, Sean, and their children, Taylor, Matthew, Sawyer, and Emalee in nearby Woodstock.
A graduate of the Master of Fine Arts program at George Mason University, where she earned a degree in Creative Writing, Ms. Cook teaches English and serves as the Academic Dean of Winter Term. Before moving to Gould, Courtney was the senior and sophomore English instructor for two years at Wasatch Academy. Prior to teaching high school, she was a teaching assistant at George Mason University and the Outreach Coordinator for the Sally Merten Writers in the Schools program. Courtney enjoys hiking, camping, skiing, yoga, reading and writing poetry, and cooking.
As the On Snow Program Manager, Ms. Costello provides the oversight that keeps the Gould Academy Competition Program (GACP) running smoothly throughout the winter. With her bird’s eye view of the program, she manages the daily operation for the full-time and weekend GACP. Also Gould’s Winter Term Program Coordinator, she is the liaison between Winter Term student’s sending school and Gould Faculty. Ms. Costello is a 1984 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington and brings to Gould Academy 25 years of experience in managing various programs and departments for both Sugarloaf and Sunday River ski resorts. She lives in Bethel in the Winter Term Dorm and has two children: Meghan ‘11 and Wyatt ’12.
Ms. Davis joins us from nearby Lewiston, Maine, where she worked as the director of programs and mission impact at the YWCA of Central Maine. Prior to this, she worked extensively in the field of college advising, both in Maine and Virginia nonprofits, where she designed and directed programs to build access for first-generation, low-income students, and student-athletes. She also spent five years as a faculty member at Northfield Mount Herman School—as well as a short stint directing Gould’s summer school program, so she is well versed in boarding school and Bethel life. She lives on campus with her daughter, Elyana.
Coach Ennis was raised in the small New Hampshire town of Tuftonboro and started skiing with his father at the age of 7 at Sunday River. One short year later, he enrolled in the Gould Academy Competition Program as a multi-discipline athlete competing in moguls, aerials, rail jams, and slopestyle. Over time, his skiing career led him to many championship and open slopestyle events. Now, as a coach for the Gould Academy Competition Program, Coach Ennis resides in Greenwood, Maine, with his wife and three children.
Coach Fisher has been coaching and teaching skiing for more than 25 years. After graduating with a bachelors degree in psychology from the University of New Hampshire, she began her career at King Pine in New Hampshire, where she worked her way to PSIA Level 2 certification. From there she changed course to begin coaching J3 athletes at Attitash Mountain, where she stayed for 14 years and continued to use her teaching background to foster strong skills development in her young racers. At Gould, Coach Fisher works with U19 Alpine men and women. In the spring, she coaches the road cycling team. When off the hill, she enjoys running, mountain biking, road cycling, and sailing the coast of Maine on her vintage fiberglass sailboat. Coach Fisher lives just off campus in Bethel with her husband, Kurt, and daughter Madsie ’18.
Coach Flynn, a native “Mainer,” started Freeskiing in high school when he developed the first terrain park at his local ski area. He later attended college at the University of Maine in Farmington, where he acquired his bachelors in economics and completed a ski industries certificate program. While attending college he coached with the Gould Academy Weekend Program, produced ski movies, and organized ski events. After exploring events such as the X Games and the SIA Trade Show, he moved to Salt Lake City, where he started coaching full-time and freeriding his way around New England, Colorado, Utah, California, and Montana. He is now happy to be home in Maine where he can train the next generation of competitive freeskiers.
Mrs. Garfield brings extensive experience working in education as a school counselor and holds a Vermont Level II Professional Educator’s License Endorsement for K-12 School Counselors. She worked at Dothan Brook Elementary School in White River Junction, Vermont, where she was instrumental in designing and implementing a nationally recognized comprehensive school counseling program to improve achievement, attendance, and discipline and close achievement and opportunity gaps. She has been a PBIS instructional practice coach, high school counselor, class advisor, teacher mentor, kindergarten teacher, and Yogakids instructor. She and her family enjoy the experiential learning and outdoor recreation and opportunities that Gould and Bethel have to offer. She lives in Bethel with her husband, Brian, and their three children — Maia ’20, Phoebe ’22, and Zachary.
Before coming to Gould, Mr. Gilman created documentaries and broadcast television edits featured on Maine PBS and NESN, and worked as a freelance graphic artist. At Gould his main focus is telling the story of the school visually, in support of Admissions, Alumni Relations, and Advancement. Off-campus, Mr. Gilman lives in Bethel with his wife, Jaime, his daughter, Parker, and son, Marshall. He enjoys trips to the coast, playing the piano, and cooking for his friends and family.
