Ryan M. Pagotto ’97, Dean of Admission
Ryan has been on the faculty of Blair Academy since 2002 and was appointed dean of admission in the summer of 2008. He brings to this role his experience as an alumnus, a member of the history department for several years, a junior class monitor and head girls’ tennis coach. Ryan’s previous boarding school experience was at The Taft Summer School (Conn.) and Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School (Penn.) where he was a history teacher and dean of students for summer programs. Additionally, he has served as director of The Cambridge Prep Experience, a division of Oxbridge Academic Programs, which is a selective summer program in Cambridge, England. Ryan earned his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College and master’s from Columbia University. He and his wife, Jennifer, director of instrumental music at Blair, live in Meadowbrook Cottage with their son, Jack, and their two dogs, Nyla and Sebastian. The Pagottos enjoy opening their home to Blair students for various themed dinners, and their summer months are filled with work at a quieter Blair campus, a healthy dose of travel, and lots of time with family and friends.
Contact: E-mail

Heather M. Eckert, Associate Dean of Admission & Director of Financial Aid
Heather Eckert joined the Blair admission team in the summer of 2005 with past independent school experience that included serving as a faculty member at the American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR) in Italy and teaching at the Loomis Chaffee Summer Program. Following her time at AOSR, Heather resided in New York City and Boston and held positions in public relations & communications, marketing, corporate strategic planning and portfolio management/accounting. A graduate of Loomis Chaffee as well, Heather was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to boarding school life and a career in education. Following her time at Loomis, Heather earned a B.A. in history from Williams College and an M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. During her collegiate years, she ran varsity track and field and was a junior advisor (JA) and house president. She continues to be an active member in the Williams community as the treasurer of her graduating class and a class agent. Here at Blair, Heather also chairs the Blair Support Group and has served as the head girls’ track and field coach, the assistant girls’ cross country coach, and a class monitor. In 2007, she was awarded the James M. Howard Fellowship for her “uncommon energy, leadership, significant involvement in the life of the school” and her commitment to the field of education. Heather and her husband Mike, the Chairman of the History Department, live in and run the upperclass girls’ dormitory, Annie Hall, with their twin boys, Cormac and Reece, and their very friendly golden retriever, Jambo.
Contact: E-mail

Alexis Machabanski, Assistant Dean of Admission
Alexis is in her fifth year as a member of the Blair Admission Team. A native of Chicago, Alexis earned a B.A. in psychology and art history with a minor in Spanish from Williams College in 2007. Beyond her responsibilities in the Admission Office, Alexis teaches Advanced Placement Art History, serves as a freshman student monitor, coaches the junior varsity girls’ softball team, and is involved with various aspects of campus and student life as a member of the Blair Support Group and the Rules and Discipline Committee. She has also taught Spanish, coached junior varsity soccer, and served as an international student monitor. Alexis resides in Locke Hall and serves as assistant housemaster for Locke and Ivy Halls, the freshman and sophomore girls’ dormitory. Prior to her time at Blair, Alexis worked in education at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and at the Illinois Masonic Pediatric Developmental Center. Growing up in a bilingual home and traveling extensively abroad in South America, Europe and Africa, Alexis brings a strong sense of cross-cultural understanding and commitment to the Blair community.
Contact: E-mail

Paul Clavel ’88, Associate in Admission
A Blair student from 1984-1988, Paul was excited to return to Blair in 2004 along with his family. During his earlier days as a Buc, Paul served as a prefect in East Hall, played lacrosse and wrestled, and was elected captain of the wrestling team his senior year. In 1988, Paul matriculated to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., where he earned his B.S. in secondary education and obtained his mathematics teaching certification. While at Old Dominion, he was a three-year member of the wrestling team. After graduating from college, Paul taught mathematics in Virginia for Norfolk Public Schools for two years and nine years for Chesapeake Public Schools. In addition to his teaching responsibilities at Chesapeake, he served as athletic director and wrestling coach. In 2004, Paul received his M.Ed. in school administration from Cambridge College of Cambridge, Massachusetts. At Blair, Paul holds a number of roles in the school community. In addition to his work in the Admission Office, he serves as a mathematics teacher, assistant wrestling coach, the head girls’ golf coach and post graduate monitor. Paul lives on campus with his wife, Erika, and their two beautiful daughters, Avery and Emma. During his spare time, Paul enjoys quality time with his family, and a quick round of golf on the Blair course.
Contact: E-mail

