Faculty, Staff and Leadership | Why C&C | City and Country School, New York

Administrative Team

Frank Patti, Principal

Elise Bauer, Director of Admissions (P ’20)

Karen Brandt, Director of Middle and Upper School

Jane Clarke, Director of Lower School

Julie Clardy, Director of Communications

Mike Jackson, Director of Finance

Kim Momoh, Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion

Melissa Ritchie, Director of Development
 

Executive Assistant to the Principal

Lisa Pineda, Executive Assistant to the Principal
 

Lower School

Jane Clarke, Director of Lower School

Darlitta Charles, Lower School Administrative Associate

Lhakpa Gurung, IIsL Group Teacher

Adam Aharoni, IIsL Associate Teacher

Sara Hance, IIsS Group Teacher

Stephanie Moore, IIsS Associate Teacher

Megan Lau, IIIsM Group Teacher (P ’32)

Dolma Tsering, IIIsM Associate Teacher

Bea Wolert-Weese, IIIsM Associate Teacher

Robin Sage, IIIsR Group Teacher (P ’29)

Margo Lippman, IIIsR Associate Teacher

Chime Chime, IIIsR Associate Teacher

Liana Stampur, IVsL Group Teacher (P ’28)

Catherine Amore, IVsL Associate Teacher

Naomi Selwyn, IVsN Group Teacher

Pam Usanachitt-Finlow, IVsN Group Teacher (leave replacement) (P ’32)

Leslie Cruz, IVsN Associate Teacher

Mona De Victoria, VsM Group Teacher (P ’31)

Brianny Crisostomo, VsM Associate Teacher

Will Sears, VsW Group Teacher (P ’24, ’28)

Amelia Pinney ’12, VsW Associate Teacher

Karen Zippler, VIsK Group Teacher

Jane Krause, VIsK Associate Teacher

Mónica Callenbach, VIsM Group Teacher

Hannah Gerbier, VIsM Associate Teacher

Ruth Cataldo, VIIsR Group Teacher

AJ LaPierre, VIIsR Associate Teacher

Sam Miller, VIIsS Group Teacher

Alana Cowan, VIIsS Associate Teacher

Avril Tansey, Lower School Floater
 

Middle School

Karen Brandt, Director of Middle and Upper School

Cassie Warnick, Associate Director of Middle and Upper School

Kim Turner, Middle and Upper School Administrative Associate

Jay Frankel, VIIIsJ Group Teacher

Lucy Christiana, VIIIsL Group Teacher

Sam Six, VIIIs Shared Associate Teacher

Katie Mastriano, IXsK Group Teacher

Katy Tosh, IXsKT Group Teacher

Nayesha Krishna, IXs Shared Associate Teacher

Gee Roldan, XsG Group Teacher

Megan Holland, XsM Group Teacher

Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Middle and Upper School Floater
 

Upper School

Karen Brandt, Director of Middle and Upper School

Cassie Warnick, Associate Director of Middle and Upper School

Kim Turner, Middle and Upper School Administrative Associate

Norma Bellino, High School Placement Coordinator

Daniela Jimenez Gabb, XIsD Group Teacher

Jessica Vander Salm, XIsJ Group Teacher

Toni Moreno, XIs Printing/Shop Associate Teacher

Dawn Bauer, XIIsD Group Teacher

Sarah Whittier ’67, XIIsS Group Teacher (GP ’31)

Trayshia Rogers, XIIIs Group Teacher

Yedifer Piña, XIIIs Group Teacher

Ann Roberts, XIIIs Newspaper Copy Editor

Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Middle and Upper School Floater
 

Specials and Electives

Molly Herman, Lower School Art Teacher

David Golann, Middle and Upper School Art

Todd Rosenthal, Librarian/Athletics Coordinator (P ’20, ’22)

Sarah Webb, Specials Librarian

Anneliese Cooper, Research Librarian

Samara Gation, VIIIs & IXs Math Teacher

Lisa Ochs, Xs & XIs Math Teacher

Funda Rozan, XIIs & XIIIs Math Teacher

James Yoon, Music Teacher and Music Coordinator

Maja Goceva, Music/Chorus Teacher (P ’20, ’24)

Mark Mollica, Music Teacher

Victoria Meluzin, Physical Education Teacher

Raphael D’Lugoff, Rhythms Accompanist

Madeleine Buhler-Rose, Lower and Middle School Rhythms Teacher (P ’21)

