Meet the Talent Team
Have a look below for short bios and assignments for all the members of our team!
Kiann Mapes, Senior Vice President of Talent
The heart and soul of the Talent Team, Kiann has been with Great Hearts since the very beginning, having served in the classroom, in HR, and as the leader of our team (since before it was even technically a "team" and she was the lone member!). Her passions (and her sole source for useful metaphors) are music and Biology, and she will happily discuss either of those topics - at length - with anyone who asks.
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Koos van Leeuwen, Regional Dir. of Faculty Talent
Koos is our resident Dutchman, complete with requisite accent and... eccentricities. He joined Great Hearts' Archway Anthem campus in 2012 as a Latin teacher, eventually serving as Dean before leaving to join the Talent Team in 2016. Koos now oversees all of our recruiting efforts and support for all of our Arizona Academies.
Did we mention that he's Dutch? Because he is. Very Dutch.
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Bobby Goodrich, Regional Dir. of Faculty Talent
Bobby is neither Dutch nor a musician, but he did live in the Netherlands for a couple of years (what other recruiting team anywhere can say it boasts TWO members who have lived in the Netherlands?) and he does appreciate music. Before joining Great Hearts (in 2015), he also taught middle school for nearly a decade at various private schools in Dallas, so he really isn't afraid of anything at this point. Bobby now oversees all of our recruiting efforts and support for all of our Texas Academies.
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Anne Wilcox, Corporate Recruiter
Anne first joined Great Hearts in 2011 as an Apprentice Teacher and then taught 2nd grade at the same campus for several years before joining the Talent Team in 2018. She loves overly complex Starbucks orders and comfortable shoes. As one of the few members of the team to ever hold a "real job" (outside of education), she is a perfect fit to help with all non-academic hiring at Great Hearts. If you're interested in serving Great Hearts in a capacity other than teaching, reach out to Anne!
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Cara Weddington, Satellite Faculty Recruiter
Cara joined our Arete Prep campus in 2015, where she taught Math for four years before joining the Talent Team in 2019. She currently lives in Georgia and serves as a Satellite Recruiter in the Southeast and our resident University of Michigan superfan (Go Blue!). If you live in the Southeast and you are interested in starting a career at Great Hearts (or you just want to trash talk Ohio State), Cara is the one to contact!
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Peyton Wofford, Faculty Recruiter
After spending several years teaching at the collegiate level, Peyton joined Great Hearts in 2019 as a Humane Letters teacher and joined the Talent Team a year later. She has a Ph.D. in Political Science, so she'd be happy to discuss all things pertaining to American political history. Peyton supports our campuses in San Antonio and our newest region, Baton Rouge, Louisiana! (which means she'll be changing her last name to Weauxford, in accordance with LA state law).
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Andrianna Salazar, Special Services Recruiter
Andrianna joined Great Hearts as a Reading Interventionist in 2017 and then basically made it her personal mission to serve in as many Special Services positions as possible, becoming a 504 coordinator next and then ultimately a Special Education coordinator. She joined the Talent Team in the summer of 2021 and puts that wide array of experience to good use, helping Special Services professionals find their forever homes on Great Hearts campuses.
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Helen Hayes, Vice President of Leadership Talent
Like Kiann, Helen has been with Great Hearts since the very beginning, having served as a Headmaster, Vice President of Academies, Vice President of Headmaster Development, and now Vice President of Leadership Talent. She also got her MFA in creative writing, so if you're looking for a good excuse to come and join us, she can probably write one up for you. Interested in school leadership? Have a particularly strong opinion about Hopkins' "Spring and Fall"? Reach out to Helen!
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Alison Chaney, Leadership Recruiting
Alison, a classically trained operatic singer and choral conductor, joined Great Hearts in 2008 as a music teacher, eventually becoming Assistant Headmaster and then Headmaster of the same campus -- in which capacity she served for 9 years, before joining the Talent Team in the summer of 2021. As a conductor and headmaster, Alison knows quite a bit about leadership and is perfectly situated to "conduct" great future leaders to the campuses that need them.
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Megan Wilson, Talent Administrative Coordinator
Megan actually graduated from one of our academies, far more recently than some folks on the team are comfortable admitting, AND she came back to work for us! Willingly! So that says something, right? Having passed through the crucible of working several years as a legal assistant for a swanky law firm, Megan now brings all her administrative superpowers to bear on, among MANY other things, recruiting and screening substitutes.
Speaking of which, have you ever thought about subbing?
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Mike Mlodzienski, Faculty Recruiter
Mike came to Great Hearts in 2020, serving first as a 5th grade apprentice teacher, and then a 5th grade lead, before joining the Talent Team at the beginning of 2022. Mike cemented his status as a "Talented" individual by picking up guitar during quarantine, and he'd be more than happy to show you what he's learned so far. Mike serves as a Faculty Recruiter for all of our North Texas academies.
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Felicia Snee, Faculty Recruiter
Felicia originally joined Great Hearts back in 2012, serving as a Fine Arts specialist, and then eventually a 2nd grade lead teacher. She stepped away for a bit in 2017, but just recently came back to Great Hearts (and her senses!), joining our team at the beginning of 2022. She'd be delighted to tell you all the reasons that brought her back. Felicia serves as a Faculty Recruiter for our Arizona academies.
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Laura Scott, Faculty Recruiter
Laura joined Great Hearts as an elementary Latin teacher back in 2019, serving in that role for 3 years before joining the Talent Team in the summer of 2022. She is also the mother of 8 (yes, 8!) Great Hearts students, which essentially makes her an honorary headmaster as well. When she's not recruiting teachers or caring for a small army, Laura loves to get outdoors (which she insists was really rewarding that one time 6 years ago). Laura serves as a Faculty Recruiter for our Arizona Academies.
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