Administration
At St. Andrew's-Sewanee, students are being challenged in every aspect of their lives and are answering those challenges because they thirst for knowledge of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. This is an extraordinary school that turns out confident young men and women who are turned on to learning.Karl J. Sjolund, Head of School
Administration
Karl Sjolund
M.A., Columbia University
Karl Sjolund's passion for the boarding school model of education began with his own experience as a boarding student at Virginia Episcopal School (VES). When his tenure at SAS began in 2016, he brought a lifetime of experience of living and working in boarding schools.
Mr. Sjolund formerly led Salem Academy, a boarding and day school, like SAS, with both an essential church affiliation and a reciprocal relationship with its neighboring college. He spent 20 years at VES where he served in a wide range of administrative positions, taught, and coached. An active leader in the field of education, he is former treasurer of the board of North Carolina Association of Independent Schools and former advisory board member of World View at UNC Chapel Hill. Mr. Sjolund earned an M.A. in Private School Leadership through Columbia University's prestigious Klingenstein Fellows program. He received his B.A. in Economics at Virginia Military Institute, which he attended on a Division-I baseball scholarship.
Mr. Sjolund is a man of great faith, confirmed in the Episcopal Church, and committed to the Episcopal educational model that values diversity in culture and thought. His faith, honesty, and thoughtfulness are in keeping with the best leadership that SAS has enjoyed. He and his wife, Susan, reside on the SAS campus with their Golden Retriever, Daisy.
Kelley Black
M.S. Biology, University of Texas
A woman of many talents, Dean Black has taught biology, English, history, and math, and assisted in the Technology Department. In 2010, she established the Academic Support Program at SAS. Prior to coming to SAS, she taught and coached at TMI - The Episcopal School of Texas, and at Oak Hill School and Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville. A member of the University of the South's Athletic Hall of Fame, Coach Black was a three-time member of the All-SCAC tennis and took 4th place in the 1990 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships in the team competition. In 2008, she coached the SAS girls' team to the State Championship and was named TSSAA Girls' Tennis Coach of the Year. Dean Black chairs the Internal Administrative Team and the Staffing Committee and is vice-chair of the Administrative Team and Retention Committee.
Robert S. Black
M.A., Educational Leadership, Concordia University (Portland)
Ashley Close
UCLA - Certificate in College Counseling
Certificate in College Counseling, College Counseling, UCLA
Lesley Cole
Lesley Cole joined SAS as Director of Advancement in 2018. She has an extensive background in the non-profit and corporate sectors. As Director of Development for Oglethorpe University, she helped to set the strategic direction for the Development and Alumni Relations department. During her tenure, Oglethorpe successfully concluded major campaigns of $50 million and $20 million. In her previous position as Director of the Annual Fund at Oglethorpe, Lesley managed multiple record-setting Annual Funds. Before joining Oglethorpe, she served as Lakeview Academy's Director of Development and managed domestic and international projects for National Data Corporation. Lesley is a member of the Rotary Club of Monteagle-Sewanee and serves on the District III Cabinet for CASE, the global non-profit association serving advancement professionals. She enjoys travel, hiking and is currently working on her first novel.
Elizabeth Duncan
Cameron Helvey
B.A., Teaching Social Science, Brigham Young University
Cameron Helvey joined SAS in 2022. He was previously Associate Director of Resident Life and Dean of Residential Students at the Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey where he oversaw all aspects of day-to-day life for 180 boarding students in grades 9-12, with specific responsibility for student social and emotional learning, academic progress, and discipline. He was also the boys' basketball coach, student government advisor, and a member of the History & Global Studies faculty. He was previously Assistant Director of Summer Programs at Oakwood School in Morgan Hill, California, and a visiting faculty member at Clifford International School in Guangzhou, China. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University where he studied Teaching Social Science. He received his MA in Teaching of Social Studies from Columbia University's Teachers College and completed graduate course work through Georgetown University's James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation. He is currently enrolled as a doctoral candidate in K-12 Education Leadership at Vanderbilt University. Cameron did his missionary work with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil and is fluent in Portuguese. As a high school student, he was Senior Class President, captain of the varsity basketball team, editor-in-chief of the yearbook, and earned his Eagle Scout status.
Leah Moore
Leah has a wealth of experience in Marketing and Communications. She has worked with local firms like Yogi’s Promopromo in Chattanooga and larger organizations such as Dillard Paper Company and the United States Air Force at Arnold AFB. Leah provides administrative, technical, and operational support in all areas of marketing at Arnold AFB. She is also a Private Remediator for children with reading disabilities. She has two Orton Gillingham Certifications in both Reading and Math, and she still finds time to build and fly airplanes! She earned her B.S. in Communications from University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and she and her family live in Winchester, TN.
Molly Short
M.Div., Duke Divinity School
D.A.S., The School of Theology, The University of the South
In addition to her role as Chaplain, Mother Short teaches Introduction to Religious Studies. She was formerly Lead House Parent in Warner House and served as SAS's liaison to regional Episcopal churches. She and her family live on campus.
Rob Zeitler
M.S. Sports Administration, Georgia State University