Board of Trustees

Jane Adkins

Chair

Jane Adkins, a member of the Women’s Apostolate to Youth for nineteen years, has served Angelus Academy as Founding Principal, Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors, and member of the Board of Trustees since its founding in 2000. Jane is the product of a strong Catholic formation provided by the Sisters of Charity and the Third Order Franciscan Sisters. She has her BA in Social Studies/Elementary Education from Ladycliff College, Highland Falls, NY, and has done graduate work at Trinity College, Washington, DC. Jane’s extensive teaching experience includes teaching for the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Arlington, as well as assignments in several states and in Germany. While living in Middletown, Ohio, she founded a preschool program for the YMCA that included instruction in gymnastics, swimming, and a Montessori-based education. Jane retired from active teaching and administration in June 2007. She and her husband COL (retired) Charles P. Adkins have three grown sons and six grandchildren. The Adkins are active members of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA.

Mychele Brickner

Vice-Chair

Mychele Brickner is a long-time member of St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church.  She conducts the Voter Registration Drive each year and helps on the Pro-Life and the Religious Freedom Committees. She taught CCD and served as a Eucharistic Minister for many years.

Serving on a school board is not new to Mychele. In 1995 she was elected to the Fairfax County School Board At-Large, (county-wide), in the first elected School Board. She was re-elected in ’99 and served through 2003.  During her tenure she advocated for rigorous, proven curriculum and high expectations for all students, safer schools, and improved accountability to taxpayers. She pushed for and finally won hiring a school board auditor to provide financial accountability and to limit program expansion only to programs with proven, measurable results.

Mychele was appointed by Governor George Allen in 1996 to serve on the Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure, where she used her voice for four years to improve teacher quality. She supports strong measurable standards.

While on the School Board she chaired the FCPS Student Behavior Committee and was a member of the Board for the Partnership for Youth working to reduce school violence.  In this role she developed a structured community-based program to tutor students during out of school suspensions. This program, although modified, is still in effect today.

Prior to serving on the School Board, Mychele served a two-year term on the Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee where she was a principal writer of three minority reports opposing inappropriate material and topics for students as well as very inappropriate teacher training materials.

Mychele attended a Catholic grade school in Ligonier PA, her hometown. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She worked as a Head Nurse on a Cardiac Step-Down Unit in Appleton, Wisconsin. In 1979 she and her husband, Bob, moved to VA. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Mychele enjoys St Raymond’s Bible Study, taking Institute of Catholic Culture Classes, and spending time with their grandchildren.

Bob Brickner

Treasurer

Bob and his wife Mychele have three children and six grandchildren.  Retired after 35 years as engineering consultant and building two successful private companies (part-owner), Bob has now turned his professional experience toward his local community in volunteering efforts. My first was as a three-year elected Trustee, and as Treasurer for two of those years, of our HOA with budgeting responsibility, writing Requests for Proposals, analyzing proposals, negotiating agreements and overseeing certain contractor projects throughout our community.

As HOA Trustee, Bob initiated the Board’s Community Recognition Award for thanking others. His duties as Trustee for our HOA also included a stint as HOA Historian which helped him to get to know the evolution of the community which, provides perspective for many decisions going forward.

As a Trustee, Bob knows the fiduciary responsibility, albeit profit or non-profit corporations, that exists. With his many years as owner and Board Member of two companies, his involvement on many Boards and interacting with numerous Board-members, corporate personnel and staffing issues, as well as recruiting and marketing, are all deemed assets for now being a Trustee at Angelus Academy.

He and his wife Mychele have been members of St. Raymond of Penafort Catholic Church in Springfield since its founding. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, served as Eucharistic Minister for several years, and he volunteered at St. Raymond to create and conduct a program to “sell all the pews” for the new church as a capital fundraising effort. Mr. Brickner helped raise about $250,000 during that very successful effort which covered the full costs of all the pews for the new church.

Bob is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated with a B.S Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh where he met his wife Mychele. They live in Fairfax Station and yes, he is a Steelers fan!

Christa Hurley

Secretary

Christa Hurley grew up in Northern Virginia and attended elementary and high school in the Diocese of Arlington. After earning her degree in Elementary Education and History from the College of William and Mary, she taught for three years in a Diocesan elementary school. Christa has been a member of the Women’s Apostolate to Youth since college. She and her husband, Sean, have five children, four of whom have been involved in the Little Messengers preschool program and attend Angelus Academy. Christa taught seventh and eighth grade Religion at Angelus in its early years. She is involved in the Angelus Academy Mother’s Sodality and assists with the annual Gala and Auction, the school’s largest fundraiser. The Hurleys are parishioners at Queen of Apostles Church.

Joseph Ammirati

Mr. Ammirati currently serves Angelus Academy as the Upper Grades Principal and Director of Facilities. As Principal for seven years, he was instrumental in leading our school to its expanded new home. As a dedicated servant to the Angelus mission for over 13 years, Joe shared his talents with the community in the early years as an assistant teacher in the preschool and kindergarten programs. He then taught physical education and computer classes and served as Vice Principal for several years. Mr. Ammirati enjoys his role as an adult CYO leader and coaches CYO basketball and youth lacrosse. He and his wife Kathleen are the parents of four children, three of whom are graduates of Angelus Academy. The Ammirati family are active parishioners at St. Raymond of Penafort in Springfield. He earned his BA degree in Politics from the Catholic University of America.

