Faculty and Staff Directory

To search for faculty and staff contact information, please select a department from the menu below on the left. Alternatively, you can use the menu on the right to search faculty and staff using the first initial of the person’s last name.

To reach a member of the faculty or staff via telephone, dial 805-640-3201, followed by your party’s extension.

Faculty & Staff Directory

  • Photo of Gregory Haggard
    Mr. Gregory Haggard
    Chair of the Arts Department and Director of the Music Program
    805-640-3201 x248
    University of California, Los Angeles - BA
    University of California, Los Angeles - MA
    Bio
     
    With a heart-and-soul love of melody and harmony, Gregory brings his talent to Thacher from Hollywood, where he worked as a composer and music director. This UCLA graduate now serves as chair of the Arts Department and its musical director, and he teaches all the curricular music classes, from Music Appreciation to AP Music Theory (for which he is a national reader). Greg particularly enjoys collaborating with students on the school musical, for which he is musical director. He also advises and oversees and rehearses with students doing independent projects in music or music performance.

    When Extra-Day Trips come around, Gregory happily heads for the hills. Two of his favorite spots are the Pine Mountain Lodge in the Sespe and Rae Lake in the Sierra. To enrich camping trips, Gregory developed the Thacher School Song Book, a portable collection of campfire songs.
  • Photo of Kirby Hales
    Mr. Kirby Hales
    Fisher Fellow: English Department
    Bio
     
    Before Thacher, Mr. Hales served as a Teach For America Corps Member in the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana. He also loves to read, watch movies, and eat really good food!
  • Photo of Katherine Halsey
    Ms. Katherine Halsey
    French and English Teacher and Riding Instructor
    Stanford University - BA
    Bio
     
    A teacher of French and English, Katherine had never ridden horses before coming to Thacher, but she soon discovered the challenges and rewards of working in the equine world. Now she not only instructs students in riding but also leads horse-packing trips. A graduate of Stanford University, Katherine taught at Belmont Hill School and Phillips Academy, Andover prior to Thacher. She likes to say that she followed her daughter, then a boarding student, to Thacher. Katherine enjoys reading, writing, singing, and spending time with her grown children and their families. She plays the guitar and has recently taken up the mandolin. Katherine’s passion for language study and international travel took her to France on School Year Abroad as a senior in high school, the first of eight years total spent living there. Striking out in a whole new direction, Katherine spent her sabbatical year, 2006-2007, in South Africa, where she volunteered for mothers2mothers, an organization that works in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. She worked in curriculum development for m2m and had the chance to travel extensively throughout sub-Saharan Africa, serving as a spokesperson and liaison for the group.
  • Photo of Kendrea Hart
    Dr. Kendrea Hart
    Director of Counseling and Wellness
    805-640-3201 x259
    Bio
     
    Dr. Kendrea C. Hart is the Director of Counseling and Wellness for The Thacher School. She has over two decades of success in promoting supportive learning environments and strong family connections for optimal youth development. As a seasoned school psychologist and mental health consultant, Dr. Hart has provided leadership to schools in developing student support teams, Individualized Education Programs, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Dr. Hart earned a B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College, an M.A. in School Psychology from N.C. State University, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from N.C. State University. Trained in the scientist-practitioner model, Dr. Hart’s experience includes a research fellowship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, serving as an adjunct lecturer for N.C. State University’s Psychology Department, and interning with Emory University’s Barton Child Advocacy Clinic. She has extensive experience in developing culturally-responsive approaches to intervention and consultation for youth and brings professional expertise in the areas of trauma-informed practice and resilience, school mental health and wellness, multi-tiered systems of support, positive identity development, and strengths-based ecological approaches.
  • Photo of Juliet Henderson
    Ms. Juliet Henderson
    World Language Department Chair
    805-646-4377
    Pitzer College - BA
    University of California, Los Angeles - MA
    Southern Oregon University/Universidad de Guanajuato - MA
    Bio
     
    Juliet Henderson is the Thacher World Language Department Chair, Spanish Teacher, and Varsity Girls Tennis Coach. Juliet and her family live next to The Hill Dorm and she advises 11th graders. In addition to all things related to the Spanish language, Juliet enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading.
  • Photo of Jerome Holden
    Mr. Jerome Holden
    Director of Technology
    805-640-3222
    Bio
     
