What do a professional guitarist, an expert in sustainable building practices, and an award-winning photographer have in common? They’re all new members of the Holderness School faculty and staff. Let’s take a minute to get to know our newest employees.

Music Director - David Cosby

Our new Music Director, David Cosby, brings to Holderness more than 25 years of experience as an educator, guitarist, and musicologist. He comes to us from Besant Hill School in Ojai, California, where he spent 10 years as the department chair of music and guitar ensemble director. Over the course of his long career in education, David has taught instrumental music, guitar performance, music theory, and improvisation to students of all levels. Outside the classroom, he has developed a distinguished career as a professional guitarist and band leader, having performed at venues such as The Kennedy Center, Blues Alley, and the White House’s National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. David is a graduate of Rutgers University’s renowned Mason Gross School of the Arts, and he holds a Master of Arts in music from the University of Virginia. He is currently a student in the doctorate program in music education at Boston University. This year, David will live in Henderson Dorm with his wife, Patty, his son, Alex, and his dog, Cookie. 

Biology and Environmental Science - Bryan Felice

Throughout his career, Bryan Felice has worked to promote healthy relationships between individuals, communities, and the natural environment. As the owner of Undustrial Timber Frames, Bryan has designed and built countless sustainable commercial and residential buildings according to the principles of whole system designs, integrating land use, forest stewardship, and food systems into his projects. A certified permaculture teacher and permaculture designer, Bryan has for the last decade taught courses in sustainable structures, building science, permaculture design, and related topics at Plymouth State University and Colby-Sawyer College. In the 20 years since earning his Master of Science in environmental studies from Antioch New England, Bryan has also led sustainability, wilderness, alpine, and environmental science programming for high school and college students throughout the southwestern and northeastern United States, Cuba, and Mexico.

Photography and Videography (Interim) - Thea Dodds

Thea is an award-winning photographer who specializes in creating farm-to-table photography. Using eggs and bees wax from her farm, Thea creates handmade photographs to reflect a strong sense of place and connection to the environment. Thea’s photographs have been shown all over New England and in numerous publications such as Newsweek, ABC News, CNN and The Huffington Post. Her photos were also prominently featured in the 2014 book she coauthored, “The New Art of Capturing Love,” a groundbreaking guide to posing and sensitively capturing same-sex couples on their wedding day. Thea, who holds a Master of Fine Arts from the New Hampshire Institute of Art, is also Holderness School’s director of digital marketing and brand strategy. She will teach photography and videography courses during the fall semester for Joseph Sywenkyj, a documentary photographer and Fulbright Scholar who is on leave to document the ongoing war in Ukraine.

English (Interim) - Ginny Naughton

A 2022 graduate of Duke University with a bachelor’s degree in public policy, Ginny is excited to begin her teaching career at Holderness. As a student at Duke, she took on numerous roles related to environmental policy, including: editor and writer for the Duke Energy Club Research Journal; student research assistant for the Duke University Energy Initiative; and as a researcher for Duke University Bass Connections, where she conducted research on the history and social, political, and economic impacts of coal mining on communities in central Appalachia. She also distinguished herself with several internships, serving as the assistant to the communications director at the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development in Boston, Mass., and as communications intern for the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C. While at Holderness, Ginny will live in the Bean House and teach English classes for Janice Dahl, who is currently on her Henderson-Brewer-van Otterloo Chair Year.

Assistant Director of Admissions - Annie Smyth-Hammond ‘16

We’re happy to welcome 2016 graduate Annie Smyth-Hammond back to campus as our new assistant director of admissions. She’ll be welcoming prospective bulls to Holderness this fall, giving campus tours and conducting student interviews. Annie earned her bachelor’s degree in business communications with a minor in English from Stevenson University, where she also played ice hockey and captained the team during her junior and senior years. In 2022, she earned her master’s degree in education from Manhattanville College, where she also served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for their women’s ice hockey team. This year, Annie will live in Richards Dorm and coach girls varsity hockey.

Director of Human Resources - Caryn Ines 

From her office in Livermore, Caryn Ines - our new director of human resources - helps to recruit and retain the faculty and staff who truly make Holderness the success that it is. Caryn comes to Holderness from nearby Plymouth State University, where she spent the last eight years as the school’s director of human resources. While at PSU, Caryn served on the President’s Cabinet as well as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Steering Committee, where she helped to create a Center for Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice. Before taking on her role at PSU, Caryn spent 13 years working in human resources at the University of Maine-Orono, the same school where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public management. Caryn is currently working toward her master’s degree in leadership at Granite State College.