Ernest Martin’s retirement this year leaves huge shoes to fill. Because it is impossible to replace in full the insight, know-how and passion that such a pivotal educator brings to an organization, Eastern Mennonite School announces a new organizational structure that strategically positions the school while strengthening its mission.

One of the school’s strategic goals is to bolster the academic, co-curricular program and community reputations of EMES, EMMS and EMHS. As Jim Collins says in bestseller Good to Great, this involves getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. Last year, the economic recession forced significant staff cutbacks across the school. Through this belt-tightening, and the subsequent re-framing of several open, unfilled positions, the school’s administrative organizational structure has been modified to provide more classroom support for our teachers and students. We have also been able to restore cutbacks in our library, personal and academic counseling services. Finally, the Advancement Office has been restored to a full staff to allow in-house development, marketing communications, public relations, alumni relations and admissions counseling.

A thumbnail sketch highlighting our new administrative model is below:

• Head of School:  Paul Leaman
• Director of Academics:  Patsy Seitz
• Director of Advancement: Mary Golden-Hughes  (part-time)
• Associate Director of Development: Diana Berkshire  (part-time)
• Admissions Counselor: Crystal Jackson
• Director of Business Affairs: Mike Stoltzfus
• Susie Hardy: Business Office accounting (part-time)
• High School Principal: Sherman Eberly
• Elementary School Principal: Maria Archer
• Elementary Office Assistant: Ardith Kauffman

Additional faculty changes already in effect include:

• Ben Bixler:  full-time teaching in Computer & Bible (former additional website and social media duties will now be a function of the Advancement office).
• Jesse Blosser: full time teaching in Math
• Tina Glanzer: full-time Library & College Counseling
• Julianne Ross (new staff member): part-time Library assistant
• John Leonard:  full-time teaching in English (former additional photography and publications duties will now be housed in the Advancement Office)
• Marj Nafziger and Steve Yoder: School Counseling
• Jared Stutzman:  full time teaching in Strings Music and English 8.
• Elena Histand Stuckey: (new faculty member): full time teaching Geometry and Math 8
• Wendell Shank: (new faculty member): new full-time teaching in Spanish
• Loly Martinez (new faculty member -part-time): elementary Spanish teacher
• Rebecca Souder Gish (new faculty member - part-time): elementary art teacher

As budget and personnel allow, there will be a part-time appointment of a Middle School Principal.

Eastern Mennonite School has long been blessed by a remarkable team loaded with talent, passion and commitment on every bus seat! Please join the school community in welcoming and supporting these new appointments as we all strive to fill shoes, stay on mission and charter our bus on paths that best represent the premises on which the school was founded.