Anita Castillo-Halvorssen, Upper School Rhythms Teacher

Jo Best, Lower and Middle School Science Teacher

Anna Kotelchuck, Upper School Science Teacher

Katie Gavin, Shop Teacher

Marianela Fernandez, Spanish Teacher (P ’21, ’26)

Tyrone Brown-Osborne, Specials/Extended Services Teacher

Ian Klapper, Technology Teacher
 

Educational Support

Margaret Laudani, IIs–VIIs Learning Specialist 

Colette Corry, VIIIs & IXs Learning Specialist 

Steph Levee, XIIs & XIIIs Learning Specialist (P ’33, ’35)

Arielle Mottes, Lower School Psychologist 

Shanna Riss, Middle and Upper School Psychologist

Dori Haber, Lower School Reading Specialist
 

Admissions

Elise Bauer, Director of Admissions (P ’20)

Tara DiGerlando, Associate Director of Admissions
 

Archives

Alexanne Levengood, Archivist
 

Building Staff

Rich Malloy, Director of Facilities

Anil Mathura, 201 Housekeeping Supervisor/Buildings and Grounds Support

Tenpa Tsering, Buildings and Grounds Staff

Roberto Mero, Buildings and Grounds Staff

Yesenia Abreu, Day Cleaning Staff (Alliance)
 

Business Office

Mike Jackson, Director of Finance

Girish Thadhani, Controller

Martine Alexander, Finance Associate
 

C&C+

Natalie Joseph, Director of C&C+

Stephanie Moore, Early Morning Drop-Off Teacher

Tyrone Brown-Osborne, Specials/Extended Service Teacher

Jillianne Polichetti, Extended Services Teacher

Will Cruz, Extended Services Assistant Teacher

Ariella Cohen, Extended Services Assistant Teacher
 

Communications

Julie Clardy, Director of Communications
 

Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion

Kim Momoh, Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion

Tyler Tarnowicz, Associate Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion
 

Curriculum

Laela Rae, Director of Curriculum
 

Development

Melissa Ritchie, Director of Development

Shirley Chitolie, Community Engagement Coordinator
 

Food Service (Cater To You)

Marcus DeFreece, Kitchen Manager

Will Cruz, Prep Cook

Maria Jimenez de Quintero, Prep Server
 

Health Office

Anita Thomas, Head Nurse
 

Human Resources

Sheneikwa Wilkinson, Director of Human Resources
 

Operations

Gabe Hirsch, Associate Director of Operations

Melinda Beverly, Database Manager/Registrar (P ’28)
 

Reception

Gwynne Nemcek, Administrative Associate/Receptionist
 

Security Staff

Eddy Vargas, Security Staff

Michael Freeman, 201 Security Staff (Integrated Security)
 

Technology

Alice Kong, Director of Technology

Ian Klapper, Technology Integrator/Tech Support

Wilfred Crisostomo, Systems Administrator

Kenny Rivera, Part-Time Technology Associate.

Nisa Bryant, a native of New York City, currently serves as the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at Friends Seminary. Her administrative experience has been honed in a K-12, single-gender NYC day school as well as a 9-12 boarding and day community. Over the span of her twenty-plus year career in independent school education, Nisa has been a history teacher, student advisor, theater instructor, and athletic coach. 

Nisa has been a trusted mentor and professional advisor, serving as an Admissions Leadership Council Mentor and participating in the People of Color in Admission Mentoring initiative for early career admissions and enrollment professionals for the Enrollment Management Association (EMA). Additionally, Nisa was a member of the University of Pennsylvania School Leadership Program Alumni Steering Committee. She is also a member of the University of Pennsylvania Black Alumni Society. Most recently, Nisa was an active participant on the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) in which she chaired the Membership Committee and was a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Nisa holds a B.A. from Bucknell University and a M.S.Ed. in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kate Bostock-Shefferman, who joined the Board in 2014, serves as the Board’s Secretary and chairs the Development Committee and the Committee on Trustees. She and her husband, Jesse Shefferman, are the Parent Chairs of the School’s Annual Fund. Kate is engaged in many community and philanthropic interests. She has a B.A. in History from Duke University and received her M.B.A. from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. She and her husband have two daughters at City and Country School (’21 and ’24).

