About Us
School Governance

Academy Board of Directors

JH Classical Academy is honored to have oversight and active engagement from such an esteemed mix of individuals. Each member of our Board of Directors brings their unique gifts, skills, and experience to bear for the advancement of our academy and the betterment of our Jackson Hole community.



List of 7 items.

  • Dr. Gary P. Damore

    Chair

    Dr. Gary Damore is a life-long educator who has invested his career in students of all ages from pre-school through the graduate level. He grew up in Arizona and attended Northern Arizona University earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees before completing a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership with distinction. He was inducted into the NAU College of Education Hall of Fame in 2017. 

    Highlights of Dr. Damore’s career include his years of being the principal of a public high school, superintendent of a Christian school, and provost of Arizona Christian University and Phoenix Seminary. In addition to his work leading schools, Damore has taught courses in leadership at Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University in the graduate studies programs. He serves on the board of Arizona Private Education Scholarship Fund, a school tuition organization that provides scholarships to students attending private schools and is the chair of the Bible Education Legacy Fund, which supports Phoenix Seminary. 
     
    Dr. Damore is bilingual and has presented locally and internationally in Spanish throughout Latin America on various topics including leadership for school administrators and instructional strategies for teachers. He currently serves schools through Cultivate Consulting Services, LLC, which exists to develop leadership capacity in school board members and administrators.

    “It has been a privilege for me to be a part of JHCA for the last few years in a consulting role. I have had the opportunity to meet and work with the school’s board and leadership and I have been inspired by their commitment to the mission to cultivate wisdom and virtue in the lives of their students. I want to do whatever I can to increase the capacity of the board to guard the mission on behalf of the children and families JHCA serves.”

    Dr. Damore and his wife of 47 years live in Scottsdale, AZ. They have two married sons and five grandchildren. 
  • Mr. Jonathan Robinson

    Secretary

    Jonathan Robinson joins the Board of Directors at Jackson Hole Classical Academy with years of experience in statistical analysis, finance, and education. Mr. Robinson has lived in Jackson Hole since 2013, and his son Bill attends JHCA. Mr. Robinson is dedicated to the mission and vision of the school. "I value JHCA for its commitment to rigorous classical education and structure. Students are given the ability to succeed academically, as well as develop good habits for life." 

    Mr. Robinson grew up in Midland, Texas. His father was an air force test pilot, and he followed in his footsteps, joining the Air Force Academy. There he received a B.S. in Operations Research. His excellent work led to a scholarship for a graduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a Captain in the US Air Force, Mr. Robinson was an assistant professor at the United States Air Force Academy. There he was recognized as the Outstanding Computer Science Instructor of the Year in 1998.
     
    Mr. Robinson brings valuable financial acumen to his role as a board member at JHCA. From 2007-2009, Mr. Robinson served as the Vice-Treasurer of the US Air Force Academy's Endowment. Here he helped expand the US Air Force Academy's endowment and gained significant experience in non-profit fundraising. Since 2009, Mr. Robinson has been the principal consultant at William E. Wecker Associates. He uses statistical analysis to solve problems arising in litigation and business.
     
    Besides his professional pursuits, Mr. Robinson is an assistant scout master for Troop 67, Boy Scouts of America. His son Bill is a scout. They look forward to adventures throughout the year, such as winter camping, cross-country ski treks, and extended rafting expeditions. 
  • Dr. Glenn Arbery

    A college professor turned college president, Dr. Glenn Arbery brings decades of experience teaching and a unique history of education to his role on the JHCA board.
     
    Born in South Carolina and educated in Georgia, Dr. Arbery received his B.A. in Journalism and M.A. in English at the University of Georgia (Athens) before earning a Ph.D. in Literature and Political Philosophy at the University of Dallas. In college, he was privileged to study the works of Flannery O’Connor under her friend and correspondent, Mr. Marion Montgomery (who later directed Dr. Arbery’s master’s thesis). At the University of Dallas, he was mentored and befriended by Dr. Louise Cowan, who he says transformed his experience of Moby Dick “from the dutiful slog I had first found it to be into a great work of art whose every word I now encounter with pleasure.”
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  • Mrs. Lynn Friess

    Mrs. Lynn Friess joins the JH Classical Board of Directors with years of experience in nonprofit organizations, specifically in the arts and education. Her grandchildren, Thatcher, Ginger, and Sarah attend JHCA. Lynn was instrumental in the founding of JHCA and is dedicated to excellence in education. 

    "I love JHCA because, as a grandmother, I have seen and visited other schools, both public and private. Unfortunately, many of those schools miss the mark in my opinion. JHCA is special. The teachers really care about their students. It shows in the conduct of the students the respect they have for their teachers, and each other."

    Lynn grew up in upstate New York and worked as a grocery store clerk, an assistant in the Scottsville Town Library, and made her own clothes. She received a bachelor of arts from the University of Wisconsin, married her “Marlboro Man” and together they raised four children.  