Ms. Goldberg teaches science, math, and spanish and serves as an advisor for the middle school students. She also helps with the Farm & Forest Program. A 2015 Gould graduate, she grew up in Bethel and has led wilderness trips with the Chewonki Foundation.
She is passionate about connecting and getting young people excited about the natural world and spends her free time running, biking, nordic skiing, backpacking, and playing the cello. She is excited to return to Gould and continue to be part of this vibrant and strong community!
Head Coach and Gould alumnus Parker Gray ’97 leads the postgraduate GAP Year Alpine Program. Gray is a native of Newry, Maine, and spent three years with the U.S. Men’s Olympic and World Cup teams, serving as an Assistant and Strength Coach.
While Head Coach at KMS, Gray was named Vermont Coach of the Year. As an athlete, Gray was a two-time Junior Olympic Downhill Champion, SG Champion, and overall winner. He is also a member of the Gould Athletic Hall of Fame (2018).
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time coaching the Men’s World Cup team. The experience of working with highly driven athletes and staff opened my eyes to the reality of what a highly motivated group can achieve. I hope to build on that experience at Gould and help our athletes achieve success.” -Parker Gray ’97
Ms. Greene came to Gould in 2014 after many years abroad. Born in Korea, she went onto study in England before working in Qatar, Korea and now Maine. Ms. Greene has held positions including an elementary classroom teacher and elementary program coordinator, and is now the Administrative Assistant of Gould Academy Health Services. A world traveller, she has been to nearly 50 countries and met her husband Mr. Kipp Greene, Gould’s Visual Arts Department Chair while working in Qatar. Their daughter, Clare, was born there in 2008, and their son, Xavier, was born in New York in 2011. The most recent addition to the Greene family is Podo, the family dog who came to live with them in 2014. The Greenes love being Gehring Dorm Parents, and being able to live with and work with all of the students on campus.
Mr. Greene grew up in New York’s Hudson Valley. He taught at his alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, for 15 years, five years on the home campus and 10 years on VCU’s campus in Qatar. Mr. Greene and his family then moved to South Korea, where he taught art and design at the Cheongna Dalton School. A practicing artist for more than 25 years, his work has been showcased in major galleries and international exhibitions including the Tashkent Biennial in Uzbekistan and the Summer Olympic Games Exhibition in Xi’an, China. He has been on the board of directors of major galleries and was the founding director of the BongDuk Foundation Gallery in Korea. He has traveled to over 35 different countries and experienced art and design in each of them. He has attended Documenta, Meunster Sculpture, and the Venice, Gwangju, and Singapore Biennials (to name a few). When not teaching, Mr. Greene enjoys re-discovering lost art, fishing, and baseball (though he doesn’t actually enjoy baseball…he’s a Mets fan). Mr. Greene and his wife, Jin, daughter, Clare, and son, Xavier, live on campus in the Gehring dorm.
Joe truly enjoys his work at Gould because he loves the people and the beautiful campus. He lives in Bethel, and in his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, hunting, fishing, and doing forestry work.
Marisa Hanning grew up locally and graduated from the University of Maine in Farmington. She has coached U8, U10, and U14s with the Carrabassett Valley Academy Weekend Program and worked as an assistant Alpine coach with the Division I Bates College ski program. She also worked as a competition program director & marketing team member at the Camden Snow Bowl. A USSA Level 100 Certified coach, she is also earned a certificate for Alpine Operations from UMaine Farmington.
Mr. Harkins returns to Gould, after serving as General Manager at Mt. Abram for the last three years. He is the former Winter Term Director at Gould from 2012 to 2016. He is the former Assistant Alpine Director, Director of Athlete Development, U.S. Ski Team, 1980-1988, USSA Level 5 Certified Coach. From 1988 to 2003 he was vice president of Resort Services at Sunday River Ski Resort. Bob was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2010.
A Registered Maine Guide, he and wife Sally have a daughter, Abigail (4 grandchildren), and sons Sawyer ’14 and Chase ’16. Sawyer is a West Point grad serving in the U.S. Army at Fort Carson, CO. Chase is also at West Point. Bob has a passion for the outdoors — fly fishing, hiking with their retrievers Tripp & Murphy, skinning, and coaching.