Josh Cender joined the Board in 2016 and served as Board Chair from 2021-2024. He previously served as Co-President of the Parents Association (2014–16), and has been a Group Representative and Annual Fund Representative multiple times. Josh and his wife, Laura Raicovich, have a son at C&C (’23). Josh is a family office executive experienced in finance, law, and operations, and began his career as a transactional attorney at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He has a law degree from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

Nicole English and her family have been part of the City and Country School community since 2018. She and her husband Jason are parents to two C&C students (‘29 and ‘32). Since joining the school, Nicole has served as an Annual Fund parent rep and a parent volunteer for the Spring Fair, Fall Harvest Festival, and Admissions. Nicole is Head of Anti-Money Laundering Risk Assessment and Program Governance within the Global Financial Crimes Compliance department at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. She earned her J.D. at the Pace University Elisabeth Haub School of Law and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University.

Emily Essner and her family have been a part of the City & Country community since 2020. She and her husband Dave are parents to two C&C students (’32 and ’35). Emily has served multiple years as an Annual Fund representative and a parent volunteer for Admissions. Emily is Chief Marketing Officer of Saks Fifth Avenue. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Spanish from Mount Holyoke College.

Sheelah A. Feinberg ’85, a C&C alum, grew up in Greenwich Village. She has served as Chair of the Alumni Annual Fund and as a Group Rep for two years. Sheelah and her husband, Michael Rutkoski, have a daughter at C&C (’27). She is currently the Deputy Commissioner of NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Prior to her current position, she served as Executive Director of the Coalition for a Smoke-Free City, and conducted advocacy campaigns covering a range of policy areas including economic self-sufficiency, parks development, and public health. She holds an M.S.A. from Saint Michael’s College and a B.A. from Goddard College.

Kevin Gillespie is the father of two C&C students (’26 and '32) and has been a part of the City and Country School community since 2017. Since joining the school, Kevin has actively volunteered for various events and committees, focusing primarily on marketing and artistic creative design. In addition to serving on the Board of Trustees since 2021, Kevin works closely with various groups within the school to support and expand diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts. A native New Yorker, Kevin has spent over 20 years working across different artistic fields, blending his passion for design with a deep commitment to creativity and education. He is currently teaching Graphic Arts in the After School program at C&C, where he shares his skills and fosters a love for design among students.

Sara Hance, a native of New York and has been teaching at City and Country for over 20 years. She has spent most of her time at City and Country as a IIs teacher. Sara has also spent time working with C&C's Block Connection program, whichteaches educators how to incorporate blocks into their own classrooms. She holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College and is also a mom of an 18 year-old who is a freshman in college.

AZ Jenkins has spent her entire life in and around schools as the daughter of a math teacher, and as a student, teacher, librarian, tutor, parent, trustee, and volunteer. She has a particular interest in early childhood and literacy, and is involved in efforts to promote education in the Dominican Republic. AZ has been a part of the City and Country community since 2001 and is the mother of three graduates and one pig (who volunteers her time for the C&C auction!)

Brendan Kiely, his wife Jessie Chaffee, and their son Finn (’33) have been a part of the City and Country School community since 2022. Since joining the school, Brendan has volunteered for numerous community events and co-organized the C&C Family Collective. Brendan is the award-winning and New York Timesbestselling author of four novels and two nonfiction books. He regularly speaks in middle and high schools, colleges and universities, and educational conferences and book festivals about the intersection of literature and social justice. Brendan worked for ten years as an administrator and high school teacher at the Calhoun School on the Upper West Side. He is now the Distinguished Writer-In-Residence at Seton Hall University. Originally from Boston, Brendan earned his MFA in Creative Writing from The City College of New York and his BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from Miami University. 

Stephanie Levee and her family joined C&C in 2021. She and her husband Jason are the parents of three C&C students (‘33 and ‘35). Serving on the board this year as one of the teacher representatives, Steph is the Middle/Upper School Learning Specialist and works with the Xs-XIIIs. In addition, Steph has served on the Advancement Committee and volunteers for Admissions as a buddy family. Stephanie graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Masters degree as a Reading Specialist from Teachers College.

Tracey Mumford is the Board Chair and the parent of four C&C students (‘28, ‘30, ‘33, ‘35). She and her family have been part of the C&C community since 2018. Tracey joined the Board of Trustees in 2022 after serving on the Spring Benefit Committee and the Parent Working Group, and as a Group rep and Admissions volunteer. Following graduation from Bucknell University and starting a career in investment banking, she transitioned to a job at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, where she served as Director of Research Partnerships. After the birth of her first child, she decided to be home full-time and became actively involved in her children’s school communities. 

Barry Munger, a photographer, is a parent of two City and Country alums (’11 and ’14). A native of Los Angeles, he attended Stanford University and worked as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor in Los Angeles before moving to NYC in 1990.

