Dean of Students Drew Hyche '94 has been a beloved mainstay of the administration for 26 years.
He was a natural choice as the 2023 winner of the Water Carrier Award, which annually goes to a faculty or staff member who largely works behind the scenes and embodies the ideals of compassion, humor, a sense of history, humility, loyalty, the ability to teach, and an unshakeable commitment to the Christ School community.
"You won't find many people working here with more personal knowledge of Christ School," Head of School Dr. Sean Jenkins P'29 said at the time.
After graduating from Clemson University in 1998, Mr. Hyche came back to his alma mater to work as an intern in Residential Life and to coach basketball and tennis. Since then, he has worked in Student Activities, Admissions, and Student Life.
Mr. Hyche also serves as one of the Administrators on Duty and as one of the advisors to Form VI (12th grade). He lives on campus with his two children, Harper and Burns.
Recent growth and innovation at Christ School can be attributed to aspirational leadership, balanced with respect for the tradition of our first 125 years.
Dr. Sean Jenkins '29 became the 14th Head of School in July 2021. The Board of Trustees approved the first strategic plan of his term a year later, followed by a campus master plan, and Christ School has continued its upward trajectory ever since.
Enrollment reached a record high to start the 2024-25 academic year – 308 boys from 17 different states and 11 countries.
Academic Rigor is never more evident with the offering of 27 Advanced Placement classes, 33 Honors classes, and six Advanced Studies classes (college-level courses not offered by AP), including four Math classes beyond Calculus.
Two Programs of Distinction have been created – the Robert Morgan ’36 Aviation Program (one of only three high school aviation programs in the U.S.) and the Global Studies Program.
The Cooper Living Arts Series was introduced in 2022 with the support of alumnus Edwin Cooper ’81, P’19, P’23 and his wife, Andrea P’19, P’23, bringing nationally-acclaimed creators and performers to campus each year.
Athletics remains positioned as one of the premier programs in the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association with seven team state championships.
Originally from Knoxville, TN, Dr. Jenkins earned his B.A. in English from Wake Forest University and his M.Ed. from North Carolina State University. He completed his Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Virginia, where he served on the honor council and was inducted into the Raven Society.
Dr. Jenkins is a graduate of the McCallie School and a former member of its Board of Trustees. His other civic associations have included serving as senior warden at Christ Episcopal Church, as well as on the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Episcopal School (VES), and the Charlottesville Free Clinic.
Dr. Jenkins joined the Christ School community from the University of Virginia, where he served under Presidents John T. Casteen, III, Teresa A. Sullivan, and James E. Ryan as a senior assistant where his responsibilities included admissions, accreditation, development, board-governance, education policy, global programming, strategic and academic planning, and operations.
At UVA, Dr. Jenkins taught and advised undergraduate and graduate students. He was recognized for outstanding leadership and teaching by The Society of the Purple Shadows in 2015. His broad range of experience – including stints at Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill – and expertise greatly benefit our community in his role as Head of School.
Dr. Jenkins is married to Lawson P’29, a Spartanburg, S.C., native and fellow Wake Forest and UVA graduate. They live in Boxwood House along with their sons, Coleman ’29 and Jack.
Jeff Joyce enjoys teaming with Christ School’s many passionate supporters to create opportunities for enhancement and growth as Associate Director of Advancement.
Mr. Joyce fell in love with the rivers and mountains of western North Carolina while working at a summer camp in college and has lived and worked in the area since 2008.
He served as the Director of Public Policy for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce for eight years, then transitioning to the world of philanthropic development. Before coming to Christ School, Mr. Joyce was Director of Alumni Affairs and Development for nearby Brevard College.
Mr. Joyce is a 2008 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Staying active in his community has been a common theme as Mr. Joyce served as Board Chair for the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and as President of the Young Professional of Asheville. When he’s not working, Mr. Joyce can be found whitewater kayaking or mountain biking on local rivers and trails. He shares his passion with the boys as a coach in the Outdoor Program.
His wife's name is Lucy.
Elyse King built a good rapport with the boys as an assistant track coach before becoming a full-time member of the faculty in Learning Resources starting with the 2023-24 school year. Her knowledge proved to be instrumental to the Greenies winning a state championship the following spring.
Ms. King graduated from Elon University in 2021 with a B.A. in Public Health and minor in Coaching. She qualified academically three straight years for the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s List.
Ms. King attended high school in the Asheville area at T.C. Roberson. Her younger sibling is Chyance '28.
Wes King P'28, P'30 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.
Mr. King is married to Kelli and the couple live on campus with their two sons, Sawyer '27 and Cason.
Character, scholarship, and athletic excellence come in that order and progression for Jon Lantzy.
He saw the same values in Christ School teams, further identifying with the emphasis placed on meaningful, lasting relationships here.
Christ School was pleased to announce Jon as its new Athletic Director in April 2026 following a competitive national process which was aided by The Finney Search Group.
One month later, Jon went out on top with a NCISAA Division I state championship in his 19th and final year of coaching lacrosse at Durham Academy (his 34th year overall). He and his wife, Suzanne, have an adult daughter who just completed an NCAA Division III All-American and national championship career playing field hockey at Middlebury College in Vermont. Katherine is beginning her professional life as a teaching fellow at Culver Academies (Ind.).
