Chris Schuck

Head of School

CHRIS SCHUCK earned an A.B. in Philosophy from Princeton, then worked with A Better Chance and studied conflict analysis and peace research before earning an M.S. in Teaching from University of Pennsylvania. Over the course of his thirty-five year career in education, he has taught both math and English in public and private schools—in high school, middle school, and elementary divisions—and has also held administrative roles at all three levels. Prior to his appointment at Northwest Academy, he was the Associate Head at Oregon Episcopal School, and for seven years Head of School at La Jolla Country Day in San Diego. His wife, Lauren Carrera, is an artist with a studio in Portland.

cschuck@nwacademy.org

Andrea Van Hagen

MS English
MS Learning Lab
MS Activities Director

ANDREA VAN HAGEN earned her B.A. from Willamette University and her M.A. in teaching at Seattle University. Andrea kicked off her career by helping to convert a large traditional high school near Seattle into three smaller schools, all while orchestrating English and advisory courses. She continued onto Mountain View High School in Vancouver until her eventual arrival at Northwest Academy. She enjoys writing, reading, running, and gardening with her family. Andrea has been with the school since 2012.

avanhagen@nwacademy.org

April Haddock

Registrar

APRIL HADDOCK is a graduate of The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas where she received two B.A. degrees in Psychology and Political Science. Pursuing diverse intellectual interests, April went on to study Nutritional & Dietary Guidance, Studio & Live Sound Recording, and Computer Coding. Her love of details and organization helps Northwest Academy run smoothly. Outside of school, she plays the drums, loves pop culture, and just re-learned how to ride a bike. April originally joined the Northwest Academy community in 2008 as the Assistant to the Head of School and returned in 2016 as the Registrar.

ahaddock@nwacademy.org

Caitlin Gibb

School Counselor

CAITLIN GIBB earned her B.S. in psychology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, an M.S. in counseling from San Francisco State University, and an M.S.W. from Columbia University School of Social Work. Caitlin is a licensed marriage and family therapist, social worker, yoga and meditation teacher, and community organizer with over ten years of experience. Caitlin has worked with various youth development non-profits throughout New York City. She is the co-founder of S.O.U.L. Sisters Leadership Collective, an NYC and Miami-based nonprofit. The Collective provides arts-based healing opportunities and social justice education for court-involved women. Caitlin has also led an anti-gun violence youth leadership program in Brooklyn and taught mindfulness-based practices in detention facilities and alternative sentencing programs. Caitlin particularly enjoys working with youth, whose energy and curiosity keep her on her toes, humble, and always learning. Caitlin has been with Northwest Academy since 2016.

cgibb@nwacademy.org

Cristiana Gilman

Development Director

CRISTIANA (CRIS) GILMAN received her B.A. in Fine and Performing Arts from Portland State University.  In addition to her experience in theater, she has a background in fundraising in both the academic and healthcare fields.  For the past decade, she has been managing community and fundraising events, as well as annual giving programs. She is excited to be back in an educational environment and to be part of the Northwest Academy team.  Cris has been with Northwest Academy since 2017.

cgilman@nwacademy.org

Doug Ross

Finance Director

Doug Ross

dross@nwacademy.org

Erin Blenkiron

HS Activities Director
MS Math
HS Math

ERIN BLENKIRON has a B.A. in Public Health and a M.A.T. in Secondary Mathematics, both from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. She taught Middle School Math in Baltimore City Schools for 6 years before moving to Portland in search of fresh air and easy to access biking and running paths. After a short stint leading the education program at Good Neighbor Center, a family homeless shelter in Tigard, Erin was happy to join the team at Northwest Academy in 2013. In her classroom Erin values teaching the why behind mathematical concepts, having students explain their thought processes, and making connections to real-world situations. Outside of school she enjoys running, cycling, cooking, and enjoying delicious culinary creations around Portland.

eblenkiron@nwacademy.org

John Storhm

Systems and Technology Director

JOHN STORHM has a B.S. in physics from George Washington University. He joins Northwest Academy after a 25-year career working in information technology for private industry, government agencies, and non-profit institutions. John has a passion for books and publishes his own e-book reprints of older out-of-print books. He serves as the volunteer webmaster for the Portland Area Used Booksellers Association and as Vice-Chair of the Tigard Library Board. In his spare time, John enjoys exploring the Western states with his family and riding his motorcycle. John has been with Northwest Academy since 2012.

