Two veteran ACS staff members have been promoted to new positions of leadership for the 2017-2018 school year. Gail Alford, who served as a kindergarten teacher at ACS for the past 12 years, is the new Director of Early and Elementary Education (pictured above left). She will also be teaching middle school science. Pam Hitchner, who has served as a PE teacher and head coach of the ACS Varsity Girls’ Basketball team, is the new Athletic Director (pictured above right). She will also continue as the high school girls’ PE teacher.
Mrs. Alford, a graduate of Misericordia University, is in her 13th year at ACS and is pursuing her Master’s in educational administration. “I am very excited about working with our phenomenal teaching staff and dedicated support staff as we build close relationships with our some 300 preschool and elementary students and their families,” Alford said. She and her husband Joshua have four children who attend ACS, ranging in age from PreK3 to the 8th grade.
Mrs. Hitchner, a graduate of Clark Summit University, first came to ACS as a PE teacher, serving from 1985-1989. Thirteen years ago, she rejoined the ACS staff as a PE teacher and later became head coach of the Varsity Girls’ basketball team. She has received numerous accolades, including being named Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year in 2017 by the Tri-State Christian Athletic Conference, receiving the Coach of the Year from the National Christian School Athletic Association in 2015, and receiving the ACS 2016-2017 Servant’s Heart Award.
Working alongside Mrs. Hitchner is ACS alumnus Kaylee Breunig (’12) as the elementary PE and MS Girls’ PE teacher, and long-time ACS staff member and alumni parent Ray Picking as the MS and HS Boys’ PE teacher. Mrs. Hitchner and her husband Eric have three children who have all been involved at ACS. Casey Hopwood is in her 2nd year as a middle school teacher after working in the preschool for two years and is coach of the MS Girls’ Soccer team; alumnus Carly Witherow (’08) is in her 4th year as head coach of the HS Girls’ Soccer team; and youngest daughter Dakota, who graduated from ACS last year, is attending King University on a full athletic scholarship.