Shady Side Academy is proud to welcome an outstanding group of new faculty and staff members for the 2025–2026 school year.

Administration

Mark Buford, Director of Emergency Management and Campus Safety, joined Shady Side in March after retiring as a Detective with the Pittsburgh Police Department after 20 years of service. He has also served as Director of Campus Security and Safety at the Community College of Allegheny County and as Chief of Security for the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Law Enforcement from Point Park University.

Michele Clark, Manager of Accounts Payable, joined Shady Side last December after serving as Accounts Payable Supervisor for People’s Natural Gas and as Accounts Payable Manager for a major Pittsburgh law firm. With more than two decades of experience, she brings a deep knowledge of compliance and financial operations.

Diane Dean, Director of Nursing, brings over 25 years of nursing experience and two decades of leadership in counseling, coaching, and education. Her career spans adolescent health, complementary medicine, psychiatric care, and wellness programming, always centered on whole-person care and purpose-driven leadership.

Christina McLachlan, Associate Director of Special Events, joined the Shady Side community last spring. She brings over 13 years of nonprofit experience in development and fundraising, with previous roles at WQED, Sojourner House, and Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti. She now leads special events at Shady Side, where she is committed to building connections across the community.

Andrew Prince, Head of Senior School, joins Shady Side from the Collegiate School in New York City, where he was Head of the Upper School. He previously served as Dean of Multicultural Education at the Taft School in Connecticut and taught at Montclair Kimberley Academy in New Jersey and Chinquapin Preparatory School in Texas. Andrew earned his A.B. in Political Theory from Harvard University and his M.A. in Private School Leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Nolan Thompson, Junior Systems Administrator, joins the Technology Office with IT experience at Diamond Drugs and Full Service Network. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Science & Technology from Penn State University and is eager to support the Academy’s technology needs.

Junior School

Ashley Soboslai, Senior Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, transitioned into education after a career in advertising and marketing. She holds an M.A. in Teaching from Chatham University and has served as both a librarian and first-grade teacher at Manchester Academic Charter School.

Ann Martino, Senior Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, brings extensive experience as a preschool and kindergarten teacher, literacy coach, and school leader. She previously served as Director of Beginnings Preschool and Head of Lower School at The Ellis School.

Kelsey Tedesco, Senior Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, comes to Shady Side from The Campus School of Carlow University, where she taught early childhood education. A summa cum laude graduate of Carlow University, she is committed to creating responsive and engaging learning experiences for young children.

Sarah Ginella, Senior Pre-Kindergarten Teacher, taught kindergarten for eight years at Jackson Local Schools in Ohio, where she also supported elementary students through an after-school tutoring program. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.

Tricia Simon, Physical Education Teacher, brings more than 20 years of teaching experience across elementary grades and in instructional coaching. A former student-athlete at Duke University, she is dedicated to helping children discover the joy of movement and active play.

MariKay Van Fleet, Kindergarten Teacher, joins Shady Side from Young Scholars of Greater Allegheny Charter School. She has seven years of classroom experience and a degree in Early Childhood Education from Chatham University.

Amanda Gaydos, Learning Specialist, earned her bachelor’s degree in Special Education and Early Childhood Education from Slippery Rock University and a master’s degree in Reading Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She most recently taught at Fox Chapel Area School District in a variety of early education roles.

Louis Pessolano, Fourth Grade Teacher, joins us from Sewickley Academy where he taught for eight years. He holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of Pittsburgh.

Chloe Michaelson, First Grade Assistant Teacher, returns to Pittsburgh after teaching first grade in North Carolina and preschool in Ohio. She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Ohio University.

Country Day School

Kelly McCleary, Kindergarten Teacher, holds a bachelor’s degree in Child Development and Family Studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a master’s in Early Childhood Education from Carlow University. She has taught kindergarten in South Carolina and served as an Early Childhood Education teacher in Pittsburgh’s Head Start program.

Middle School

Culea Abraham, Librarian, has taught internationally in Alaska, Mexico, Kuwait, and South Korea, as well as in California. She holds a master’s degree in Information and Library Science and brings a passion for working with middle school students.

Jeremy Fisher, Chorus Teacher, returns to the Middle School after serving as interim Chorus Teacher last year. He is an experienced music educator, director, and performer, with a background in vocal and instrumental music from West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Senior School

Logan Murphy, Assistant Director of College Counseling, joins the College Counseling Office after nine years in college admissions, including six at American University in Washington, DC. She brings a wealth of experience guiding students and families through the college process.

Eric Finch, Mathematics Teacher, comes to Shady Side after 18 years at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware, where he taught mathematics, coached, and served as a dorm parent. He strongly advocates problem-based learning and collaborative approaches to math education.

Shane Mills, Mathematics Teacher, has 15 years of independent school teaching experience, most recently at The Ellis School as chair of the math department. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education from Grove City College and a master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from St. Vincent College.

Sharon Jackson, Head’s Office Coordinator, joined Shady Side last fall. She previously worked for 20 years at The Ellis School in admissions, marketing, athletics, and the Head’s Office. She now supports the administrative team in the Senior School.

We are delighted to welcome these exceptional educators and professionals to the Shady Side community.