Originally from upstate New York, Ms. Hayward came to Gould in 2013. Before becoming the Gould School Store Manager, she was an elementary school teacher. In addition to her love for students, she loves reading and learning about natural and alternative health and healing. She’s an animal lover, and enjoys tennis, yoga, traveling, and anything to do with being outside. She is married to Chris Hayward, Gould’s Director of Experiential Learning, and together they have two sons, Tucker ’16 and Luke ’19.
Ms. Head has a B.A. in studio art, more than 30 years of experience in art education, and is the founder and director of the Gould blacksmithing program. She has attended numerous workshops at institutions including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Penland School of Crafts, Center for Creative Imaging, The Carving Studio, and Sculpture Center and Peters Valley Craft Center. She has been responsible for coordinating workshops with visiting artists to support the art curriculum and the Sophomore Four Point Program. Her work has been commissioned for non-profit and private collections.
Ms. Head is an avid skier and former member of the U.S. Telemark Ski Team and a National Champion in Telemark Giant Slalom and Moguls. She is the Head Coach of Gould’s Prep Alpine Team and is a Level 3 nationally certified coach, and in the springtime is the Girls’ Varsity Tennis Head Coach. When not teaching or working in the studio, Mrs. Head is climbing mountains, skiing, tending to her rabbits and garden, and participating in outdoor activities with her husband, Robert Baribeau (boys’ head tennis coach), and son, Alexander ’21.
Ruthy has been working in the housekeeping department at Gould since 2011 and truly enjoys being around the students. She lives in West Paris with her husband, Tony, and enjoys spending time with her son and two grandchildren. She loves sewing, quilting, crafting, and being outdoors on her four-wheeler and on her tractor!
Coach Holzweiss graduated from Gould Academy in 2002 and has been giving back to the Gould community as a Weekend Coach for the past eight years. In 2014, he began coaching full-time student-athletes as the Development Coach, helping younger and developing riders have the most fun with the strongest foundation for skills improvement. Coach Holzweiss is USASA Level 200 certified with a slopestyle endorsement.
Brenda has been working with the Buildings and Grounds team since 2012. She enjoys the people here and takes particular pride in her works as our groundskeeper. She and her fiancé, Mick, have three kids together, and they live in Bryant Pond. Brenda is active with Gould’s Farm and Forest Program and currently has three cows living on campus: Rosco, Boss Hog, and Luke The Duke!
A graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington’s Ski Industries Program, Coach Johnston has a minor in alpine coaching and more than 20 years of full-time coaching. His experience ranges from grassroots club programs to prep schools to ski academies, including Stratton Mountain School, Killington Mountain School, and Bromley Outing Club. His vast experience working with a multitude of programs and age groups allows him to create a strong team atmosphere among athletes, coaches, and teachers. Coach Johnston’s high-energy approach and fun personality are always present on and off of the hill, and his coaching knowledge and philosophy keep athletes motivated to strive for excellence. He lives off campus with his wife, Kimmie, and daughters Reid and Maisy. When not on the hill, he is mountain biking, playing guitar, or fishing for striped bass.
Sarah Kamilewicz’s desire to become a teacher and coach began during her quest to be a world-class athlete. With successes in both skiing and academics in high school, her teacher and coach encouraged her to follow her passion for biathlon. She was accepted into the Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette and eventually made the World Junior Biathlon Team in 1999.
In order to take a shot at the next Olympics, she joined the Army National Guard, becoming a soldier in the National Guard and the regular army for eight years. She honorably served her country while competing as a member of the Army National Guard Biathlon Program. Traveling the world to compete, she enjoyed meeting athletes from Argentina, Chile, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, France, and Russia, allowing her to speak authoritatively about the joys of being a vital part of the world community. She went on to earn positions as a biathlete on the U.S. National Team, the World Championship Team, and was an alternate for the 2006 United States Olympic Team in Torino.
Once her husband, Ben, returned from Iraq, she finished a degree in applied science at the University of Minnesota in her hometown of Duluth and taught earth sciences and physics at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. After Oxford Hills, she became development coach at the Maine Winter Sports Center, working with Nordic skiers and biathletes from middle school, high school as well as postgraduates. She trained up-and-coming Nordic skiers in skiing and shooting and had the good fortune to see them excel to higher levels and to international competition.
She and Ben have two French bulldogs. Winter is her absolute favorite time of year, especially with their son, Tim, learning to ski.
