New Faculty And Staff Join GPS

  • Thursday, August 16, 2018
GPS new faculty and staff
GPS new faculty and staff

The GPS community welcomes new faculty, staff, and coaches to its campus. 

Casey Caldwell ’08, Middle School Counselor
After graduating from GPS in 2008, Casey Caldwell obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and then her Master’s of Arts degree in clinical mental health counseling from Richmont Graduate University in Chattanooga. Since completing her master’s, Ms. Caldwell has presented to and educated GPS girls on social and emotional issues. She maintained a private practice at Henegar Counseling Center for two years, counseling teenagers and adults on a variety of issues. 

Janna Eichelberger, Middle School Physical Education/Varsity Basketball Coach
Janna Eichelberger earned her master's degree at Tennessee State University in human performance and sports sciences after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology with a minor in business administration from IUPUI. As former director of Basketball Operations with the men’s basketball program at Tennessee State University (one of only seven women on a NCAA Division I men’s basketball coaching staff), Ms. Eichelberger worked as an assistant with the Women's Basketball program at TSU for two years. She will also teach sixth-grade physical education at GPS. 

Matt Green, Strength and Conditioning Teacher/Coach
Coach Matt Green has a history degree from Colgate University (Hamilton, New York) and a master’s degree in athletic administration from James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia). He is certified through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and United States Weightlifting Association. He has been training female athletes of all ages for the past 14 years in both the collegiate ranks (JMU and UTC) and in the private sector, helping more than 60 athletes attain college scholarships along the way. 

Lauren Hayes ’02, Director of Alumnae and Community Engagement
After graduating from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Lauren Hayes ’02 established a successful logistics company, where she served as owner and CEO for almost 10 years. She plans to put her entrepreneurial skills to work on behalf of GPS students and alumnae in building a robust mentorship, internship, and community engagement program. 

Alexandra “Lexi” King, Health and Wellness Teacher, Admission Coordinator, Assistant Middle School Swim Coach, and Assistant Varsity Lacrosse Coach
Lexi King holds a bachelor’s degree in sport administration, a master’s in leadership, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in learning and leadership at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She will divide her time at GPS between the Admission department and her teaching and coaching responsibilities.

Lindsey King, Eighth-Grade English Teacher
Lindsey King earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master’s of Arts degrees from the University of Kentucky (Lexington) in secondary English education. This marks the beginning of her third year of teaching, having taught one year in Owensboro, Ky., at Daviess County High School and a year at Lookout Valley Middle High School in Chattanooga.

Mark Krawczyk, Drama Teacher/Theater Director
Prior to joining GPS, Mark Krawczyk enjoyed a career as an educator and professional actor with various educational institutions and theaters. Mr. Krawczyk earned a Bachelor of Science degree in theater at Towson University and an Master’s of Fine Arts in acting at Southern Methodist University. He studied devised theatre at Dartington College of Arts in Totnes, England. As an actor, Mr. Krawczyk toured Europe with his theater company, Without Gas, performing in adaptations of avant-garde Eastern European dramas in England, Poland, and Slovakia. He also performed with Tony Award-winning companies Utah Shakespearean Festival and Shakespeare Theatre Company as well as Folger Shakespeare, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, and more. He has acted in various commercials and industry films, made an appearance on the television series House of Cards, and recently finished working on a short film titled Garfunkel. 

Bill Kropff, Director of Facilities
As director of Facilities, Bill Kropff oversees the maintenance of the school and its grounds. He was the executive director of Operations for 13 years at McCallie School, where he worked since 1998. Mr. Kropff holds an associate’s degree in culinary arts and bachelor’s degree in management from Johnson & Wales University. 

Cécile Lainé, French teacher
Cécile Lainé is a native speaker of the French language and holds an Master of Education degree from Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio) and MBA from Paris Graduate School of Management (Paris, France). After a 10-year career in management with Procter & Gamble, Ms. Lainé became an educator and worked at middle and high schools in Wyoming, Ohio, before coming to Chattanooga, where she taught at Chattanooga School of Language and Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts. 

Dr. Gregg Lightfoot, Seventh-Grade History Teacher and History/Social Sciences Department Chair
After teaching more than 20 years in independent schools, Dr. Gregg Lightfoot joins GPS to teach in the Middle School and chair the history/social sciences department. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Miami (Florida) in history and secondary education. He also obtained a Master’s of Arts and his Ph.D. from Cornell University (Ithaca, New York) in US/Latin American history and feminist, gender, and sexuality studies. 

Amelia Mann, Associate Director of College Counseling and Community Engagement
Amelia Mann graduated from Appalachian State University (Boone, North Carolina) with a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations and then from The College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Va.) with M.Ed. in educational policy, planning, and leadership; higher education administration. She worked in university admissions for more than 10 years at Florida State University and college counseling for four years at two prior independent schools. 

Dr. Erin Montero Rangno, Spanish Teacher/World Language Department Chair
Dr. Erin Montero Rangno spoke Spanish throughout her childhood and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Portuguese from California Lutheran University (Thousand Oaks). She went on to get her master’s degree in Latin American studies and a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque). Before coming to GPS, she taught Spanish language and culture classes at UNM and served as department chair at Warren Wilson College (Asheville, N.C.).

Vincent Parker, Facilities/Bus Driver
A Chattanooga native, Vincent Parker spent 15 years at McCallie in the facilities department before coming to GPS this summer. He has three daughters and likes to garden in his spare time. 

Caitlin Rozell, Graphic Designer
Caitlin Rozell has a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication from Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro) with a concentration in journalism and minors in art and marketing. She has prior experience in healthcare marketing design and is part of the Marketing and Communications team at GPS. 

Lisa Reynolds Shanahan ’83, Director of Impact Fund
After graduating from GPS in 1983, Lisa Reynolds Shanahan obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Tennessee Knoxville and a master’s in industrial organizational psychology from St. Mary's University (San Antonio, Texas). She worked as a team development specialist at General Electric and as a freelance organizational development consultant. She’s also spent the past 17 years doing volunteer work in fundraising.

Chris Twombley, Network Administrator
Chris Twombley recently returned to GPS to work in the IT department as the Network Administrator. He holds a computer systems administration degree from Southern Adventist University (Collegedale) and works as an adjunct professor at Chattanooga State Community College, where he also serves on the advisory board. A Chattanooga native, Mr. Twombley is also an EMT, CPR instructor, and foster parent.

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