Welcome, New Faculty & Staff!

New faculty and staff members are bringing a breadth and depth of experiences and talents to the community as we start the 2021-22 academic year. There will be some new, bright faces in the classroom, the Leonhardt Academic Skills Center, the Humes Euston Hall Library, the Admissions Office and around campus.

We also welcome four new administrators this year. We look forward to all of their contributions!

Paula McBride Buerger joins Miss Hall’s as a Librarian. Paula has eighteen years of experience as an independent, boarding school librarian and currently works as a Circulation Clerk at the Berkshire Athenaeum, in Pittsfield. Previously, she worked as a Librarian and Teacher at Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School, in Waltham, Massachusetts, and served on the faculty at The Forman School, in Litchfield, Connecticut, teaching French, History, and writing courses. Paula holds a J.D. from York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Master of Library and Information Studies from Dalhousie University. She is the daughter-in-law of former MHS Latin Teacher, Registrar, College Counselor, and Assistant Headmaster Joe Buerger, and former Athletic Director, Coach, Archivist, and Alumna Association Executive Secretary Madge Buerger!

Wendy Forgie joins Miss Hall’s as an Academic Support Learning Specialist in the Leonhardt Academic Skills Center, bringing extensive experience in providing learning support to high school and college students. Wendy comes to MHS from Mansfield Hall, in Burlington, Vermont, where she served as Academic Director since 2017, overseeing a comprehensive program of academic skill development, guidance, support, and advocacy for students. Previously, she was Lead Academic Support Teacher at Bancroft School, in Worcester, Massachusetts, and has experience as a special education teacher, learning specialist, adjunct professor, classroom teacher, and guidance counselor at public and independent schools and the college level. Wendy holds an M.Ed. in Psychiatric Services/Special Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in Eastern European Area Studies from Tufts University.

Pamela Gauthier has joined MHS as one of our School Nurses. Pam is a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) with experience in pediatric practice, hospital/emergency care, geriatric care, and COVID vaccination. She comes to MHS from Macony Pediatrics, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, and previously worked at Kimball Farms in nearby Lenox and at Fairview Hospital, also in Great Barrington. Pam is a graduate of the Certified Nurse Assistant program at Berkshire Community College and worked for many years in the health field before returning to school and earning her L.P.N. certification in 2018, also from Berkshire Community College.

The Expressive Arts Department welcomes Jeffrey Howard as the new Instrumental Music Teacher. Jeffrey is a professional musician and music educator who most recently taught online and in-person lessons on the guitar, bass, piano, and drums to students of all ages at the School of Rock in West Hartford, Connecticut. Since March 2020, he has also taught ukulele to elementary and middle school students in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District’s “Project Connection” enrichment program in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. A music instructor for the past decade, Jeffrey has experience as a music consultant, journalist, and arts & entertainment editor. He holds an M.S. in Human Development and Education from the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Rochester.

Alison Quiñones Johnson ’03 returns to MHS as a Math Teacher. Most recently, Alison has been an independently contracted online Science Teacher with the Virtual High School Collaborative, and she taught Biology in the Spring of 2020 at MHS as a parental leave replacement. Her experience includes teaching middle school math and science, working as a private MCAS tutor, and teaching Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering courses at Monument Mountain Regional High School, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where she was also Choreography Director for musicals and coach for the dance team. Alison holds an M.Ed. in Secondary Education: Biology from the Boston College Lynch School of Education and a B.S. in Biology, with a concentration in Neuroscience and minors in Chemistry and Spanish, from Emmanuel College.

Sarah Anderson Lock will teach Hallmark Art History this year. Sarah is actively engaged in the visual art world as a practicing artist, arts professional, and teacher. For ten years, Sarah served as the Arts Administrator at the Hotchkiss School, in Lakeville, Connecticut, responsible for managing the school’s Tremaine Art Gallery. Co-founder and Executive Director of the Rural Projects Artists Residency, in Gallatin, New York, Sarah holds an M.F.A. in Painting from Parsons School of Design and a B.A. in Studio Art from Mount Holyoke College. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Art History: Modern and Contemporary Art, Criticism, and Theory, with a Museum and Curatorial Studies track at S.U.N.Y. Purchase College in Purchase, New York.

Phil Knoll has joined the Expressive Arts Department and will teach Studio Art I. Phil, who also teaches art at Berkshire Country Day School in nearby Stockbridge, is an artist who has shown his work extensively in solo and group exhibitions, and has been included in numerous arts publications. His drawings are included in The Rothschild Contemporary Drawing Collection at the Museum of Modern Art, and his work has been shown at the Palo Alto Museum of Art, the De Cordova Museum, the Walker Art Center, the Danforth Museum, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. Phil received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas and an M.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the father of Lanna ’20.

Christina Mills has joined the School as Admissions Office Manager, responsible for the coordination of all admissions functions, including database management and reporting. For the past nine years, Christina has worked as the Studio Manager for Tricia McCormack Photography and Berkshire Photo Booth, both in nearby Lenox. From 2012 to 2019, she was also the Studio Manager for TK-Fit, also in Lenox. Previously, she held administrative and program finance roles at General Dynamics, in Pittsfield, and the CNA Corporation and Analytics Services Inc., both in Virginia. Christina holds a B.A. in Russian from the University of Rochester. Her daughter, Juliana, is a member of the MHS Class of 2024.

Nolan Oxley has joined Miss Hall’s as Associate Director of Admissions, responsible for all aspects of student recruitment, including travel, hosting events on campus, and being the primary point of contact for prospective students and families throughout their application and admission process. Since 2013, Nolan has worked in the Admissions department at Elmira College, in Elmira, N.Y., beginning as a Graduate Assistant and most recently serving as Associate Director of Admissions & Pre-Health Recruitment. While at Elmira, Nolan recruited college students from across the United States, hosted events, and supervised the college’s Student Ambassador program. Nolan earned an M.S. in Corporate and Community Education, a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science, and a minor in Theatre, all from Elmira College.