Amy Paul ’99, Associate in Admission
No stranger to Blair, Amy comes from a long line of Buccaneers. Her father was a member of the class of 1965, her aunt and uncle both graduated in the 1970s, and her two sisters graduated in the 1990s. Amy graduated from Blair in 1999 and returned to the hilltop in 2007. She attended Barnard College, where she was a member of the Columbia women’s lacrosse team and received a B.A in English with a concentration in American literature in 2003. Following Barnard, Amy worked in marketing for a book publishing house in New York and later as an account executive at an advertising firm servicing book publishing clients. At Blair, Amy lives in Annie Hall, assists with the girls’ field hockey and lacrosse programs, serves on the Rules and Discipline Committee, and also teaches ninth grade CHAT. She loves Blair and is thrilled to be back on campus.
Contact: E-mail

George O’Connor, Associate in Admission
George is one of the newest members of the Blair community. Joining the Admission team in the summer of 2011, George is quickly learning the value of a Blair education. Born and raised in Loudonville, New York, he attended Bates College in Maine where he earned a B.A. in Chinese. He spent a semester abroad in Shanghai, China, studying at East China Normal University. While in China, George taught English part-time to middle school aged students, and spent most of his time traveling in Tibet, Mongolia and the Sichuan, Hubei and Hainan provinces. During his time at Bates he was a four year member of the varsity lacrosse team and was also involved with various community service projects in the greater Lewiston area. At Blair, George resides in Insley Hall, a freshman and sophomore boys’ dormitory, where he serves as the assistant housemaster. In addition to his work in the admission office, George coaches the boys’ varsity lacrosse team.
Contact: E-mail

Alyssa Rose, Associate in Admission
As a new member of the Blair community, Alyssa is very excited to join the Blair Admission team. A recent graduate of Bowdoin College, with a B.A. in Spanish and Government and a minor in Latin American Studies, Alyssa is ready to dive into Blair life and get to know current and prospective families. While at Bowdoin, she worked in both the Admission and Alumni Relations offices, was a teaching assistant and tutor for Spanish 101, played violin in the orchestra, and was active in student government. In her junior year of college she spent a semester abroad in Argentina, during which she traveled to Peru and Chile and volunteered at a high school in Guatemala during spring break. Alyssa has also worked as a Spanish teaching assistant at Dartmouth’s summer language program and teaches Spanish 1 at Blair. Having played high school varsity tennis, athletics are important to Alyssa, as is community service. She has been a mentor in the local Big Sister program, volunteered at a homeless shelter and helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity. Alyssa is looking forward to continuing to “pay it back” while at Blair by participating in Blair’s various community service clubs and events throughout the year.
Contact: E-mail

Nancy Klein, Administrative Assistant & Admission Database Manager
The friendly voice you hear when calling the Blair Admission Office with general questions belongs to Nancy Klein. In addition to handling all initial inquiries and overseeing the various admission office mailings, Nancy manages the office database and assists in the coordination of open houses for prospective students and their families. Prior to joining the Blair community, Nancy held other professional positions and served as a parent volunteer for various Blair events. Having experienced Blair as a staff member and parent, she is uniquely qualified to speak with prospective students and their families about the Blair experience. Nancy resides in Blairstown, N.J., with her husband, Bob, and their children, Billy ’11, Morgan’13, Hannah’14 and Cortney.

Kecia Tillman, Assistant to the Dean of Admission
From her desk in the historic Blair Room, Kecia Tillman schedules all visits and warmly greets prospective students and their parents to the School. In addition to these important tasks, she performs countless other clerical and organizational duties so vital to the execution of a smooth admission process. Among these tasks are management of the admission master calendar, oversight of the extensive travel schedule for the admission office staff, and assistance with the financial aid program. Kecia brings to her role many years of customer service experience in other industries and is a committed volunteer for several organizations including the Blair Parent Volunteer Group. Kecia resides in Lafayette, NJ and is the proud parent of Ali ’12.

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