Honoring our 2026 Retirees

This year, Collegiate honors a remarkable group of retirees whose combined service spans an extraordinary 320 years. Their roles have been as varied as the students they’ve inspired: teachers, artists, mentors, coaches, administrators, and caretakers — but their shared commitment to our community has shaped the life of the School in lasting and meaningful ways.

From decades in the classroom to quiet, steady leadership behind the scenes, these individuals have helped define what it means to be Collegiate. Many of you were taught, coached, guided, or supported by them. All of us are better because of their dedication.

Below are the remarks shared by Head of School Jeff Mancabelli on each of the retirees.

*Retirees announced as of April 27, 2026 

 

 

After over 43 years as an invaluable member of our school community, Wilbur Athey will retire from his full-time role at the end of June.

 

There is hardly an event on campus that hasn't benefited from Wilbur’s touch. When he joined Collegiate during the 1982-83 school year, he hit the ground running in the Facilities Department, working logistics and special events. With his beaming smile and willingness to always go the extra mile, he quickly established himself as a go-to person for set-ups and logistics. Until his move to Athletics, Wilbur would take such pride in his logistical efforts around VGF; graduation, PA and donor events; the auction, etc., with an eye to every little detail. He wanted each event to be perfectly set up. It was his nature to be sure every detail was perfect and in doing so built a fan base of faculty, staff, students, and parents who still remember his unwavering dependability and call to service of the School.

 

When the need arose for his expertise in the Athletic Department, Wilbur rose to the occasion and joined the Athletic staff. He took on the responsibilities of coordinating field and equipment needs, working with the transportation team, and pitching in wherever needed. In addition to his regular responsibilities, Wilbur has been an Assistant Varsity basketball coach since 2015 and an invaluable sounding board for countless students, athletes, and coaches who have needed an ear, a pat on the back, or a loving “nudge” towards their potential. He also serves as a mentor for young men outside of Collegiate.

 

Throughout his tenure, Wilbur has won the adoration of many colleagues, students, and parents with his kindness, commitment, and dedication to our school community. Given his decades of profound impact, it was no surprise that Wilbur was recognized in 2025 as the first recipient of the Debbie Miller Heart Award. 

 

Wilbur has shared that he is looking forward to having more time to spend with his children and grandchildren. While we will miss his full-time presence on campus, we are grateful that he has agreed to continue to coach basketball and help the Athletic department out on a part-time basis next year. 

 

 

 

After 40 years of dedicated service in our Facilities Department, Jackie Johnson retired in September 2025.

 

Jackie’s warm presence and infectious smile have brightened the halls of every building on campus. For four decades, she has helped prepare our spaces to welcome students each day, always ensuring that our campus is clean, safe, and inviting. Jackie has taken great pride in her work. She knows the importance of well-maintained spaces and has been committed to providing these spaces for everyone at Collegiate for 40 years.

 

When Jackie came to Collegiate in 1985, she joined some of her family members in their service to Collegiate. Her husband, Douglas, served on the maintenance staff from 1981 until his retirement in December 2023, and her brother, Wilbur Athey, began working at Collegiate in 1983.

 

Jackie is now looking forward to joining Douglas in retirement and is grateful for the opportunity to spend more time with her mother and grandchildren.

 

 

 

As she finishes her 38th year of service to Collegiate School, Upper School Art Teacher Mary Arzt will retire at the end of the school year. Mary was recruited by former Head of School Rob Hershey to lead the Arts Department as the school was preparing to open a new center for the arts, now the Hershey Center for the Arts. She played an integral role in building the program and in recruiting colleagues to join her in establishing what would become a thriving home for the arts. Her connections in the Richmond arts community, along with her vision of what the arts at Collegiate could become, allowed her to attract a remarkably talented and creative team. For Mary and the department she assembled, being a practicing artist was as essential as being an arts educator. Through her 48 total years as an art teacher, she has remained a committed painter, ceramicist, and creator of works. She has also maintained her many relationships in the arts community, which has allowed Collegiate to show work in the Hershey Center Gallery and the Sharp Academic Commons from a multitude of Richmond-based artists.

 

While Mary is proud of the program's growth, she treasures most the many students she taught over the past four decades. Her classroom was always the bright spot in many a student’s busy day. They could count on coffee and tea, relaxing music, and a teacher who was always willing to listen and who could give the right advice when needed. Mary attracted a wide range of students to her classes and could coax creative work from the most reluctant student. She also inspired generations of young artists whose talents she spotted early to pursue the arts beyond Collegiate. A testament to Mary’s lasting impact on her students is that many of them seek her out once they graduate from college. They, along with many colleagues, look forward to a dinner invitation to the farm when they can enjoy her delicious comfort food and an evening of conviviality and conversation.

