Directors
David Prutow
Director of Pupil Personnel Services
Hunterdon Central Regional High School, NJ
David Prutow is currently the Director of Pupil Personnel Services for Hunterdon Central Regional High School District in Flemington, NJ.
This is his third year serving as a co-director of NACAC’s Directing a Dynamic College Counseling Program summer institute. Prutow has also held positions as the K-12 Director of Guidance for the West Windsor – Plainsboro Regional School district, the Director of Guidance for Princeton High School in Princeton, NJ, and the Director of Guidance for Moorestown H.S., in Moorestown NJ.
All of these districts are among the highest performing secondary school districts in NJ and have a very large percentage of their student bodies going on to four year colleges. As such, being a leader in the field of college admission processes is a priority.
Prutow has been fortunate to have been asked to help move counseling services forward at in these districts. He states that “It has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. I can only hope that this experience can in some way help others address the growing cynicism about the entire college admissions “game”. The bottom line is to provide our students and parents with the tools to help them attain their goals.”
Deborah Hardy
Chairperson of Guidance
Irvington High School, NY
Deborah Hardy is the Chair for the Guidance and Counseling Services Department at Irvington School District in New York. She oversees the school counseling department for grades 6-12. As a collaborator, Deborah Hardy participates on district initiatives related to Character Education, Technology and Curriculum. Within the department, she assists in the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.
Deborah Hardy is an adjunct professor at Mercy College and works with the graduate program in School Counseling. Her courses include: Technology for School Counselors, Developing a Comprehensive School Counseling Program and Counseling the Immigrant Student.
Deborah Hardy is Past President of the New York State School Counselor Association where she co-authored the New York State Comprehensive School Counseling Program and coordinated the efforts of the group in developing the Crosswalk and Activity Manuals that support the model, state and national standards. She represents NYSSCA at the New York State Education Department Pupil Personnel Services Task Force. Deborah was awarded the 2005 Secondary School Counselor of the Year Award by the American School Counselor Association.
Deborah Hardy has written the School Counselor's Guide to the Internet and "El Camino a la Universidad", a college guide for Latino students and parents. She collaborated in a book entitled, Kids Who Think Outside the Box, by Stephanie Lerner, on the importance of the role of school counselors. Deborah Hardy has authored several articles printed in the School Administrator's magazine and the Guidance Channel. She was also a participant in the 9/11 series for In the Mix, as well as contributing her counseling expertise to programs on suicide prevention.
She obtained her Masters in School Counseling from Long Island University, a Masters in Educational Leadership from Bank Street and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Instructional Leadership at Western Connecticut State University.
Faculty
Mark Giesmann
Director of College Counseling
Kirkwood High School, MO
Mark Giesmann is the Director of College Counseling at Kirkwood High School in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.
Currently in his sixth year of college counseling, Mark also has experience as a middle school counselor and high school teacher.
Mark is an active member of the Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling (MACAC), and serves on the Executive Board as Delegate and as Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee (PDC).
Through the PDC, Mark specializes in offering counselor tours throughout the Midwest and has just completed his ninth such tour.
In addition to state conferences, Mark has presented at the last three NACAC conferences in Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Austin. Mark is scheduled to present at the 2008 conference in Seattle as well.
Mark's most recent endeavor has been to establish and teach a course in college admission counseling in the counseling graduate programs at both the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Lindenwood University in St.
Charles, MO.
Mark is a past participant and faculty member of the DDCCP and is excited to be part of this year's event as well.
Jean D. Jordan
Emory University
Dean of Admission
Jean has worked at Emory since 1984 in various positions, but all in the admission office. Prior to that, she worked for two years at her alma mater, Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and one year at Tift College which was located in Forsyth, GA.
She currently serves as Past President of the Common Application Board and as a member of the NACAC Fiscal Policy Committee. She is also very involved with SACAC. She is the SACAC president-elect and has served as secretary/treasurer, delegate and web master.
In her spare time, she serve as a fitness instructor at two local boot camps. She lives close to Emory with her husband and two Jack Russell terriers.
Terri Lewallen
College and Career Center Director
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, CA
Terri was an attendee of the 2005 Inaugural DDCCP at Chapel Hill, NC.
As a winner of the 2005 WACAC scholarship drawing, she attended the workshop prior to her first year as the College and Career Center Director at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, CA. The information, connections, camaraderie and support Terri garnered there brought her back to the 2nd DDCCP in 2006 at The Ohio State.
Terri feels a strong commitment to give back to NACAC and a personal desire to help new counselors create their own environment in their College Centers.
As a former Flight Attendant and Public Relations Rep for Pan American Airlines, Terri is used to working with large and diverse crowds.
As the parent of four she has experienced the college admissions process from both sides and brings knowledge of how to understand the parent population of a school.
Working in the inner city area of Los Angeles as a volunteer with Peace4Kids (foster children education and support) and working at a public high school in an affluent area has provided Terri with the ability to “hear” the story of students from diverse backgrounds.
Terri’s favorite College and Career Center word is POSSIBILITIES and her favorite quote is “Take what you’ve got and make it work.”
Myronee Simpson
Co-Director of College Guidance
Ranney School, NJ
Myra brings experience from both the postsecondary and secondary school levels, having spent over ten years in the profession, with the first eight years spent in college admission and the last two and a half year as a college counselor. Her strong commitment to the profession is motivated by her belief that she has a responsibility to serve students as well as contribute her time and talents to help mentor fellow colleagues in the college admission profession.
Actively involved in a leadership roles at both the state and national levels, Myra has been a member of NACAC for over four years. She serves on NACAC’s Current Trends & Future Issues Committee and is a Delegate to the National Assembly. Within her State & Regional association, NJACAC, she is a member of the Executive Board and the Admission Practices Committee. Through her involvement in NACAC and NJACAC, she has developed a strong sense of camaraderie, friendship, and fellowship with her colleagues in these organizations.
Myronee attended the 2006 DDCCP at Ohio State. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as a faculty member for DDCCP.