People

At Riverdale, we have a robust faculty, staff, and administration so that we can meet the needs of our students and their families. If you need to reach someone at School, we have put this webpage together to help.


All School Administration

Kari Ostrem
Head of School

Hanifa Barnes
Assistant Head of School for Strategy & Operations

Jenna King
Associate Head of School for External Affairs

Milton Sipp
Assistant Head of School
for School Life;
Head of Middle School

James Duval
Associate Head of School; 
Head of Lower School

Anna Hall
Chief of Organizational Learning
Executive Director of PLUSSED


Lower School Administrative Team 

James Duval
Associate Head of School;
Head of Lower School

Natasha Schmemann
Assistant Head of Lower School, Pre-K-Grade 2

Ellen Greengrass
Assistant Head of Lower School, Grades 3-5

Jessica Delgado
Associate Head of Lower School

Tim Sacks
Lower School Dean

Demetra Caldwell
Lower School Director of Community Engagement

Frances Garcia
Assistant to the Head of Lower School

Barry Sherman
Lower School Administrative Assistant


Middle School Administrative Team

Milton Sipp
Assistant Head of School
for School Life;
Head of Middle School

Mike Sclafani
Assistant Head of Middle School
Dean of Students for Grade 8

Monika Le
Dean of Students for Grade 7

Antoinette Quarshie
Dean of Students for Grade 6

Monique Fonseca
Assistant to the Head of School and the Middle School Deans


Upper School Administration Team

Mike Velez
Head of Upper School

Julie Choi
Assistant Head of Upper School

Shelby Stokes
Dean of Faculty

Jennie Picconi
Dean of Students, Grade 9

Jeremy Clifford
Dean of Students, Grade 10

Manisha Doran
Assistant Dean of Students, Grade 10

Meg Johnson
Dean of Students, Grade 11

Johnny Hager
Dean of Students, Grade 12

James Murray
Assistant to the Upper School Deans



Academic Department Chairs 

Andrew Abate
Computer Science Department Chair

Melissa Miness
English Department Chair

Christina Young
Director of Counseling & Health Education;
Health Department Chair

Laura Honsberger
History Department Chair

Deborah Aschkenes
Interdisciplinary Studies Coordinator

Valerie Keller
Language Department Chair

Missi Decker-Alifanz
Math Department Chair

Jason Curry
Music Department Chair

Roberta MacIvor
Physical Education Department Chair

Shabari Lasrado
Science Department Chair

Laura Desmond
Theater, Dance & Film Department Chair

Jason Ruff
Visual Arts Department Chair


Athletics

Katie Gendron
Assistant Director of Athletics for Coaching and Operations

John Pizzi
Director of Athletics

Mike Powers
Director for Athletic Training and Safety and Student Welfare


DEIB on the Hill (Middle & Upper School)

Phyllis Dugan
Director of Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging

Ciara Everett
Assistant Director of Community Engagement


External Affairs

Jenna King
Associate Head of School for External Affairs

Maia Shulman
Director of Lower School Admission

Tracy Dansker
Director of Middle and Upper School Admission

JP Jacquet
Director of Financial Aid;
Assistant Director of Middle and Upper School Admission

Pamela Ezell
Chief Communications Officer

Chloƫ May
Assistant Director of Communications

Mary Ludemann
Director of Community Relations

Marie Capasso
Executive Director of Development


Finance

Dan Schultz
Chief Financial Officer


Learning Research Team

Jenny Buck
Co-Director of the
Learning Research Team

Candy Anderson
Co-Director of the
Learning Research Team

Middle & Upper School Counseling


Christina Young
Director of Counseling & Health Education;
Health Department Chair

Parents Association

Tiffany Ellis-Butts
President of Parents Association


School Store

Frances Aybar
School Store Manager;
Purchasing/ Receiving Agent


Security & Facilities


Service Learning

Rachel Klein
Director of Service Learning


Technology

Jonathan King
Director of Technology

Jen Davenport
Associate Director of Administrative Systems


Transportation

Marcia Siper
Lower School Transportation & Attendance

Eula Manning
Middle & Upper School Transportation