A double major in English and history at Williams College, Mr. Kamilewicz taught and coached at Hebron Academy and at Burke Mountain Academy before joining the military and skiing for the National Guard Biathlon Team and USBA (Europa Cup). He was deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006. He received the Army Commendation Medal with Valor; Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal, Iraq; Campaign Medal; Global War on Terrorism Medal; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with M Device; and a Combat Infantryman Badge.
He went on to earn a master’s in education and returned to Gould for three years to teach both English and history. He went on to teach at Caribou High School and to work for Maine Winter Sports as a youth biathlon coach. For the past few years, he has worked for L.L.Bean and Wayfair.
He and wife Sarah have skied and raced all over the world, from Lillehammer, Norway, and Toblach, Italy, to Portillo, Chile, and bariloche in Argentina – but they always have loved the mountains of western Maines. He is excited to be back and can’t wait to share the outdoor lifestyle and adventures with their son, Tim, and with Gould students
Coach Kimble has been Freestyle/Freeride skiing at Sunday River since the age of 6. After attending the University of Southern Maine, where he earned his athletic coaching certification, his passion for skiing led him to Lake Tahoe, CA, where he skied for the Atomic Freeride Team. He moved back to Maine in 2003 to be closer to his family, friends, and home mountain, and has been coaching at Gould ever since. He has earned his ASEP, EMT, USASA Level II, USSA Level II Mogul, USSA Level III Aerials, and ISSA Strength and Conditioning and Youth Fitness certifications. He has chaired the USSA Eastern Freeskiing Division since 2010. When winter is over, you can still find Coach Kimble working with freestyle/freeride athletes in Gould’s fitness and trampoline training facilities, at the Lake Placid or Quebec training complexes, or on the Mount Hood glacier, coaching summer freestyle ski training camps. Mr. Kimble resides in Newry with his wife, Carrie, their son, Caleb, and daughter, Ellyn.
Ms. LaVallee is a third-generation alumna of Gould Academy (Elizabeth Sargent LaVallee ’67 and Alzena Lord Sargent ’42) and a graduate of The University of Maine with a B.A. in Studio Art. Her area of study focused largely on sculpture with an emphasis on metalwork including welding and bronze casting. While a student, she was an active member of the Delta Zeta sorority, served on the Panhellenic Council as Vice President of Recruitment, and was inducted into the Order of Omega.
She has an extensive background in marketing as a product manager for Gemline and more recently as a corporate program manager for Geiger. She loves the outdoors, the mountains, and spends weekends during the winter as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard Level 100 certified alpine coach for the GACP weekend program. She also enjoys camping, reading historical fiction, riding dressage on her horse Bode, and practicing Kyokushin Karate.
She lives in the Bethel area with her partner, Asher Anderson ’05, and their three children, Lewis ’26, Charlotte, and Tristan.
Mr. Leff is the Chair of the World Languages Department and teaches French language and culture, senior history electives, and is the Assistant Coach of the cross country and cycling teams. He graduated with a B.A. from Middlebury College, earned his M.A. in French Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, and his Ph.D./abD in French Civilization at Pennsylvania State University. Formerly a nationally ranked triathlete and semi-professional cyclist, Mr. Leff enjoys running, cycling, and outdoor activities in the mountains of Western Maine. He met his wife, fellow Gould French teacher, Lolo, while teaching and racing in France. They currently reside in Davidson Dormitory and have two children; Alexandra ‘15, Schuyler ‘17; and two dogs, Giuseppe and Wexy.
Born and raised in Montereau, France, Madame Leff is a teacher in the World Languages Department. She has been at Gould for 11 years sharing her passion and love for French language and culture in teaching beginner and intermediate levels of French. For the past 10 years, she has been Head of Davidson Dormitory where she lives with her husband, Adam, and their dog, Wexy. Outside of the classroom, most of Madame’s time is spent in the dormitory where she acts as a great resource for support and encouragement for the students living in her dorm. Madame Leff has two children, Alexandra ’15 and Schuyler ’17 who share in her family’s passion for all things French.
Ms. Legare has spent more than 15 years in social services and nonprofit management in the greater Boston area. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and grew up on the Connecticut shoreline. She lives in Stoneham, Maine with her wife, Michelle. She enjoys all four seasons in Western Maine by skiing, hiking, and kayaking.
