855-405-8600 | Co-Ed Boarding School & Day School for Grades 5-12
Leadership and Faculty - Springdale Preparatory School
17861
page-template,page-template-full_width,page-template-full_width-php,page,page-id-17861,ajax_fade,page_not_loaded,,qode-theme-ver-11.0,qode-theme-bridge,wpb-js-composer js-comp-ver-5.2.1,vc_responsive

Leadership, Faculty & Staff

Home > Leadership, Faculty & Staff

Springdale Preparatory School Leadership & Faculty

Facilitators at Springdale Preparatory School are hired to guide students to learn through inquiry and experience. They are not traditional teachers; they facilitate the learning process, offering direction, supervision, resources and experience to help students find their way and build on each and every educational and experiential encounter.

Our facilitators enable students to teach themselves, a skill that will guide them throughout their lifetime of learning. They learn to take an opportunity and build on it, to find value in every success and failure and use those lessons to take their study to the next level.

We hire gifted experts in industry, language, the arts and education, individuals who will propel Springdale students to think critically and innovatively in their studies. Additionally, they will encourage mindfulness, an integral part of the educational landscape at Springdale. Our students are well rounded and well prepared to be valued members of the workforce following their study at Springdale and wherever their future path leads.

About SPS

Admissions | Application

Student Life

Schedule a Visit

Academics | Athletics

Student Life

Course Guide

Financial Aid

News | Media

Contact Us & Directions

Johnny Graham

HEAD OF SCHOOL/CEO
  • The George Washington University, MA, Educational Leadership
  • University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, BA, History and Afro-American Studies

An experienced educational leader, Johnny Graham joined Springdale Preparatory School in July 2016 as its founding head of school. His diligent efforts are focused on building one of the area’s top boarding schools known around the globe for academic excellence and life preparedness. A boarding school alum himself, Mr. Graham has spent over 20 years immersed in independent school education with roles ranging from Residential Life Director, Summer Programs Director, Varsity Head Basketball Coach and History Department Chair to Dean of Students, Associate Head of School, and Head of School during his service at Christ School (Arden, NC), McCallie School (Chattanooga, TN), The Westminster Schools (Atlanta, GA) and Brandon Hall School (Atlanta, GA). At Springdale Preparatory School, Mr. Graham aims to provide a setting where students will demonstrate growth in academic environments, interpersonal communications, and life skills.

Springdale Preparatory School Leadership

  • Jill Krebs, Ph.D.
    Dean of Curriculum and Instruction
    • • Drew University, Ph.D., University and Religion Program, Sociology of Religion Concentration
    • • Towson University, Master of Science, Women’s Studies, Women in an International Context Concentration
    • • Western Maryland College (McDaniel College), Bachelor of Arts, Women’s Studies and German
    Jill Krebs, Ph.D., an experienced academic counselor and program director who has published educational journal articles and ethnography, will serve as dean of Curriculum and Instruction beginning July 1. Krebs has spent more than 10 years in the educational arena, as instructor, learning specialist, academic counselor, program coordinator and director of various programs at several colleges on the East Coast. She looks forward to guiding the student population at Springdale as they learn and grow through their experiences, successes and failures, and prepare themselves to tackle life’s challenges as adults in our demanding and changing world.
  • D. Arthur Seibel
    Chief Operating Officer
    • • University of Houston, Executive MBA
    • • Price Waterhouse School of Business, Vevey, Switzerland
    • • Gettysburg College, BA, Business Administration
    D. Arthur Seibel is a seasoned business leader experienced in guiding corporate operations, strategic planning, expansion planning and executive management for a variety of organizations. His reputation is based on his creative and compliant approach to financial management both domestically and overseas. He has served in a variety of executive management positions for firms in industries ranging from banking, manufacturing, clothing, investment management and consulting. He holds board leadership and fellowship credentials from the National Association of Corporate Directors, is a certified public accountant through the Maryland State Board of Public Accountancy, and a certified financial planner through the CFP Board.
  • Glenn L. Singer
    Director of Admissions
    • • Loyola College, M.Ed., Educational Management and Supervision
    • • Kenyon College, BA, Liberal Arts/Psychology
    Glenn Singer has extensive experience in the leadership and advancement of independent schools, including expertise in managing a multi-faceted admissions process from inquiry to application to testing to admissions decisions. He builds strong relationships with parents, administration, and students, as witnessed in his multiple roles throughout his 25-plus years working in independent schools. He has served leadership positions in development, admissions and as Assistant Head of School, and looks forward to welcoming Springdale’s first students this fall, as well as building long-term relationships with students and their families.
  • Felix Lugo
    Dean of Residential Life & International Services
    • • Warner University, MS, Management
    • • Monroe College, BS, Business Administration
    For the last 10 years, Felix Lugo has served in residential life management roles at several top global boarding schools in the U.S. Most notably, he has overseen residential life functions and facilitated growth at these schools, while ensuring the optimal physical and mental well-being of all students. His innovative programs have enhanced academic success and enabled the development of self-awareness in all students. His guidance and expert leadership methods have ensured the implementation of industry best practices in residential culture, creating a healthy environment for all students and staff members. Building on his vast experience in training residential life staff, Felix created a website that includes a detailed guide for successful dormitory staff training. His experience in student services will help Springdale Prep welcome new students to campus.

