Faculty & Staff Members New to the Episcopal Community
Episcopal welcomes our new faculty and staff for the 2018-2019 school year. We hope you will take the time to read their bios below and welcome them to our community!
Lower School
Katie Davis - PreK Teacher Katieis a well-rounded educator with experience in project-based learning, responsive classroom management, Singapore Math and classroom technology. Most recently she was a kindergarten through fourth grade art teacher at River Oaks Baptist School in Houston. In her role as art teacher, Katie coordinated the Lower School Grandparents Day Art Show, consisting of 400 pieces of student artwork. She has also taught Lower School math, social studies, reading and spelling, and assisted with coaching volleyball, basketball and track. Katie earned a Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University. She is a member of the National Art Educators Association and the Texas Computer Education Association. Albina Denisyuk - Lower School French After studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, Albina completed her undergraduate degree in modern languages and linguistics (French and Russian) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She later earned a Master of Arts in teaching, secondary education from Towson University in Towson, Maryland. Albina served for eight years as a Language Assistant in French public schools in Académie Aix-Marseille, France. She has teaching experience at the Lower, Middle and Upper school levels. Albina enjoys the project-based learning approach and regularly finds opportunities to incorporate technology into lessons, including videos and interactive games.
Jenny Heroman Koenig - Lower School Religion Jenny is a proud 2001 graduate of Episcopal School of Baton Rouge. She returns to her alma mater as a Lower School Religion Teacher. Jenny earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication with a minor in sociology from Louisiana State University. She has 11 years of experience as a television journalist in Baton Rouge and Gonzales. During that time she received numerous honors including the 2014 Individual of the Year Award from the Ascension Chamber of Commerce and the opportunity to be the Honorary Ascension Parish President on “Jenny Heroman Day.” Jenny always had a desire to teach and eventually followed that calling by earning a teacher certification. Upon completing her certification, Jenny began her teaching career as a second grade teacher at Donaldsonville Primary School. She is active in the community as a member of the Louisiana Association of Educators, the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters, Baton Rouge Women in Media and the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association. When she’s not teaching, Jenny enjoys theatre and music and is the lead singer of the Something Blue Band.
Renee Kent Lewis - Kindergarten Teacher Renee attended Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tennessee, earning a master’s degree in the art of teaching and early childhood education. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor of Science in family and child sciences from Florida State University. Renee is a graduate of Harvard University’s Project Zero Summer Institute and is certified by the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education in the use of multi-sensory educational approaches to literacy. Renee joins Episcopal from Presbyterian Day School in Memphis, Tennessee, where she was actively involved in the community.
Laura A Smith - PreK Teacher Laura earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Louisiana State University. She began her teaching career at Cedar Crest Elementary where she created and implemented a unit-based learning curriculum. Laura has been actively involved with the Episcopal community serving as a long-term substitute teacher, and mother of two Episcopal students, Grant and Amelia.
Middle School
MarianCaillier-Castille - Middle School Math Marian brings a diverse skill set to her role as an Episcopal Middle School math teacher. She previously worked as a fifth and fourth grade teacher at St. James Episcopal Day School and also served as the school’s Math and Technology Specialist. Marian was the only classroom teacher at St. James to be selected to participate in an exclusive training at Apple Headquarters. She is an Apple Learning Specialist and an Apple Teacher. Marian began her teaching career in 2010 at Glasgow Middle School after working for many years in human resources at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Human Resource Management for seven years. Marian earned a Bachelor of Arts in speech communications with a minor in English and an MBA from Louisiana State University. In 2003, Marian was one of 35 individuals internationally selected to attend the Oxford roundtable discussion on Human Rights and Employment Discrimination at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Marian is actively involved in the community, having served on several St. James committees and numerous community boards, including the YWCA of Greater Baton Rouge and the Capital Area United Way.
James Moroney - Middle School Math James is a versatile teacher having taught English and math in addition to coaching volleyball and soccer. Most recently, he taught sixth grade math, Algebra I Honors and Geometry Honors at Our Lady of Mercy in Baton Rouge. James was named the Our Lady of Mercy Teacher of the Year for the 2015/2016 school year and received the Christian Life Award in 2017. He has served as a MATHCOUNTS Coach, the Junior Beta Club Head Sponsor and the Youth Legislature Co-Sponsor. James earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana State University in English with a concentration in secondary education. He is the author of Challenging Common Core Math Lessons: Grade 6.
Upper School
Dawn Burton - Upper School English Dawn comes to Episcopal with a global perspective having taught in Belgium and China. She is passionate about educational technologies and in 2017 received first prize in The Henry Ford “Innovation Nation” Teacher Innovator of the Year awards. Most recently, Dawn was the English Department Chair and Innovation and Design Lab Facilitator at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in English literature and classical studies from the University of Liverpool and her postgraduate certification in education from the Open University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on leadership and management from the Open University. Dawn is fluent in French and Dutch. She is married to Zach and is the mother of Hannah and Isabel. Dawn is passionate about recycling and our responsibility to create a greener future for our children. Gene Dennis - Upper School Math and Science Gene Dennis brings extensive experience in teaching and tutoring students at all levels in math and science. After working as an Adjunct Physics Instructor at Green River College in Washington, Gene was most recently a private tutor with Fusion Math in Seattle. He earned a master's degree in physics from the University of Washington and a bachelor's in physics from the University of Texas at Austin. Gene collaborated on an article entitled Toughening Effect of Strain-Induced Crystallites in Natural Rubber, which was published in 2009. He has led chess and math teams and assisted with school newspapers and service projects.
