Leadership
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Leadership

About Our Principal

 

Dr Craig Cook joined Woodstock in July 2019.

 

Dr Cook has a wealth of experience in educational leadership, having worked at schools and in higher education in the USA, the Philippines, and Indonesia. He has a PhD in Sociology from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines, a B.A in Intercultural Studies, and an M.Div. in Theology, both from Biola University, California. He currently serves as President of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Sociology of the Body.

Learn More About Dr Craig Cook

Dr Cook has family connections with Asia that stretch back over five generations. His great grandmother was involved with the famous Chefoo School in northern China.

 

He earned his B.A. in Intercultural Studies at Biola University, California in 1984. He completed his M.Div. in Theology from the same university in 1986. Dr Cook has a PhD in Sociology from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. His doctoral dissertation focused on the introduction of women’s basketball to the Philippines by American educators, entitled The Social Construction of Bodies through Basketball during the American Occupation: 1906-1922, and was awarded the John F. Doherty, S.J. Award for Social Justice. Dr Cook’s research interests lie at the intersection of sociology of the body, gender, and sport. He currently serves as President of the International Sociological Association’s Research Committee on Sociology of the Body.

 

Dr Cook started his teaching career as a High School Teacher in La Habra, California. From 1988-1992 he worked in community development in a Muslim majority area of the southern Philippines, where he learned both Tagalog and the local language, Maguindanao. From 1992 until 2004 he worked at Faith Academy, Manila, Philippines, first as a Humanities teacher in the high school, next as High School Principal, and then for five years as school Superintendent, guiding a team of 130 faculty/staff and 700 students in K-12, one-third of whom were boarding students.

 

From 2004 until 2012 Dr Cook was Chair of the Social Sciences and Humanities Departments at Crown College, St. Bonifacius, Minnesota. He then returned to Asia from 2012 to 2016 as Deputy Dean and High School Principal at UPH University and High School, a flagship Christian institution in Jakarta, Indonesia, with approximately 15,000 students at High School and University. From 2016 to June 2019 he served as Dean of the School of Education at Simpson University, Redding, California, where he successfully led the school through complex accreditation procedures.

 

Dr Cook is married to Jamie Williams, J.D. They met in Indonesia where Jamie was teaching International Law in the Faculty of Law at Universitas Pelita Harapan. She earned her B.A. in Literature and Letters from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School. A licensed attorney in the states of New York and Texas, Jamie practiced civil and criminal law before moving into education. Prior to joining Woodstock, she was a professor in the History and Political Science Department at Simpson University in Redding, California, where she taught Political Science and Criminology. She was also an adjunct professor teaching Restorative Justice and International Law at Le Tourneau University in Longview, Texas. In addition, she served as Program Coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a nonprofit organisation that advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in the foster care system.

 

In Dr Cook’s own words, “I have been an athlete and participant in vigorous physical exercise for the whole of my adult life, being a regular basketball and tennis player and a tennis coach for many years. We formerly lived in a mountainous area of Northern California where we enjoyed hiking on the many beautiful trails. We now thoroughly enjoy these Himalayas with the same passion. The heart of Christian leadership is being a servant to others, as evidenced by Jesus’ washing the disciples’ feet and commanding us to do the same.”

Woodstock School's Educational Philosophy

The much-quoted African proverb – It takes a village to raise a child – is indeed true at Woodstock.

 

We are a community of teachers, students, residence and administrative staff, and local employees, many of whose families have served Woodstock for generations. In all the Woodstock “village” is made up of more than 1,000 people living and working together. Read more below about those responsible for leading our community and ensuring that the education we offer is of the highest standard.

Administration

  • Bradford Barnhardt, VICE PRINCIPAL, INTERIM HEAD OF UPPER YEARS, & HEAD OF EARLY YEARS

    A teacher, researcher, and senior administrator in int’l schools since 2001, Brad has a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Sydney, an M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from Harvard University, a B.A. in Anthropology from Franklin & Marshall College, and principal certification in Massachusetts.

  • Brigitte Concessio, Head of Middle Years

    Brigitte joined Woodstock in 2018 and brings 15 years’ experience with Middle Year students. A French teacher for the past 20 years, she feels particularly close to Woodstock and its sense of community, values, and mission. She can often be seen passionately trekking our Hillside. Her previous experience includes hotel management, tourism, and the aviation industry.

