Emily Pulsifer P'15, P'17 champions Christ School at every opportunity, having seen what the curriculum and culture has done for her sons, Liam '15 and Zach '17, as well as many other students.
This passion translates into her daily work as Dean of Academics.
Mrs. Pulsifer has been a member of the faculty since 2009, was formerly the chair of the English Department, and was named 2019-20 Teacher of the Year.
Mrs. Pulsifer has also been a longtime faculty advisor for the Struan, the school’s art and literary magazine, an assistant coach for cross country and track, and a writing coach for seniors as they prepare college applications. She earned her B.A. in History from Emory University, and her master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Southern Maine. Mrs. Pulsifer previously taught at Kents Hill School in Maine.
She reads, runs, and cooks in west Asheville with her husband, Andrew.
Watch the Faculty Spotlight on Emily Pulsifer
Finding the right person to be Christ School's first Director of Safety and Security was a search that began and ended with Ron Ramsey.
Mr. Ramsey’s love for the boys and scrupulous attention to detail have been part of the school’s fiber for 11 years.
He has previously been in positions of leadership as chair of the Science Department, Director of the Outdoor Program, Principal, and had been Assistant Head of School since 2021.
Mr. Ramsey earned a B.S. in Secondary Education from Tennessee Tech University in 1998 and an M.S. in Science Education from Montana State University in 2009. He began his teaching career at St. Andrews-Sewanee School, where Mr. Ramsey spent 12 years. Along with his duties at Christ School, Mr. Ramsey volunteers for the Buncombe County Rescue Squad and serves as a member of the Western North Carolina Mountain Rescue Team 3.
In his free time, Mr. Ramsey likes to fly-fish, read, and explore the outdoors with his family. He and his wife, Vivian, live on campus and have a daughter, Audrey.
Tonya Richardson found herself drawn to Christ School by the Four Pillars, namely Academic Rigor and Spirituality, and how they meld into the daily experience for the boys.
She brings a proven track record in financial management, strategic planning, and leadership to the position of Chief Financial Officer.
Ms. Richardson was previously Director of Finance at Nashville’s Oak Hill School, living and working in the Music City for 19 years. There, she was responsible for managing financial operations, including developing and implementing budget controls, and ensuring compliance with relevant policies and regulations. Her experience included preparing financial statements, conducting financial analysis, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve organizational goals. Ms. Richardson also oversaw all aspects of the human resources department at Oak Hill.
Ms. Richardson graduated from the University of Tennessee and holds degrees in French and International Business. She considers herself a V.F.L. (Vol For Life) and is passionate about her support for the college's sports teams. Ms. Richardson said she enjoys a vibrant life with two adult sons, a circle of cherished friends, and her pets. She comes from a family of chefs and has a profound appreciation for the culinary arts as well as reading, spending time outdoors, and traveling.
Ms. Richardson lives on campus.
Josh Schwartz bases his coaching philosophy around three E’s (effort, enthusiasm, and execution), which has allowed him to build an impressive resume in lacrosse.
Mr. Schwartz has worked at five different colleges, most recently rising to the rank of Associate Head Coach at Catawba College. Christ School lacrosse has been bolstered by his coaching expertise and Mr. Schwartz teaches in the Learning Resource Department.
He graduated from the University of Mount Olive with a B.S. degree in Exercise Science in 2014, then earned his master’s in College Athletics Administration from Coker College.
Mr. Schwartz lives on campus with his wife, Katie.
Much like his paddle strokes, Wesley Shelmire consistently puts a high level of care and precision into every one of his assignments at Christ School.
He is the new Director of Eighth and Ninth Grade Formation for 2024-25, with a stated purpose to create and foster a supportive, engaging environment for the youngest Greenies.
Mr. Shelmire first joined the school in 2022 as Assistant Dean of Students, helping organize our outreach with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Shelmire also currently directs the Outdoor Program, sharing his expertise as an avid kayaker and promoting the program in general with multimedia content for school communications.
Outside of Christ School, Mr. Shelmire has worked at Camp Mondamin in nearby Zirconia, N.C., where he has been Head of Paddling and a Trip Leader.
A native of the Dallas area, Mr. Shelmire graduated from the University of Colorado in 2020 with a B.A. in Sociology. He was a member of the Applied Leadership Program and Core Leadership Program during his time in Boulder, Colo.
Mr. Shelmire has always had a special interest in the outside world, specifically identifying plants and fungi. Additionally, he can play the saxophone, guitar, piano, and harmonica. Other hobbies besides climbing, yoga, meditation, reading, and trail running.
Lane Shelton capably handles day-to-day operations for the Business Office as Staff Accountant. Lane has been at Christ School since 2006.
Dr. Spenser Simrill, a former Outstanding Teacher Award winner at the University of Georgia, joined the Christ School community after a decade and a half as a college English instructor in Athens, Ga.
Outside the classroom, he most recently presented "A Blueprint for Racial Healing" at the 2024 TEDx Asheville event and has been an assistant coach for cross country.
