Faculty & Staff

Elaine White comes to Westminster School from The Governor’s Academy, an independent boarding school in Byfield, Mass., where she has been a teacher, coach, advisor and dorm parent. She also served in a variety of significant leadership positions at The Governor’s Academy including Chair of the English Department, Academic Dean, Interim Director of Advancement and Assistant Head of School, with some of these responsibilities overlapping.

 

In addition to managing multiple offices, she was the first female department chair in the school’s history, cultivated and stewarded donors for the school’s capital campaign, led a task force to design and implement a hybrid learning platform for the 2020-2021 academic year, facilitated creation of a Learning Center, managed development and operation of the school’s advisory program and helped design a summer internship program for rising seniors.

 

Elaine earned a B.A. in English at Bates College and an M.A. in English literature from Middlebury College. She and her husband, Chris, are the parents of three daughters: Emily, Maya and Dani.

Passionate about the transformative power of boarding school education, Miles has dedicated his entire professional career to working with students and families. Prior to his appointment in 2018, he worked at Milton Academy for 16 years, gaining valuable expertise in all aspects of boarding school education. 

 

Miles’ wealth of experience in not only admissions and financial aid but also athletics, development, residential life, advising, and coaching informs his work as both dean of admissions and a member of Westminster's senior leadership team. Miles oversees all aspects of enrollment management at Westminster while remaining integrally involved in the day-to-day operations of the admissions office and individual prospective families' school search processes. It is not uncommon to find him casually chatting with families in the waiting room, he reads every application received (with an uncanny memory for the details), and he delights in welcoming new students on Opening Day. He also plays a key role in positioning Westminster for continued institutional success through his leadership in activities, such as the school's pandemic response, search for a new head of school, and on-going strategic planning efforts. 

 

Miles’ strong commitment to holistic, relationship-based education can be traced back to his time as a student at Westminster, making the opportunity to return to serve as dean of admissions particularly meaningful. As a student, Miles was a member of the John Hay Society, played basketball and lacrosse, and was on the student crew that helped maintain the cross-country trails. Even today, Miles remains deeply connected to both faculty and fellow students from his time as a student on the Hill.    

 

Miles gets to know students and families well through the admissions process and enjoys maintaining those connections thereafter, catching up with parents at games and performances, chatting with students at family-style lunches and while on duty, and serving as an advisor. Miles and his wife, Susie, a science teacher, live in a faculty home with their daughter, Kate, and can often be found on campus with their black lab, Emmy, in the evenings and on weekends. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, fishing, travel, and spending time at the beach with his family.

Julie joined Westminster following a 20-year career at Deerfield Academy. After serving as assistant controller for nine years and controller for five years, she was appointed director of business services where she was responsible for oversight of daily operations of the Finance Office, which included seven staff members and three campus store staff. She managed Deerfield’s budgeting process and collaborated with Deerfield’s operations team, including facilities, food service, human resources, information technology and security. Among many other responsibilities, she assisted with tax-exempt bond issues, participated in the campus master planning process and was a liaison with the Advancement Office. 

 

Before Deerfield, Julie spent six years as the manager of budget and decision support for Baystate Franklin Medical Center and six years in the audit division of Coopers & Lybrand. She earned a B.S. in accounting from Boston College and certification as a CPA. 

 

Devonna comes to Westminster after having served as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Kent School. In that role, she provided strategic vision and leadership for diversity and inclusion programming at the school, with a particular focus on cultivating teaching and learning moments, in addition to building curriculum.

 

Devonna is a skilled diversity and inclusion practitioner, organizational strategist, educator and counseling professional with over 20 years of combined clinical practice experience in higher education and community-based settings, as well as the private sector. Through her children, Devonna has developed a passion for the game of ice hockey and is proud to serve as an advisor to Black Girls Hockey Club (BGHC), a nonprofit organization devoted to making ice hockey accessible to everyone.

 

Devonna earned a bachelor’s in social work from Western New England University and her master’s in social work from Smith College. She lives in campus housing with her husband Torrey and their children Adrienne '25, Tatum and RJ. In her free time she enjoys staying active outdoors, baking, watching her children play sports and spending time with family and friends.

Betsy came to Westminster in 2004 from the Berkshire School in Massachusetts. At Berkshire, she taught Advanced Placement U.S. History and European History and served as the head coach of varsity girls’ squash and varsity girls’ tennis. At Westminster, Betsy serves as the academic dean, teaches AP® Comparative Government, and advises Model United Nations. She served as head of the history department for 14 years. Betsy is also a long-time reader for the AP® Comparative Government exam and co-chair of the AP® Comparative Government and Politics Development Committee, which is responsible for developing the AP® Comparative Government and Politics course and examination.
 