  • Prabin Rai, IB Diploma Co-Coordinator & Coordinator of Community Engagement

    With more than a dozen years of IB experience teaching PYP, MYP, and DP, Prabin has expertise in Integrated Humanities, Economics, Business Management, and the IB core (Theory of Knowledge, Interdisciplinary Studies, Personal Projects, Extended Essays). He’s driven by his profound sense of purpose in service.

  • Katerina Vackova, IB Diploma Prog Co-Coordinator & Head of I&S

    Before joining Woodstock in 2021, Katerina taught at an international school in the UK. She has a passion for education and holds degrees in International Conflict Analysis, IR, European Studies, Czech Language, and Literature and is completing her Doctorate in Education.

  • Imtiaz Rai, MYP Coordinator

    An IB graduate, Imtiaz is ideally placed to support students with MYP's goals, principles, and practices. She joined Woodstock to teach MYP Science in 2019 and became MYP Coordinator the following year. She holds a B.Ed. and previously taught the IB in Delhi. Along with international school experience, she has worked in curriculum development in rural India.

  • John Robertson, Director of Teaching and Learning

    With M.A. degrees in Applied Linguistics & Ethnomusicology, John joined Woodstock in 2015 and has headed two departments, created the Home Languages programme, co-founded Summer at Woodstock, and taught multiple subjects areas and grades. A lifelong learner, he has a passion for helping students and teachers develop their potential.

  • Vidur Kapur, Dean of Student Life

    Alumnus class of ‘00, Vidur joined Woodstock in 2021 after 19 years in the service industry. Woodstock profoundly impacted his values, and his experience in boarding solidified his desire to continue to work with students. He’s passionate about holistic student development and is excited about the rich and unique experience the school offers.

  • Jamie Williams, Director of Centre for Imagination & Interim Director of Admissions

    Jamie has more than ten years of experience teaching at schools and universities. After studying law in the United States, she practiced civil and criminal law before moving into education. She has taught law, social sciences, and humanities in high schools and universities in Indonesia and the United States.

  • Akshay Shah, Director of Hanifl Centre

    Akshay joined Hanifl Centre in 2015 and became Director in 2021. With more than two decades’ experience in the outdoors, he’s an experienced and passionate trek leader with vast experience working on conservation and rural development projects in the Himalaya. Previously he founded and managed NGO Lok Chetna Manch and consulted for NOLS India.

  • Will Ferguson, Director of Virtual Spaces

    Will is passionate about using technology to facilitate learning and collaboration at Woodstock. He worked in communications and marketing at the school from 2016, becoming Director of Virtual Spaces in January 2023. Prior to Woodstock, Will was UK Head of Communications for sustainable finance institution Triodos Bank.

  • Shailesh Garg, Director of Finance and Operations

    Shailesh has dual Bachelor’s degrees in Commerce and Law and 20 years’ experience in the field of financial and operational management. Responsible for operational functions including Finance, Food Services, Security, ICT, Legal, and Travel and Liaison, he joined Woodstock in 2004 and heads the Business Office team.

  • Anusha Tuli, Director of Human Resources

    With over 18 years of HR experience, including more than 10 years in education, Anusha has her MBA (HR) and specializes in developing and implementing HR strategies that align with organizational goals. Her expertise ranges from global talent acquisition/management to employee engagement/retention.

  • KENTON BEACHY, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

    Born in India, Kenton is a Woodstock alumnus class of ’78 and has nearly 30 years' experience in executive management and international communications. He brings a Master's in Journalism/Public Relations from The Ohio State University, an MPA from Wright State University, and a B.A. in English from Goshen College.

  • KATIE JO WALTER, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT & ALUMNI RELATIONS

    Katie Jo was Director of International Alumni Academic Engagement at the University of Oregon. An awardee of Fulbright and Kathryn Wassermann Davis grants, she studied Hindi at Landour Language School and holds a B.A. in International Affairs from Lewis & Clark College and an M.A. in International Education from SIT.

