Head of School Search

Elizabeth “Beezie” Bickford is a veteran member of the St. George’s faculty, currently serving as the Associate Head for Faculty and School Affairs and as a member of both the school’s Leadership Team and Senior Teaching Cadre. In addition, Beezie teaches one section of third-form English. After working in a variety of educational positions, Beezie arrived at St. George’s in the fall of 1990, a decade-plus after graduating from rival Middlesex School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Brown University and her M.A.T. in English Education from Tufts University.

Appointed to the St. George’s Board of Trustees in 2018, Kirtley Cameron is the principal of Kirtley Cameron Design, a residential architecture firm based in Westchester, New York. Prior to founding her firm in 2005, she worked in the art auction business at Sotheby’s New York and London. She also has extensive experience in municipal town planning as well as facilities planning and capital projects at a range of institutions, including middle schools, boarding schools, colleges, and clubs. She is currently a trustee of Middlebury College in Vermont and serves on multiple local boards with a focus on education, preservation, and sustainable building. Kirtley holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and a master’s degree in architecture from Columbia University. She lives in Bedford, New York, with her husband Seth, and their three daughters.

Amy Dorrien Traisci teaches Spanish in the Modern Language Department and holds the Paul T. Christie Teaching Chair. She also serves as an advisor and the head of a girls’ dormitory. Dorrien Traisci has taught a variety of classes, including levels II, III, V, and VI at the non-honors, honors, and advanced levels. Having lived and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, she specializes in contemporary Hispanic literature and culture. Dorrien Traisci holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a master’s degree in Spanish from Middlebury College. She joined the St. George’s faculty in 2009.

Over his 30-year career, Jim “Bear” Dyke Jr. has consulted with Fortune 100 and 500 companies, trade associations, public-policy makers and helped manage numerous national and state political campaigns. Jim began his career in Washington, D.C., as a Senate parking lot attendant. In short order, he parlayed a stint as assistant brewmeister at Capital City Brewing Company into a lobbying position at the Beer Institute, which served as a springboard to the upper echelons of the Washington, D.C., public policy world and an introduction to the alcohol beverage industry. In 2005, while establishing Jim Dyke and Associates, which went on to become the successful public affairs firm JDA Frontline, Jim met by chance winemaker Gustavo Gonzalez at the Off the Record bar in Washington, D.C., and the dream of creating a world-class winery began to take shape. In 2009, the duo sourced their first grapes and in 2012 Mira went to market. Over a very short period of time, Mira has established itself as a leading producer of limited-production, single-vineyard wines exclusively from the Napa Valley.

Stephen Fitzgibbons is a partner at Perspective Group, an executive recruiting firm specializing in c-suite and board positions in the biopharma industry. Prior to joining the firm, Steve founded and managed Partridge Advisors, a boutique executive recruiting firm focused on senior positions in venture capital and private-equity-backed growth companies in healthcare. He started his executive recruiting career at Russell Reynolds, where he was a partner in the Healthcare Practice and worked for almost a decade. Before executive recruiting, Steve was a senior research analyst with JPMorgan H&Q (previously Hambrecht & Quist and a partner of HealthNet Ventures Management LLC, a venture capital fund capitalized by Johnson & Johnson and JPMorgan H&Q. Steve received his B.A. in economics from Bates College and his M.B.A. from Columbia University. He has been a volunteer for several education-related organizations, including serving as Head of Trustees for Bay Farm Montessori School in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and helping his alma mater, Milton Academy, in various alumni leadership roles. He also was a mentor for the TEAK Fellowship, a program helping to enroll financially disadvantaged New York City children in highly competitive secondary schools. Steve is the father of St. George’s students Kate Fitzgibbons ’24 and Colin Fitzgibbons ’26.

Dr. Sando Baysah Ojukwu is a physician specializing in pediatric endocrinology at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Boston Children’s Hospital, as well as an instructor at Harvard Medical School. Prior to her current position, Sando was an attending physician in pediatric endocrinology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Sando's clinical research focuses on defining and ameliorating risk factors for suboptimal glycemic control in vulnerable youths with Type 1 diabetes. She utilizes Type 1 diabetes as a lens through which to advance health equity nationally and internationally. She has had the opportunity to work in several countries including Botswana, Liberia, Kenya, and Bangladesh. Sando has an A.B. in biochemical sciences with a minor in health care policy from Harvard College, graduating cum laude; a master of public health degree with a concentration in global health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and a Medical Doctorate from the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Sando completed her pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She was born in Monrovia, Liberia, and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a proud graduate of St. George's Class of 2005 and lives with her husband, Randy, and son, Caleb.

Dwayne Pina is entering his seventh year at St. George’s School after spending 12 years as an assistant basketball coach at Bryant and Brown universities. Being a part of a prestigious academic institution with a great sense of community and a desire to help kids grow has been the most rewarding part of this journey. Dwayne serves in multiple roles on campus including Associate Director of Admission, Director of Multicultural Recruitment, and head boys’ basketball coach. Dwayne is also one of five faculty members on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Steering Committee, tasked with moving the school’s DEI Strategic Plan into action.

Isabella Dana Ridall was raised in Newport and resides here currently with her husband and three sons. She is the vice president of hospitality for Safe Harbor Marinas, the largest owner and operator of marinas in the world. In that role she oversees the company’s innovative hospitality initiatives, food and beverage as well as merchandising. She is responsible for brand development, member experiences and amenity curation across the company’s network of 100-plus marina locations in North America. She has previously worked in education and technology in San Francisco, and for a scholarship-focused foundation in Nassau, Bahamas. Isabella graduated from St. George’s in 2001 and Middlebury College in 2005 with a B.A. in English Literature. Isabella serves on the board of St. Michael’s Country Day School, where, while serving as chair of the board, she has overseen a leadership transition, including a nationwide head of school search, and organizational restructuring. She is also a trustee on the Newport Hospital Foundation Board where she serves as chair of the Development Committee.

First elected to the St. George’s Board of Trustees in 2011, Dana Schmaltz began his tenure as board chair on July 1, 2021. After being appointed board treasurer in 2013, Dana created a long-term financial plan for the school, which includes a disciplined approach to funding financial aid and both deferred maintenance and campus infrastructure improvements, while lowering our draw on the endowment. He continues to serve as chair of the board’s Finance Committee and as a member of the Committee on Trustees, as well as the Investment and Executive committees. Dana is a cofounding partner of Yellow Wood Partners and has been involved in all 10 of the firm's acquisitions since its founding in 2011. Currently Dana is a director of PPI Beauty, Scholl's Wellness Co., and Walker & Dunlop Inc. Prior to Yellow Wood, Dana cofounded Blacksmith Brands Inc. where he was the CFO, EVP of Business Development, and a director. In this role, he led the establishment of the company's financial, accounting, IT, and personnel infrastructure to create a stand-alone company group of consumer brands, including Efferdent, Luden's, and PediaCare, that were purchased from Johnson & Johnson. Blacksmith Brands was later sold to Prestige Brands Holdings Inc. in 2010. Dana received an A.B. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He is the father of St. George’s graduates Isabelle Schmaltz ’17 and Bower Schmaltz ’20, as well as Phoebe Schmaltz, who graduated from St. Paul’s School in 2022.