Hannah Brink

Hannah Brink began her time in the Angelus Academy community as a student herself from 5th to 8th grade. The school has always held a special place in her heart given her late father, Michael Allman, was the chairman of the Board of Trustees and her mother, Sally Allman, a long-time member and former Director of WAY. After graduating with her degree in Early Elementary Education from Franciscan University of Steubenville, she returned to Angelus to serve as the 3rd grade teacher for 6 years. Hannah has earned her Master’s degree from Creighton University in Independent school leadership. She and her husband, Daniel, moved to Manassas, where she has continued her dedication to Catholic education as the resource teacher at All Saints Catholic school. She and Daniel welcomed their first son in 2023. Hannah bring a wealth of knowledge from her own education and her time teaching in the classroom as well as a unique passion for the Angelus Academy mission given its prevalence in her family growing up. She is honored to serve as a member of the board. The Brink family are parishioners at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville. 

Rev. John C. De Celles

Chaplain and Clergy Consultant

Father John De Celles is the Pastor of St. Raymond of Peñafort Parish in Springfield, and Chaplain to both the Women’s Apostolate to Youth (WAY) and Angelus Academy. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Texas at San Antonio, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts (Moral Theology) from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD, and a Sacred Theology Licentiate from the John Paul II Institute for Studies in Marriage and Family in Washington, DC. After college he worked as a Certified Public Accountant for eleven years, most of that time at the international accounting firm Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young). He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Arlington in 1996, and served as Parochial Vicar in various parishes in the Diocese before being named to St. Raymond’s in 2010.

Jennifer Lawler

Jennifer Lawler, a life-long Fairfax County resident, is a member of the Women’s Apostolate to Youth (WAY), where she has served on the council for many years as both secretary and treasurer. She is a graduate of George Mason University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics as well as an Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). Since 2001, she has been involved as a parent, resource room assistant, preschool aide, and general volunteer at Angelus Academy. She and her husband have three children who have all attended Angelus Academy – profoundly affecting the entire family. They are parishioners of Holy Spirit parish in Annandale.

Lisa McCrumb

Lisa McCrumb has been involved with Angelus Academy as a teacher, trustee, and parent. She began teaching at Angelus Academy in 2005 and served as the first grade teacher for many years. She is currently teaching kindergarten. Lisa joined the Board of Trustees in 2009 as the Faculty Representative. She and her husband, Bryan, have three children. Their youngest daughter, Allison, is a 2012 graduate of Angelus Academy. Lisa received her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies along with her PreK–6th grade teaching certification from Regent University. Lisa and her family are active members of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Alexandria.

Jomy Methipara

Jomy and his wife Jeslyn have four children, two of which currently attend Angelus Academy (KG and 1st grade). Jeslyn is an active room parent and volunteer for Angelus. The Methiparas are active parishioners of an Eastern rite church called St. Jude Syro Malabar Catholic Church in Chantilly. Jomy and Jeslyn have held leadership roles for parish and diocesan high school, college and young adult ministries for over twenty years, as well as speaking roles for numerous youth and young adult retreats and conferences. Jomy currently teaches Theology of the Body to the 10th grade catechism class at St. Jude. Jomy grew up in the Chicagoland area before moving to Northern Virginia almost fifteen years ago.

Professionally, Jomy is a business attorney who advises entrepreneurs, business executives and general counsel on corporate and securities law matters such as corporate formation and structuring, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, and efforts to raise capital. Jomy is also well experienced in intellectual property law matters. Jomy represents clients including Fortune 500 companies, startup companies, technology companies, and individual inventors before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Jomy earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor from University of Illinois at Chicago John Marshall Law School. Jomy and Jeslyn are blessed to be a part of and serve the Angelus community.

Mark Randall

Mark Randall

Mark and his wife Colleen have three daughters, two of whom are graduates of Angelus Academy. Colleen teaches the Little Messengers program at Angelus Academy. Professionally, Mark is the Executive Director for the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. He oversees all operations of the College in the U.S. including fundraising, marketing, and communications, and leads the office staff based at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington, DC. For over twenty years, Mark has served both start-up and long-established Catholic apostolates, but his early career included for-profit enterprises, including his own gourmet food business. Mark earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Saint Joseph’s College (IN). He also holds the Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) credential and often serves as a fundraising and marketing consultant for Catholic and secular organizations. Mark is a board member and event chairman of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, and past president of the Family Association at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School. He and his family are parishioners of St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church in Springfield.

Vivian Zini

Mrs. Zini is a founder of Angelus Academy and member of the Women’s Apostolate to Youth. She brings over 30 years of experience in education to her leadership role. She served on our school’s Board of Trustees for ten years and also taught Drama and Religion as Angelus grew in our first location. She introduced a challenging Shakespeare program to our community in the early years and has continued as a school volunteer through our expansion. Mrs. Zini earned her Bachelor’s Degree from University of South Carolina and has a Master’s Degree in Communications from Regent University. Her post-graduate degree is in Education with a certification in K-12 reading and theatre from the University of North Carolina, Asheville. She has taught in the Fairfax County Public Schools system, for Seton School, Manassas and St. Veronica’s Catholic School, Chantilly. She has also served as a Youth Minister at Blessed Sacrament, Alexandria. Her professional experiences equip her to make a positive impact on classroom learning, staff development and family-school communication strategies. As a WAY member, Vivian brings her passion for the saints to DAYSTAR retreats. The Zini family belongs to St. Timothy in Chantilly.

CONTACT US

7644 Dynatech Court
Springfield, VA 22153
(703) 924-3996
admissions@angelusacademy.org

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