Dr. Jeffrey McLean - Upper School Science Dr. McLean joins the Episcopal community with more than 14 years of experience in mechanical engineering. Throughout his career he has served in leadership roles including Director of Engineering, Manager of Engineering and Project Manager. He now wants to use that experience to inspire young people to develop problem-solving skills and understand the world around them. Dr. McLean earned a PhD and master's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to that he earned a Bachelor of Science in the same field from Louisiana State University. Dr. McLean was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Baton Rouge Business Report in 2008. He holds a patent for a method of manufacturing a micro tube heat exchanger and has had his work published in multiple journals. Dr. McLean’s children Nate and Carter both attend Episcopal.
Jennifer Purnell - Upper School Science (Biology) Jennifer joins Episcopal after 10 years at Plaquemine High School. In that time she has taught Biology, Honors Biology, Biology II, Environmental Science, Physical Science and General Chemistry. She has also served as the head of the science department, a TAP mentor teacher, the science fair coordinator and the school wellness committee chairperson. Before entering the classroom, Jennifer was a research assistant at Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati as well as an environmental health inspector for the Brown County Health Department. Jennifer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology from Louisiana State University, a master’s degree in health care administration from Our Lady of the Lake College, and teacher certification from the University of Cincinnati. She strives to help students understand the myriad of connections between the basic sciences and health.
Jeannette Thompson - Upper School Science Jeannette has been a high school math and science teacher since 2007. Most recently, she taught physics and engineering courses at Catholic High School. Prior to that, she taught physical science, biology, chemistry, physics and pre-engineering at the Dunham School. Before entering the classroom, Jeannette worked as an engineer in the nuclear power industry. She earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and an Environmental Certificate from the University of Alabama. Jeannette is a native Spanish speaker. She was the 1989 silver medalist in freestyle swimming at the South American Games in Chile, representing Colombia.
Arts Department
David Gambino - Band Director David has been a professional musician since 2006. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from Southeastern Louisiana University, David served as Assistant Band Director, Fine Arts Survey Teacher and Director of Jazz Studies at Mandeville High School. Recently, he earned a master’s degree in music with an emphasis in jazz performance from the University of South Florida. David performed on saxophone for Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge world premiere of the album “Whispers on the Wind.” He has been a featured soloist in professional jazz and pop ensembles and has arranged and written for four commercial album projects.
Mary Kannenberg - Choral Director Mary has directed choral and music programs since 2010. At St. Joseph’s Academy and Dutchtown High School she worked with high school students, teaching them the principles and techniques of music literacy. Most recently, she served as Director of Music at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church, where she planned and organized concerts and programs for the church and conducted the ensemble. Mary earned a bachelor’s in music education and a master’s of music in choral conducting from Louisiana State University. She is proficient in piano in addition to vocal instruction.
Staff & Administration
David G. Barrientes - Chief Business Officer David joined the Episcopal administration earlier this month as our Chief Business Officer. Having spent 14 years serving in this role at Trinity School in Midland, Texas, David comes to us with a wealth of experience in independent school, specifically K-12 school administration. In addition to deep involvement in Episcopal’s financial operation, David will also oversee the business functions of the school. This will include management of the Help Desk team, the grounds and maintenance crews, our dining staff, the tuition assistance program, contract administration, and our transportation program.
David has led the charge on many important school initiatives at Trinity. He recently oversaw the management of a four-year construction project of three new buildings and the renovation of two others. During his time there, the annual operating budget increased steadily and the school experienced significant growth in its endowment. Additionally, David was successful in creating and building up the school’s first facility reserve fund. He has seen Trinity through five headship changes and other major growth factors. With a background and degree in architecture, David truly enjoys the challenge of improving facilities and making finances grow.
Tom Forti - Head of Upper School Tom joins Episcopal after serving as the Head of Upper School at St. Andrew’s School in Savannah, Georgia. During that time, the school was named one of the nation’s most challenging high schools by the Washington Post and acquired the Apple Distinguished School Award. Prior to his time in Georgia, Tom served as the Principal, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Oceanside High School in Maine. During his 10 years at Oceanside, Tom facilitated the successful accreditation of the school, organized anti-bullying and harassment workshops for students and faculty and introduced a community service requirement for graduating students.
Throughout his 22 year career, Tom has been involved in every aspect of school life from coaching and teaching to peer mentoring and strategic planning. He was a Teach the Future Fellow, a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and has served on numerous community organizations.
Dr. Sara Fenske-Dean of Academics Last year, Dr. Sara Fenske, while maintaining her full teaching load as a member of the Science Department faculty, also took on a handful of administrative undertakings. In this, she demonstrated a collaborative style of leadership, impressive in both its grounding in empathy and effectiveness. She has agreed to step out of biology and the other classroom experiences to focus her full professional attention to Episcopal’s academic undertakings and rigor. She brings a consistent focus on our school’s academic evolution to her collaborative work with Division Heads, Department Chairs, faculty members and me. After completing a PhD in biology at MIT, Dr. Fenske pursued a career in education as the science department chair at an independent school in Pennsylvania. As a parent, teacher, and administrator, Dr. Fenske recognizes the importance of a rigorous academic program. Setting high expectations for students, and supporting them in meeting those expectations has always been Dr. Fenske’s focus. She will bring this same focus to her new position.
Andrea Vidrine ’94 - Admission Coordinator Andrea is a 1994 graduate of Episcopal and returns to her alma mater after four years as Executive Assistant to the Head of School at St. James Episcopal Day School. In addition to her role as Executive Assistant, Andrea also spent time in the classroom as a substitute teacher for grades PreK through fifth. Andrea brings a diverse skill set to her new role, having owned Frozen in Thyme, a meal preparation and delivery service and having served as a buyer and manager for Aegean Clothing Store. She holds a degree from Louisiana State University and is an Apple certified teacher. Andrea’s children Kaitlyn and Parker both attend Episcopal.