Wesley King P'27 was announced as Varsity Baseball Coach in 2020 and assists boys in the Learning Resource Department as well.
Mr. King has been involved in education since 2003 and has taught in North Carolina and South Carolina schools. After receiving a degree in Sports Management from Western Carolina University, he earned teaching certificates in Business and Physical Education from Winthrop University and Mars Hill University.
Coaching-wise, Mr. King has worked at the varsity level in North Carolina since 2004 and amassed 180 career wins as a head coach. He has mentored 37 college players.
Mr. King is married to Kelli and the couple have two sons, Sawyer '27 and Cason.
Steven Kramer specializes in Spanish and was formerly a court interpreter in Spain. But his vast knowledge of World Languages extends to German, Italian, Russian, Dutch, and Galician as well.
Mr. Kramer has been a Spanish instructor and Outdoor Program coach at Christ School since 2019.
He Kramer spent two years aboard as a teaching assistant and was a teaching fellow at the University of North Carolina for the 2018-19 school year. He graduated with a B.S. in Spanish and International Business, with a minor in German from College of Charleston in 2014. Mr. Kramer went on to earn a master's degree in Linguistics from UNC in 2019.
His wife's name is Beth.
Wyatt Long came on board as a Learning Resource/English instructor and assistant varsity lacrosse coach in 2020.
Mr. Long graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English from Hartwick College in 2019. After that, he returned to his high school alma mater (Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J.) to work in communications and coach lacrosse.
Mr. Long enjoys fishing, kayaking, hiking, cooking, and cheering on Philadelphia sports teams.
Graylyn Loomis '10 has given an authentic voice to Christ School's Communications Department since becoming Director of Communications and Digital Marketing in 2019.
The Christ School alumnus returned to campus after nearly four years at LINKS Magazine, a golf publication based out of Hilton Head, S.C. Mr. Loomis was Digital Editor, Associate Editor and Digital Content Manager, and Assistant Editor during his time with LINKS. He received his B.A. in English from the University of St. Andrews in 2014.
Along with his duties in Communications, Mr. Loomis serves as head coach of Varsity Golf, which has won 15 consecutive conference championships in the Carolinas Athletic Association. In addition to golf, he has a passion for woodworking. Mr. Loomis and his wife, Lucy, live in Asheville with their son, Henry.
Like any seasoned houseparent, Carolyn Lowe-Thompson P’24 P’26 has proven to be a meaningful contributor at all hours.
She and her family live in Cuningham House where they mentor the youngest Greenies in addition to Mrs. Thompson's positions as a Math instructor and assistant coach with the Greenie cross country and swimming programs.
Mrs. Thompson was the valedictorian of her high school, won a NCAA Division III national championship in the 10,000-meter run, and has taught, coached, or been a houseparent at schools in the Bahamas, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia.
She was one of the founders of the Community School for Arts and Academics in Roanoke, Va., where she worked from 2013 to 2020. Mrs. Thompson has head-coaching experience in cross country, cycling, swimming, and track.
Mrs. Thompson earned her B.S. in Operations Research from Carnegie Mellon University and then a master’s degree in Education from the University of New Hampshire. She enjoys all outdoor activities, including training for triathlons.
Jack Lynch's love for the outdoors is rooted in the prairies and lakes of his hometown in northern Illinois.
Mr. Lynch has been at Christ School since 2019, teaching Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science in addition to his role as a coach in the Outdoor Program.
Mr. Lynch graduated from Maine's Colby College in 2016 with a B.A. in Biology, concentrating in Ecology and Evolution. Upon graduating, Mr. Lynch presented his original research on habitat fragmentation at the 2016 Ecological Society of American conference.
After graduating, Mr. Lynch worked as a field botanist with the Bureau of Land Management in Taos, N.M., and later started his career in education as a teaching apprentice at the High Mountain Institute, in Leadville, Colo. From there, he worked as a teaching fellow at the Alzar School in Cascade, I.D., where he paddled with Christ School alumnus Richard Lytle '20. Afterwards, Mr. Lynch completed his master's degree at the University of Virginia where he taught Anatomy and Biology at Monticello High School (Va.).
Outside of school, Mr. Lynch likes to climb, mountain bike, play board games, and read.
Olga Mahoney P'20 takes immense pride in teaching Greenies to give back as Christ School's Director of Service Learning.
