Accomplished educator, researcher, and content/technical writer Dr. Tom Destino brought a wealth of experience and expertise to the World Languages Department and started teaching Spanish in 2024. 

He was Christ School's Teacher of the Year for the 2025-26 academic year. 

Dr. Destino began his career in education more than 30 years ago as a professor at the University of California, Riverside. He would go on to spend eight years there before 19 more in college at Mars Hill University.  

Overall, he has focused on language teaching and teacher education, with a specialty in English as a second language. In addition, he has engaged in cross-cultural research, particularly with Mexican immigrant families in western North Carolina. 

Tom received his B.A. in Spanish and Education from Niagara University before obtaining a master's in Spanish Language and Linguistics from Wayne State University, and finally a Ph.D. in Foreign and Second Language Education/Linguistics from Ohio State University. 

He is originally from Niagara Falls, N.Y., and lives now in Weaverville, N.C. Tom’s wife, Charlotte, is an audiologist who works for the state of North Carolina. The couple have three adult children: Alex, Anna, and Max. 

Kris Dionne P'29 mixes enthusiasm with experience in her role as Campaign Director at Christ School. 

Hailing from Buffalo, N.Y., she has a natural talent for connecting with people and helping them see their own strengths.

Before joining Christ School in 2024, Kris spent a decade at United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, where she made an indelible impact as Associate Director of Donor Engagement and Business Partnerships. Known for her instinctive drive and collaborative spirit, Kris excelled at fostering strong relationships and rallying support for initiatives that benefit the broader community.

When she’s not at work, Kris loves spending time outdoors, diving into a good book, or planning her next family travel adventure. She and her high school sweetheart, Nick, are proud parents of Max '29 and Claire, and their Asheville home is kept lively by their pets – thanks to their persuasive, animal-loving children. 

Willem Ditch can distill what he loves most about teaching aviation to a singular moment. It’s when a young pilot realizes they can indeed fly a plane and are awash with confidence and pride.

Christ School was pleased to announce Willem as its new Director of the Robert Morgan ’36 Aviation Program in September 2026 following a competitive national process.

Willem is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified instructor who has taught at every level of training. Most recently, Willem has been Assistant Chief Instructor with the Illinois Aviation Academy, where he supported 300-400 students and their instructors through flight training, curriculum development, mentoring, and program administration.

Much of his work centers around helping students progress from their initial flights through practical test preparation while maintaining the training standards and structure required to run a large aviation program.

Willem’s experience includes 1,200 hours of flight time and more than 1,000 combined hours of either flight instruction or ground instruction.

Mr. Ditch caught the bug for aviation and teaching after graduating from Loyola University Chicago with a Chemistry degree in 2022. He earned his private, instrument, commercial, and flight instructor certificates over the course of one year.

Willem and his wife live in Asheville.  

The Robert Morgan Aviation Program was founded in 2022, and at the time was one of only three like it among U.S. high schools. Luke Garner ’24 and Tyler Brouse ’25 were the first Greenies to make solo flights in 2024 and the most recent pilot to accomplish the feat was Richard Magruder ’28.

Pilots learn on campus and through Western North Carolina Aviation – an FAA-certified flight school – which is owned by a Christ School family, Charles and Amy Thomas P’21. WNC Aviation is housed within Asheville Regional Airport, the third-busiest airport in North Carolina and less than 5 miles from campus. 

Based off past success, Gavin Dowell believes his methodology can unlock the full potential of every student-athlete. 

The North Carolina native accepted the position of Head of Strength and Conditioning in July 2026. 

Mr. Dowell's knowledge and experience include starting his own training business in Gaston County and internships at multiple Division I colleges. Mr. Dowell said the real turning point in his career as a strength and conditioning coach was an internship at NCISAA member school Charlotte Christian, where he realized he had a true passion for working at the high school level. 

Gavin graduated with a B.S. in Exercise and Sports Science from Queens University of Charlotte in 2022. 

His own aspirations alone should motivate Greenies – Coach Dowell successfully pursued the title of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association in 2025. It is considered one of the most prestigious certifications for people in his industry. 
 

Jennifer Druskis P'24 finds that her passion for philanthropy meshes perfectly with a background in event management and marketing. 

These qualities, coupled with being a Greenie mom, have served Jennifer well in her role as Donor Relations and Event Manager in our Advancement Office. 

