TA News

Last spring was a big hiring season, as we geared up to say goodbye to five retirees and two teachers on leave – and, fortunately, it was a very successful hiring season as well! 

We are pleased to introduce the new faculty faces on campus this fall. This standout group brings an abundance of experience, energy, and new perspectives from around Vermont, New Hampshire, and further afield, to enhance teaching and learning at TA:

Nasser Abdel-Fatah joins the unified arts department as our new Design Tech Teacher. He comes to TA from Randolph Union Middle-High School, where he held a similar position for the past three years. Nasser brings a variety of career experiences to his role, including leading maker spaces, working as a paraeducator, and landscaping. 

Ryan Gilmour joins the math department, serving in an interim capacity during Luke Teschner’s two-year leave. Ryan previously taught math at Hartford High School and has worked as a math tutor for middle school students. Ryan also has a background in web design, engineering, and robotics. 

Brynn Kane is our new Dean of Academic Excellence & Equity. Brynn previously served as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for the Newport and Claremont school districts in New Hampshire. Prior to district-level leadership, Brynn was a classroom teacher for 13 years. 

Denise Mazzeo Lopez joins the world languages department this fall. Denise’s shift to teaching Spanish at the high school and middle school level comes after an extensive career teaching English at the University of Puerto Rico. Denise is familiar to the TA community, having worked as a paraeducator last school year.

Nic Phillips is our Interim Librarian as Kate Owen heads out on a sabbatical year. Nic’s previous positions in education include the librarian and media specialist at Oxbow High School and the STEAM teacher at Lyndon Town School. He also brings nonprofit experience with operations and curriculum development to his role.

Jessica Williams joins the unified arts department as our new Culinary Arts Teacher. Jessica recently had a similar culinary teaching position at the Hartford Tech Center. Her pivot to education follows an extensive career in the restaurant industry in both Canada and the US, along with experience in marketing and event planning. 

Zoe Wilson joins the unified arts department as our new Art Teacher. Zoe recently graduated from the University of Vermont, with an art education major and a year-long student teaching internship at Champlain Valley Union High School. Zoe has experience in a variety of mediums, from printmaking and painting to stained glass art and magazine publication. 

In addition to six new faculty members and a new dean, we also welcomed three paraeducators to the TA team: Sheila Bedi, Danielle Longmoore, and Diane Thomas.

Visit our staff page to view all Thetford Academy employees!