Ms. Libby has taught in colleges and high schools in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Utah and brings a genuine love of language, students, and confidence in higher education to her role as a college counselor. In 2008, she was appointed the director of college counseling and, since then, has designed a four-year college counseling program for Gould students, helped mentor other young professionals through NEACAC’s Rising Leaders Colloquium and ACCIS organizations, and been named 2014 NEACAC Professional of the Year. Married to English teacher and director of the Skateboard Program, Mr. Dave Bean, Ms. Libby is a closeted writer and singer, and she loves to cook bagels and latkes from scratch. The Libby Beans live off campus with their three children: daughters, Zoe ’17, Lilo ’19, and son, Utah ’21.
Mrs. Manning attended Simmons, where she earned a B.A. in English and education. She worked briefly in public schools before embracing the boarding school life. She has taught ninth, tenth, and twelfth graders, headed Davidson Hall, coached girls’ soccer, and led the RugRats Program. She enthusiastically supports Gould’s Four Point Program and the Advising Program, and serves as an advisor with her husband, history teacher Rob Manning. Sometimes, when she isn’t working with students, she has time to read and cook! They live on campus in the Hutchinson House with their dogs, Mookie and Marshall. Mookie is a certified therapy dog, and Marshall is working toward that goal.
Mr. Manning has over 30 years of experience in the classroom. A gifted speaker, he is a dramatic presence in the classroom. His energetic discussions are engaging and can often be heard into the halls and nearby classrooms. Aside from being a dedicated and talented teacher, Mr. Manning is dedicated to the seven-day boarding school tradition where students come first, whether it be in the classroom, on the athletic fields, or in the dormitory. When not teaching Mr. Manning can be found on the mountain with the Ski Patrol Program, teaching students the ins and outs of mountain operations and wilderness medicine. He lives on campus in the Hutchinson House with his wife, Denise, and their campus therapy dog, Mookie. Their son, Alec ’14 played baseball at Kenyon College.
Kathy has been at Gould since 1994 and truly enjoys her work because she cares so much about the students. She lives in Greenwood, and in her free time, she enjoys gardening and her grandchildren.
Anne McCandless joins the Gould community as a nurse in the Student Health Center. With nine years of experience in emergency and critical care nursing, she is excited for the change of pace caring for students at Gould. She is a passionate skier and has worked as a ski instructor at Sugarbush and Attitash and has patrolled both at Jay Peak and, for the last 5 years, at Sunday River. When the snow melts, Anne enjoys riding her road and mountain bikes. In the summer, she is an avid boater, sailor, and aspiring fisherwoman, both on the North Shore of Massachusetts and the Connecticut shore. She promises herself to start practicing the piano more, so be sure to remind her! She has moved from Bartlett, NH, to Newry with her son, Mac, and her partner, Henry.
Prior to joining Gould Academy’s Business Office as the Benefits and Payroll Manager, Ms. Menezes worked for W.H. Shurtleff, L.L.Bean (while juggling responsibilities as stay at home mom!), Bushmaster Firearms, and most recently St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.
Today, when not in the office, Ms. Menezes lives in nearby Harrison with her husband and their son, George ’18, and cat, Bossa Nova. The Menezes’ also have two working sons – one who is a graduate of Champlain College in Burlington and another from Maine Maritime Academy. When not keeping up with her boys, Ms. Menezes enjoys being outside, especially if it involves skiing, boating, hiking, or running.
Greg Miller spent the last five years in Newport, Rhode Island, as the head men’s basketball coach and assistant athletic director at the Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS).
Prior to that, he worked for three years years as an assistant coach at St. Lawrence University (one year as an adjunct professor in First Year Program) and two years as an assistant coach at Susquehanna University.
After college, he played nine years of professional basketball in various countries throughout Europe (6 in Germany, 1 in France, 1 in Sweden, and 1 in Switzerland).
He lives on campus with his wife, Alex Norden, and likes to spend time reading, hiking, and exercising.
Heidi Modr has enjoyed a lifetime of involvement in music performance both playing and teaching. She was educated in violin performance with a minor in pedagogy at the Oberlin Conservatory and The Juilliard School where she studied under Dorothy Delay. Heidi has enjoyed an extensive performing career in New York City garnering two favourable New York Times reviews. In addition to solo and chamber music performances, she has played for many years in The Orchestra of St Luke’s, The American Composer’s Orchestra and has repeatedly toured the Far East with the New York Symphonic Ensemble. Teaching has always played a major role in her musical life. Heidi earned her teaching diploma at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague. She taught at the Concordia Conservatory in New York and has most recently taught at the International School of the Hague where she conducted both the choir and orchestra. Heidi believes in the important role music has in society and has enjoyed seeing the pride of accomplishment that playing an instrument gives in her students. She has seen time and again the benefits music performance can bring to students overall happiness, confidence and discipline. Heidi is an avid tennis player and outdoor sports enthusiast.
