Faculty and Staff at Lee Academy
Education means growth—of the mind, the body, and the heart—and the faculty at Lee Academy is committed to furthering that growth in its students. Our faculty knows that lessons are often learned with not just the mind, but with the body and the heart, as well. This is why we study horticulture by going into the woods. It is the reason that students build model bridges to test mathematical applications, go to the old city of Quebec to experience French language and culture, and design and build mock “products” as part of a “company” to develop skills in technical writing. It is the reason students attend theatre adaptations of Turn of the Screw after having read the novella and it is the reason that student and staff civil rights team members have attended conferences in Washington, D.C. and on the coast of Maine. Experiencing ideas, through interactive and hands-on applications, makes learning real.
Our faculty works to challenge students to achieve beyond their expectations, and to become creative, analytical, independent thinkers. Faculty members are also team coaches, club and organization advisors, mentors and friends to our students. Relationships at Lee Academy last well beyond the four years of education. The active alumni association connects Academy alumni, faculty and former faculty from several generations. The activity leaders, the staff, community members and the faculty work with students to continue the supportive, family atmosphere that is a hallmark of the Lee Academy experience.
FACULTY:
Angela Arthers - Health and Physical Education
Mrs. Arthers joined the LA faculty team in 2010. She earned a BA in
elementary education from the University of Southern Maine with a minor in music and has spent more than 20 years in the classroom. Most recently she taught physical education at RSU 20/Belfast Area High School in Belfast, Maine. Previously she spent 14 years teaching at the elementary school level. In her spare time she enjoys playing golf, running (she ran a 1/2 marathon in San Francisco in 2009!), fishing, and spending time with family and friends. She and her husband, Butch, LA's Associate Headmaster, make their home in the Pottle House on the campus of Lee Academy.
Jim Flynn - Special Education
Mr. Flynn lives in Lincoln, with wife Peg and children Gary, Jesse, Megan and Patrick. He received his undergraduate degree in English and History from Worcester State College in Massachusetts. He recently completed the Master’s program in Special Education at the University of Maine. Mr. Flynn is also a part-time Behavior Specialist with Children with Retardation. He teaches courses in math and English, and enjoys history, politics and golf in his spare time.
Nathan Ghiglieri - World Cultures, AP Government and Politics, US History II
Mr. Ghiglieri came to Lee Academy in early 2009. A graduate of the
University of Southern Maine, he holds degrees in both economics and education. It seems only natural that he would be drawn to a rural Maine school like LA since many of his hobbies revolve around the great outdoors! In his spare time he enjoys whitewater rafting, kayaking, hiking and snowboarding, and he is also an avid traveler. He is a dorm parent in the Dew Drop House on campus.
Randy Harris '80 - Athletic Director, Wellness Instructor
Mr. Harris graduated from Lee Academy and went on to Husson
College in Bangor where he earned a Bachelor’s in Recreation Management and completed a Physical Education major at the University of Maine. He lives in Lee with wife Patty, daughter Brooke ’08, and son A.J. He is in his 25th year at LA. He particularly enjoys baseball, having played at Marietta College and at Husson, as well as in Florida in the minor leagues. He coached baseball for 20 years at Lee Academy. He also loves the outdoors especially hunting and fishing. He is an avid golfer. Mr. Harris teaches wellness courses and continues in his 25th year as Lee Academy boy’s varsity basketball coach. He previously coached girl’s soccer for 13 years, as well.
Margo Bernier Kelly - French/ESL
Madame Kelly lives in Lincoln, Maine with her husband Paul. She has one son, Paul, and two daughters, Erin and Meghan. She has taught at Lee Academy for 20 years. She received her Bachelor of Education from the University of Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada. Early in her career she worked for a private elementary school in Portland where she developed and implemented a French language program. Here at LA, she teaches 4 levels of French, ESL and a Survey of Language and Culture class. She is advisor to the French club and she manages the school store which raises money to fund trips to Quebec. In her spare time Madame Kelly enjoys skiing, swimming and kayaking.
Stephen Kennedy - Technology Coordinator and Industrial Tech
Mr. Kennedy lives in Springfield with wife Beth and children Emily, Katie ‘10, and Zachary. He is in his 22nd year at LA, teaching Industrial Technology, Architectural Drawing, and Yearbook design. He graduated with a B.S. in Education from California University of Pennsylvania. In the summers, he does roofing and construction work, throughout the area, with fellow teacher Todd Thurlow.
Matthew Leland - Mathematics/Math Team Coach
Mr. Leland is a first-year teacher at LA, and brings with him an
impressive list of credentials. A native of Orrington, Maine, he earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering with a concentration in aerospace technology from the University of Maine in Orono. He also holds a minor in writing from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a masters in teaching from the University of Maine. Prior teaching experience includes physics and astronomy teacher at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor, and he served as a teaching assistant while studing for his masters at UMaine. He is a retired officer in the United States Navy, and in his spare time enjoys reading and hiking with his fiance, Amy.