Betsy’s own life has been one of great experiences as she studied abroad in Australia and at Oxford University, completed the Middlebury Year Abroad in France and did a graduate internship in Scotland at the U.S. Consulate. She is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to travel and enjoys hiking, running and tennis. She lives in a faculty home on campus with her son, Will, and their two dogs, Bernie and Charlie.

Lee joined Westminster after serving 13 years in various academic, administrative, and coaching capacities at Avon Old Farms School, his alma mater. For seven years, he served as assistant dean of students and a member of the administrative council, and for 13 years, he taught English and served as a dormitory head and faculty duty crew head. His coaching responsibilities included varsity football, basketball, and track. In 2003, he received the Kenneth A. Fanning Faculty Award as teacher of the year. Lee has also been a board representative to SPHERE and a consultant to the Westminster Crossroads Learning Program in Hartford (WCLP). At Westminster, he served  as a form dean for the class of ’14, ’18 and ’22, corridor supervisor, teaches English, is the head coach for track and field, served as the associate dean of faculty, and is the current dean of faculty. In 2015, Lee won the Swayze Award, which acknowledged his commitment and significant contributions to the Westminster community.

 

Lee is a native of Bloomfield, Conn., where he attended high school for a year before transferring to Avon Old Farms School. While in high school, he enjoyed a number of activities, which included playing and coaching football. In the fall of 1992, Lee matriculated to Washington and Jefferson College, where he majored in philosophy, chaired the Black Student Union, and played football. After graduating from college, he returned to Avon Old Farms School in the fall of 1997. He completed a M.A.L.S. at Wesleyan University in 2005. Lee is a committed educator and a strong believer in the opportunities that private education can provide. He lives in a faculty home on campus with his wife, Shayna, and his daughters, Anaya ’26 and Layla. Lee is also a Westminster parent to Jalen Sears ’19.

Tim retuned to Westminster in 2004 after graduating cum laude with a degree in political science from Trinity College in 2000. While at Trinity College Tim served in a variety of student leadership roles and was a member of the Mens’ Ice Hockey team. At Trinity, he was co-captain of the men’s varsity hockey team in 2004 and won the Trinity Hockey Coaches Award for outstanding leadership. Tim has been involved with USA Hockey as a coach and evaluator for both the New England District and Massachusetts District. A tri-varsity captain at Westminster in soccer, hockey and lacrosse, he received the Brian Bruyette Senior Athletic Award, as well as the Squibb Bowl for Varsity Boys’ Hockey which is given to that student who demonstrated the greatest sportsmanship, consistent effort, and inspired performance throughout the season.

 

In 2004, Tim returned to his roots as a member of the Westminster Admissions Office, where he had been a popular tour guide during his student days on the Hill. In 2012, Tim became the Director of Athletics where he oversees Westminster’s three-season athletics program, which includes 55 teams, competing in 15 sports, many in the highly competitive Founders League. Tim also serves as head coach of Varsity Boys’ Hockey.

 

In addition to his responsibilities at Westminster, Tim has been asked by the NEPSAC (New England Prep School Athletic Conference) to serve in a variety of leadership roles at the league, district and New England Level. Tim currently sits on the NEPSAC Executive Board as the vice president of NEPSAC.

 

He and his wife, history teacher Colleen Joncas, live with their daughters, Finley, Riley and McKenna, in a faculty home. When school is not in session, Tim and his family enjoy spending time in a home they purchased on the eastern edge of the Berkshire Mountains. Tim is an avid golfer and enjoys playing the various courses the Farmington Valley has to offer.

Bill’s favorite place is on a river or hiking trail, where he finds a unique interplay between science and philosophy. His passion for science began with a childhood love of the wilderness of New Hampshire that was further developed at St. George’s School, where he spent a semester at sea aboard the R/V Geronimo tagging sharks. Bill solidified his lifelong pursuit at Pomona College and at the University of New Hampshire, where he majored in biology. He has shared these experiences with his students for 40 years through teaching environmental science, biology, chemistry, physics, and neuroscience. His wilderness experiences have also taken him to Canada, where he co-led canoe trips with students and adults, and into the Adirondacks of New York on several solo adventures.

 

Gabriel and Erin, Bill's son and daughter-in-law, live in Brattleboro, Vt., just a mile from Bill's daughter Heidi. Family visits are just a quick trip up Rt. 91. Bill lives in a house on campus with his mini golden doodle, Bryn.