Springdale Preparatory School Faculty

  • Aileen Chun, Ph.D.
    World Languages Facilitator
    Aileen Chun, Ph.D., is the founding foreign language faculty member at Springdale Preparatory School. She will lead the development of the foreign language program including initial coursework in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, and Latin, and she will help add Arabic to the course offerings in 2019. Dr. Chun is known for her work in assessment and articulation for multilingual strategies, blingual/immersion education, and learning differences/special education. She has conducted research in comparative linguistics, literature and languages. She has specialized in language translation and instruction and the legal system. She is a certified instructor for English as a second language and International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) courses.
  • David Magaha
    Robotics & Engineering Facilitator
    David Magaha serves as Springdale Preparatory School’s robotics and engineering specialist.  Magaha brings to SPS a Master’s degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins University and more than 20 years of experience as a software engineer.  He will work to establish the school’s robotics program to include academic instruction and the development of a competitive robotics team, which will compete locally, nationally and internationally.
  • Emily Russell
    Science Learning Facilitator

    • A dedicated elementary teacher with a proven track record filled with commendations, Emily Russell is known for creative lesson plans, instructional best practices, interactive instruction and experiential learning facilitation.

  • Jo Israelson
    Arts Coordinator
    Jo Israelson joins Springdale Preparatory School as arts coordinator. She plays an instrumental role in the development and expansion of the school’s performing arts curriculum to include theater arts, visual arts and music. Students at SPS will have the opportunity to connect and study under a variety of local artists as they develop skills unique to their discipline of emphasis. Israelson holds a Master’s of fine arts degree in imaging and digital arts from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Master’s degree in education from Gallaudet University. She is an accomplished artist who has received acclaim for her work in a variety of media including film, mixed media and sculpture. She has served as an artist in education at schools throughout Maryland.
  • Sobia Zia
    Mathmatics Facilitator
    Sobia Zia brings an interdisciplinary approach to mathematics at Springdale Preparatory School. She collaborates with learning facilitators in other areas to create cross-curricular projects for our students. Zia has experience working with students with learning differences, scaffolding their learning so that they can make step-by-step progress toward learning goals. . Zia received her Master’s degree in statistics at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad.

Springdale Preparatory School Staff

  • Gerald Karn
    Physical Plant Director
    Gerald Karn, a seasoned facilities and maintenance professional with more than 40 years of experience serving the mid-Atlantic area, serves as physical plant director for Springdale Preparatory School.
  • Kay Davis
    Lead Chef
    With a background in childhood nutrition spanning more than 20 years, Kay Davis has designed a program for Springdale Preparatory School that promotes healthy eating as a key component in a student’s learning. In parallel with the mission, vision and values of Springdale Prep, Davis’ healthy, clean menu teaches students lifestyle habits that will sustain lifelong health and learning. Menus at SPS include locally sourced, unprocessed foods that are low sugar and low sodium and without Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). Meals follow the USDA My Plate guidelines. Most recently, Davis served as a restaurant management and culinary arts instructor for a state facility. She developed the restaurant management and culinary arts program designed to prepare students for future culinary careers.
  • Michaela King
    Director of Counseling Services
    • • Cal State at Fresno, Master of Science, Clinical Rehabilitation & Mental Health Counseling
    • • Bennett College for Women, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
    For more than 15 years, Michaela King has advocated for children and adults in a variety of situations of need. As a social worker for Fresno County Child Welfare, King advocated for abused and neglected children. She also served as a rehabilitation counselor for an adult facility in Novato, California, and a youth counselor in Floral City, Florida. She has a passion for helping individuals better themselves through reflective insight and confidence in personal strengths and abilities.
  • Neal Roop
    Student Services Coordinator
    Neal Roop supports the school administration as the conduit in meeting student needs. He connects students with a variety of services and administrators in such areas as counseling, instruction, residential life and athletics, and he assist students with challenges, helping them develop an action plan to address issues.
RESPECT. LIFELONG LEARNING. INNOVATION.