Our Team

Senior Leadership Team

Shawn Kelly Chief Executive Officer & Mountain Academy Head of School
Shawn Kelly was named TSS Chief Executive Officer in September 2021. He also serves as the Mountain Academy Head of School.

Shawn’s professional journey in education started during his time working with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Sri Lanka on a reef conservation project and assisting with the development of a shrimp farm. He had the opportunity to lecture at several universities and international schools on the importance of marine resources in the tropics. Shawn also had previous summer experience teaching filmmaking and physics to high school students, and all together, these educational opportunities convinced him to dedicate his professional life to the pursuit of education.

Over the course of his career, Shawn has taught a myriad of courses in both the sciences and in the humanities to students ranging from preschool to the undergraduate level. He values the transformative power of experiential education and has made it a point to help students engage with their learning in a way that connects course material to their lives. Most recently, Shawn held head of school roles at two independent schools, St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia, PA and The McClelland School in Pueblo, CO. Shawn graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a B.A. in Marine Affairs. He earned a M.A. in teaching and learning from Harvard School of Education.

Shawn and wife Tiffany have two children, Eva (8) and Jack (11 months). Relocating from Colorado Springs, Co, they look forward to exploring their new backyard and connecting with the local communities.
Claire Lewis Executive Assistant to the CEO and Head of School
Claire Lewis joined Teton Science Schools in the fall of 2022 as Executive Assistant to Shawn Kelly, CEO. Previously, Claire worked in Enrollment Management at an independent all girls school in the Philadelphia suburbs. Claire supports Shawn in his leadership role in the daily operation of Teton Science Schools and Mountain Academy, and the Board of Directors and standing committees in their ongoing governance. Claire enjoys belonging to an organization which has, at its core, the principles of best practice in placed-based education. She was drawn to TSS by its committed educators and connections to people, place and nature.

Claire loves daily early morning walks with her two dogs, and likes to read, knit, and cook dinner for friends. She is actively involved in stream restoration work, stormwater management and the preservation of green space in her community.

Senior Leadership Team

Nicola James Chief People Officer
Nicola originally hails from Sydney, Australia and has called Wydaho home for the past 15 years. With an extensive HR background in hospitality and the ski industry, Nicola held the role of Human Resources Director of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort prior to joining TSS in 2018.

In her time at TSS, Nicola has worked to elevate the role of human resources from an administrative function to a strategic department focused on talent recruitment and retention, supporting diverse employee types from seasonal field education instructors to year-round faculty and staff. As TSS’s Chief People Officer, Nicola shares her passion for helping employees find an enriching career experience where they can learn and embrace their natural talents while building a strong, positive organizational culture.

Nicola’s daughter, Millie, is an avid learner on the Teton Valley Campus of Mountain Academy. They love to ski, play outdoors, hold spontaneous dance parties and torment their cats, Wilma and Betty.
Mike Witherite Chief Financial Officer
After growing up in Texas, Mike moved to the Tetons in 2000 to spend time on the rivers, trails and ski slopes. Twenty years of private sector experience in the hospitality industry, coupled with working in the startup industry, has prepared Mike to help lead the entrepreneurial spirit that exists at Teton Science Schools. Mike brings a history of analytics, forecasting, business development, and straightforward communication and believes in applying for-profit business principles to expand a non-profits mission impact.
Josh Kleyman Chief Philanthropy Officer
Josh has been connected to Teton Science Schools (TSS) as an alumni of the TSS Graduate Program, as faculty in the TSS Graduate Program, TSS Teacher Learning Center adjunct faculty, Director of Field Education at the Kelly Campus of TSS, and as Director of Development. He is the father of three curious and engaged TSS students. Josh is humbled and honored to lead advancement efforts at TSS where he finds great joy in building relationships, fostering community and connecting people to the mission of TSS.
J Dianne Brederson Chief Academic Officer
As Chief Academic Officer, J Dianne Brederson will lead and provide strategic oversight for Field Education, Graduate Program, Professional Learning, and Wildlife Expeditions. She will also help shape TSS’s academic pedagogy, curriculum, scope and sequence for Mountain Academy, Graduate Program and Field Education with a goal to identify key themes and commonalities across program areas.

Most recently, J Dianne held the position of Assistant Head of School for Academics at Wasatch Academy in Utah. She has worked and lived in the US, Europe, South East Asia, and Africa. Her journey as an educator started in her early twenties as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural Rwanda. She considers her role as an educator a responsibility, a privilege and a joy, and can’t imagine doing anything else. As a parent and educator, she embraces and celebrates the achievements – big and small – and strives to deliver the best educational practices to meet the needs of the school community.

J Dianne earned a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, a masters in educational leadership, and a masters in teaching foreign languages. With over 30 years of experience in education, she has taught learners of all ages from PreK to graduate and pre-service to master teachers, at international, public, private, charter, and independent schools.

J Dianne and her family, husband Buzz and two children, Hank (14) and Phoebe (12), are relocating this spring and look forward to exploring the Tetons and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Join Our Team!

Emeritus Members

Shelby Davis
Addie Donnan
Ralph and Louise Haberfeld
Dick Jones
Jean Jorgensen
Jack Nunn
Bob Smith, Ph.D.
Margot Snowdon
David Stokes
Richard Sugden, M.D.
Christy Walton

Ex-Officio Members

Vickie Mates
Sylvia Parker

Founders

Joan and Ted Major

Education Advisory Committee

Dave Brown (Chair)
Managing Partner of Oak Hill Venture Partners

Kate Muir Welsh
Associate Professor, University of Wyoming, School of Teacher Education & Social Justice Research Center Director

Milton Chen
Senior Fellow and Executive Director, Emeriti, at The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF)

Carl Palmer
CEO of the Legacy Works Group, former TSS graduate student and board member

Nicole Ardoin
Assistant Professor, Stanford University, joint appointment in the Graduate School of Education and the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University

David Vela
Acting Deputy Director of Operations, National Park Service

Juan Martinez
Director of Leadership and Development, Children and Nature Network

Vanessa Torres
Deputy Chief of Interpretation for Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL

Jean Jorgensen
Teton Science Schools Emeritus Board member

Camsie McAdams
Director, STEM Curriculum, Discovery Communications

Greg Smith
Retired Professor, Lewis and Clark College Graduate School of Education and Counseling

Tom Vander Ark
CEO Getting Smart, former Education Program Director for Gates Foundation, former school superintendent, Federal Way Public Schools, Seattle

Francisco Guajardo
Chief Executive Officer, Museum of South Texas History

Dave Brown
Investor/venture capital, former Board Chair of NatureBridge, a current trustee of Bowdoin College

Mara Tieken
Professor, Bates College, Rural Education

Michael Jacobsen
Current superintendent/principal Swan Valley Elementary School, Irwin, ID – part of the Place Network Schools project.

Gary Funk
Executive Director, Rural Schools Collaborative

Maritza de la Trinidad
Assistant Professor of Mexican American Studies and History at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Our Team

Senior Leadership Team

Senior Leadership Team

Join Our Team!

Board of Directors

Emeritus Members

Ex-Officio Members

Founders

Education Advisory Committee