Dr. Simrill worked in the UGA Office of International Education as a Program Coordinator from 2002 to 2017. In the past, he has taught a semester-long project in digital media and storytelling through the Lovett School in Atlanta. Dr. Simrill graduated with a B.A. in English from UGA in 1998, and later a PhD in English from the same university in 2004. He has led or assisted programs dealing with outdoor education, photography, and publications.
He lives on campus with his wife, Maggie.
Testing and learning as a whole would not look the same at Christ School without Dale Sparacino.
In her 28 years, Mrs. Sparacino has helped start the Learning Resource program and continues to aid it as well as teach the Test Prep Class. She earned her B.A. in Special Education from Florida Atlantic University in 1980 and her teaching background includes jobs in with Henderson County Schools and the Hun School of Princeton, N.J.
Mrs. Sparacino enjoys the outdoors, travel, and time spent with her family. Her husband’s name is David.
Christ School would not run nearly as smooth without the daily efforts of Steve Stay P'27, who has been Registrar and Executive Assistant to the Head of School since 2020.
Mr. Stay began his career as a middle and junior high school counselor in Carthage, Mo., then spent five years as a high school counselor for students with special needs in Doha, Qatar. From there, he worked in the post-secondary education arena at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar as an academic counselor for first and second-year medical students.
Mr. Stay received his B.S. in Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic from Brigham Young University and an M.A. in School Counseling from Ohio State University.
Mr. Stay and his wife, Rachel, have four children, including Elliott '27. In his free time, he likes to sing, play guitar, hike, bike, volunteer, make chainmaille trinkets, act, and play tabletop role-playing games.
Dan Stevenson ’72 P'15 is doing what he loves at a place he holds dear as Senior Endowment Gifts Officer.
Mr. Stevenson returned to Christ School, his own alma mater, in 2011 after a 35-year career in business.
Mr. Stevenson likes reconnecting with former classmates and friends as well as facilitating those relationships for others. He is especially happy to see the school’s growth and current momentum, adding “Christ School is thriving like never before and you will be proud of what you see when you come to campus for a visit.”
Mr. Stevenson won the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2022. The boys dedicated the 2023 Angelus yearbook to him.
Mr. Stevenson graduated from the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in History in 1978. He stays fit by running. Mr. Stevenson and his wife, Jill, have two sons, Dan III and Andrew ’15.
Enrollment and overall interest in Christ School continue to hit peak levels with Palmer Straughn as Director of Admission.
Mr. Straughn worked in college admissions for 13 years before coming to Christ School in 2017.
A seasoned fly fisherman and backpacker, Mr. Straughn could not have picked a better school to continue his work in admissions and fuel two of his greatest passions. Christ School’s location offers world-class fly fishing and some of the Southeast’s best hiking. After heading up the Outdoor Program at Wofford College, Mr. Straughn graduated with a B.A. in History in 2004 and began as an Admission Counselor at Lees-McRae College. Mr. Straughn would go on to advance to Associate Director of Admission and Senior Associate Director of Admission at Wofford.
Mr. Straughn co-presented “Navigating the NCAA and Admission” at the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) Drive-in Workshop (2015) and followed that effort the next year by co-presenting “Application Case Studies.” At the SACAC’s annual conference in 2014, Mr. Straughn co-presented “Not Just a Small School: The Benefits of a Liberal Arts College.”
Mr. Straughn and his wife, Sara, live on campus.
Residing on campus and the daily ebb and flow of boarding school are part of what drew Wenshun Tang to Christ School.
Mr. Tang teaches in the World Languages Department with his specialty being Mandarin.
Prior to Christ School, he spent time in Wuxi, China, teaching English and before that taught five levels of Mandarin, assisted with admissions, and served as a liaison to international families at Florida Prep Academy.
Mr. Tang received his B.A. in English from Nanjing Normal University in China and his master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Vermont’s SIT Graduate Institute.
Mr. Tang lives on campus with his wife, Ying.
Always eager to keep learning and bettering himself, Mark Thompson P’24, P’26 has been involved in education for three decades, including 14 years as an administrator.
He joined the History Department in 2022 and was an assistant coach for Christ School's NCISAA 4-A state championship cross country team.
Mr. Thompson was formerly Assistant Head of School at The Greenfield School in Wilson, N.C., and prior to that was Head of the Upper School at North Cross (Va.) for 12 years. He has also worked at schools in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York.
Mr. Thompson received his B.A. in History from Bates College in 1991 and his master’s in Social Studies Education from Boston University in 1995.
Mr. Thompson describes himself as an avid reader, runner, and hiker. He ran in college and has completed five marathons, a Half Ironman triathlon, and other shorter races.
Mr. Thompson and his wife, Math instructor Carolyn Lowe-Thompson, have three children – Tyler ’24, Spence ’26, and Kaile.
The sky over campus will never be the same after the introduction of the Robert Morgan '36 Aviation Program in October 2022.
For years, World Languages teacher Les Thornbury has regaled the boys with stories from his time as a Navy F/A 18C pilot. He and Stephen Hoffert P'26 now assist Greenies in logging their own hours in the school's plane, "Greenie 1."