Frank Patti is the Principal of C&C and a C&C parent ('35). He came to C&C in 2023 after serving Milton Academy in Massachusetts as Lower School Principal. With more than 20 years in education, Frank spent many years working in Manhattan independent schools, as well as attending Bank Street School of Education, where he received a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership prior to earning his EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. Frank’s family includes his husband TJ, daughters Havana (8) and Liliana (2), and their chocolate lab Stella.

Caterina Peters is the parent of a current C&C student (‘28) and joined the Board of Trustees in 2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Caterina attended New York City public schools and received her BA from Hunter College. Following a brief teaching career, she has worked in real estate for 20 years. Caterina is an advocate for her community in Jersey City, and is a founding board member of the Lincoln Park North Neighborhood Association. She also works with Hope House Women’s Shelter and Saint Lucy’s Shelter. At C&C, Caterina has served as a Group parent, co-chaired the Spring Benefit, created the C&C Community Cookbook, and helped create and facilitate the Affinity Group for Black and Latinx Parents and Parental Figures.

Sabrina Rudin and her family joined C&C in 2018. She and her husband Michael are the parents of two C&C students (‘31 and ‘34), and a younger child who will hopefully join C&C in the future. Sabrina has served as a Group rep. each year since joining the C&C community. She is also a member of the Food Committee and volunteers for Admissions as a buddy family. Sabrina is the founder of Spring Café Aspen, an organic and vegetarian restaurant concept with locations in Aspen, Co., and Greenwich Village. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Gallatin School at NYU, and holds a Masters degree in Critical International Affairs from The New School. Before opening Spring Café Aspen Sabrina worked closely with The International Rescue Committee in NYC to assist refugees being resettled in the tri-state area. Sabrina is also a singer-songwriter and will have her first cookbook published in the spring of 2026.

Jessica Tamberlane and her family joined the C&C community in 2015. She is the parent of two C&C students, one alumni and a son, class of ’27.  Jessica recently served as the Parents Association Co-President (’23, ’24). She is excited to join the Board of Trustees as the elected Parent Representative.  Following graduation from Emory University, Goizuetta Business School, Jessica began her career in advertising. She has led brand, comms and content strategy; creative; digital innovation and large integrated agency teams for several consumer health, wellness and beauty clients including Neutrogena, Aveeno and Revlon. Her last full time position was EVP, Group Business Director, at DDB NY, where she served on the office leadership team.

Thanh Trần and her family joined the C&C community in 2016 and she is the parent of three daughters who attend the School (‘25, ‘27, ‘30). Thanh has volunteered at admissions events and served as Group Representative, Annual Fund Representative, and Annual Fund Co-Chair. Thanh and her family came to the United States as Vietnamese refugees in 1983. She was the first in her family to graduate college and spent 15 years building technology for education, government, financial services, and startups. She is currently focusing on non-profit consulting, with an emphasis on helping organizations scale operations and fundraising through technology. She holds a BS in Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA and a MS in Information from Boston University, where she focused on non-profit management.

Todd Triller joined the board in 2020 and is Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Executive Committee. He also previously served on the Audit Committee. Todd and his wife, Mimi Lee, have two daughters at the school (’24 and ’26). Todd is a partner at Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he focuses on energy and infrastructure transactions. He was previously a Managing Director at The Carlyle Group, where he was co-head of energy credit. He has a B.S in finance from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and a J.D from the University of Virginia Law School, where he also served on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review.

Crystal Wald joined the Board in 2020. She shares time between NYC and Minneapolis, where she grew up. A Parsons School of Design graduate, it was fashion that initially brought her to the city. Ultimately, social justice initiatives, the importance of narratives from underserved communities, and the awareness of the power of entertainment led her to co-found nonprofit “2 Brass Brads,” which has evolved to become the socially-relevant production company, Level Forward. She is a current parent of two children at C&C (‘26 & ‘27), and she previously served as Co-President of the Parents Association (2018-2020), Vice President of the Parents Association (2016-2018), and a Group Parent Representative every year since her family’s entry.

Adam Winkel joined the Board in 2021 after several years in the C&C community as father to two daughters (’25 and ’28), Annual Fund Representative, and regular member of the Spring Fair barbecue pit crew. A native of southwest Michigan, Adam has lived in NYC since 2003. He holds a BA in Math with Computer Science from MIT and an MS in Computer Science from the University of Michigan. He has worked in technology at Jane Street Capital since 2004.