Milo Adventist Academy in Days Creek, Ore. is blessed with a wonderful group of new staff this year.
Photography teacher Peter Hernandez is a digital artist as well as a professional photographer. He especially enjoys compositing and retouching. He owns his own business, Hernandez Imaging, and has a degree in commercial art from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Mich. Hernandez enjoys sharing his passion for creating compelling images.
Leonard Hild, the new music director, comes from Orlando Junior Academy in Florida. He is a native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where he studied music at Dalhousie University and earning a Bachelor of Music with a major in vocal performance. For the past 38 years, he has sung professionally as both a tenor soloist and chorister performing liturgical music, opera, oratorio, musical theater and art song. Hild earned a master's in educational administration from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Besides being a music teacher, he has worked as a district music coordinator and a principal. Additionally, Hild has conducted many adult-based community and church ensembles.
Aaron Nakamura accepted the invitation to be vice principal for finance. He was born in Los Angeles, Calif., and graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with special emphasis in marketing management. Nakamura enjoys youth ministry, public speaking, writing, playing musical instruments, podcasting, going to the beach, surfing and snowboarding.
The new athletic director, Justin Braman, worked most recently in Paradise, Calif., but is originally from Massachusetts. Braman has a Bachelor of Science in physical education, health and recreation from Southern Adventist University (SAU) in Collegedale, Tenn. He is the varsity coach, runs the new fitness program, and teaches sophomore Bible, health and PE.
Dave Allemand is the new maintenance director. He most recently served at SAU.
Brandon and Kilikina Richards are both graduates of Auburn (Wash.) Adventist Academy and Walla Walla University (WWU) and most recently worked in Nevada. Brandon is the development director and will also be working with campus industries. Kilikina will be teaching English, English language learners (ELL) and drama.
Faye Wehrley has a strong background in accounting and has joined the Milo staff in the business office as the new accountant. Her husband, Jeff, works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Their family includes two Milo students, Tori and Mikayla.
The new head girls' dean is Kim Person. Her husband, Jessy, is a Milo alumus from the class of 2003. Kim graduated from Auburn Adventist Academy and went on to attend WWU (where she met Jessy on a blind date) and Concordia University (Portland, Ore.), earning a Bachelor of Science in social work. Jessy has a degree in religion with minors in psychology and history. Most recently they lived in Florida, where Kim was the head dean at Forest Lake Academy.
The assistant girls' dean, Brooke Spickelmier, is from Henderson, Nev., and is studying religion with a minor in social welfare at WWU, where she was a resident assistant last year.
KayLee Mason is the new administrative assistant and is excited to be back in Oregon. Her parents and grandparents worked at Milo in the past; in fact, she grew up right there on campus. She later attended Ozark Elementary School and graduated from Ozark Adventist Academy in Arkansas. Mason earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Southwestern Adventist University (Keene, Texas), then spent a year teaching kindergarten through third grade at a private school in Montana.
For contact information for all staff members, please visit miloacademy.net.
(From left, back row) Peter Hernandez, Leonard Hild, Aaron Nakamura, Justin Braman, Dave Allemand, Brandon Richards, (from left, front row) Faye Wehrley, Kim Person, Brooke Spickelmier, KayLee Mason and Kilikina Richards.