Coach Niiler began teaching and coaching in the Franconia Ski School at Cannon Mountain in 1982. From there he moved to King Pine ski area, where he stayed for 28 years as their Ski School Director, Terrain Parks Supervisor, and Race Team Head Coach. During this time the King Pine Race Team became known as “small but mighty,” producing numerous athletes who made post-season appearances at Eastern and Can-Am Championships, and even a National Championship event. Coach Niiler is PSIA Level 3 certified, USSA certified, and is a former member of the PSIA Eastern Development Team and Education Staff.
Mrs. Norden was head Division I women’s alpine ski coach at Brown University from 2016 to 2020. Before Brown, she was the head men’s and women’s varsity alpine ski coach at New England College, where she reinstated the program to varsity status in 2015. Prior to NEC, she spent three years as the graduate assistant and strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s alpine ski team at St. Lawrence University. While at St. Lawrence, she earned a master’s degree in educational leadership.
A 2010 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Ms. Norden was a four-year member of the Wildcats’ alpine ski team, captaining the squad in 2009 and earning NCAA All-Academic honors. She also competed with the UNH track & field team. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sports studies. She later served as the U19 women’s ski coach at Killington Mountain School in Vermont. She lives on campus with her spouse, Greg Miller.
She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. While not on the hill with skiers, she loves to hike, run on the trails, and simply be outdoors.
Laurin Parker teaches in the Academic Skills Program. He spent five years in public education in Northern and Western Maine as a high school English teacher and in work within alternative education. Currently, in addition to his role in Academic Skills, Laurin also runs the spring co-curricular River Ecology, that teaches students about environmental science through the lens of flyfishing. In the past, he has worked with the Farm & Forest Program, in the Marlon Family IDEAS Center, and coached boys’ lacrosse. Laurin grew up in Patten, ME. He plays saxophone, hikes, and is a passionate advocate of the outdoors. He rows a drift boat, guiding fly fishing clients on the Androscoggin River each summer. Laurin and his wife Erin, live on campus in Vogt House with their two daughters Elsa and Emily.
Linda Raymond has experience in oncology, orthopedic/trauma, neurology, urology, camp nursing, and public school nursing. She managed a busy sports chiropractic office in Portland for the last 10 years with her husband, Jamie, and helped rehab and educate many athletes. She loves trail running, backpacking, and hopes to conquer skate skiing and get back into ultra running. One of the first coaches to help bring Girls on the Run to Maine, she has spent many hours volunteering/coaching middle and high school Nordic skiers. With her daughter, Ella ’21, she is working on the 4,000 footers, with 37 conquered to so far. Son Nolan is class of ’23. Her son Ben is in seventh grade — when not riding the mountain biking trails with his dad.
As the Advancement Coordinator, Ms. Sandvoss’s primary focus is providing strong administrative support to the advancement team through project, event, and database management. When not working on an event, an appeal, capital project, or campaign, she actively volunteers in the community. Ms. Sandvoss lives near campus with her husband, Robert, and two children, Avery ’13 and Ana ’18. Together, the family enjoys many of the areas outdoor recreational activities.
Raised in Blue Hill, Mesa Schubeck’s musical roots began with an immersion in her family’s folk music tradition. She earned a degree in piano performance at the University of Maine, Orono. Traveling to Music City in 2014 with a pop/rock trio, she settled in Nashville for three years, composing, performing, and recording. As a sought-after collaborative pianist and musical director, she worked multiple productions with Belmont University and Middle Tennessee State University theater departments. She returned to Maine in 2017 and is finishing a master’s degree in piano performance at the University of Southern Maine. While in Portland, she has been active as a performing artist, accompanist, and as a teaching artist at 317 Main in Yarmouth, where she continues to teach virtually.