    Jerry grew up in Ojai and came to Thacher in 1994 as a computer consultant to help with the school’s first computer networking project. In addition to connecting the Mudd Science Building to the Library, the school’s first internet connection was installed, a website and email accounts were created, and faculty and student training began.
    The network, and computer use quickly expanded across campus and over the years Jerry has enjoyed shepherding the constant evolution of new technologies and capabilities.
    Jerry and his wife Kerry are avid hikers and enjoy Caminos around the world. They have two children, Trent CdeP 2010 and Brittany CdeP 2013.
  • Photo of Megan Hooker
    Ms. Megan Hooker
    Ceramics Teacher and Independent Project Coordinator
    University of California, Santa Barbara - BA
    Bio
     
    Born and raised in the area, Megan graduated from UCSB with a bachelor’s degree in global studies with an emphasis in Africa. She has spent time exploring countries around the world by foot, bike, and surfboard. Megan teaches ceramics, and her love of working with clay began over a decade ago, and the transformative relationship between clay and fire keeps her perpetually enthralled. In her spare time, Megan pursues her craft at her home studio and enjoys the outdoors as much as possible. 
  • Photo of Jeffrey Hooper
    Mr. Jeffrey Hooper
    Head of School
    805-640-3201 x212
    Trinity University - BA
    University of Texas - MA
    Bio
     
    During his time at Thacher, Jeff has taught courses in Spanish, history, and economics and currently serves as head of school. He is also the head coach of varsity football—having himself played four years of football at Trinity University and then worked as an assistant football coach at TMI—The Episcopal School of Texas in San Antonio, where he also taught Spanish. Jeff appreciates the tightly knit community at Thacher and enjoys the Outdoor Program, whose trips into the Sespe, the San Rafael Mountains, and the southern Sierra have taught him a lot about camping. Guided by his love of Spanish, Jeff has explored Mexico and studied in Latin America. He lives on campus with his wife, Kara, and their two sons, Hayden CdeP 2023 and Hiram '25.
  • Photo of Kara Hooper
    Ms. Kara Hooper
    Head’s Office: Events and Hospitality
    Colby College - BA
    Middlebury College - MA
    Bio
     
    Kara Hooper arrived at Thacher in 2002.  She spent twelve years as the Associate Director of College Counseling at The Thacher School before founding O-Higher Ed, an organization committed to helping students of the Ojai Valley access higher education, with a focus on those who are first in their family to go to college. While working at Thacher, she also taught English, served as a dorm head, and coached girls soccer for nine years and girls lacrosse for sixteen years. Beyond her work with O-Higher Ed, she serves on the Troop Committee for BSA Troop 504 in Ojai and volunteers regularly at the food pantry for the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Ojai; she also serves on the board of the Ojai Valley Library Friends and Foundation (OVLFF).  Currently she runs events out of the Head of School home, including a long standing Thacher tradition, Open House.
  • Photo of Charlotte Humes
    Ms. Charlotte Humes
    Mathematics Department--Instructor
    Bio
     
    Charlotte teaches math and is the dorm head for Middle School. She is also is a world traveler, having served in the Peace Corps and taught in international schools including King’s Academy in Jordan. 
  • Photo of Czarina Hutchins
    Ms. Czarina Hutchins
    Associate Director of College Counseling
    805-640-3270
    Bio
     
    Czarina joined Thacher after working as a college admissions officer at Providence College and Columbia University. She earned a BA from Franklin & Marshall College in the joint studies of History and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies and her MA from Teachers College, Columbia University in Sociology and Education with a concentration in Education Policy. A native of Oakland, CA and a boarding school graduate herself, Czarina was an A Better Chance Scholar at the Pomfret School in Pomfret, CT. 
    During her time in college admissions, Czarina was a member of the National and New England Associations for College Admission Counseling, the New England Consortium Bridging Access to College, and is currently a member of the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools. Czarina is excited to help students find the best fit that meets their educational and personal needs. She is thrilled to bring her lifelong passion for basketball to her duties coaching Girls’ JV Basketball. 
A college preparatory boarding school for grades 9-12
5025 Thacher Road
Ojai, California, 93023
Tel: 805-646-4377 Fax: 805-646-9490 Email: info@thacher.org 
Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students: The Thacher School admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other School-administered programs.