Paul F. Larner
Head of School
Paul Larner received his JD from the University of Virginia and began his career as a real estate lawyer at Piper & Marbury in Baltimore in 1985. He switched to real estate finance in 1991 while working at The Charles E. Smith Companies in Arlington, VA, where he became Chief Financial Officer in 1998 and in 2002 Chief Operating Officer. After Smith merged with Vornado Realty Trust he became Chief Administrative Officer of the combined public company. Since 2003 he has been the principal in many real estate investment partnerships and he also manages a private investment fund dedicated to real estate income securities. He is a graduate of Haverford College (with Honors); Kings College, the University of London (with Distinction); and the University of Virginia School of Law. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger from 1978-80. In addition to formerly being Chairman of WCDS, Mr. Larner has been instrumental in the Advisory and Adjunct Faculty Programs at WCDS. He lives in Rappahannock County with his wife Rosita; they have three children. Their youngest, Daniel Larner, is a 2012 graduate of WCDS and a 2016 graduate of the University of Mary Washington.
Our Faculty
WCDS teachers know their students and push each to succeed in a caring, stimulating environment. Every teacher challenges students to question, research, write, and speak in a reflective manner, appropriate to their level of development. Teachers wear many hats, coaching teams, sponsoring after school activities and clubs, and giving their all to the school. All teachers and staff are expected to embrace the school’s mission of striving for personal and academic excellence.
Taylor Stynes
Preschool
BA, University of Mary Washington
Early Childhood Education Certification, Ashworth College
Sylvie Blank
Pre-Kindergarten
BA, Sancta Maria College of Social Pedagogy,
Bruchsal, Germany;
AA, Gustav von Schmoller
College of Business, Heilbronn, Germany;
additional educational training, Sunbridge Institute, New York
Molly Fairhurst
Amanda Hoffman
Fourth Grade
BA, English;
MA teaching, Mary Baldwin;
AA, nursing, LFCC;
MEd, James Madison U
Keni Herman
Fifth and Sixth Grades
BS, James Madison University
therman@wcdsva.org
Margaret Di Domenico
Welby Griffin
Latin, Comp/Grammar, Grades 7 & 8
Geography, Grade 6, AP Literature
AB, Bryn Mawr College
WCDS Alumna, 1995
Ann Pankow
Dual Enrollment and AP Environmental Science, Chemistry, Anthropology, Forensics, Earth Science, Physical Science
BS, University Maryland;
MEd, Penn State;
MS, Virginia Tech
Jeff Day
AP US History, AP Govt., ELL Govt,
AP Comparative Government
BA, George Washington U;
JD, Lewis and Clark
Adela Pardo
Mary Kruck
British Literature & 10th Grade Composition
AP Language and Composition
BA, St. Bonaventure University
MA, George Mason University
JuLong Zhao
AP Statistics, Algebra & Geometry
B.S., University of London & Singapore University of Social Sciences
M.S., Texas A & M University
Brian Beres
Biology
Science, Grades 4/5
Math, Grades 5/6
B.S., University of Virginia
PhD., Arizona State University
Stuart Ginsberg
World History 9 and Independent Study: U.S. Foreign Policy
B.A. Williams College
J.D. Georgetown School of Law
DMD University of Pennsylvania
James Looney
Music Teacher
BM, Trumpet Performance, Shenandoah University
BM, Jazz Studies, Shenandoah University
Jeannette Miranda-Gould
Isabelle Eastham Heydt
Athletic Director, Physical Education
BA, University of Mary Washington
MA, Marshall University
WCDS Alumna, 2011
