PDFFaculty & Staff
Oakley’s faculty and staff believe in the axiom, 'if you demand a lot, you will get a lot.” In other words, we place high expectations on students, not allowing them to get by with mediocrity. These expectations and demands are backed up by a support structure that draws on staff members who are all dedicated to the treasure of our collective future -- our children.
By making over 40 academic subjects come alive, Oakley teachers are committed to giving students options, choices, and a forum to find their own passion. Oakley’s faculty members have an impressive résumé of professional and social experiences. Each holds a bachelors degree, and six members have advanced degrees. Through the influence of a diverse faculty, students discover the value of such time-tested ethics as self-reliance and honor, while being introduced to fresh ideas and techniques. Students develop habits of the heart and mind that create a natural high, a hunger for knowledge, and a desire to enrich the lives of others.
At Oakley School, you won't find teachers dryly lecturing in front of chalkboards. Here, teachers know learning is about hands-on analysis, open discussion, relating issues to life, and allowing students to form their own educated opinions about the world around them. In Oakley classes, students will be able to uncover ancient ruins; hunt down trilobites; work on cloning plants in the lab; examine human psychology; join in on Homer's Odyssey; crunch numbers; and even hablar español.
At Oakley School, you won’t find therapists limiting their time with students to office time. Here, therapists are out in the classrooms, in the dorms, out on a ropes course experience, walking around the pond, or joining a trip to the local hamburger joint for a chocolate milkshake. Our therapists travel all over the country to meet with parents in their homes and run workshops. They travel with school trips to Yellowstone and Southern Utah. They go beyond the call of duty to get to know our students and their families as "real people" and not just "clients."
At Oakley School, our house coaches and module instructors bring their individual passions to their jobs. They are master climbers, photographers, well-known artists, and lifelong participants in doing what they love. Our staff is carefully selected for their professionalism, their skill in communication, and their ability to inspire change and growth in each other and our students.
At Oakley, our directors share a common vision of what the school can be. They bring with them years of experience in their fields and the integrity to continue to create new ways to reach their adolescent students, develop young adult skills, and nurture lifelong relationships with each of our families.
| James Meyer Head of School, Executive Director Masters in Education- Fairfield University 1997 Bachelor of Arts- University of Colorado at Boulder 1987 High School – Choate Rosemary Hall 1982 In 1998 James Meyer founded the Oakley School with Dr. Jared Blamer. In the ensuing years he has served Oakley as The Executive Director. Prior to starting Oakley, James taught history, coached lacrosse, ran a summer program and served as the faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees at Kent Denver School in Denver, Colorado. He began his teaching career in Bedford New York at the Rippowam-Cisqua School. During his Oakley Career James has taught English and History, served as Academic Director and Director of Experiential Education. James founded and coached Oakley’s lacrosse team to two state semifinal appearances and was named coach of The Year for Utah in 2003. A firm believer in collaboration and principled education, James has served as The Ethics Chair and Treasurer for The National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP) where he was a board member for eight years. Other than spending time with his wife and three lacrosse playing children, Oakley is James’ true passion in life. He enjoys Utah by skiing, mountain biking, fishing and camping. jmeyer@oakley-school.com |
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| Arch Egbert Assistant Head of School M.Ed. - Brigham Young University Since 1978, Arch has worked closely with teenagers as a high school teacher, and for the past 20 years, as a therapist. Arch received his Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and his Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. His work with adolescent and family therapy has covered outpatient, hospital and residential treatment centers with his most current position at Oakley since 2000. He has also experienced being a parent of teenagers. He and his wife have raised five of them and have experienced the joy and challenges that parenting provides. They currently enjoy five entertaining and loving grandchildren. He loves meeting people and is blessed with wonderful friendships from all over the country. In addition to fostering those friendships, Arch loves to explore back streets, hikes, and hidden places and routes, in whatever state or country he is fortunate enough to visit and experience. aegbert@oakley-school.com |
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Carrie Shoumatoff
Director of Admissions B.A. in Psychology- Middlebury College, Vermont Carrie has been with the Oakley School since 2001. After growing up in Utah, Carrie headed east for College where she competed nationally as a swimmer while studying psychology. Although she loved her time in Vermont, Carrie’s roots in Utah's ski slopes and bike trails lured her back. Carrie’s experiences running the girl's Powell dorm, and coaching Swimming at the Oakley School from 2001- 2004 well prepared her for her current role as the Director of Admissions. Prior to her work at the Oakley School, Carrie was coaching swim teams, student teaching and working with the local Park City Newspaper, the Park Record. Carrie does her best to stay current with the field by attending Conferences many times an year and interacting with Educational Consultants and other professionals. She also spends time visiting therapeutic wilderness and residential programs in the area and around the country so that she has a better understanding of the experiences our students have been through prior to joining our community. cshoumatoff@oakley-school.com |
