Faculty and Staff Directory

To search for faculty and staff contact information, please select a department from the menu below on the left. Alternatively, you can use the menu on the right to search faculty and staff using the first initial of the person’s last name.

To reach a member of the faculty or staff via telephone, dial 805-640-3201, followed by your party’s extension.

Faculty & Staff Directory

  • Photo of Jeffrey Berndt
    Mr. Jeffrey Berndt
    Director of Advancement: Philanthropy, Governance, and Strategy
    805-640-3201 x276
    Bio
     
    Jeff joined Thacher in 2015 and serves as the School's director of advancement. He started his career at Middlesex School where he held roles in the annual fund and their record-setting capital campaign. In 2001, he joined the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA, as their director of development where they became the first day-school in the nation to complete a $100MM+ capital campaign. After completing the campaign, he became managing director of New Profit—one of the leading “venture-philanthropy” firms—where he helped organizations such as Year Up, KIPP, and Teach for America scale across the country. Immediately preceding Thacher, Jeff was a managing director and the head of philanthropic services at Roundtable Investment Partners, which is a shared family office headquartered in NYC. 
  • Photo of Sara Billings
    Ms. Sara Billings
    Director of Advancement: Alumni and Development
    805-640-3201 x222
    Bio
     
    Sara Billings, a native to Los Angeles, joined Thacher in 2019 as director of development to oversee the Annual Fund, Lead Gifts, Alumni Relations, and Operations teams. Sara has worked in major gifts, development strategy, and team management since 2001. Before coming to Thacher, Sara was most recently the director of advancement at The Archer School for Girls and brings 12 years of independent school leadership experience to the role. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Campbell Hall High School, Sara is passionate about serving her team and Thacher’s community members. She lives in Ojai, and her two kids attend Thacher. 
  • Photo of Phillip Blackman
    Phillip Blackman
    Director of Legacy Giving
    X299 (Dir: 805-640-3299)
    Bio
     
    Phillip Blackman, a native Marylander, spent many years in Los Angeles working as a recording engineer and music producer prior to attending UCLA Law.  Phil then earned his LL.M. in Business and Tax Law from UCLA Law as well as a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Penn State.  After graduating Phil worked for over five years as an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Law at Ithaca College where he taught graduate-level tax courses as well as directing the M.B.A. program in Entertainment and Media Management.  Phil then left his faculty position to join St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire as the Director of Leadership and Planned Giving.  After three years at SPS and earning a Certificate in Estate Planning from Boston University Law, Phil welcomed the chance to return to Southern California and serve Thacher’s mission.  In his spare time, Phil composes electronic music, enjoys amateur astronomy, and Formula 1 racing.
  • Photo of Aimee Brown-Nelson
    Ms. Aimee Brown-Nelson
    Director of Community Events
    805-640-3201 x274
    Bio
     
    Aimee Brown-Nelson is a native to Ventura County and joined the Thacher Alumni and Development team in August 2021. She is looking forward to connecting with alumni and families to provide experiences that reinforce Thachers’ mission and values. Prior to joining Thacher, she worked in constituent engagement, event production, and fundraising within the entertainment and political spheres. Aimee holds a BA in Communication with minors in Psychology and International Studies from San Diego State University. In her spare time, you can find her hiking, camping, and enjoying live music.
A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, California, 93023
Tel: 805-646-4377 Fax: 805-646-9490 Email: info@thacher.org 
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.