DON DANFORTH III (President)
KELLY TYSON, M.A. (School Principal)
MATT VIRGIL, M.A. (Director of Curriculum and Instruction)
ELIZABETH SERGEL (Director of Business and Administration)
NIKKI DOUGHTY, M.A. ( Director of Admissions and Placement)
GINGER IMSTER, C.F.R.E (Director of Development)
NANCY RITZEL (Assistant Director of Development)
BRADEN WELBORN (Asst. Dir. of Communications and Grantwriting)
ANTHONY LEMONS (Director of Extended Programs)
KIM LOWERY (Admnistrative Assistant)

Don Danforth III, School President
ddanforth@cityacademyschool.org
Don co-founded City Academy and assumed the role of President when the school opened in 1999. Previously, beginning in 1993, Don was the Education Director for the Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club. He obtained a B.A. in English Writing/History from St. Lawrence University in 1989. Don was the recipient of the 2004 CORO Leadership Center Emerging Leader Award and the Princeton Award for Community Service. He has been named a St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 community leader and recently received the Opportunity Maker Award from Boys Hope/Girls Hope of St. Louis. Don serves on numerous non-profit boards including the American Youth Foundation, MICDS, St. Louis Christmas Carolers Association, and Teach for America. Don and his wife Susannah have four children.

Kelly Tyson , MA, School Principal
ktyson@cityacademyschool.org
Kelly earned a bachelor of science degree in special education and elementary education from Fontbonne University, and a master of arts degree in educational administration from the University of Iowa. She has completed course work for her PhD at St. Louis University, and is working on her dissertation. Kelly has over twelve years of experience in teaching and school administration. She joined City Academy in 2006 as the curriculum director and has since been promoted to principal. Prior to coming to City Academy, Kelly was a district-level administrator in Edwardsville, Illinois. Before working in Edwardsville, she had a seven-year tenure at Community School teaching third, fifth, and sixth grades, with an emphasis on mathematics. In 2004, Kelly earned a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund (JFMF) scholarship, sponsored by the government of Japan, to conduct a study tour of Japan. Her studies culminated in the integration of international perspectives and methodologies of mathematics education into our classrooms. Kelly has two daughters, both of whom attend independent schools in St. Louis.

Matt Virgil, MA, MEd, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
mvirgil@cityacademyschool.org
Prior to joining City Academy, Matt was the upper school director at Rossman School, an independent school in Creve Coeur. He had administrative and curricular responsibility for grades three through six, as well as the after-school program. Before that, Matt was an eighth grade history teacher and the dean of students for grade eight at Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School. He has a master of education degree in school leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University and a master of arts degree in the teaching of social studies from Teachers College, Columbia University. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in United States history. Prior to a career in education, he worked in commercial banking. Matt enjoys running, biking, and swimming.

Elizabeth Sergel, Director of Business and Administration
esergel@cityacademyschool.org
Elizabeth joined the staff of City Academy in 2006. Elizabeth spent several years in the audit department at Ernst & Young prior to accepting a position as the director of finance for The Salvation Army Midland Division, headquartered in St. Louis. In 1994, Elizabeth earned her bachelor of science degree in accounting from Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. She is a volunteer for Cardinal-Glennon Children’s Hospital, The American Heart Association, and The Salvation Army. She lives in north St. Louis with her family.

Nikki Doughty, MA, Director of Admissions and Placement
ndoughty@cityacademyschool.org
Before joining City Academy in 2005, Nikki was the events coordinator for Churchill Center & School for Learning Disabilities. Nikki attended the Women in International Security Program at Georgetown while pursuing a master’s degree in international relations at Webster University. She has worked with legislators and educators alike in the fields of education and social development and sits on the board of the ACLU of Eastern Missouri. She is also involved with a number of non-profit organizations, including the Immigrant and Refugee Women's Project, CIVITAS, and the Young Friends Optimist Committee.

Ginger Imster, CFRE, Director of Development
gimster@cityacademyschool.org
Ginger came to City Academy in June 2001 and has served as the school’s director of development for the last six school years. Previously Ginger was a development officer with Crossroads High School. She is a native Missourian and obtained her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1995. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and currently serves as the vice-president of finance for AFP. She became a certified fund raising executive (CFRE) in 2004. Ginger volunteers with multiple non-profits in the St. Louis community including AFP, the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, and the Optimist Club of St. Louis. She lives in St. Louis with her husband Harry and son Harlan.

Nancy Ritzel, Assistant Director of Development
nritzel@cityacademyschool.org
Before joining City Academy in 2007, Nancy was the assistant director of Hope Happens, a non-profit foundation that funds research for ALS and other neurological disorders. During her four years there, she coordinated all fundraising events, handled all donor correspondence, as well as producing the newsletter and maintaining the website. Prior to working at Hope Happens, she was busy raising her five children and working part-time. She attended Southeast Missouri State University and St. Louis Community College. She lives in University City with her husband Kent.

Braden Welborn, Assistant Director of Communications and Grant Writing
bwelborn@cityacademyschool.org  
Braden earned a master’s degree in American and English literature from Washington University, a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from the University of Alabama, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Birmingham-Southern College. Prior to attending graduate school, Braden worked as the coordinator of information resources for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and then as the communications director for the A+ Education Foundation of Alabama. An experienced teacher of writing, she volunteers for StudioSTL. Braden lives in Tower Grove South with her husband Aaron.

Anthony Lemons, Director of Extended Programs and Volunteer Coordinator
alemons@cityacademyschool.org  
Anthony joined City Academy’s teaching staff in 2004. Prior to working at City Academy, Anthony was employed by St. Louis Community College (STLCC) in Florissant Valley, where he served as a project associate implementing Early Awareness programs in the Jennings school district. Before working for STLCC, he taught math and science for five years at Our Lady of the Holy Cross School. Anthony attended Lincoln University and graduated with a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice. He has completed graduate studies at Fontbonne University. Anthony has a son who is also named Anthony and who attends City Academy.

Kim Lowery, Administrative Assistant
klowery@cityacademyschool.org  
Before coming to City Academy, Kim worked for TIAA-CREF Trust Company FSB as an administrative assistant. Prior to that, she sold insurance and worked for Allstate Insurance Company in Collinsville as a receptionist. Kim also worked for the Danforth Foundation for ten years as an administrative assistant. She attended Sanford-Brown College and received a certificate in office technology. Kim and her husband Willie have been married for over twenty years, and they have two children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, biking, and roller skating.