Mrs. Druskis has had two sons who attended Christ School – James '24, who has a twin sister, Megan – and Jonny, who left after his ninth-grade year to play goalkeeper for the D.C. United Academy program. Jennifer received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado (Boulder) and her master's from the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs). 

Jennifer and her husband, Paul, live in Hendersonville, N.C., where she is a proud stepmom to Tyler and Rhylie. She enjoys playing tennis in her free time as well as cheering on her kids in sports. 

Christ School's prosperity now and moving forward can be largely attributed to the work of Assistant Head for External Affairs Betsy Ellis P'24, who has taken fundraising to unprecedented levels since her hiring in 2018. 

Each fiscal year reaches new heights, an upward trend that continued with 2025-26.

Mrs. Ellis assists Head of School Dr. Sean Jenkins P'29 with strategic initiatives, ever mindful of affording every boy the same opportunities she would want for her son, Ben '24, who was a 2023-24 Job Prefect. 

Mrs. Ellis previously worked in Christ School's Advancement Office from 2002 to 2004, assisting with fundraising for the renovation to St. Joseph’s Chapel. In 2004, Mrs. Ellis became Director of Advancement at Asheville's Evergreen Charter School. After the birth of her son, Mrs. Ellis joined Asheville's Pisgah Legal Services, where she worked for 11 years. Her job grew to Director of Philanthropy, managing a talented team, 1,600 donors, and increasing the non-profit's annual campaign from $200,000 to more than $1.4 million a year. 

Mrs. Ellis was ready for a new challenge and the opportunity to return to Christ School came at the right time. 

Mrs. Ellis, her husband James (an attorney in Black Mountain, N.C.), and their three sons live in Van Every House. When she is not working, Ellis loves to travel, cook, and entertain. She also enjoys spending time at the family's place on Lake Champlain in Vermont. 

Allegiances can change over time, even in the Christ School-Asheville School rivalry.

Assistant Athletic Director for Logistics Doug Embler P'19 grew up in west Asheville as the son of legendary Blues coach and teacher William "Doc" Embler. However, he has been a Greenie since 2008. 

Mr. Embler is instrumental to the daily operation of the Athletic Department. He coordinates all aspects of the gameday experience, whether the Greenies are home or traveling, and assists in game management and scheduling. Doug previously worked in the bookstore. 

Mr. Embler and his wife, Tina, live in Asheville. Their son is Hunter '19. 

Jay Farrell’s family tree is full of independent school educators.  

The English instructor’s parents as well as a grandfather have preceded him, and Mr. Farrell gravitated towards the relational approach to teaching at Christ School. 

Along with growing up on a school campus, Mr. Farrell experienced firsthand what it was like to be a boarding student when he did a postgraduate year at Pomfret School in Connecticut. He graduated from Ursinus College in 2017 with a B.A. in Media and Communication and began his teaching career last year at nearby Brevard Middle School. 

Mr. Farrell is the JV Baseball team's head coach and played the sport collegiately at Ursinus. 

Outside of baseball and teaching, Mr. Farrell’s interests are literature, soccer, writing, fitness, film, and fly-fishing. 

Robbie Francis P'27 can alternate between photography and videography without missing a shot. 

The longtime Asheville resident and seasoned creator has been part of an increased emphasis on visual storytelling from the Communications Department as our Creative Media Specialist, working on independent projects and collaborating with Director of Video Operations Chris Childers and Photographer/Social Media Manager Jessica Martin. 

You’ve probably seen Mr. Francis’s work before and just not known it. His freelance business, Francis Filmworks, produces content for regional camps, schools, and businesses. He was part of the Carolina Day School marketing and communications department from 2013 to 2022 and prior to that was a teacher at Carolina Day's Key School for 11 years. 

Mr. Francis holds a B.A. in English and a master’s degree in Education, both from Montreat College. 

He can trace his love for photography back to high school and creating prints inside a traditional darkroom, rediscovering it in a digital world 16 years ago. 

Mr. Francis has resided in the Asheville area since 1996 and currently lives there with his wife, Alisa, and their sons, Finn and Westley. He has two older daughters, Olive and Lucy. 

For fun, Mr. Francis likes to collect and listen to records – seeking out the nearest local shop when he is on the road. Seeing new places and traveling in general appeals to Mr. Francis. When he is here in the area, he enjoys mountain biking and canoe camping. 

Dr. Lisa Garner P'24 hopes that every Christ School boy grows and develops into the best version of themselves as Dean of Student Wellness. 