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| Rod Andrus Clinical Director M.S.W, L.C.S.W. - University of Denver Rod is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker whose experience working with adolescents and families spans more than a decade. He has held key leadership positions in the field of residential treatment, including Clinical Director, Director of Residential Living, Primary Therapist, Assistant Clinical Director. Rod has worked in a variety of settings at the Oakley School since its opening in 1998. Rod is a recreation and outdoor enthusiast. When not working he can be found riding the super-pipe at the Utah Olympic Park, fly-fishing in the mountains, or being the “old guy” riding the bowls on his skateboard. He loves to spend time with his wife and son Gabriel. He enjoys traveling, working on home improvement projects, playing with his dog Ernie, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Rod and his wife, Sarah, live in Salt Lake City, and are continuing to navigate their biggest adventure yet—parenting their first child, Gabriel. randrus@oakley-school.com |
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| Matthew Smith Academic Director B.A. Colby College, Geology & Biology M.A.T. School for International Training, Spanish & ESL Academic Director B.A. Colby College, Geology & Biology M.A.T. School for International Training, Spanish & ESL Matthew earned his Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the School for International Training in Vermont, and his Bachelor of Arts from Colby College in Maine. Most recently he was Education Director with the Watershed Education Program at Save The Bay, a science-based canoe program for high school students in the San Francisco Bay area. Before that he worked at College Summit, a national non-profit that increases the college-going rate of high school graduates. Matthew has taught science and Spanish in traditional public and private schools as well as field science and environmental education. He has also managed different educational programs in California, including Career Coordinator at Marin Conservation Corps in San Rafael, Program Director at Astrocamp in Idyllwild, and Assistant Director of Upward Bound at College of the Redwoods in Eureka. Since joining Oakley School as Academic Director in the summer of 2010 he has enjoyed exploring the natural beauty of Utah through hiking, camping, and skiing with his wife, Lisa, and his two young children, Isabel and Rafael. msmith@oakley-school.com |
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Doug Zakaras Director of Student Life B.A. University of Minnesota, Psychology Doug has been with The Oakley School since 2004, when he began working in the Student Life Department as an Assistant House Coach. Additionally, he has been working with youth since 2000 as a Youth Mentor as well as a Field Instructor in a Wilderness Therapy setting. After several years at Oakley, he was chosen to develop and implement the Oakley School Alumni Services Program providing education and support to families as they transition from The Oakley School. Following this experience he eagerly returned to the Student Life Department as the Director of Student Life in November of 2010. Since then, Doug has made it the department’s goal to enrich the lives of our Students and teach community living skills which will aide Students in their journey. Doug lives in Park City with his wife Siri and dog Oliver, and enjoys skiing, biking, exercising, and spending time with his friends and family. dzakaras@oakley-school.com |
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Kathleen Robbins
Assistant Clinical Director L.P.C. Kathleen is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), having earned her undergraduate degree in psychology and her master’s degree in counseling. Kathleen’s work has included acute mental health care with adolescents and adults in outpatient treatment as well as work with adolescents and families in therapeutic wilderness programs both in Alaska and Southern Utah. Additional experience has included working as a mental health therapist in a residential substance abuse and dependency treatment facility in Salt Lake City for women and children, as well as outpatient substance abuse counseling in Pennsylvania. Kathleen has extensive experience working with both court and self-appointed clientele in substance abuse and dependency treatment, and mental health treatment. She is experienced in such issues as parent-child reunification, parenting education, parent training programming and implementation, community mental health resourcing/case management and crisis management and intervention. Kathleen has worked with issues related to phase of life problems, trauma, addiction(s), oppositional defiance, adjustment issues, acute mental health care and women’s issues. She is a member of Utah Mental Health Counselor’s Association in conjunction with the American Mental Health Counselor’s Association. Kathleen is recognized as nationally certified counselor (NCC). She is a member of the National Board for Certified Counselors and is presently awaiting certification as a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Kathleen is a member of the Red Cross Disaster Services Mental Health team, with extensive training in crisis management and intervention with children, adolescents, adults and families. Kathleen currently lives in Salt Lake City with her husband and two small brown dogs. She spends her spare time (!) splitboarding in the backcountry with her husband and friends, rock climbing, backpacking and hiking. Movies, books, yoga, good music and rollerblading…along with dinner at a great restaurant (dessert please!) are also spare-time activities she enjoys. krobbins@oakley-school.com |