Mrs. Mahoney coordinates community service opportunities for the boys in the Asheville area and enjoys working alongside them. She was Christ School's Teacher of the Year for the 2017-18 school year and is an instructor in AP World History, Ethics, and Public Speaking.
Mrs. Mahoney earned both her bachelors degree in Russian Language and a master's in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University. Furthermore, she also holds a master's degree in Education from Harvard University. For 11 years, Mrs. Mahoney served in several teaching and administrative roles at Milton Academy in Milton, Mass. Before that, she worked as an intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as a research assistant for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Mrs. Mahoney and her husband, Kevin, have two children, Michael '20 and Alexandra.
Watch the Faculty Spotlight on Olga Mahoney
John Manganiello is now in his third year with Christ School’s History Department and a seasoned educator with 24 years of teaching experience in independent schools.
Mr. Manganiello was born and raised in New Rochelle, N.Y., and began his career in the Empire State at Windward School in White Plains, N.Y., where he spent 15 years as a teacher, mentor, coach, Department Chair, and team leader. Mr. Manganiello wanted to experience other educational philosophies and take on a variety of administrative roles and did so, becoming the Assistant Head of the Masters Middle School in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. Here, he discovered his love for boarding schools and embraced being part of the school community.
He next became Headmaster of the Beacon School in Stamford, Conn., where Mr. Manganiello was proud of the school’s ability to provide a truly individualized learning experience to gifted and twice-exceptional students. After his stint at Beacon, Mr. Manganiello became Director of both the Prospect and Bridge programs at the Wooster School in Danbury, Conn., helping students with language-based learning disabilities by offering an appropriate learning environment and instruction while keeping the students in a mainstream setting.
Mr. Manganiello completed his undergraduate degree at Lemoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., where he double majored in History and Religious Studies. He completed his graduate work and earned his master's degree in Special Education, with a concentration on learning disabilities from the College of New Rochelle. He later earned a second master's degree in History from Iona College.
Mr. Manganiello and his family always envisioned moving to North Carolina one day. They became more confident it was the correct decision when they visited the Christ School campus and met so many wonderful people, he said.
Mr. Manganiello also coaches in the Athletic Department and lives on campus with his wife, Joanne, and their son, Chase. During his free time, he enjoys cooking for his family and friends, playing sports, biking, writing, and playing with his son.
Mike Mohney P'23 is renowned amongst the boys for arriving early to his classroom and staying as late as needed.
The passion and personal care put into his positions as Mathematics Department chair and Director of the Outdoor Program were the catalysts to Mr. Mohney being named 2022-23 Christ School's Teacher of the Year.
The 2023-24 academic year will be the 20th for Mr. Mohney at Christ School.
Before his career in teaching, Mr. Mohney was a U.S. Navy officer specializing in nuclear power plants. Following the Navy, he worked as Engineering Manager for the Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Station in Salem County (N.J.).
Mr. Mohney and his wife, Deidra, live on campus and are parents to Chapin '23.
Kim Murphy P’24 and P’27 greets first-time visitors to campus, alumni, and students she knows on a first-name basis with the same level of courtesy and helpfulness. No one could be a better face of the school as Front Office Manager in Wetmore Hall.
Mrs. Murphy took on his integral job in 2019. She works in close coordination with the Student Life and Residential Life offices.
Mrs. Murphy moved to Asheville in 2015 with her husband, Tony, and their two sons, Tony Jr. ’24, and Myles ’27. After moving to Asheville, she became very involved volunteering in her children’s school as the VP, President or Committee Chair of their school’s PTA/PTO.
In her free time, Mrs. Murphy enjoys taking cooking classes, working in her garden, trying new restaurants, spending time with her family, and attending sporting and comedy events.
Hamid Najafi prides himself on being a results-driven, innovative professional with an excellent track record and has brought these qualities to Christ School as a Robotics and Engineering instructor.
Mr. Najafi was named Teacher of the Year for 2021-22. He was a faculty advisor for the new robotics team in 2023.
Mr. Najafi has taught locally as an adjunct professor at A-B Tech Community College and Blue Ridge Community College, where he won the 2019 Extra Mile Award. His professional experience in engineering and as a manager dates back to 1983. From 2002 to 2010, he worked as a real estate developer, overseeing the construction of one of the first all-inclusive executive office suites in the county.
Mr. Najafi studied at Clemson University (MSEE), Piedmont Management Institute, and Midwestern State University. He and his wife, Cindy, have been married for more than 40 years. They have two adult children, Dani and Christian.