    Lynn was named one of the Outstanding Women of Wilmington, Delaware for her volunteer work, and she continues to work in the arts and education. She chaired the Wyoming Business Council and the Board of the National Museum of Wildlife Art, while winning awards for each of her five children’s books. Lynn currently enjoys serving on the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Board, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Board, the ACE Scholarships National Advisory Board.

    Lynn lives part-time in Jackson and enjoys her fifteen grandchildren.
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  • Mr. James Link

    James Link joins the Board of Directors at JH Classical Academy with years of experience in strategic planning, fundraising, marketing, communications, and board development. Mr. Link earned a bachelor of arts degree in Religious Studies from Iona College and a master’s degree in Religious Education at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
     
    Mr. Link is the President of Greenwich Philanthropic Advisors, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, where he provides professional counsel to charitable organizations to maximize their fundraising potential and assists with their strategic planning. Previously, Mr. Link worked as President of the Coast Guard Foundation in Stonington, Connecticut, helping to secure private support for the Coast Guard Academy. He also served as Regional Director of Major Gifts at Dartmouth College, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Hartwick College, and Vice President for Advancement at Iona College, where he led marketing, communications, and advancement programs. 
     
    Mr. Link was also the Assistant Headmaster for Institutional Advancement at Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, New York. There he developed and implemented an advancement plan that helped to increase annual fund revenues by 42 percent in his first year. He is excited to bring his years of experience working in advancement at an independent school to JH Classical Academy.
     
    Mr. Link believes that a classical, Christian education is “the best way to learn.” He says “it causes students to wrestle with the material, see if it's true, and make it their own. In the process, students discover that truth exists, that it can be known, and that it leads to happiness and virtue.”
     
    Mr. Link is pleased to join the Board of Directors at JH Classical Academy “because JHCA is becoming a national leader in classical education and has the ability to renew our culture.”
     
    In his free time, Mr. Link enjoys backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, skiing, golfing, and reading.
  • Mrs. Becky Brooks Mitha

    Rebecca Brooks Mitha, known as "Becky," brings a distinguished career as a multimedia global programming executive with a wealth of strategic initiatives and organization building to the Board of Directors at JH Classical Academy.

    Born and raised in the Midwest, Mrs. Brooks Mitha’s educational journey began at Cranbrook Schools in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, where she first encountered the transformative power of a classical education, aimed at developing the whole student. These formative years exposed her to the joys of creative problem-solving and critical thinking, laying the foundation for her enduring admiration of a classically holistic approach to learning. Her academic journey led her to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Law and Society, and minoring in Political Science. This academic foundation instilled in her a profound appreciation for rigorous intellectual inquiry and a well-rounded education.
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  • Mr. Frank Reichel, CFA, CAIA

    Treasurer

    Mr. Frank Reichel brings a long career in the investment management business to the JH Classical Academy Board as well as years of experience in the non-profit sector. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations and is a Certified Financial Planner.

    Frank has been profiled in several publications such as Forbes Magazine, Barron’s Magazine and The Washington Post for his accredited small cap investing style and has also appeared as a guest on CNBC, CNN and Bloomberg television. Until December of 2020, Frank was the CEO of Virginia investment management firm Thompson, Siegel and Walmsley, where he has remained a portfolio manager and senior advisor with plans to fully retire in September of 2021. Most recently, Frank served on the Board of Governors at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond for six years and chaired the Finance Committee. His tenure included two capital Campaigns, two head of school searches, and co-chairing the Class of 2014 parents’ gift committee. 

    Frank was born and raised near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in Villanova. He received his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Frank married Sue, his college sweetheart, and returned to the Philadelphia area to work at Stratton Management Company, an investment advisory firm. There, he was managing partner and created and actively managed the Stratton Small Cap Value Fund. After 14 years at Stratton, Frank was recruited to start a Small Cap fund at TSW. 

    Until moving to Wyoming in April of 2021, Frank served on the Board and also as treasurer for Elk Hill Farm, which provides educational and mental health services for underprivileged youth across several Virginia counties. He was the VP of Development and an Executive Committee Member of the Board for the Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Directorships in the Philadelphia area included Episcopal Community Services and Seaman’s Church Institute. He also served on the Vestry of Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA and on the Session of Hebron Presbyterian Church in Manakin-Sabot, VA. 

    Frank is committed to the classical model of education. He says, “In this unsettling time, I believe it is important to return to basic learning with a foundation in the Christian tradition and the Great Works of our civilization. This is important for my daughter as well as the children of her generation and those to come.”

    In his free time, Frank enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, kayaking, running, hiking, and rollerblading. He is looking forward to hunting and getting into fly fishing with his youngest daughter, Honor, who is a student at JHCA. In addition to Honor, Frank and Sue have three grown children and one grandchild.
Mountain Range

Contact

Physical Address:
2500 S. Park Loop Rd.
Jackson, WY 83001

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 7466
Jackson, WY 83002
 
Enrollment Inquiries:
Polly Friess, Head of School
(307) 690-8396
 
All Other Inquiries:
School Office
(307) 201-5040
 








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Nondiscrimination Policy: Jackson Hole Classical Academy admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Jackson Hole Classical Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance, athletic, arts and other school administrated programs.