Susan Sieczkiewicz Linscott - Physics, AP Physics and AP Environmental Science
Ms. Linscott lives in Lincoln with her husband Sterling '84, son Ethan, and daugher Elena. She has taught for 13 years, briefly in Rhode Island, then in schools in this region of eastern Maine. This is her sixth year at Lee Academy. She has a B.S. in hydrology from the University of New Hampshire, and a master's degree in science education from the University of Maine. She is also a graduate of the Teacher Certification Program at Providence College. Ms. Linscott worked as an environmental scientist before pursuing a career in education. Outside of school, she enjoys gardening and outdoor activities with her family. She is the advisor for LA'ss Envirothon team and community service club, and is chairperson of the science department.
Vanessa Michaud - Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, AP Lab
A second year faculty member, Ms. Michaud teaches a variety of 
science courses at LA. She holds degrees from the University of Maine in both secondary and elementary education with a minor in biology. A native of Holden, Maine, near Bangor, she enjoys traveling and many outdoor activities, including downhill skiing, water skiing, kayaking, fishing, hiking and camping. She lives on campus as a dorm parent in the Haskell House.
Jeremy Milton - Music
Mr. Milton holds a B.M. in Music Education Cum Laude from the
University of Maine, and has begun coursework for a Master of Music degree in Conducting. As a performer, he has attained numerous lead roles in both musical theatre productions and operas including A Chorus Line, Into the Woods, and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. He is currently a member of Euphony, a highly select 32 voice choir that specializes in 20th century a cappella choral music. He is also a frequent guest soloist and has been featured in both the Fauré Requiem and the Mozart Requiem. As a music educator, Mr. Milton has guest conducted several groups and served as conductor and assistant conductor for many musical theatre productions, choirs and bands and teaches music privately. He has conducted throughout the northeastern United States, Canada and Europe, and has been a guest speaker at clinics and workshops for future Music Educators. Since taking over the direction of the music department at Lee Academy, enrollment in music has more than quadrupled, with an expansive curriculum covering a variety of musical topics. Mr. Milton is a member of both the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association. In addition to his duties at Lee Academy, he also teaches music at the Maine Summer Youth Music program on the University of Maine campus for three weeks each summer.
Andrew Papaefthemiou - Yearbook Advisor
Mr. Papaefthemiou comes to LA from Providence College in Rhode
Island where he served as a Graduate Assistant and Special Lecturer for the Friar’s athletic department. Prior to that he was an assistant coach with the Franklin Pierce men's basketball team, and also served as assistant director of campus recreation at Franklin Pierce, where he managed more than 32 different intramural programs in the University's campus rec department. A native of Plaistow, New Hampshire, Mr. Papaefthemiou (Coach Pap) is a 2000 graduate of Keene State College where he earned a BS in management. He also completed his Master's degree in management at New England College in 2006. He lives on campus in Weymouth Hall
Candy Parker - Theatre Arts
Mrs. Parker is in her seventh year at LA, after returning to Maine, with her husband and daughter, from many years in Idaho. They live in Lee on the former Hale Farm. She received her B.A. in English/Speech & Communication, with a minor in Theatre Arts, from Boise State. She is currently completing a Masters in English at University of Maine, Orono. Mrs. Parker has worked with various regional theatre companies in Maine and Idaho, directing, designing sets, and acting. She teaches Theatre Arts and is senior class co-advisor, a member of the selection committee for National Honor Society, and Director of Lee Academy’s annual spring musicals. Recent performances have included Grease, Footloose, Peter Pan, All Shook Up, Beauty & The Beast, and Into the Woods.
Evan Porchetta - Mathematics
Mr. Porchetta, a first year teacher at the Academy, is a Maine native,
growing up in Knox. A graduate of the University of Maine, he holds a degree in Education, majoring in mathematics and minoring in theatre. Mr. Porchetta's outside interests include acting in local theatre productions, singing with the Mout View Chamber Singers, playing various sports, and coaching Lee Academy's respected Math Team. He is a dorm parent on campus, living in the McDonald House.
Greg Reed - English
Mr. Reed lives in Lincoln, Maine. This is his fifth year at LA and his second as an English teacher. He previously instructed SAT Prep English at LA. He has three children: Zac – former LA employee and graduate of University of Maine Farmington, Hannah – currently a senior at UMF, and Phebe, a recent Mattanawcook Academy graduate. Mr. Reed is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, summa cum laude, with a B.S. in english/history education. He taught English for 33 years at Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln where he was also the English department chair and baseball coach. Additionally, he has taught college composition and oral communication at Eastern Maine Community College for 25 years. Mr. Reed is an avid hunter and fisherman.
