Jason Patera
Head of School
Jason Patera has been part of the Academy community for over 20 years, serving as a faculty member, Chair of the Music Department, Assistant Head of School, Principal, and now Head of School.
Elizabeth Cunningham
Assistant Principal
Elizabeth Cunningham is the Dean of Students as well as the Student Services Coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art and a Master of Education in Special Education at Loyola University.
Elizabeth also serves as the Director of Learning Resources.
Amanda LePard
Director of Enrollment Management
Amanda LePard joins The Academy with over 10 years of Admissions experience in independent schools. A lifelong dancer, Amanda is classically trained and received a degree in Dance and Communication from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point before moving to Chicago to pursue a professional dance career.
Emily Luhrs
Chief of Staff
Emily is a seasoned professional with multiple years of teaching experience at the Denver Center Theatre Academy. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Oklahoma.
Randy Duncan
Chair - Dance
Randy Duncan, a native Chicagoan, has the unique privilege to be a three-time recipient of Chicago’s prestigious Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Choreographer of the year. He teaches worldwide and for the past twenty-two years has been on the Academy faculty.
Sarah Hiatt
Chair - Media Arts
Sarah Hiatt is an artist and educator born and raised in the Ozarks. She uses photography to explore the ideas of grief, innocence, and growing up. Her work has been shown in various locations throughout the United States and internationally. Hiatt currently resides in Chicago, IL.
Rachel Brown
Chair - Music
Rachel Brown is a Chicago-based chamber musician, soloist, orchestral performer, educator, and arts administrator. After three years as a regular member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, she is now the Associate Principal Second Violin of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and also performs with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, Rockford Symphony Orchestra, American Music Festivals Orchestra, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
Rachel also serves as the Classical Violin and Viola Instructor and Musicianship Instructor.
Andrew Robinson
Chair - Musical Theatre
Andrew Robinson earned his Bachelor of Arts in English and Religion from Rhodes College, his Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University, and his Master of Arts in Educational Theatre from New York University. he has been a creative associate with the Wagon Wheel Theatre for ten years where he has performed in and directed dozens of shows.
Ben Dicke
Chair - Theatre
Ben Dicke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education from Sterling College. He has worked as a professional actor for twenty years in regional markets throughout the country.
Margy Stover
Chair - Visual Arts
Margy Stover has taught at The Academy since 2003 and has been Visual Arts Department Chair since 2008. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Pratt Institute and Master of Fine Arts from SUNY Buffalo.
Nicholas Roux
Co-Chair - Humanities
Nicholas Roux teaches philosophy and creative writing. He attended Kenyon College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, with concentrations in Creative Writing and Humane Studies, and served as a student associate for The Kenyon Review.
Anna Mijalski
Co-Chair - Humanities
Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in French Literature from the University of Illinois, Chicago, where she also taught before coming to the Academy.
Sarah Langford
College Counselor
Sarah Langford was a high school teacher for fifteen years and is now College Counselor at The Academy. Sarah attended the University of Missouri and holds a Master of Education from The University of Illinois (Chicago).
Timothy Tynan
Tim Tynan has been teaching history at The Academy since fall of 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and English Literature from Loyola University of Chicago, as well as a Master of Arts in English Literature and an Illinois teaching certificate in Secondary Education from Northeastern Illinois University.
Nina Karakos
Associate Director of Admissions
Nina Karakos joins The Academy with three years of Admissions experience. Nina brings with them an extensive amount of personal experience with the audition process and understands that applying to The Academy may be many students' first time auditioning. As such, Nina is dedicated to ensuring that everyone who applies feels supported and welcomed throughout the admissions process.
Evan Pazkowski
Director of Development
Evan joins us with a lifelong passion for the arts and years of experience in the non-profit world. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing from Ferris State University and a Master of Public Administration from Western Michigan University.
Brenda Moore
Brenda Moore is a Chicago based visual artist represented by Linda Warren Projects. She has taught at The Academy since 2003.
Joseph Hulbert
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Prior to assuming the role of Director of Strategic Initiatives, Joseph (Joe) Hulbert worked as Director of Partnerships at The Academy since the fall of 2014. Joe has over a decade of experience working at the intersection of education and community arts through his work at both The Academy and the Center for Community Arts Partnerships (CCAP), at Columbia College Chicago.
Jesse Langen
New Music Ensemble Director, Pop/Rock Ensemble Director, Classical Guitar Instructor
Jesse Langen is a guitarist who specializes in new music. He works with living composers regularly and premieres dozens of pieces every season. Equally comfortable on classical and electric guitar, he seeks to push both the technical boundaries and the conceptual functions of the instrument. He has taught at The Academy since 2002.