 

Mary looks forward to spending more time with her husband, Lee, and visiting her daughter, son-in-law, and grandkids in New York City. She is also excited to find more time to create. You can continue to follow her artistic journey through her personal website. We are deeply indebted to Mary for her many years of dedication and her immense contributions to our community.

 

 

 

After 38 years of creative and inspiring teaching at Collegiate School and 43 years in the classroom overall, Upper School English teacher and former English Department Chair Mil Norman-Risch will retire at the end of this school year. Any student or colleague who spent even a short time with Mil quickly recognized the depth of her intellect, witnessed her boundless creativity, and felt her love of language and literature. She has used her many gifts to help high school students grapple with the complexities of literature, develop critical and analytical thinking skills, cultivate empathy and perspective, and find their voice as thoughtful and effective communicators. In the classroom, she could play the parts of performer, provocateur, and philosopher, all to challenge and engage her students. Countless graduates have shared that Ms. Norman-Risch was a transformative teacher who taught them how to think and write.

 

In addition to providing clear and thoughtful leadership to the English Department for nine years, Mil served as one of the first Lead Advisors when that position was created as part of a revamped advisory program. She was also one of the first Collegiate faculty members to team-teach a class, creating a sought-after course with a colleague from the visual arts department. She sponsored the annual Poetry Out Loud competition, led the Critical Friends group as a pedagogical sounding board for colleagues, and consistently contributed to the professional life of the school. Mil was the recipient of the Ann Griffin and Joanne Pratt Awards for Teaching Excellence and a Whitfield Fund grant, which allowed her to travel to the UK for the Ledbury Poetry Festival.

 

A talented artist and published writer, Mil now looks forward to continuing her creative work and spending more time with her husband, Don, and her children, Melanie ’09 and Christopher ’11. 

 

 

After 30 years of dedicated service to Collegiate School, Dana DuMont will retire at the end of this school year. Since joining Collegiate in 1990 as a Lower School Art Teacher, Dana has been a transformative leader, serving as Lower School Curriculum Chair (2006-10) and later JK–12 Visual Arts Chair (2010-19). A recipient of the Martha Schwarz Award, she helped design the Lower School and H2L2 studios, expanded the visual arts program, and led initiatives such as Art Walks, Maker Night, and Day of the Arts.

After stepping away in 2019 to focus on her studio work, Dana remained a valued presence as a substitute and returned this year to the Lower School, once again sharing her passion through beloved experiences like Morning Art. Known for her creative, integrated teaching, and global perspective, Dana inspired generations of students and built lasting connections with families and colleagues. 

We are especially grateful that, at a moment when the school truly needed her, Dana stepped back in to help. Her willingness to return this year with her warm and caring smile made an immediate difference for our students. It was a gift to have her back in the classroom.

 

After 27 years of teaching French to Upper and Middle School students, Holly Fairlamb ‘82 has shared her plans to retire at the end of the school year. 

Holly’s journey at Collegiate came full circle in 1999 when she returned to teach Upper School French, succeeding her own mentor, Chris Rimbault. She also worked alongside another mentor, the late Helen Tanner, who became a valued colleague and friend, as well as an important figure in the lives of her daughters. Holly has taught nearly every class offered in the Upper School and last year joined the Middle School to teach 6th and 7th Grade French.

Over the course of her career, Holly was committed to the Collegiate French Program’s long tradition of excellence and rigor. While her classes were demanding, she was equally devoted to supporting students individually. Holly cared deeply about them as students but more importantly as young adults. She was steadfast in introducing her students to the full Francophone world. She taught not only the language, but also the culture and history of a multitude of French-speaking countries. Holly’s interest in the diversity of the Francophone world was also reflected in her desire to make her classroom a place where everyone felt included.

Throughout, Holly has been devoted to international travel experiences for her students because she believed it provided them a chance to see the world and broaden their perspective. She chaperoned trips to Quebec and Morocco, and her final trip will be with a group of students to Switzerland and Germany this summer. Holly received a Brinkley Grant to travel to Montpellier, and for 20 years, she facilitated students’ participation in an immersion program in Angers. In addition, she has been the point person for the John Maloney project, which provides our students with the opportunity to partner with children with autism, and served as the leader of the French Honor Society.

Holly and her husband, Bo ’73, look forward to traveling and spending more time with their daughters, Laura ‘19 and Olivia ‘22.

Heather Garnett has let us know this will be her final year at Collegiate. Heather joined Collegiate in 2002 as a 4th Grade teacher, bringing with her prior experience teaching 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grades in Chesterfield County. Over more than two decades, she has made a lasting impact on our students, families, and colleagues through her deep commitment to learning, community, and excellence.  In 2010, she was honored with the Martha Schwarz Award in recognition of her contributions to the school.

Community has always been at the heart of Heather’s work. She nurtures a strong sense of “Team 4” while also thinking beyond her grade to care for the broader campus community.  From building strong classroom cultures to cultivating relationships across the school, Heather has consistently modeled what it means to belong to and contribute to a community.

