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 Ask about James Meyer's job, and he'll tell you about being a dad to his three children. Ask him about his hobbies, and he'll tell you about his role as Head of School at Oakley. At both, he relishes the opportunity to challenge kids and help them challenge themselves. Oh, and he also might mention how he likes to ski, fly fish, mountain bike and eat. |
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Arch Egbert Arch Egbert likes the company he keeps. As a counselor at Oakley, he enjoys working with high school students. He also likes his colleagues - the professional team of therapists and teachers who contribute to the students' success. And he loves to spend time with the folks at home, family and friends with whom he enjoys music, biking, reading, backpacking, hiking and traveling. |
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Rod Andrus 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. |
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| Mark DelVecchio Director of Academics
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Michelle Lewis Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working with adolescents in residential settings for the past nine years. Her specialty is working with students with adoption issues and students who struggle with substance use. When she is not at Oakley, she is the do-it-yourself princess, always remodeling a portion of her house! She is a master craftsperson with power tools (well, almost). When she is not remodeling, she and her husband spend their free time hiking, traveling, camping, and cooking together. |
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Todd Coleman Todd's background is defined by the environment and experiences he was lucky enough to have growing up in the shadow of the Wasatch Range in Northern Utah. Through his own experience and those he has helped define as an educator, Todd wholeheartedly believes in the power of the outdoors and arts as a method for shaping the lives of young people. Todd believes that the most important skill that he can pass on to his students is the ability to "learn how to learn" and to "trust the experience" to show the way. In his spare time, Todd runs a small custom mountain bike shop, works on his cabin, and shares backcountry experiences in the mountains and deserts with his wife and two dogs. |