Suffield Academy ~ Leadership

The goal of Suffield Academy's Leadership Program is to develop human beings with integrity who wish to make a significant and positive impact on our society. Students in grades 9, 10, and 11 take required year-long courses where the curriculum emphasizes experiential learning and guided self-discovery. The leadership experience at Suffield concludes in the 12th-grade, with each student participating in senior seminars and a senior speaker series.

The program emphasizes seven core elements which each student is exposed to in direct ways: personal mastery, moral foundation, goal-setting, communication skills, problem-solving, self-awareness, and inspiring and mobilizing others. We teach ways of thinking and developing skills, traits, and habits in order to enhance each student’s leadership qualities and capabilities.

Course Descriptions

List of 4 frequently asked questions.

+ Freshman Year | Foundations of Leadership

Term: Full year, twice a week

Personal Mastery
The freshman seminar in the leadership sequence stresses the discipline of “personal mastery.” It is designed to develop the skills, habits, and thought processes that will enable students to succeed at Suffield and beyond. The Personal Mastery course sets the experiential and conceptual foundation for Suffield’s subsequent leadership seminars. This class meets during an academic period.
+ Sophomore Year | Foundations of Leadership

Term: Full year, twice a week

Values, Vision, and Citizenship
The sophomore Foundations of Leadership seminar builds its curriculum from where the freshman Personal Mastery course leaves off. Expanding its curricular focus beyond the basic self-management, public speaking, and collaborative skills stressed in ninth grade, the tenth grade seminar reinforces these habits of personal mastery while introducing elements of group dynamics, service learning projects, and more. This class meets during an academic period.
+ Junior Year | Preparing for Leadership

Term: Full year, once a week

This course is designed to reinforce the competencies of personal mastery established in the freshman and sophomore seminars, while focusing more explicitly on developing the students’ leadership capabilities. This seminar does not meet during an academic period.
+ Senior year | Practicing Leadership

Term: Full year, once a week

Practicing Leadership completes the leadership sequence. Each Suffield senior is expected to exercise significant leadership responsibilities at school. Class time during this seminar will be used primarily to reflect on and improve students’ performance in their leadership roles and responsibilities. This seminar does not meet during an academic period.

Leadership Office

List of 8 members.

Ann Selvitelli

Director of College Counseling and Leadership

Trinity College - B.A.
University of Pennsylvania - M.S.Ed.

aselvitelli@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
A native of Suffield and a former faculty child, Ann enjoys living in her hometown while embracing boarding school life at Suffield Academy. Ann has considerable experience in the boarding school world, having served as Associate Director of Admissions at Loomis Chaffee School and the dean of students at Dana Hall School. Before joining Suffield’s college counseling office, Ann spent four years as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission at Babson College, where she led student recruitment initiatives, reviewed applications, and shepherded students through the college admission process. In July 2005, Ann became the director of our college counseling office and joined the administrative leadership team. Ann was appointed Director of College Counseling and Leadership in 2018.
Ann lives adjacent to campus with her husband, Dave, and their three children: Nicholas ’20, Hope ’22, and Maeve. Ann also enjoys volunteering her time on the Trinity College Women’s Leadership Council and Suffield’s Chamber of Commerce board.
Marla Adelsberger

Director of Counseling

Smith College - M.S.W.
Smith College - B.A.

madelsberger@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
Marla earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in clinical social work. Marla served as a program coordinator for the Children and Adolescent Day Treatment Program treatment program at the Institute of Living in Hartford. She also worked as a clinical coordinator for the Department of Social and Youth Services for the town of Wethersfield. Marla is a native of nearby Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Marla, her husband Peter, and daughter Rachel ’10 joined the Suffield Academy community in 2001. She serves as the director of counseling, teaches in the Leadership Program, assists with the parent discussion series, leads Community Outreach, and serves as co-advisor to the proctor program. Marla is passionate about community service, kayaking, gardening, and traveling.
Drew Gamere ’93

Co-Director of Athletics

Ohio Wesleyan University - B.A.