Every athletic team at Christ School has a leg up on the opposition thanks to Duncan Parham P'13, who just completed his 20th year here.
Mr. Parham is Associate Athletic Director and his deep background in strength training and conditioning helps prepare Greenies athletes for their seasons.
Prior to Christ School, Mr. Parham had served as Asheville School's Annual Fund Director. He is a Blues graduate and attended college at Loyola University of New Orleans.
Mr. Parham and his wife, Admissions Department Office Manager Coco Parham, have two children, Ellsworth '13 and Emma.
Coco Parham P'13 has provided invaluable support as an Office Manager at Christ School for 19 years now, the past six in Admissions.
Mrs. Parham previously worked for 13 years in the College Guidance Office as an administrative assistant and testing coordinator.
Mrs. Parham graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.A. in 1987. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, and watching a great movie. She prides herself on being an animal advocate and has volunteered in the past with the Asheville Humane Society.
Mrs. Parham is married to Christ School Associate Athletic Director Duncan Parham. They have two children, Ellsworth ’13 and Emma.
Serving as a conduit for all the incredible things that happen daily on Christ School's 500-acre campus as well as the continued excellence of Greenies, both past and present, is what drives Digital Content and Communications Specialist Andrew Pearson.
Now in his seventh year, Mr. Pearson updates the school's social media accounts, writes news articles for the school's homepage, and provides sports information for all Greenie athletic teams.
Mr. Pearson has lived in the Asheville area since 1995 and graduated from UNC Asheville in 1999 with a B.A. in Mass Communication. He covered his share of Greenie games, matches, and meets for two local newspapers (the Asheville Citizen-Times and Hendersonville Times-News) for a combined 18 years, including 13 at the Citizen-Times, the region’s largest paper.
Mr. Pearson lives in Fletcher with his wife, Ursula.
Dr. Jack Peterson quickly acclimated to Christ School as a mid-year hire during the 2022-23 academic year and is now ready to continue the excellence of the Learning Resources Department as its new director.
Dr. Peterson first came onboard as an LR instructor last spring. He describes himself as a creative, collaborative English teaching professional with strong administrative skills and a passion for student success in higher education.
He is the founder of Ao English, an online service that offers tutoring and editing. Dr. Peterson has previously been an instructor at five different colleges, most recently on a part-time basis at Durham Technical College in Durham, N.C. He was the Parish Administrator for Durham’s St. Titus’ Episcopal Church from 2021 to 2022.
After receiving his B.A. in English from Georgia’s Covenant College in 2002, Dr. Peterson studied at the University of Washington where he earned his master’s in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and then Indiana University Pennsylvania, where he received a PhD in Composition and Applied Linguistics.
Dr. Peterson was born in Ohio, but has also lived in Vietnam, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Indiana, Washington, and now North Carolina.
Dr. Peterson enjoys writing poetry in his free time and his work has been published. His wife’s name is Amy and they have two children.
Erin Price gets delight out of seeing how far imaginations can go in the Kennedy-Herterich Art Studio.
She has applied a lifelong love of art to 14 years of teaching up and down the east coast. Her courses at Christ School include Art, Advanced Art, and AP Art History. During the school year, Mrs. Price posts updates from the studio to Instagram (@fineartsofchristschool).
Ms. Price received her B.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Saxophone Performance from Presbyterian College. She then attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she completed post-bachelor courses in Painting and Graphic Design. Later, Mrs. Price received a masters in Art Teaching in Art Education from Lander University and Masters of Library and Information Science from USC-Columbia.
In addition to creating art and teaching, Mrs. Price enjoys spending time with her husband and son.
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.
The school has continued to flourish with her 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 one of the faculty advisors 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
Teaching his students about the way the world works is paramount to Assistant Head of School Ron Ramsey, whether it’s in the classroom or wading in a mountain stream.
Mr. Ramsey first came to Christ School in 2013, was named Principal in 2019, and elevated to his current position in 2021. In the past, he has served as chair of the Science Department and Director of the Outdoor Program.
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.
Mr. Ramsey on the Outdoor Program
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.
Wesley Shelmire has consistently put a high level of care and precision in every assignment he has been given at Christ School.
He became Assistant Dean of Students starting with the 2022-23 school year and helps organize the school's outreach with Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Shelmire also coaches paddlers and promotes the Outdoor Program in general with photo and video content.
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, Texas 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.