jstorhm@nwacademy.org

Julia Cain

Director of Student Services
College Counseling

JULIA CAIN is a graduate of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In addition to the Museum School, Julia also attended the Aegean Center for the Fine Arts in Paros, Greece.  As College Counselor, she is dedicated to providing guidance through all phases of the college application process. She brings sanity, compassion, and expertise to the daunting task of applying to college. Julia has been with Northwest Academy since 2000.

jcain@nwacademy.org

Kathy Veenhuizen

Accountant & HR Generalist

KATHY VEENHUIZEN has over 25 years’ experience in Human Resources and accounting across a variety of industries.  She loves to travel, and has done volunteer work all over the world, including Germany, Hungary, Poland, Mexico, and most recently in Kenya.  Kathy loves spending time with her husband, four adult children and her three grandbabies!  She has been with Northwest Academy since 2016.

kveenhuizen@nwacademy.org

Lainie Ettinger

Director of Admissions and Marketing

LAINIE ETTINGER has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in classical civilizations from UCLA. Lainie’s career focus is educational and cultural institutions. She managed the corporate and grants programs at The Denver Art Museum and the foundation relations program at Lewis & Clark College. As a freelance writer, she has published articles in The New York Times and The Oregonian. Lainie has been with Northwest Academy since 2008.

lettinger@nwacademy.org

Linda Rosinski

Administrative Assistant
Plaza Receptionist

LINDA ROSINSKI has been with Northwest Academy since 2017.

lrosinski@nwacademy.org

Lon Nowak

Education Assistant

LON NOWAK graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in English and has been working as an independent writer since then. He’s had the opportunity to work with the incredibly talented Jack Ciolli who made it possible for them to publish two webcomics together and spend several years on the convention circuit. He works with high school and middle school students as an Educational Assistant and runs a tabletop gaming club for middle schoolers. Lon has been with Northwest Academy since 2012.

lnowak@nwacademy.org

Morgan Kunze

Admissions Associate

MORGAN KUNZE graduated from the University of Colorado in 1995. She learned to love fundraising as a volunteer, and spent five years in fund development at United Cerebral Palsy and Planned Parenthood, coordinating annual giving and special events.  After taking a few wonderful years at home with her two kids, Morgan joined the development office at Northwest Academy, helping our fantastic community support our students through the Northwest Academy Fund and Club Cabaret.  In 2017, she transitioned to the school’s Admissions and Marketing Department, where she enjoys getting to know prospective students and their families.  Morgan has been with Northwest Academy since 2010.

mkunze@nwacademy.org

Nia Johnson

Education Assistant

NIA JOHNSON has been with Northwest Academy since 2017.

Rachael Torchia

Middle School Director

RACHAEL TORCHIA is a photographer with a background in mediation and conflict resolution. She has a B.A. from Bennington College, and her instructional experience includes public, private, and charter schools as well as court intervention programs. She specializes in experimental and student-directed learning and has taught conflict management and arts-based curricula at middle schools and high schools  in Vermont and Oregon. Rachael has been with Northwest Academy since 2006.

rtorchia@nwacademy.org

Revan Williams

MS Social Studies
Yearbook

REVAN WILLIAMS has a  B.A. in Political Science and English from Swarthmore College. He is a proud alumnus of Northwest Academy (class of 2005), who is very happy to be back. His first experience as an educator was teaching Japanese to Pennsylvania elementary school students through a pedagogy program while still a student himself. After completing his degree, he went abroad to teach English in rural Japan. Revan teaches social studies in the middle school and advises the yearbook clubs. He has been with Northwest Academy since 2013.

rwilliams@nwacademy.org

Sara Tam

Development Associate

SARA TAM earned her B.A. in Art History from the University of Washington and her M.Ed. at Portland State. Her educational experience has ranged from being a multi-age classroom teacher for the Vancouver School District to board president for her sons’ school program. After years of working as a volunteer for various fundraisers, she is happy to find a home at Northwest Academy in the Development Office. Sara has been with the school since 2016.

stam@nwacademy.org

Tamara Lindsay

Administrative Assistant
Main Receptionist

TAMARA LINDSAY has an Associates Degree in Retail Management & Merchandising Display from Bryant & Stratton College in New York. She began her career in New York as a retail store manager, eventually living and working in 6 states across the east coast for her husband’s Marine Corps career. For the past 16 years, she has been an instructional assistant and administrative assistant in both public and private schools in Oregon. In her free time, Tamara is a mixed-media artist and enjoys music, reading, hiking and spending time with her family and Golden Retriever, Bailey.  Tamara has been with Northwest Academy since 2017.

tlindsay@nwacademy.org