2023-2024 Board of Trustees

President: LT Thompson

Vice President: Brian George

Treasurer: Ben Duke

Secretary: Eliza Hucks

Member: Shana White

Member: Melissa Kilby

Member: Michael Thomas

Member: Sarah Greer

 

Faculty/Staff

Jessica Bartee is the middle school math teacher at HDS and joined our family in 2016. She is also the Math Specialist for Hickory Day School.

jbartee@hickoryday.org

 

Heather Beach, who was employed at HDS from 2003 to 2014,  returned in 2016 as the kindergarten teacher. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Grand Canyon University.   

hbeach@hickoryday.org

 

Jess Brown joined HDS staff in 2023 and is the Visual Arts instructor.

jbrown@hickoryday.org

 

Kat Enriquez joined Hickory Day School in 2016, and has 10 years’ experience with IB and the PYP. She received both her BS in elementary education and master's in Special Education from the University of Missouri. Kat is a native of Missouri, but she and her husband have lived across the world. She has taught at IB schools in Lebanon, Ghana, Mexico, South Korea, and Chile. Mrs. Enriquez and her husband, who hails from Mexico, love living in the Hickory area

kenriquez@hickoryday.org

 

Tina Farr began teaching at HDS in 1999. Previously, she taught middle-school science and served as the PYP coordinator. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Carolina – Asheville and is a the 5th grade teacher. She served as a member of the Boy Scouts of America National Camp School Staff for Ecology.

tfarr@hickoryday.org

 

Jessica Farlee joined the Hickory Day School family in 2014. She and her daughter, Chloe, returned to Jessica’s home town of Hickory after ten years of teaching second and third grades as well as reading/math intervention in third, fourth, and fifth grades at Farmington Woods, an IB PYP World School in Cary, NC. Jessica has a B.S. degree from Appalachian State University and is the Reading Specialist at HDS.

jfarlee@hickoryday.org

 

Laura Hall joined Hickory Day School in the fall of 2022 and is the Office Administrative Assistant and Co- Athletic Director. She has been involved in education for over 25 years. Laura is very active in local community theatres and loves spending time behind the curtains as a stage manager. Laura, her husband, Steve, and daughter, Kaylyn live in Conover.

lhall@hickoryday.org

 

Nicole Harrison joined our team in 2020 and is the 2nd grade teacher. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Monmouth University in New Jersey, where she is originally from. Before moving to Hickory, she lived and taught in Texas for a few years.

nharrison@hickoryday.org

 

Melissa Heller joined the HDS family in 2020 as the third grade teacher. While teaching is her second career, it is her first love. After graduating from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education she began teaching in the public school system, spending the last five years teaching third grade. Melissa brings her three children with her to Hickory Day School and they are all thrilled to be part of the HDS family!

mheller@hickoryday.org

 

Kyle Herbein has been an assistant teacher at Hickory Day School since 2014. She holds a B.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Psychology from William Woods University and previously worked in marketing management.

kherbein@hickoryday.org

 

Matthew Hite joined Hickory Day in the spring of 2022 as the interim Media Center Specialist and Tech instructor, and joined HDS staff permanently in the fall of 2022 as the Wellness/Fitness instructor. In addition to Wellness/Fitness, Matthew is the new Athletic Director along with being the Head Coach for the soccer team, 7/8 boys basketball team, and golf team. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Campbell University.

mhite@hickoryday.org

 

Shelley Holtsclaw joined Hickory Day School in 2015 as the school's Director of Finance and Business Operations. She earned her BA in Accounting and Business Management from Lenoir-Rhyne University and her MBA from East Carolina University.  

sholtsclaw@hickoryday.org

 

Laura Hofeldt Lara joined Hickory Day School in 2023 as our new 6th and 7th grade humanities teacher. Mrs. Lara comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience. Her bachelor's degree in education is from Lenoir-Rhyne University. She has taught at Jenkins Elementary as well as at a bilingual school (K- 9th grade) in Chihuahua, Mexico. She's married with one child and another on the way.

llara@hickoryday.org

 

Jorge Rojas joined HDS in 1999 as the Spanish teacher. He earned a B.A. from the University of Veracruz, Mexico. Sr. Rojas teaches all levels of Spanish at the school.

jrojas@hickoryday.org

 

Jana Sales joined HDS staff in the fall of 2022 as the Performing Arts Instructor. She received her BFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and minored in dance. When she’s not teaching at Hickory Day, she works with The Green Room Community Theatre in Newton, NC.

jsales@hickoryday.org

 

Rick Seay joined the HDS family in 2015 as Head of School. A career educator, he taught Latin and European History at Hillwood High School, was founding Head of School at East Academy, and served as Academic Dean and Head of the High School at Montgomery Bell Academy, all in Nashville, Tennessee. Rick received his BA in Classical Languages and Theater from Vanderbilt University, where he also did masters' work in Classics. His MEd and EdD in Administration and Supervision were earned at Tennessee State University. 

rseay@hickoryday.org

 

Denisse Stanley joined Hickory Day School in 2023 as a Spanish Instructor. She is originally from Ecuador, and has her master's degree in teaching, and has taught for over 10 years. 

dstanley@hickoryday.org

 

Tracy Stilwell joined our staff as a fourth grade teacher in 2020 after teaching for 29 years in the public school system. She earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in K-6 Elementary Education with a concentration in history from Lenoir-Rhyne College. She says teaching at HDS is Heaven on Earth and is very thankful to be a part of our wonderful staff.

tstilwell@hickoryday.org

 

Ivy Thompson is the Middle School Science instructor and joined Hickory Day in the Fall of 2022. Ivy has a BS in Geology from East Carolina University, where she graduated as a member of the Honors College, and has a MS in biology, with a focus on plant physiology and ecology, from Appalachian State University.

ithompson@hickoryday.org

 

Sheran Thompson returned to education in 2010 after many years of experience in marketing and corporate communications. She teaches 7th and 8th grade language arts, and also coordinates yearbook production and publication. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Wake Forest University.

sthompson@hickoryday.org

 

Oscar Trinidad-Doce joined the HDS team in the fall of 2020 as the custodian and groundskeeper.

oscar@hickoryday.org

 

Alison Tompkins is currently serving as Head of Lower School, first grade teacher, and coordinator of the IBO Primary Years Program. She began her career at HDS in 2010. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

atompkins@hickoryday.org

 

Tammy Wickham is the Media Center Specialist and joined HDS in November 2018. She earned her Bachelors in English from Westminster College and her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh in PA where she is originally from. In addition to her responsibilities in the library, Mrs. Tammy teaches technology and assists in Kindergarten. 


twickham@hickoryday.org