Administrative Staff

For contact information, see your School Directory or our Contact Us page.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

John Heffernan, Director

John has 15 years experience as an elementary teacher at the Sierra School in the San Francisco Bay Area, NYC's Bank Street School for Children, and most recently, Durham's Forest View Elementary School. John believes in supporting students to take risks and assume greater responsibility for their learning, and he has consistently sought out schools with a constructivist, inquiry-based mission that place a high value on parent involvement and professional development for teachers. John received a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Philosophy, Psychology and Studio Arts from Georgetown University and an M.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education. He is also a National Board Certified Teacher and has held leadership roles on the Governance team of Forest View Elementary, instructed UNC student teachers, and guided study groups for colleagues. John's commitment to excellence and his ability to inspire others is reflected in his selection as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Teaching Fellow in Japan, a Kenan Fellow (training teachers statewide in science education), and a trainer and planner for the NC Science Leadership Institute. He lives in Durham with his wife, Karen, his daughters, Claire and Nora, and numerous pets.

Paula Januzzi-Godfrey, Assistant Director and Development Director

Paula has over 25 years experience in the field of education, most recently as a teacher of exceptional children at Forest View Elementary and as a dual language program teacher for 4th and 5th graders at Southwest Elementary. Paula has enjoyed many pursuits: teaching literacy through photography, working with "Student U" in Durham as a teacher mentor, and founding and directing Busy Street Children's Museum from 1996 to 2002. She has also been involved with family support systems, both as an adjunct instructor at Meredith College, and as a participant in a family support project with the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore. Paula has served on the founding board of Durham's Partnership for Children, as well as on other boards and committees in Durham whose missions are to advocate for children and families. Paula enjoys volunteer work in El Salvador in the summers, and she traveled to Guatemala with other DPS teachers in 2007. Paula's philosophy is, "Love what you do and feel that it matters -- how could anything be more fun?"

Lucia Marcus, Professional Development Director*

Lucia graduated from the North Carolina School of Arts in Winston-Salem and has a BFA from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C. In 1997, Lucia received a graduate degree in Supervision and Administration from Bank Street College of Education and Parsons School of Design. She has been an art teacher for K-8th grades in the Sampson County Schools, in elementary schools in Washington, D.C., and at the Smithsonian Institute. Lucia directed the Opequan Day Care Center in Winchester, Virginia, and most recently taught art at the Duke School. Lucia also has a studio in Durham where she creates and shows her own art. 
*Lucia is also CPSC's Art Teacher.

Vicky Patton, Board President

Vicky has served as an assistant to President Terry Sanford at Duke University and led the effort to relocate the American Dance Festival from Connecticut to Durham. She was a founding Board member of the Duke School for Children and president of its Board of Directors. Vicky received her MBA at the Duke Fuqua School and more recently served as the Executive Director of The Governors Center at the Sanford Institute for Public Policy. Vicky wrote the CPSC charter application, is President of our Board of Directors, and loves working at the school.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Caroline Weaver, Student Records, Admissions, and IT Manager

Caroline is a "jack of all trades" who helped to start up the school. She has worked tirelessly in almost every capacity from answering phones to filling in to teach P.E. to giving tours of the school. Caroline has over 20 years of experience working with non-profits and in higher education. She is the mother of a current CPSC student and a CPSC graduate. Caroline says, "It is a joy to be part of a community that encourages children to explore and learn in an environment where they develop a love of learning."

Esther Quinn, After-School Director

Esther came to us in 2006, from Carolina Friends School where she ran the middle school afterschool program. She is currently working on her teaching degree and studying Holistic Natural Health Education. A Durham native, she was raised to embrace life and encouraged to value learning through experience. She attends many conferences and educational workshops and is a member of two non-profit community organizations. Esther believes that "children are the bridge builders of the future!"

Jonathan Hemingway, Maintenance Coordinator

Jonathan grew up in New Jersey and has made Durham his home since 2005.  A 2008 graduate of TROSA, he still spends a lot of time across the park at TROSA with his friends.  Jonathan loves keeping things in order and in their best working condition.

Karen Stinehelfer, Business Manager

Karen is an accountant with over 30 years of non-profit experience. She was Duke School for Children's first Business Manager. After 10 years she came to Central Park School for Children as our first Business Manager. Karen is also a graduate of Duke's Nonprofit Management Program. Karen likes doing collages and has done our Annual Picnic photo montages. She usually spends her weekends attending antique auctions or working on scrapbooks.

Nancy Spencer, Exceptional Education Program Coordinator

Nancy holds an M.A. in Teaching from Emory University. Nancy has worked as a teacher in both regular and exceptional education settings and has taught at university and public school levels. For the past 20 years, she has been an administrator for exceptional education programs for the NC Department of Public Instruction, and Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties. Most recently, she served as the Director of the Legal and Compliance division of Wake County's exceptional education program. She retired in 2008 and is working part-time at CPSC. Her wish is to work collaboratively with teachers and parents in providing appropriate and effective exceptional children's services at our school.

Tonya Roberts Hunt, Office Manager

Tonya worked for Genecare, a medical genetics center in Chapel Hill, and before then gained training in business and management procedures at Blue Cross/Blue Shield for eleven years. She is a Durham native and graduated from Southeastern Academy with a degree in Administration. After years of working in corporate America, Tonya made a commitment to return work with and provide for children. Her decision to join Central Park School for Children was clinched when a friend said, "Tonya, with as much time as you spend at the school and with your knowledge of kids, why not do what you enjoy doing and get paid for it?"