Heather embodies a true love of learning, often the first to experiment with new ideas and try new curriculum. She has also been a steadfast advocate for students who need extra support. Parents and colleagues deeply respect her understanding of 4th Grade development and trust her judgment, care, and expertise.

Many families also know Heather through her long-standing role as the planner and organizer of the Washington, D.C. trip. Her attention to detail, constant reflection, and focus on safety and the student experience have shaped a meaningful and memorable tradition. 

Beyond the classroom, Heather has served Collegiate in many ways, including coaching field hockey and lacrosse in her early years, serving as a grade-level chair, mentoring new faculty, and participating in Collegiate’s first international teacher exchange at the Carol Bauer School in Mexico in 2011.

As Heather prepares for this transition, she also celebrates an important personal milestone: her daughter, Elle, will graduate this year.

We are deeply grateful for Heather’s years of dedication, leadership, and care. Her influence will be felt long after this year concludes.

After many years of dedicated service to children and our community, Debra McKercher will retire at the end of this school year. She began her career as a child advocate in Powhatan County before teaching at Mary Mumford Elementary School, and joined Collegiate as a substitute in 2000, becoming a Lower School Teaching Assistant in 2002. Over the years, Debra has been a steady presence in Reynolds Hall, living out Collegiate’s values through her relationships and commitment to others.

Debra’s impact is felt in both meaningful traditions and everyday moments. From leading Teacher Treat Days in the 2nd Grade hallway to serving as a dependable “recess captain,” she brings positivity and care to all she does. Known for her signature recess style, bundled for the cold or carrying her trusty umbrella, she celebrates others thoughtfully and supports the community in countless ways. A proud grandmother of three, a devoted Michigan Wolverines fan, and a true Cougar who “bleeds green and gold,” Debra leaves a legacy of kindness and joy that will be deeply missed. 

After 45 years as a professional photographer, including 22 years teaching Upper School students the art of photography, Taylor Dabney plans to retire at the end of the school year. Before coming to Collegiate, he was an accomplished practicing photographer. He spent multiple summers documenting the work of archaeological excavations throughout the Classical World and was a sought-after photographer in the Richmond area.

 

Taylor started teaching photography at Collegiate when the cameras were analog and the images were processed in the darkroom. Over the years, he transitioned the program into the digital age while ensuring students still mastered the foundational principles. Each semester, the remarkable work of his students hangs in the Academic Commons and the front hallway of the Upper School. In addition to his teaching, every school year Taylor documented many Collegiate events, including Brunch, Feast of Juul, Commencement, and nearly every performing arts production. His beautiful photographs from numerous fall musicals can be found on the walls of Oates Theater.

 

It is hard to imagine a Collegiate event without seeing Taylor moving through the room, camera in hand, capturing the moments that mattered most. His work did more than document performances and events. It told the story of our students by honoring their talents. His connection to the students was evident this year when he was toasted by one of the senior boys at the Feast of Juul. At the end of the event, the student asked anyone who had a class with Mr. Dabney to join him for a photo with one of their favorite teachers. Seemingly two-thirds of the senior boys gathered around Taylor for the picture.

 

We are grateful for the many connections Taylor made with his students, for inspiring their love of photography, and for documenting so many special moments in the life of Collegiate. 

 

Taylor is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Julia, and his son, William. 

After a career spanning nearly 50 years, Upper School Math Teacher Glenn LaFerriere will retire at the end of the year. After graduating with a Mathematics degree from William & Mary, he spent three years working for Young Life. Glenn soon realized that his calling was to pursue a career in teaching so he could continue challenging and supporting young people. He spent 32 years in Virginia Beach at three different high schools. Upon retirement from the public school system, he moved to Richmond with his wife and family and soon found an opportunity to continue his teaching and coaching career at Collegiate.

 

Throughout, Glenn has taught the full range of math classes from Algebra I to AP BC Calculus. Remarkably, he is a great math teacher for students who struggled in math and for those who had a passion for numbers and problem-solving. And Glenn’s students were successful. For example, over the last five years, his students averaged a 4.6 on the AP exam. Whether it was working one-on-one with his Algebra I students or answering the most challenging questions from his high-flying AP BC Calculus students, Glenn always centers his students in his work. For instance, at the beginning of each semester, he goes for a walk with each of his students to get to know them in the fall and to check in again in the spring. Glenn has coached tennis and mountain biking at Collegiate and coached basketball, tennis, and golf while in Virginia Beach. Students are also aware of his prowess as a ping-pong player, and at the annual Feast of Juul, the list of senior boys seeking to best him is long. They typically found themselves on the lopsided end of the score, but left with a smile on their face, nonetheless.