She oversaw the creation of the new Modern Life Skills Program for the 2025-26 academic year, part of our "Developing the Whole Boy" initiative. Mrs. Garner's primary day-to-day role is leading the school's counseling programs. 

Lisa is a native of western North Carolina and was happy to return home and join the Christ School community in 2021. Prior to this, Dr. Garner spent more than 20 years living and working in Chicago with a professional practice that focused exclusively on work with children, teens and families in residential, community mental health, and school settings.

Outside of school, she enjoys travel with her family to locations near and far, exploring local trails, gardening, and reading historical fiction. 

Dr. Garner and her husband, Lee, are proud parents to Lawson, Lily, and Luke '24.

Free time is fun time at Christ School. 

Jim Goodrum P'29 procures the very best local arts, entertainment, and dining options for the boys in his position as Director of Student Engagement. Asheville attracts 12.5 million tourists annually, so the possibilities are endless, but Greenies also take trips to regional locales like Charlotte, Greenville, S.C., and Knoxville, Tenn., too.

Mr. Goodrum organizes the year-round Dorm Wars competition between Christ School's six houses, Head of School holidays, the Asheville's Got Talent showcase, Christmas in the Greenie Dome, Junior-Senior Formal, and more.  

Even though he is a Georgia native, Mr. Goodrum spent much of his childhood going to the Falling Creek Summer Camp for boys in Tuxedo, N.C. He later worked at the camp as an activity leader, program director, and staffing director. 

Mr. Goodrum attended Mercer University, earning a B.A. in History. He returned to his college alma mater in 2002, serving as Assistant Director of Admissions and Recreational Sports and Wellness. More recently, Mr. Goodrum was in charge of student enrichment and summer programming at Carolina Day School.   

Mr. Goodrum and his wife, Kristi, have a son, Thompson '29, and a daughter, Alice. The family lives in Arden. 

A triple threat in the best sense. 

English Department Chair Will Gordon juggles his academic duties and after-school role as an assistant golf coach with being Head of Cuningham House, Christ School's youngest dorm for first-year eighth and ninth grade students. 

Mr. Gordon is a Spartanburg, S.C., native who graduated from Clemson University in 2020. He earned his master's in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. 

Outside of school, Mr. Gordon's interests include writing, golf, going to live shows, travel, and spending time with close friends and family.

Attentively meeting the needs of her students comes first and foremost to Stacy Graziosi P'25, a longtime educator at boarding schools.

Before coming to Christ School, Mrs. Graziosi was at West Nottingham Academy in Colora, Md., as Director of the Chesapeake Learning Center and Coordinator of STEM Peer Tutoring. Mrs. Graziosi is nearing her second decade of teaching in the Learning Resources Department. She has previously worked in Math, English as a Second Language (ESL), Literature and Composition, and Health.

Ms. Graziosi has also previously been an assistant athletic director, campus blood-drive coordinator, and a dorm parent. Prior to teaching, her experience was that of a health educator, administrator, program director and counselor providing education and support services to those in need.

Mrs. Graziosi earned her B.A. in Social Services from the New York’s State University and her master’s in Health Care Administration from Boston’s Simmons College.

Mrs. Graziosi has a passion for theater, music, singing, and sports. She spent many years performing community theater and was a member of the Treasure Coast and New Lyric Theater opera societies in Florida.

She and her husband, Math instructor Joseph Graziosi P'25, live on campus. They are parents to Elijah '25. 

Joseph Graziosi P’25 knows that Math can be infinitely frustrating to the average student. 

He never wants to see a boy give into their struggles, which is why his method of expediting confidence has worked so often over the course of a three-decade career in boarding schools.

Mr. Graziosi joined the faculty in 2023. His previous position was Director of STEM/Math and Science Department Chair at West Nottingham Academy in Maryland. There, he taught Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Finite Mathematics, and Quantitative Reasoning with Statistics. Mr. Graziosi said his approach to teaching involves uplifting students as they progress to more advanced levels. His personal mantra comes from the ancient Roman poet Virgil: “They are able who think they are able.”

In addition to teaching here, Mr. Graziosi has written and directed a two-act rock opera, "Two Kings," and coached lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling. 

He holds a B.A. in Communications from Mount Union College and a master’s in Teaching and Learning from New York’s Oneida University.

For hobbies, Mr. Graziosi is an ardent musician and enjoys spending time with his family. He and his wife, Learning Resources instructor Stacy Graziosi P'25, live on campus. They are parents to Elijah '25. 