Mr. Shifrin teaches mathematics at Gould and lives on campus with his wife, Sara, their daughter, Mia ’19, and son, Eli ’23. As director of the Ninth Grade Program, he has created and implemented a program that enables each ninth-grade student to transition to Gould life and become a valued member of the community. Each student is recognized by students and faculty for who he or she is and who they want to become. As an experienced mathematics educator, Mr. Shifrin developed his own algebra utilizing an online content presenter, Heymath, to create a course of study that allows each student to learn at a pace and level that best suits their ability and need. He has also developed a course on financial literacy for seniors called Mathematics of Finance that integrates the principles of personal finance and mathematics to help students evaluate and make informed financial decisions. Mr. Shifrin has a great interest in the outdoors and utilizing experiential educational opportunities to help students understand how an individual can grow and impact a group. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Shifrin is passionate about soccer, holding a National B License from the United States Soccer Federation, which he used to coach at an elite level within the Olympic Development Program in Maine and New England.
Mr. Siekman began his teaching career at Cushing Academy and came to Gould in 1998. He has taught for more than 30 years, including chemistry, biology, physics, and marine science at Gould. He is a nearly lifelong coach and has coached basketball for girls and boys for over 20 years. He leads the Fall Outing Club and is the head girls’ basketball coach. Mr. Siekman and his wife, Kara, live on campus and have three children, Gould classes of ’07, ’09, ’22. In his spare time, he is a licensed boat captain, SCUBA diver, avid sailor, and long-distance swimmer, who keeps busy building a second home in Islesboro, Maine.
A graduate of the University of Vermont, where he majored in religion and minored in history, Tao was part of the Varsity Alpine Ski Team that was two-time Division I National Champion and twice runner-up. He also competed on the 1992 National Ultimate Frisbee Team and the UVM Road Cycling Team.
He returned to Gould to teach in the History, English and World Language departments from 1995 to 2001. He coached lacrosse, skiing, and cycling and was director of the Outing Club and founder of the Philosophy Club. While at Gould, Tao chaired the “Values” Committee of the 1999 NEASC Accreditation.
His colleagues speak highly of his ability to create solid teams and bring constituencies together. His empathy has helped him build trust with both students and faculty. Others spoke to his collaborative approach in nearly all areas and to the fact that people trust him.
Tao lives in Bethel with his wife, Dawn, and six children, Hannah, Ayden, Gaven, Addie, Tobé, and Lillian. He enjoys spending time with his family, cycling, fly fishing, skiing, and surfing, among other activities.
Mr. Southam teaches Conceptual Physics, AP Chemistry, and started the Research Methods course in 2016. His teaching career began in 1987 with a one-year lower school science teaching internship at Princeton Day School, followed by two years at The Gunnery School, three years in graduate school at MIT, five years at Governor’s Academy, and then four years at Phillips Exeter Academy. Since coming to Gould in 2002, he has been a student favorite. His sense of humor helps him create engaging labs and lectures. In 2013, he was chosen the outstanding biology teacher in the state of Maine by the National Association of Biology Teachers.
He served as a reader for the College Board AP Biology exam from 1999 until 2012. An active member of the Bethel community, he was elected to the Bethel Select Board in 2012 and currently serves as the board chair. He is also the founding president of Mahoosuc Pathways, an organization committed to the development of recreational trails in Western Maine.
Mr. Southam lives with his wife, Sarah. They have two children: Samantha ’11 and Max ’15.
Mrs. Stack teaches 10th grade West and the World and 11th grade U.S. History. In all of Mrs. Stack’s classes and programs, her goal is to seamlessly incorporate technology, differentiation, the writing process, and focused discussion methods as part of the core curriculum. In addition to teaching, she is an advisor and facilitates the Ski Patrol Program. Mrs. Stack lives off campus with her husband, Brian, their daughter, Gwen, and son, Preston. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading, knitting, and escaping to the coast in the summer.
Shannon started at Gould in 2000 and enjoys getting to know the students at Gould as well as the variety in his work. He lives in Albany Township and is a member of the Bethel Fire Department. He enjoys hunting and fishing in his free time.
Nina has worked in healthcare settings as a Certified Nursing Assistant for 18 years and joined the Gould community with enthusiasm in the spring of 2021. Her partner, Matt, is the night watchman on campus, and together they have two children. They live in Greenwood, and, in their free time, they enjoy the outdoors hunting and fishing.
Mr. Volz skied on the Middlebury Nordic team and has coached a variety of age groups for nordic skiing in different capacities. Much of the past few years he has spent traveling and doing anything outdoors, including three months in Norway working on an organic farm and running in the mountains.
He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has taken education and physics classes from the University of Maine over the past couple years. He loves climbing, hiking, skiing, running, playing soccer, and Frisbee. “I love getting lost in the mountains,” he says, “and the mountains around Gould were one of the big draws for me.” He also loves learning how things work and about how to model and understand the world around us with math and logic.
