Faculty & Staff

Born in Jamaica and now settled in Connecticut since the age of nine, Tenniel brings a rich tapestry of experiences and passions to Westminster School. Tenniel started at Westminster in the summer in 2021 where she serves as the College Counseling Coordinator and Director of Testing. Since then, Tenniel has been instrumental in guiding students through the college application process, coordinating college visits, fairs and any of the office needs.

 

In her evolving role, Tenniel transitioned into the position of Assistant Director of College Counseling in the summer of 2024, focusing on working with post graduates and Davis Scholars. Additionally, Tenniel serves as an advisor for the Ladies of Color group, providing mentorship and support to empower young women. Her dedication to creating a vibrant school community led her to the role as advisor for Day Student Engagement, where she assists student leaders to create an inclusive environment for all.

 

Prior to her tenure at Westminster School, Tenniel served as an Advocate at the YWCA of New Britain Sexual Assault Crisis Services, where she was committed to community outreach and victim advocacy. Her responsibilities included outreach to community agencies, development of emergency resource guides, and facilitation of sexual violence prevention programs for youth in K-12 settings. Tenniel provided front-line crisis counseling and support to children and youth affected by sexual assault, offering a compassionate and unwavering presence in times of need.

 

Tenniel has a bachelor’s in human development and family study and a master’s in organizational leadership. She lives in Memorial with her daughter. During free time she enjoys running, hiking, trying new restaurants and coffee shops.

 

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.

In his role as associate director of admissions and associate director of financial aid, Ben enjoys helping families learn about boarding school life. A graduate of Berkshire School, Ben earned his B.A. at Trinity College, where he majored in public policy and law and minored in math while working with the college hockey team and the Hartford Wolf Pack AHL club in coaching roles. Currently, he is working toward his M.B.A. with a concentration in sports management and marketing at the Isenberg School of Management/UMASS Amherst. Prior to Westminster, Ben worked at Millbrook School in Millbrook, N. Y., where he began as a math teacher before transitioning to the admissions office. He also coached varsity ice hockey and lacrosse and worked as a dorm parent there. Ben coaches ice hockey at Westminster and has been involved with USA Hockey as both a coach and evaluator for the New York District and New England District for the past five years. A golf fanatic, he also enjoys exploring nature with his two black labs. He lives in Memorial with his fiancé, Cate, who is a Form Dean, French teacher, and the varsity field hockey coach. 

Audra joined Westminster School in 2007 after working at a marketing communications firm in Farmington, Conn., where she filled the roles of information technology director, media coordinator and assistant account manager. Audra is a graduate of Katharine Gibbs School, Boston, and holds an A.A.S. in computer information systems from Kaplan University. At Westminster, she works with the technology department members to manage the information, voice and audiovisual technology on campus as well as working with students, faculty and staff to resolve all technology related issues. In addition she serves on the Advisory Board and is a member of the Web Committee. 

Audra lives in Simsbury with her husband, Doug, and their faithful German Shorthaired Pointer, Chloe. They have two sons, Tim ’17, a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and David ’21, a graduate of Indiana University. Audra enjoys spending time with family and friends, and, any chance she gets, spending time outdoors, hiking, skiing, golfing and working in her gardens.

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.

As a teacher of world history, Cara strives to cultivate global perspectives and cross-cultural competencies in her students. 

 

At Connecticut College, Cara earned a Department of Defense scholarship to study for a year in Beijing and Harbin. These two distinctive cities fueled Cara’s interest in global history. Upon her return to the U.S., Cara graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in Chinese studies and received the Helen Carey Coudert prize for excellence in Chinese. Cara then earned a master’s degree from Harvard University, where she went on to complete advanced coursework with some of the world’s foremost scholars of East Asian history. Her time at Harvard was challenging, intellectually stimulating and fun, and she strives to bring that same energy to her own classrooms. Cara has taught college courses in world history and East Asian history at both the undergraduate and graduate level and currently enjoys guiding our Third and Fourth Formers in their development as analytical writers, critical thinkers, and budding scholars of history.

 

Cara serves on the coaching staff of Westminster’s volleyball and swimming and diving programs. She is also an off-corridor dorm parent in Edge House, where she and her family lived until 2024. They now live in Burdett House.

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.