Matthew Rich - English
Mr. Rich lives in Weymouth Hall and he is in his sixth year of teaching at Lee Academy. He has one son, Caleb, who is seven years old. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono, cum laude, with a B.A. in English, concentration in creative writing, and a masters, with honors, in the arts of teaching. He enjoys playing guitar, writing, canoeing, and working with technology; He has done internet diagnostic work and is a self-described technophile. He enjoys movies, music, and all types of media. Mr. Rich teaches AP English—both Literature and Composition, and 10th and 12th grade English. He is also senior co-advisor and editor of Entropy, LA’s literary, arts, and entertainment magazine.
Emily Rideout - Fine Arts, College Counselor
Mrs. Rideout has taught at Lee Academy for 9 years. She lives in Winn
with husband Derek ’89 and children Austin and Lynzi. She received her B.A. in art education from the University of Maine in 2000. She is currently pursuing a master in counselor education at UMaine. She teaches courses in Art 1, Art 2, Pre-AP Studio Art, Digital Photography, AP Studio Art: Drawing Portfolio, and AP Studio Art: 2-D Design Portfolio. She enjoys walking, camping, drawing, painting, reading, writing, and digital photography. She works as a college advisor, in Student Services Center after school on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and by appointment, to help students plan for college entrance. She also organizes the Annual Lee Academy craft fair held each fall.
Kendra Ritchie '66 - ESL
Mrs. Ritchie is a LA alumna and lives in Lee, with husband Kevin. Son Aaron, daughter-in-law Theresa and grandchildren Matty, Aidan, Elijah and Finnegan also live nearby, and her daughter Aarika, LA's 2008 Valedictorian, attends Colby College. Mrs. Ritchie received a B.A. in English and a Masters in Counseling from the University of Maine in Orono. In 2008 she retired from LA after 26 years where she coordinated college and personal counseling, career planning and testing. She is also the pianist for spring musicals and a passionate basketball fan. Mrs. Ritchie also enjoys listening to and playing music, traveling, hiking, and time spent with family. She is a member of the Springfield Congregational Church, UCC.
Therese Sawyer - Special Education
Mrs. Sawyer lives in Springfield, Maine with
her husband, Stephen, who retired from Lee Academy in 1996 after 34 years of service, and her two cats, Bonnie and Netty. She has two children, a daughter, Kimberly '95, a Director of Admissions at the New England Institute of Art in Boston, and a son, Stephen '96, a manager at Woodco Machinery in Woburn, Massachusetts. Mrs. Sawyer received her bachelor’s science degree from the University of Maine at Machias in 1972. She has taught business, computer applications, English, social studies, and now special education. She is starting her 39th year of teaching at Lee Academy. Mrs. Sawyer is a sports enthusiast and enjoys basketball, soccer, and baseball. She is a Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics fan. She treasures time spent with family.
Galen Thompson, Jr. '82 - Mathematics
Mr. Thompson graduated from Lee Academy in 1982 and has worked as an educational technician for the past 10 years, both at Lee Academy and the local school district. He and his wife, Jenny, were dorm parents for four years in Weymouth Hall, as well. They have two children, Tyler and Zach. Mr. Thompson attended the University of Maine, Farmington. He is currently coaching boy’s soccer and tennis, as well as instructing in mathematics. In past years, he has coached softball and basketball, as well. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and fishing.
Todd Thurlow '84 - Social Studies, U.S. History
A 1984 LA alumnus, Mr. Thurlow lives in East Winn, where he resides with wife Sandra, and their children: Melissa, Kimberly, Josiah, and Nathaniel. He has taught at Lee Academy for 21 years. Mr. Thurlow received his B.A. in education, with a concentration in secondary social studies education and a minor in English, from the University of Maine in Orono. During the summer months, he partners with fellow teacher Steve Kennedy in a small construction business that often does work at Lee Academy, as well as elsewhere in the region. In addition to teaching World Cultures, US History and AP US History, he coaches boys’ and girls’ cross-country and JV boys’ basketball.
Ty Thurlow '02 - English
Mr. Thurlow's roots run deep at Lee Academy. 
His grandfather is a 1945 graduate of LA, his father is a 1974 graduate of the school and he himself graduated from LA in 2002. He was an active student, running cross country all four years, a love he continued through college. He has completed 4 marathons to date, including the 2010 edition of the Boston Marathon. Following high school he attended the University of Maine at Farmington, graduting with a B.A. in English in 2009. Mr. Thurlow has been published in UMF's highly selective literary journal 'Apropos' for his Senior Thesis research. He coaches Boys Varsity Soccer, and enjoys many outdoor activities in his spare time, including (of course!) running, hiking, and camping. In addition to his teaching and coaching responsibilities, he is a dorm parent on campus.
