Meet our Staff!
Below are short biographies of our staff members. Please feel free to browse through them!
Primary Staff:
Dr. emma hadley, PhD; Executive Director
Dr. Emma Hadley is has been in education for 30 years, teaching primarily in colleges and universities. She completed her BA (Summa Cum Laude) in interpersonal communication, theatre and literature, and MA in interpersonal communication and theatre both, from the University of Buffalo, and her Doctorate in communication rhetoric, technology and multiculturalism from Nova Southeastern University. Over the years she has been involved in theatre and the performing arts as a performer, director, costume designer, and set/light technician. She has worked with high school theatre programs and community theatre, has been the voice and diction coach to a college forensics team, drama adviser for high school programs, and has taught oral interpretation, basic acting, theatre history, and technical theatre. Dr. Hadley recently established the St. George’s Players, a community theatre troupe in Glenn Dale, Maryland, and sings with the Central Maryland Chorale. Since relocating to Maryland emma has directed Godspell, Children of Eden, Free to be You & Me, The Bible: The Complete Word of God Abridged, The Fantastiks, and Company. She lives in Lanham with her partner Connie, and has two sons- Jeremy (married to Janis) and Kyle, and a cutie-petutie grrrrson – Aiden. emma is grateful to the staff of the Charis Center for the time and talent they all contribute.
Jeremy Bush; Operations Manager
Jeremy comes to the Chairs Center after serving on Active Duty in the US Coast Guard. In addition to his service, Jeremy has also worked as an Emergency Medical Technician, Veterinary Technician, and generator mechanic. He has earned an Associate’s Degree in General Studies and is currently pursuing another degree in Database Applications at Montgomery College. When not studying, spending time with his family, or tapping on a keyboard, Jeremy can usually be found tapping on one drum or another that he plays in the Chesapeake Caledonian Pipes and Drums, an Annapolis based bagpipe and drum corps.
Janis Bush; Programming Manager
Prior to joining the Chair Center staff, Janis was primarily employed as a wife and mother. In addition, She still finds time to attend school at Montgomery College where she will graduate in the spring. Janis has previous office experience with the Baltimore County Government and Ignition Interlock of Washington State. In her spare time, Janis enjoys dance and finds herself especially drawn to tap.
Sara Riley; After School Program Coordinator
Sara Riley is the Aftercare Coordinator at the Charis Center for the Arts. She is also the art instrustor for both aftercare and homeschool students. Sara graduated from Prince George's Community College in May 2011 with an A.A. degree in General Studies/Art. While studying at PGCC, she participated in several Student Art Shows. She placed 2nd in the drawing category in the fall of 2009 and 1st place in the watercolor category in the spring of 2011. Previously, Sara worked as an art teacher for A Place for Everyone, a program for homeschooled students. She taught arts-and-crafts with young kids as well as basic drawing and painting classes to highschool ages. Sara graduated from the Science and Technology Program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in 2007. She swam on the varisty swim team at Roosevelt for four years. Since the summer of 2007 she has been the coach of the College Park Woods Swim Team in the Prince-Mont Swim League. Sara hopes to further enrich the lives of the kids at the Charis Center by not only educating them but by helping them explore their creativity through visual arts.
Erin Miller; Home School Coordinator
Erin grew up in California. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations she went overseas to teach English at Tai Jung University in Taiwan. After returning she completed teacher training and practicum in California. She has since taught at the high school level in Maryland for seven years and earned her Masters of Science in International relations. She became a full time home school teacher when her eldest entered kindergarten in 2009.
Danielle Beitzel; School's Out! Cordinator
Born and raised in the mid-west, Miss Dani is a graduate of St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and Art Instruction Schools. She is a fiber artist who enjoys creating quilts as well as many other fabric related items. She has been living in Maryland for six years, along with her supportive husband, Steve, and her two wonderful children, Christina and CJ.
Danielle Hutchinson; Drama Instructor
Dannielle Hutchinson is a former English and Drama teacher for Prince George's County Public Schools. Her additional credits include Assistant Stage Management work with MetroStage theatre in Alexandria, VA. Along with being an educator and stage manager, she is also a performer. Her most recent stage credits include Active Cultures Theatre and the DC Black Theatre Festival 2011. In addition to these credits, she has also done wig design for His Eye is on the Sparrow (MetroStage). The Arts is an experience that she believes all persons should partake.
Heather Harris; Dance Instructor
Heather Harris has been singing and dancing since she was 4 years old. She is a graduate of Suitland High School for the Visual and Performing Arts (Vocal Music and Drama Certificate) and has continued to study voice, theatre, and dance at Anne Arundel Community College and Carnegie Mellon University where she majored in Musical Theatre. Heather began teaching dance,music, and drama as part of her students service requirements for middle school in 2001 and since then has been teaching nonstop. In addition to her work at the Charis Center, Heather remains active in the DC area theatre scene as an actress, director, and choreographer. She can currently be seen performing onstage with Mystery Dinner Playhouse (DC/Arlington) and Lazy Susan Dinner Theatre (Lorton, VA.)
James Kavinski; Music Instructor
James Kavinski recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College
of Music with a bachelors degree in Film Scoring. He has been involved
in music since elementary school age and has studied many different
styles of music and various instruments including numerous forms of
percussion, piano and guitar. As student leader, he lead the Scotch
Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band's percussion section to an
all-state title in the fall of 2006. His original composition for wind
ensemble "Midnight" debuted to a packed audience in the spring of
2007. At the beginning of 2008 he began composing for the webcast
children's show "Grace Place Kids" for which he continues to compose.
In the fall of 2010 he wrote the original score to the independent
film "Origin" which is set to debut at the Carroll County Arts center
January 20th 2012. James has an extremely passionate devotion towards
music and is constantly striving to spread his knowledge to eager
minds.
of Music with a bachelors degree in Film Scoring. He has been involved
in music since elementary school age and has studied many different
styles of music and various instruments including numerous forms of
percussion, piano and guitar. As student leader, he lead the Scotch
Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band's percussion section to an
all-state title in the fall of 2006. His original composition for wind
ensemble "Midnight" debuted to a packed audience in the spring of
2007. At the beginning of 2008 he began composing for the webcast
children's show "Grace Place Kids" for which he continues to compose.
In the fall of 2010 he wrote the original score to the independent
film "Origin" which is set to debut at the Carroll County Arts center
January 20th 2012. James has an extremely passionate devotion towards
music and is constantly striving to spread his knowledge to eager
minds.
Occasional Staff Members:
Ashley Bonnacosy; Cooking & Baking
Cherie Walsh; Poetry Instructor
Cathy Farrington; Administrative Support