Patrick Simoniello
Assistant Chair of the Dance Department
Patrick Simoniello began his professional career as a dancer with The Joffrey II Dancers in New York City in 1993. He was soon promoted to the main company of The Joffrey in 1994.
Buck Blue
Buck has been working as the Technical Director/Production Manager for The Chicago Academy for the Arts since 2004. He is a Member of the Illinois Theatre Association and the CAA representative to the USITT.
Gavin Schultz
Director of Marketing and Communications
Gavin Schultz graduated from DePaul University in 2021 with a B.A in Communications. Prior to joining The Academy, Gavin worked in marketing for Do312, Phoenix Theatres, and various restaurants around Chicago.
Stacey Talbert
Stacey Talbert is a Chicago native of diverse cultural background. She has a strong history in administrative and management support along with education. One of her specialties is building a positive rapport with students. Her passion is working with a team of varied backgrounds.
David Sprecher
David Sprecher is an artist and educator living in Chicago. He graduated with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2006 and an MFA from the Art Theory and Practice program at Northwestern University in 2016. He's published writing in The Brooklyn Rail and has exhibited work in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Berlin, and Sapporo.
Robert Feliciano
Facilities Manager
Robert joined The Academy in 2014. Prior to taking the role of Facilities Manager, he worked as a baker at the Archdiocese of Chicago for 27 years.
Henry Feliciano
Facilities Manager
Henry Feliciano has over 30 years of experience in facilities, most notably with Verizon. Henry joined The Academy in 2014.
Jake Hinkson
Jake Hinkson is the author of several books, including the novels Hell On Church Street, The Posthumous Man, and No Tomorrow, the short story collection The Deepening Shade, and the essay collection The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir’s Forgotten Corners. He was a a guest lecturer at The Academy in early 2016 and later joined the faculty.
Christopher Hagenah
Christopher Hagenah attended University of California Santa Barbara, where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy in English.
Gregory Dudzienski
Director of Jazz Combos, Jazz Saxophone Instructor
Saxophonist and composer Gregory Dudzienski lives a life of constant motion. After years of travel, he has become a member of Chicago’s strong community of musicians and improvisers. His original music has been featured on the Anagram Series at The Elastic Arts Foundation, the Actual Jazz Series at Cafe Mustache, and the Chicago Jazz Composers Collective At The Green Mill as well as the Is This Jazz Series at AS200 in Providence, Rhode Island, the International Saxophone Symposium in Fairfax, Virginia, and the Salerno Jazz Festival in Salerno Italy.
Natalie Staples
Natalie Staples earned her Bachelor of Arts in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Kenyon College and a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from the University of Oregon, where she also taught Poetry and Composition before coming to the Academy.
Melissa Metelits
Melissa Metelits became a faculty member in 2018 and teaches Algebra II, Precalculus, AP Calculus BC, and AP Computer Science. She has taught and tutored a variety of subjects in Philadelphia, her home town, and in Chicago.
Jack Murray
Director of Recording Arts and Commercial Music
A native of Naperville, Illinois, Jack Murray began training in classical piano at the age of four. For the past four years, Jack has led an impressive career in the audio industry. Before joining the faculty at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, Jack was involved in numerous recording, live sound, and televised productions during which he worked alongside local stars, national touring acts, and seasoned music legends.
Callandra Youngleson
Vocal Jazz Ensemble Co-Director, Jazz Voice Instructor
Callandra (Cal) Youngleson is a South African jazz vocalist, composer and educator. She has performed internationally collaborating with some of South Africa and America's greatest jazz musicians. Callandra is a proud graduate of the University of North Texas College of Music having completed her Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies in 2019 where she was also a jazz voice teaching fellow and had the opportunity to tour and perform across Chicago, New York and Dallas as well as receive Downbeat student music awards in her time at UNT.
Nichole Young
Classical Harp Instructor
Nichole’s love for the harp and her stellar performances have made her one of the most highly sought-after harpists in Chicago and northern Illinois. She specializes in performing for special celebrations, helping to create a soundscape that enhances the moment, creating a moment in time that will be remembered forever.
Kelli Harrington
Kelli Harrington earned both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Vocal Performance from Northwestern University.
Graca Sales
Graca Sales began her ballet career in her hometown of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, starting out at her local dance company Palacio das Artes at the age of 13. At 22 years old she moved to Germany and worked with Ulmer Dance Theater as a Prima Ballerina.