Colton Green grew up admiring his coaches at Hixson (Tenn.) High School and made those mentors proud, winning 251 games in 13 seasons as his alma mater's baseball coach.  

Mr. Green is a new addition to the Math Department. 

He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2013 with a B.S. in Secondary Mathematics and went on to obtain his master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the Western Governors University in 2025. 

In his free time, Colton enjoys lifting weights, being outdoors and spending time with his family – Director of Facilities Samantha Green and their children, Cooper and Lucy. The Greens live on campus. 

The Dignity of Manual Labor appeals to Samantha Green, who looks forward to her grounds and maintenance teams embodying Christ School's Fourth Pillar in their everyday support of academic and residential life.  

Mrs. Green takes over as Director of Facilities amid plans for a new Academic Building and expanded campus housing – permits for the construction were approved in June 2026. 

She worked the past eight years at her high school alma mater, Baylor School (Tenn.), having been Director of Operations and Systems since January 2025, in addition to previous roles as Director of Auxiliary Programs, College Counseling Office and Testing Coordinator, Summer Programs Director and interim History instructor. Much like Christ School, Baylor is a large campus (700 acres) that operates year-round. Within her role, she was able to take part in overseeing capital projects, infrastructure upgrades, dorm renovations, athletic field replacements, and vendor transitions, all while maintaining steady daily operations.

Samantha was a Division I softball player for Tennessee Tech University where she earned a B.A. in Secondary Education: History before going on to receive her master's in Independent School Leadership from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. 

Samantha and her husband, Math instructor Colton Green, live on campus with their children, Cooper and Lucy. 

Lacrosse grows in popularity every year and Christ School is keeping pace. 

Coach Patrick Haley's 2025 team got hot at the right time, winning the NCISAA Division I state championship with a convincing 12-4 win at top-seeded Durham Academy. 

Along with head coach and Program Director, Mr. Haley has been Assistant Athletic Director for Student Life since 2022. 

Mr. Haley came to Christ School from St. John’s College High School near Washington, D.C., where he was an assistant coach and offensive coordinator for the country’s No. 1 ranked high school team, according to Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse. Prior to his eight years at St. John’s, Mr. Haley was offensive coordinator and the first coach and employee of IMG Academy’s program in Bradenton, Fla. He was responsible for launching IMG Academy’s residential lacrosse student program. Mr. Haley has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Maryland University College.  

Mr. Haley brought 14 years of coaching experience to Christ School and comes from an extensive lacrosse family. Mr. Haley has mentored dozens of NCAA lacrosse players, including two of his younger brothers (Georgetown University and University of Maryland) and four of his cousins (University of Denver, Georgetown University, University of Maryland, Ohio State University, and United States Naval Academy).  

Mr. Haley played collegiate lacrosse at Towson University. Through his education and work experience, he has built a network that will support and build Christ School lacrosse.  

Mr. Haley and his wife, Kellie, live on campus with their sons, Pax and Rowe, and daughter, Florence.   

Science Department Chair Dr. Brent Harris P'29 quickly made an impact at Christ School.

He was voted 2018-19 Teacher of the Year following just his second year with the faculty and promoted to head swimming coach in 2020. 

During his doctoral work in Astrochemistry at the University of Virginia, where he received his Ph. D in 2014, Dr. Harris was a National Science Foundation Fellow. For four years after that, Dr. Harris employed his research as a principal investigator, commercializing and inventing new instrumentation for chemical sensing. As a result of his entrepreneurial and technical experience, Dr. Harris served as an expert reviewer for the National Science Foundation engineering directorate. 

Dr. Harris teaches AP and Honors Chemistry at Christ School. He is a faculty advisor for the National Honor Society. 

Dr. Harris and his wife, Robin Pulliam-Harris, live on campus with their children – Charles '29, Kathleen, and Simon. In his spare time, Dr. Harris enjoys choir-singing as well as hiking and running trails in the Asheville area. 

Lisbeth Harrison provides invaluable support to College Guidance as Office Manager, working closely with Director Kirk Blackard and Associate Director Tracy Weldon. 

Ms. Harrison came to Christ School in 2019 after 23 years at Carolina Day School where she was a teachers assistant and also worked in the Advancement and Admission offices. 

Outside of work, Ms. Harrison likes to travel, work in her garden, hike, read, and spend time with her family. She is involved in the French Broad River Garden Club and serves on the hospitality team at St. Eugene's Catholic Church. Ms. Harrison has lived in Asheville since 1975 and has three sons.