dgamere@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
Drew graduated from Brookline High School in the Boston area and completed a postgraduate year here at Suffield in 1993. He played football, basketball, and lacrosse during his postgraduate year, and helped the football and basketball teams win New England Championships. He then moved on to Ohio Wesleyan University where he earned his bachelor’s degree while playing both football and basketball. Drew earned all-conference recognition in football and was the team captain during his senior season. After graduation, Drew spent four years coaching football at the collegiate level at Ohio Wesleyan University and Harvard University. He then returned to education and worked as a counselor and coach at Brookline High School.
Drew has been a member of Suffield’s faculty since 2006. He is currently the school’s co-director of athletics, a teacher in the Leadership program, and the head varsity football coach. Drew lives on campus with his wife Sarah ’02 and their two sons: Caysen and Kyler.
Gina Longo

Leadership Program & Athletic Trainer

Springfield College - B.S.
Northeastern University - M.S.

glongo@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
A native of South Plainfield, New Jersey, Gina moved to the New England area to attend school at Springfield College where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Athletic Training. While at Springfield, Gina held many leadership roles, including being president of the Athletic Training Club. Gina has a passion for service and in the summer of 2016 she traveled through Costa Rica to provide medical services to multiple communities. Prior to joining our faculty, Gina was an intern in our athletic training room where she developed an affection for boarding school life. Gina joined Suffield Academy in 2016 as an assistant athletic trainer and in 2018 became a teacher in the Leadership Program. Gina is pursuing a master’s degree in Leadership at Northeastern University.
Gina stays connected with Springfield College as an accredited clinical instructor, supervising current athletic training students while they work with Suffield student-athletes. Aside from her education in athletic training and leadership, Gina is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist who helps educate students on strength training and nutrition. She is a dorm parent in Montgomery Street House where she lives with her kitten Luna.
Gina Manning

University of Massachusetts - B.A.
Saint Joseph College - M.A.

gmanning@suffieldacademy.org
Mary Mitchell ’10

Marketing & Communications

Franklin & Marshall College - B.A.

mmitchell@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
Mary joined Suffield's Marketing & Communications department in the summer of 2016. A proud alumna of Suffield Academy, Mary was an active member of the community as a student, a tour guide, writing center tutor, member of the field hockey and lacrosse teams, and recipient of the George A. Butler Award of Athletics & Sportsmanship.

Mary graduated from Franklin & Marshall College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies. While at Franklin & Marshall, Mary captained the women's lacrosse team, was on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, mentored incoming students, and was involved with the art department.

Before returning to Suffield, Mary worked in Digital Advertising for CBS Interactive for three years in New York City. While in New York, Mary was actively involved with the Robinhood Foundation. She now lives on campus, is head coach of girls’ varsity lacrosse, teaches in the Leadership program, and is a dorm associate in Tompkins.
Lyndsey Sweeney

Academic Support

Eastern Connecticut State University - B.A.

lsweeney@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
Lyndsey is a member of Suffield’s Academic Support office and Leadership Program. A graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, Lyndsey most recently worked in academic support for the town’s public school system. Lyndsey was a member of Eastern’s varsity field hockey team and has extensive experience in both coaching field hockey and basketball.
Lyndsey is the dorm head in Barnes House with her husband Bennett and cats Barney and Wilma. She is also the head coach of varsity field hockey and the assistant coach to girls’ varsity basketball.
Liz Warren

Cultural Diversity Coordinator

Mount Vernon Nazarene University - B.A.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University - M.S.

ewarren@suffieldacademy.org
Read Bio
Liz serves as the cultural diversity coordinator, teaches Leadership, coordinates campus-wide weekend activities, and is a co-advisor to the Class of 2019. She is the faculty advisor of MCA, SOC, the mentoring program and Sister Sister. Liz is also Suffield’s representative to the SPHERE program.
Liz earned her bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Science and master’s degree in Science Management from Mount Vernon Nazarene University, where she held several positions in student government and campus life. She was also an admissions counselor at MVNU, coordinating multicultural and international student recruitment. Most recently, she completed the Kingswood-Oxford Leadership Institute for Educators of Color, a program designed for educators of color at independent schools.
Liz is the dorm head in Spencer Hall where she lives with her husband, Rick, and their four children.