Todd started working at Gould in 2014 and recently returned after a brief hiatus because he loves the community here so much. He lives in Woodstock, and when he is not working, he enjoys being with his family and keeping busy with carpentry projects.
Tammy has been at Gould since 2008 and enjoys her role as a housekeeper because of the great people and students here. She lives in Peru, and when she is not working she enjoys being outdoors with her family, especially with her four great-grandchildren
Ms. Wilkerson has taught at Gould since 2002. Prior to Gould, she led wilderness expeditions for adolescents and adults with Outward Bound in Maine, Canada, and Minnesota. She also traveled extensively throughout the Spanish speaking world, teaching Spanish to high school and middle school students. In addition to teaching Spanish at Gould, Ms. Wilkerson can often be found at school barn where she directs Gould’s Farm and Forest Program and directs the school’s Veterinary Science Summer Camp. A lifelong animal lover and a committed equestrian, she has a passion for teaching traditional skills and including the use of draft horses and forestry management. Ms. Wilkerson serves as Gould’s Environmental Sustainability Coordinator and mentors the student club, Gould Goes Green. Ms. Wilkerson and her husband, Mr. Pete Hedden, Dean of Community Life, and their two children live in the home they built just off campus.
Janet Willie is a long time member of the Bethel community. Starting in 1998, she worked for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound as an outdoor educator and director of food service. She also owns and operates a private Therapeutic Massage practice in Bethel, which she started 1991. She lives in town with her dog, Lily, and cat, Earl, in her 1850 home, a constant work in progress. She hosts the annual Shy, Novice & Closeted Art Show, established in 2004.
Raised at the foot of Pikes Peak in Manitou Springs, Colorado, she has worked a variety of outdoor and environmental education programs. She brings a passion for experiential education and over thirty years of holistic health practices to the Gould nursing staff team and the school community. For more than five years she was health director for Midland School, in Los Olivos, California. (Former Gould Head of School Dan Kunkle was head of Midland from 1990 to 1999 and Will Graham, head of Midland from 2006 to 2015, worked at Gould from 1985 to 2006.)
Prior to Midland, She nursed at Gould Academy for the 2013-2014 school year and for the Chewonki Foundation, in Wiscasset Maine in 2011 and 2012.
An experienced senior manager, Dave has worked in education, manufacturing, technology, advertising, retail, and travel. He has developed expertise in financial operations, business operations, project management, strategy, branding, marketing and sales, customer service, and retention.
Lynn Wilson has lived in Bethel for over 15 years, working most of that time as the business manager at the Bethel Inn Resort. She also has a bookkeeping company working with small businesses and doing tax returns. A Maine native, she lived all over the country before realizing that home is back in Maine, and Western Maine is paradise. When not working she enjoys hiking, gardening, golf, and anything else in the great outdoors. She has three cats, but will not be a crazy cat lady until she has five of them.
Coach Yamada began teaching & coaching at the Pat’s Peak Ski area in 1979. He continued to coach for years to come at several NH ski areas and finally made the move with his family to Sunday River in late ’90s.
He began coaching with the Gould weekend program in 2000, coaching all ages from fundamentals to advanced competition level. Now a full-time coach, he brings over 40 years of coaching experience and a wealth of knowledge on working effectively with young athletes.
Coach Yamada is a former PSIA Level 3 certified and Eastern Dev Team member. He is USSA & FIS certified and a USASA Championship Slalom Venue Manager.
Off Season, he often coaches soccer, lacrosse, and still recruits for several college programs.
Mr. Zutshi teaches upper-level mathematics at Gould, including AP Calculus and AP Statistics. He is a dorm parent in Davidson Hall and is the advisor for both Model United Nations and Yearbook. He also coaches the Math Club Team in various regional and national math contests.
Prior to Gould, he ran his own tutoring business in Boston, specializing in test prep and mathematics, including college-level calculus and statistics. Before that, he had a career in law and in financial services, having worked as a corporate attorney and, prior to law school, an actuary.
Mr. Zutshi is a graduate of Belmont Hill near Boston. In college, he taught math for Belmont Hill’s summer school program, and later at a Mary Institute and St Louis Country Day School (MICDS) in Missouri, where he also coached wrestling and football.
He studied Applied Mathematics at Harvard and received his law degree from Washington University in St Louis. He joined the faculty at Gould in 2018.