Olga Meyer
Olga Meyer graduated from Azerbajian State College in Baku and earned her Masters in Music from the State Conservatory. She taught and concertized before coming to the United States in 1981. She has been at The Academy since 1985.
Lauren Rovin
Lauren earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Latino Studies, and her Master of Arts degree in Secondary Education at the University of Michigan.
Alex Cassidy
Alex Cassidy joined The Academy in 2018, and earned their Bachelors in Science Education from the University of Florida. Alex comes to The Academy from Wellsprings Friends School in Eugene, OR.
Mary Kettering
Mary Kettering joined the Humanities Department in 2018. She holds a degree in political science and history from the University of Montana, where she also earned her teaching certification. She earned her Masters of Philosophy in Women and Gender Studies from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
Libby LaDue
Senior Development Associate
Libby recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied Communication Arts and Theatre & Drama. Born and raised in Wisconsin, Libby was eager to move down to Chicago to continue working in the non-profit sector while simultaneously working as an actor. She is thrilled to be joining the wonderful Academy community.
Jonah Lazarus
Drum Set Instructor
Jonah Lazarus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator, from Oak Park, IL. Coming from a family of Jewish artists, social workers and educators, he grew up learning to improvise musically with his two brothers. At Macalester College, Jonah worked under Sowah Mensah, studying and playing various genres of Ghanaian and African music. In Salvador, Brazil, he studied and collaborated with Iuri Passos, Bira Santos, Letieres Leite, and Beto Martins. In Chicago, Jonah focuses his energy on teaching as well as composing, performing and recording for his family band, Family Junket.
Alyssa Bennett
Classical Vocal Workshop Director, Classical Voice Instructor
Alyssa Bennett is the Classical Vocal Workshop Director and a Classical Voice Instructor at The Academy.
Nicholas Olynciw
Vocal Jazz Ensemble Co-Director, Jazz Piano Instructor
Chicago-based pianist & educator Nicholas Olynciw is a rising voice in jazz music. Winner of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition and the American Jazz Piano Competition Bösendorfer Prize, Nicholas earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas where he was a member of the Grammy-nominated One O'clock Lab Band. He received his Master's Degree from Western Michigan University where he was awarded the 2019 Downbeat Award for Best Graduate Jazz Instrumental Soloist.
Christopher Nolte
Jazz Bass Instructor
A Decatur, IL native, Christopher Nolte received degrees in music from Millikin University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied with Jeff Grubbs, Larry Gray, Chip Stephens, Chip McNeil and Jim Pugh. After residing in Brooklyn for several years where he played with Mike Fahie, Ryan Keberle, John McNeil, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown and others, he relocated to Chicago and is one of the busiest bass players in the area.
Richard Brasseale
Classical Saxophone Instructor
An acclaimed saxophonist, he has played with numerous ensembles, including the Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony, Fulcrum Point New Music Ensemble, Camerata Chicago, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, and others. Recent solo performances include the DePaul Symphony Orchestra, North Park Orchestra, and various recitals in Alabama, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Arizona. He has performed in the Spahlinger Festival, EAR TAXI Festival, Brevard Music Festival, and Terry Riley's 80th Birthday Concert.
Marianne Parker
Collaborative Pianist, Classical Piano Instructor
Marianne Parker’s playing has been described as, “a cut above...her sympathetic fingers offering well-sculpted phrases and impassioned pealing” (Chicago Classical Review). Her work can be heard on three albums, Pages intimes (2019), Pyano Sa (2020), and Currents in Time (2020, PARMA/Navona Records). Marianne is curator for the Anthology of 21st century works for solo piano through NewMusicShelf Publishing.
An active chamber musician, Marianne’s first foray into new music was with L+M Duo, which she co-founded in 2016 along with marimbist Laurel Black. Marianne is in demand locally, regionally, and nationally as collaborator and new music specialist.
August Miller
Marketing and Communications Associate
August graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2022 with a B.A. in Computer Animation. He comes to The Academy with previous experience working in design and community engagement at Columbia College and Snow City Arts. A longtime advocate for breaking down educational barriers, August is excited for the unique opportunity to continue his work in both arts education as well as the non-profit sector at The Academy.
Carly Davis
Grant and Event Associate
Carly graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a B.A. in Acting. She has worked and acted in non-profit theatre in Chicago since 2016 and has experience in grant writing and event planning through her previous position as Managing Director of Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble. She is excited to be an advocate for arts education funding at The Academy.