Jeremy Weatherbee - Librarian
Mr. Weatherbee was appointed Lee Academy's librarian in 2010 after
serving as an Ed Tech for two years. He graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 2003 with a degree in Public Management and lives in nearby Lincoln with his wife, Raven, and their 5 children, Lucien, Jackson, Bryn, Ehva, and True. He referees local basketball games and in his free time enjoys spending time with and traveling with his family, as well as playing golf.
Buddy Wood - Wellness Teacher, Associate Director of Prep Basketball Program
Donald “Buddy” Wood is in his second year at Lee Academy, after a
long career in education. He lives on campus in Weymouth Hall and is the proud father of three daughters, Jamie (teaching in Florida), Jodie (stationed with the US Army in Iraq), and Jordan (stationed with the Army at Fort Bragg, NC). Mr. Wood has degrees in business education and physical education from Husson College and the University of Maine-Orono, respectively. He is an avid fisherman, has coached at all levels in a variety of sports, and he and his wife own an antique shop. Here at Lee Academy, Mr. Wood is an assistant in the math classrooms, PG assistant coach, and Learning Lab supervisor.
STAFF:
Chef Russ Brown - Director of Food Services
This is Chef Brown’s fifth year at Lee Academy. During his 30+ year career in culinary arts Russ has coordinated school-based dining programs, both public and private, at both the high school and collegiate level. Prior to his school experiences he was the head pastry chef at several fine dining establishments in southern Maine including the Cumberland Club and the Hotel Regency in Portland. Russ graduated cum laude from prestigous culinary institute Johnson and Wales University. He enjoys spending his spare time with his children Sam and Abby in a variety of outdoor activities.
Paula J. Dicker (Braley) DeKeyser '80 - Receptionist
Mrs. DeKeyser lives in Lee with her husband, Jerry. They were married
on top of beautiful Cadillac Mountain in July 2010. She has a son, TJ '06 and a daughter, Kayla '09. She has two stepdaughters, Haley and Hannah, who reside in Wisconsin. She graduated from Lee Academy in 1980 and has worked at LA for 14 years - 10 of those as the receptionist. She enjoys keeping the varsity and PG scorebooks for all home basketball games, and enjoys spending time with family, traveling, fishing, scrapbooking and photography.
Jerry DeKeyser - Medical Attendant
Mr. DeKeyser lives in Lee and recently married Paula Dicker Braley,
class of 1980. He moved to Lee from Wisconsin in 2008, and recently received his EMT license for Maine after 20 years in EMS in Wisconsin. Jerry is a graduate of the University of Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin with a Bachelor's degree in Biology/Environmental Science. He has two daughters, Haley and Hannah. He also has two stepchildren, Kayla '09 and TJ '06. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping and anything to do with sports. He also enjoys coaching at Mount Jefferson Junior High school for the boys "B" basketball team.
Candance O'Brien Gifford - Student Services Coordinator
Mrs. Gifford is a graduate of the class of 1984 has worked at Lee
Academy for ten years. As Student Services Coordinator she manages student testing related to Advanced Placement, TOEFL, PSAT, SAT and ACT, along with maintaining student records. She works closely with the guidance and college counselors to facilitate the college application process. After graduating two daughters, Ashlee '04 and Amanda '08 (who were Valedictorian and Salutatorian respectively!), she is now working on her own degree and is a secondary education major at the University of Maine in Orono. She and her husband Randy, LA class of '82, reside in Lee and have two beautiful grandchildren, Aubrey and Avery.
Aaron Knowles, RN - Head of Medical Personnel
Mr. Knowles, a 1992 graduate of Lee Academy, is a registered nurse
and oversees Lee Academy's medical department. He is a licensed paramedic and holds degrees in nursing, fire science and paramedicine. He has worked at LA in the past as an assistant coach for both girls soccer and baseball. He is the chief of the local volunteer rescue department for the town of Lee. He and his wife, Theresa, make their home in Lee and are the busy parents of 4 boys: Matthew, 9, Aiden, 7, Elijah, 5, and Finnegan, 3.
Emma Sussenguth Irish '77 - Ed Tech, Gear Up Advisor
Mrs. Irish is in her 10th year as a member of the Lee Academy staff. She and her husband, Rick, make their home in Topsfield where she
enjoys fly fishing, hiking, hunting, cooking, knitting and horseback riding. She has attended Husson College and the Maine Forest Ranger Academy, and received her ESL Certification from the University of Maine. As the Gear Up advisor she works with college-bound students to increase college attendance and success and raise the expectations of low-income students.