  • RAVEESH DOGRA, DIRECTOR OF ESTATES

    Raveesh gives shape to Woodstock's ambitious campus master plan. With over 25 years' experience leading flawless execution of complex projects in India and internationally, Raveesh is passionate about working with heritage buildings. In 2016 his work on a project was recognised with a UNESCO Asia-Pacific award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Board of Directors

  • Thsespal Kundan, President

    Rev. Kundan grew up in Ladakh attending the Moravian Church and went on to study at Cambridge University (BA, MA, Post Grad Certificate of Educ). He returned to India to teach at the Moravian Institute in Rajpur, of which he has been Principal now for many years. Former VP of the Board 2005-2012, he and his wife Sarah have two children, both Woodstock alums.

  • Ashok Fenn, Vice President

    With over 30 years' experience in the corporate world through leadership positions across various airline services and technology, Ashok is Executive Director Strategic Growth at Netherlands-based Xebia IT Architect. He helps organizations grow by blending business fundamentals with technology and has a passion for leadership and people development.

  • Dr. Craig Cook

    Dr Cook joined Woodstock as Principal in July 2019. He brings a wealth of experience in educational leadership, having worked at schools and in higher education in the USA, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Dr Cook has a PhD in Sociology from Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.

  • Jonake Bose

    Jonake grew up in India and studied at Woodstock. She holds a B.A. from Mt. Holyoke College and a M.A. in International Economics from the U. of South Carolina. She was SVP at Wells Fargo Bank in corporate lending for 25+ years. In 2019 she pivoted to Executive Director of Dream Catchers. Jonake currently serves on the St. Marks Church vestry and is an independent college counselor.

  • Dr. George Clarence

    George is Senior Administrative Officer and Medical Superintendent at Landour Community Hospital. After completing his MBBS and MD (Orthopedics) from St. John’s Medical College and Hospital in Bangalore, he has worked as an orthopedic surgeon for 15 years in India and Canada.

  • Vivek Harinarain

    Vivek joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1980 and led assignments for various state government departments, Ministry of Commerce, Excise, Revenue and Survey, and Information Technology. In 2015 he set up the niche firm Tennex Consulting, which focuses on employability enhancement keeping with the national initiatives of Skill India, Make in India, Start Up India, and Stand Up India.

  • Kathleen Hawthorne

    Class of ‘90, Woodstock parent, and second-generation Board Member, Kathleen earned a degree at UCL in Southeast European Studies, Medieval Slavonic, & Paleography and a PhD in Classical Archaeology from Cambridge University. She worked with the European Com- mission, a Bulgarian Ministry, and at sites in the Balkans before setting up her educ. consultancy in Istanbul.

  • Kathy Hoffmann

    Kathy taught English for more than 30 years at high schools in India, USA, UK, and Australia, 22 years of which were at Woodstock, including five as Academic Dean. Upon her return to the USA in 2009, Kathy taught in the Education Department of St. Olaf College. She volunteers with AmeriCorps in literacy tutoring in elementary schools in St. Paul, MN where she resides.

  • Dr. Leishiwon Kumrah

    Dr. Kumrah is Senior Consultant in Dermatology, Venereology, Leprology, and Cosmetology at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR) in Dimapur, Nagaland. He is parent of two recent Woodstock graduates and is appreciative of the innovative ways that Woodstock makes education relevant and interesting for students.

  • Deirdré Straughan

    Class of ’81 and a former Woodstock parent, Deirdré helped found the WOSA Council in the USA and WOSA Europe. Having lived in Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Italy, and her native USA, Deirdré is retired in Australia after 40 years in the technology industry with Sun Microsystems, Ericsson, Amazon, Intel, and several startups.

  • Junias Venugopal

    Junias serves as the Director of the M.A. in Global Leadership, Associate Professor of Evangelism & Leadership, and Associate Dean at the Litfin School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College, IL. He served on the Woodstock School board during the early 2000s and is an experienced educator.

  • Agustín Silvadíaz, Staff Representative

    Agustín joined Woodstock in 2018 to teach Spanish and is now Head Librarian. He worked previously as Director of Educational Programs for the Andean Region at Ashoka, in education spanning Grade 6 through Master’s level scholars, as professor at the Central University of Venezuela in Western Literatures, and as Academic Coordinator for the Diploma in Publishing.