Some faculty, staff to take on new roles

The following faculty and staff members will take on new and/or additional job roles at Darlington in 2015-16:

Tommy Atha will serve as associate athletic director. He has taught P.E. at Darlington since 1993 and also serves as head varsity football coach and assistant girls' basketball coach. Atha holds a B.S. from Presbyterian College. He has served previously as Darlington's assistant athletic director for ELA-8; JV and Middle School girls' basketball coach; track coach; and civics, world geography and American history teacher. Atha has led the Tigers football team to the state playoffs 18 times and coached them to three consecutive region championships from 2009-2011. He and his wife, Cathe, are the parents of Maggie Beth (‘14), Anna Claire (‘17), Tommy (‘19) and Katherine (‘25).

Paul Bell will serve as web and database developer. He has been at Darlington since 2010, serving most recently as technology support specialist. Bell holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Shorter College and has 10 years of experience in the field of information technology. He and his wife, Kim, have a daughter named Reese.

Rebekah Kinney will serve as technology integration coordinator. She has been at Darlington since 2002, serving most recently as technology integration specialist. Previously, she taught fourth grade. Kinney holds a B.S. and an M.Ed. from Berry College. She and her husband, Owen, an Upper School science teacher, are the parents of Ian ('17), Elliot ('19) and Noah ('23).

Connie Ortmeier ('69T) will serve as pre-K teaching assistant. She has been at Darlington since 2014, serving most recently as first-grade teaching assistant. Ortmeier holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia and an M.S. in Elementary Education from Clemson University. She has more than 30 years of experience in elementary education.

Matt Peal will serve as Darlington's director of operations for Coosa Junior Golf Academy. He will continue to teach history at the Upper School but will no longer coach baseball. Peal has been at Darlington since 2012. He holds a B.A. from the University of Georgia and an M.A. from Columbia University. He and his wife, Lauren, head of Regester House, live on campus with their two children.

Jess Peer will serve as second-grade teaching assistant. She has been at Darlington since 2013, serving most recently as pre-K teaching assistant. Peer holds a B.A. from St. Lawrence University. She and her husband Matthew, director of Upper School, are the parents of Jackson (’24) and Ella ('27). 

Angela Pieroni will serve as assistant director of ELA-8 for grades 6-8. In this role, she will refine the scope and sequence for the middle grades curriculum and guide student life efforts. She will continue to teach science and serve as registrar, overseeing and developing the ELA-8 master schedule. Pieroni has been at Darlington since 2001, serving most recently as ELA-8 dean of studies. She holds a B.S. from the University of Dayton and an M.Ed. from Walden University. She and her husband Joe, an Upper School math teacher, are the parents of current students Gianna (’17) and Jonathan (’19).

Hillary Thomas will serve as director of the Student Health Center. She has been a nurse at Darlington since 2002. Thomas is an R.N. with 20 years of experience at Redmond Regional Medical Center. She earned her Associate of Science in Nursing from Floyd College. Thomas holds multiple certifications and is trained in both inpatient and outpatient care. She is married to Haven and is the mother of Bethany Cagle ('14) and Anna Kate Cagle ('17).

Tannika Wester will serve as director of communications. She has served as Darlington's director of media relations since 2004. She also co-chairs the school's Life Skills Committee and serves on the Committee for Campus Safety and Procedures as well as the Crisis Management Team. Wester holds a B.A. in Communication from Berry College, where she majored in journalism and minored in public relations. She and her husband, Adam, live in Rome.