 

As he concludes his thirteenth year at Collegiate, Glenn has been declarative that this will be his best year yet. He has not lost a step in the classroom, on the pickleball court, or on the mountain biking trail. He, along with Brad Cooke, was instrumental in the construction of new mountain biking trails at the Robins Campus. 

 

Glenn shares that he looks forward to spending more time with his wife, Kim, his children, and his grandchildren. He plans to remain active at Hope Church and assist others with his “Friends Helping Friends” group that he established recently. 

 

 

After 43 remarkable years in education, our beloved 1st Grade Assistant, Shirley Bogaev, will retire at the end of this school year. This milestone marks a career defined by a deep love for young learners.

Shirley spent most of her career teaching 1st Grade, shaping the academic and social foundations of countless children. Over the past 10 years, she has served in our Lower School as a 1st Grade assistant, bringing patience, warmth, and understanding of early childhood education to every classroom she served.

Shirley has often expressed how deeply she has loved her role at Collegiate and how grateful she feels for the opportunity to support students and collaborate with such an extraordinary faculty and staff. She has spoken with particular appreciation for the camaraderie shared during lunch and recess duties and the many moments of teamwork that shaped her days. She asked that I share her heartfelt gratitude to Debbie Miller, whose leadership, generosity, and love have meant so much to her, and to Khristi Bates for her strong leadership and compassionate support of the 1st Grade team this year.

As she looks ahead, Shirley is excited to embrace the next chapter which includes traveling with her husband, spending more time with her grandchildren, exploring new hobbies, and enjoying the simple pleasure of having more time to read.

We are profoundly grateful for Shirley’s many years of devoted service to Collegiate. Her legacy lives in the children she taught, the colleagues she supported, and the warmth she brought to our community. We will miss her daily presence with us.

 

 

Tara brought her entrepreneurial spirit to Collegiate in 2022 after a career that spanned over 20 years in performing arts, including running her own studio. She also spent over a decade teaching at the elementary school level.

With her beaming smile and upbeat aura, Tara is typically the first person people see when they enter the Hershey Center. She created a warm and welcoming environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors alike. Whether managing daily tasks, coordinating posters, or overseeing ticket sales, Tara has ensured that every operational detail reflects the excellence of the arts program. 

Tara has served as a vital bridge to our community by leading our parent volunteers and mentoring teams responsible for ticket sales and check-ins, building lasting bonds with our community volunteers. In her role as house manager for Upper School assemblies, Tara took special care to greet the families of every Senior speaker at the Oates Theater, offering a warm welcome and personally guiding them to their seats. For Tara, this chapter at Collegiate has meant the world because it allowed her to support the arts in a different way, championing both teachers and students alike.

As Tara prepares to trade evening performance hours for well-deserved relaxation, she is looking forward to spending more time with what matters most: her family. She and her husband, Reggie, plan to travel and spend quality time with her two sons, Red and Matthew. Ever the lifelong learner, Tara also plans to step back into the studio herself, enrolling in dance classes to continue her personal journey with movement. Please join us in thanking Tara for her vibrance, her kindness, and her unwavering support of the arts.

After a career in Independent School Facilities Management that spans more than 20 years, Barb Peco has shared that she will retire at the end of this school year. Barb joined Collegiate in 2022 after relocating to Richmond from Baltimore, where she held Facilities Management roles at several independent schools.

From the moment she arrived, Barb brought deep experience and a commitment to her work. She quickly became an important part of the Collegiate community, guiding the facilities team through a wide range of campus renovation projects and helping lead the successful relocation of several offices on campus. Barb also played an important role in the campus master planning process, lending both her expertise and thoughtful perspective to work that will benefit the school for years to come.

What stands out just as much as Barb’s professional contributions is the way she connected with the people around her. She led with care and built strong relationships with her team and colleagues across campus. Barb clearly valued the people she worked alongside, and that was reflected in the way she approached her work.

We are grateful for Barb’s service to Collegiate and for all she has contributed during her time here. Please join us in thanking Barb and wishing her every happiness in her retirement.

 

Heidi Benson served as the Student Billing Coordinator in the Business Office, and retired in September of 2025. 

 

Heidi joined the Business Office in April 2022 and quickly hit the ground running, bringing with her extensive experience from her work in the Bursar’s Office at the University of Richmond. During her time at Collegiate, Heidi implemented the School’s FACTS integration, a user-friendly parent portal for student payments, and was instrumental in the conversion to Atrium, the current food service POS and billing system.

 

In addition to helping countless families navigate the student billing process, Heidi brought a creativity that will be sorely missed. Her colleagues appreciate her knack for coming up with just the right theme to celebrate life’s many events. While her daily presence in the Business Office will be missed, her contributions to the School will continue to be valued.

 

Heidi is looking forward to traveling to visit her three daughters and her new grandson, as well as spending more time with her mother, who will be relocating to North Carolina from Massachusetts.