The aviation program is named after a noted Christ School alumnus who flew the Memphis Belle in World War II.
Mr. Thornbury has been a member of the faculty since 2016 and graduated from VMI. Following his Navy career, he taught Spanish in Connecticut public schools for eight years, including a year as a Fulbright Exchange teacher in Mexico. In addition to his Spanish classes, Mr. Thornbury is a coach with Christ School's Outdoor Program.
He became a professional standup paddleboarder in 2018.
Professional disc golf player Ken Tyburski can often be seen taking advantage of Christ School's nine-hole course to practice his craft.
He teaches Math at Christ School, is a house parent in Harris House, coach in the Outdoor Program, and does public-address announcing for Greenie athletic games. Mr. Tyburski has been at Christ School since 2017 and has worked in single-gender education since 2006.
Mr. Tyburski graduated from Georgia Tech in 1999 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering – Cooperative Plan (a designation for undergraduates who worked three semesters in a professional organization while attending school).
Mr. Tyburski turned pro in disc golf in August 2014. When he’s not busy directing tournaments, teaching clinics, and volunteering at local events, Mr. Tyburski likes to hike and camp in the Asheville area.
James Uhler has been a consummate faculty leader, embracing every new challenge in two-plus decades at Christ School.
He stepped up to become the Associate Dean of Academics starting with the 2022-23 school year.
Mr. Uhler has twice been named the school Teacher of the Year (2004 and 2017) and given invaluable education and encouragement to the youngest Greenies as our Eighth Grade Coordinator. He has also been a History instructor.
Mr. Uhler won the P.H. Broyhill Teacher Award in 2013. He was twice selected to the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers list (1998 and 2005). Mr. Uhler has served as a Consultant and Reader for the College Board for the AP U.S. History Exam in the past, chaired the History Department, coached Greenie baseball and swimming, been a house parent in the dorms, and headed up the summer work crew.
Mr. Uhler earned a B.A. degree in History from Xavier University as a University Scholar in 1996. He went on to receive a master’s in History from Ohio University five years later. Mr. Uhler and his wife, Becky, live on campus and have two children, Stella and Colin.
Watch Mr. Uhler discuss 8th grade education at Christ School.
Chad Walker prides himself on standards such as program-building, player development, and a commitment to academic excellence.
Coach Walker is now entering his third year as Program Director for football and Assistant Athletic Director for Coaching Relations.
Mr. Walker came to us from Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, where he was the 2020 Florida Athletic Coaches Association 2-A District 15 Coach of the Year. The Lancers (9-2) not only won on the field but also had the third-highest grade point average in the Florida High School Athletic Association.
Prior to Cambridge, Mr. Walker worked for several collegiate football programs including as an assistant coach at Lafayette (his alma mater). He has experience training NFL veterans as well as prospects for their combines and pro days. He is also involved with the Lauren's First and Goal Foundation, a group that hosts the largest one-day football camp in the country to raise money for cancer-related causes.
Mr. Walker was an all-conference player at Lafayette, where he graduated with a B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology in 2006. He played football professionally in Italy and Sweden before starting his coaching career in 2008.
Mr. Walker lives on campus with his wife, Victoria, and their daughter, Elle.
Christ School students can count on Tracy Weldon to be a trusted ally in their college search.
The Assistant Director of College Guidance says she is inspired by college applicants who take the process seriously and aims to help every boy explore all possibilities, whether the universities are domestic or abroad.
Mrs. Weldon grew up on a small farm just outside Asheville but has spent her last 10 years working as a college counselor at international boarding schools in Leysin, Switzerland, Shanghai, China, and most recently, Jeju Island, Korea. Besides college counseling, she also has experience working in admissions and alumni affairs at a small private liberal arts college.
She holds a master’s in Higher Education from Harvard University and both a master’s in Creative Writing and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Mrs. Weldon has long admired the mission and beauty of Christ School. Her first visit to campus was one of her high school cross country races that she remembers fondly.
Outside of school, Tracy enjoys traveling, hiking, gardening, and spending time with her daughter and husband.
Rarely will you see Donna Wheeler P'21 around campus without a camera in her hands.
Mrs. Wheeler has seen a countless amount of special Christ School moments through her viewfinder since 2002 and captured them through photos.
Mrs. Wheeler serves as Director of Publications, meaning she is the editor of The Galax magazine and oversees and edits all print and marketing materials; she also serves as the primary school photographer and advisor for our yearbook, The Angelus. Overall, Mrs. Wheeler has worked in independent schools for more than 30 years. She began the Christ School portion of her career as chair of the English Department and cross country coach. Mrs. Wheeler earned a B.A. in English from Middlebury College in 1983 and an M.A. in English from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English four years later.
Her hobbies include quilting, poetry, and spending time with her dog, Birdie. Mrs. Wheeler is married to Tad Wheeler, who is part of Christ School’s grounds crew. Mrs. Wheeler has four sons, Chris, Josh, Carter, and Max ’21.
