Students aren't the only new faces at Casa de Piedra.
Now that we've welcomed our new students to campus and the school year is off at its usual brisk pace, we thought it would be a good time to introduce some of the new adults on campus.
Here is the roster of this year's additions to the faculty and staff directory:
Michael Arredondo is the newest member of the Development Office in the new full-time position as the gift administrator. With his 14 years experience as an administrator for a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, he is a welcome and valuable new addition. Prior to arriving at Thacher, Michael was the innkeeper for the last eight years at Su Nido Inn in Ojai. Managing the Inn, he had worked with many Thacher alumni, board members, and families, providing them with an exceptional stay. Michael is a California native and has resided for 26 years in Ojai with his wife Janet and their two sons, Matthew and Joshua. He is active in the community and loves to hike, bike, backpack, read, volunteer and spend time with Janet.
Ed Bennett joins the Thacher community as the new director of facilities. Ed is responsible for all aspects of the campus plant, from daily operations and planning to capital programming and execution. Before retiring from the U.S. Navy as a U.S. Civil Engineer Corps officer, Ed had the opportunity to serve in a number of leadership positions. His final position was as the head of facilities for Marine Corps Base 29 Palms, California. After the Navy, Ed held a number of senior facility leadership roles at universities, including West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. Both he and his wife of 33 years, Tammy, an author and speaker, are looking forward to becoming a part of the Thacher community and hope to engage in many of the outside-the-classroom activities with students. Ed and Tammy are living in Ojai and are joined by two labs, Bailey and Opie.
Peggy Bernard is joining the ranks as administrative assistant in the College Office. There, Peggy keeps things running smoothly, solving problems with the College Board, welcoming college admission visitors to campus, and making sure that applications are submitted on time. She's no stranger to the demands of producing a durable, high quality product and then packaging and shipping that product to its next destination. Peggy spent much of her professional career working down the road in Ventura for Patagonia, where she managed the mail order division and also exercised her passion for the environment by helping the company source sustainable materials and minimize the environmental impact of production methods. Having grown up in Ojai and raised her family here, Peggy is happy to be working once again in the Valley. She looks forward to working with young people (instead of fleece) in a beautiful setting where people are passionate about their work.
Logan Brown is a recent graduate of Middlebury College, where she majored in political science. Most recently, Logan taught English and coached at The Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts. She still has a foot in New England, however, as she devotes summers to pursuing a master's degree at Middlebury's Bread Loaf School of English. Logan is in the English department teaching both freshman and sophomore classes. Outside of the classroom she'll coach JV lacrosse and rock climbing. Logan is living in the Music Box and advising sophomore girls in Middle School.
Whitney Livermore CdeP 2004 returns to Thacher after graduating from Williams College where she majored in American Studies and Chinese and also played basketball all four years. After a year in Taiwan continuing her studies in Chinese, she taught at the Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco and Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills, Maryland. And Thacher is very glad that she is back to teach freshman and junior history, coach varsity girls' basketball, and assist with JV girls' lacrosse. Unlike a lot of new arrivals, Whitney has a pretty good idea of what to expect. "I feel very lucky to have the chance to work in this community that has given me so much," she says, "and to once again learn from and work with Thacher’s incredible faculty." Whitney advises freshman girls and lives above the Business Office.
Dawn Marley has over twenty years of executive level support and project management experience. Prior to joining Thacher, she served as the executive assistant to the president of SG, a global advisory firm headquartered in Santa Barbara. Before moving to California, Dawn supported the owner and president of Harsch Investment Properties; one of the West Coast's largest privately owned and operated commercial real estate and investment companies. Dawn's background includes media production, and she has produced documentary films, ad campaigns, live media stage shows, and broadcast television programs. Dawn and her family live in Oxnard.