Jon will be stepping away from all coaching duties to run the Christ School Athletic Department, which offers 19 teams in 11 championship sports, along with the Robert Morgan ’36 Aviation Program (one of only three like it in U.S. high schools), a robust and year-round Outdoor Program, a competitive Robotics team, and Theater. The Greenies have won 11 team state titles in all sports since 2020, making Christ School one of the most successful boys programs in the NCISAA, regardless of classification.
Jon has served as Assistant Athletic Director, Middle School Sports Coordinator, and Middle School Basketball coach at Durham Academy, all of which he balanced with teaching Physical Education and Health.
Jon’s real passion from a sports perspective is lacrosse. He has been the owner and youth director for Fusion Lacrosse, Inc., out of Durham since 2006 and directs the King of Spring Faceoff Classic, which is the nation’s largest regular-season, intersectional boys and girls high school event with 40 teams from eight states and Canada.
Jon began his coaching career at Buffalo’s Canisius College in 1992, the same year he received his undergraduate degree in Urban Planning from Michigan State University. Jon later earned his master’s in Athletic Administration from Ohio University in 2012.
Former college football player Bradley Lidberg brings a competitive fire and high energy to his new role as Assistant Director of Admission.
His hiring comes at an opportune time for enrollment - the school will open 2024-25 with a record 308 boys from 17 different states and 11 countries.
Mr. Lidberg graduated from North Dakota State University with a B.S. in Sport Management and then received his master's in Sports and Recreation Management from the University of Iowa in 2022. A year later, he bolstered the Greenie football coaching staff as Special Teams & Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach.
Mr. Lidberg's playing career at Concordia College lasted from 2015 to 2017.
Wyatt Long continues his emergence as a young leader amongst the faculty by taking on the new role of Dean of Student Development for the 2025-26 academic year.
Mr. Long's responsibilities will be directing leadership development and a reenvisioned pillar of the Dignity of Manual Labor with school-wide larger job prospects by advisory. He will continue teaching English, along with serving as head of Gardner House and an assistant coach for our state-championship lacrosse team.
This will be Mr. Long's sixth year at Christ School. He 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.
More than two decades of experience in teaching at independent schools prepared John Manganiello P'29 to strengthen Christ School's History Department.
Now in his fourth year here, 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 P'29, and their son, Chase '29. During his free time, he enjoys cooking for his family and friends, playing sports, biking, writing, and playing with his son.
Like many people, Jeffrey McAven found Asheville to be a place where he wanted to put down some roots.
The new Math instructor moved to the mountains four years ago, even though this will be his 19th year teaching in North Carolina.
Mr. McAven was born and raised in Michigan. He holds a B.S. in Education from Eastern Michigan University with a certification in Math and Science.
He and his wife, Paula, have one son, Wesley '27. Mr. McAven's hobbies include cars, woodworking, sports, and enjoying the awe-inspiring nature of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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.
Results matter to Hamid Najafi, an innovative professional with an excellent track record who 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 is a faculty advisor for the new robotics team.
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.
Collaboration, teamwork, and the value of experiential learning make up Lars Oehler’s teaching style, offering a glimpse into how he will approach Math and Computer Science at Christ School.
Lars graduated cum laude from Davidson College in May with a B.S. in Computer Science and comes from a family of educators – his father taught in the Chapel Hill and Durham school systems. A grandfather, grandmother, aunt, great uncle, and others have a background in teaching as well.
Lars will coach Mountain Biking in the Outdoor Program. He grew up in Durham, and so his proximity to the Asheville area allowed Lars to develop a love for many outdoor activities, including mountain biking, canoeing, and hiking. His leadership experiences in recreation include leading backpacking and canoeing trips through Davidson Outdoors and working as a raft guide for the Rolling Thunder River Company out of McCaysville, Ga.
Entering her 20th year, Coco Parham P'13 continues to be a fixture and welcoming presence as an Office Manager.
Mrs. Parham has been in Admissions for seven years now and 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.
Andrew Pearson believes the greatest reward from his day-to-day work here is that it requires no hyperbole or other means of exaggeration.
Each day, Mr. Pearson looks forward to showcasing the Christ School community, our core values, and all Greenies in new and meaningful ways. As Director of Communications, he oversees a four-person team of talented creatives who expect to broaden the school’s reach through engaging video and photography.
Mr. Pearson has been responsible for much of Christ School’s external media (website content and social media) the past nine years, in addition to providing sports information for every athletic team since 2019. Christ School entered 2026-27 with a social media following that rivals any public or private school in North Carolina.
Mr. Pearson is originally from the Winston-Salem area and has lived in the Asheville area since 1995. He graduated from UNC Asheville in 1999 with a B.A. in Mass Communication. Mr. Pearson wrote for two local newspapers (the Asheville Citizen-Times and Hendersonville Times-News) for a combined 18 years, covering his share of Greenie triumphs, including the complete run by the Plumlee brothers.
Mr. Pearson lives just outside of campus in Fletcher, with his wife, Ursula, close enough to hear the Angelus bell from their front porch.
Dr. Jack Peterson quickly acclimated to Christ School as a mid-year hire during the 2022-23 academic year and is now ready to begin his second year as chair of the Learning Resource Department.
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 her fulfillment out of seeing how far imaginations can go in the Kennedy-Herterich Art Studio.
She has applied a lifelong love of art to 15 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.
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
