Naples Christian Academy

We are proud of our dedicated faculty. Our faculty is truly inter-denominational, in that our 23 teachers represent a dozen local churches and bring diverse Christian experiences while maintaining an unwavering commitment to our statement of faith and primacy of Christ.

Our faculty also embodies academic excellence and life-long learning. All K-8 teachers are degreed educators and many have higher degrees, including masters and doctorate degrees. Four of our faculty members are currently pursuing higher degrees. All K-8 teachers are expected to be certified by the state and by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).

Two of our teachers have achieved the high honor of national certification through the National Board of Professional Teachers.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 5
Molly Arthur recently taught Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten at Lake Trafford Elementary, and has twelve years experience as an elementary and pre-kindergarten teacher in public and private schools in Florida. Molly graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in education. In addition, she has received extensive training in balanced literacy and critical thinking development. She is certified by the State of Florida in early childhood and elementary education. Molly loves being able to share her faith with her students and help contribute to their spiritual formation. She and her husband have two children and attend Center Point Community Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 15
Louan has a long history with Naples Christian Academy. Her parents were involved in the early years of the Academy, and Louan is a graduate of the Academy. She is a graduate of Georgia College, where she majored in education, and also has a master's degree from Covenant College in reading. The Bagleys have two daughters who graduated from the Academy. Louan and her family attend Sonrise Christian Church.

Trusha Barner
Director of Student and Parent Services, Director of Early Childhood Education

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 10
Trusha Barner brings over 20 years of experience in education to Naples Christian Academy's administrative team. Trusha holds several degrees in Early Childhood Education as well as a Director’s Credential through the state of Florida. She is a member of the International Association of Christian Early Educators, the Child Development & Education Alliance and is involved with several task forces and coalitions throughout Florida. Trusha is an active member of New Hope Ministries, where she sings in the choir. She and her husband have one daughter who graduated from the Academy and was a top student at Community School of Naples and a National Merit Semifinalist, and is now a student at Vanderbilt University.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 11
Debra has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of South Florida and a Master's in Reading K-12 from Florida Gulf Coast University. Mrs. Cully is certified as an elementary teacher by the State of Florida and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). In addition, she has received national certification through the National Board of Professional Teachers. She was chosen as the ACSI-Florida Teacher of the Year in 2002 and was named the winner of the Golden Halo Award by the Southwest Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce in 2007. Outside the classroom, she and her husband attend Naples First Church of the Nazarene where she is a Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School Director and member of the church board. Mrs. Cully also writes for “Mailbox Magazine” in her spare time.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 12
Amanda graduated Summa Cum Laude and has BA in Psychology and minors in Family and Consumer Science and English from Olivet Nazarene University. She taught for one year at Seacrest Country Day School before coming to work at the Academy in 1998. Amanda's favorite things about the Academy are the family atmosphere, the faculty and the Biblically-integrated curriculum. Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, running, reading, and having quality time with the Lord. She and her family attend Naples First Church of the Nazarene.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 13
Ben teaches advanced middle school math classes and life science. He has a B.S. in Cellular Biology with minors in Chemistry and Business. Ben is certified in secondary biology and mathematics by the State of Florida and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). He also holds National Certification through the National Board of Professional Teachers. In addition to teaching, he coaches girls’ and boys’ volleyball and basketball teams. He and his wife Amanda have two children. The Davison family attends Naples First Church of the Nazarene.

“Despite being one of the smallest schools in the league, the Academy continues to compete at the top. Over the last five years, we have posted an 84-32 record in volleyball, won 4 league championships in basketball, and won the county private school track meet three times. However, the fact that I am proudest of is that over 80% of our students are involved in one of our five sports programs.”

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 4
Jennifer earned an undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and a Masters in Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi, yet she gives credit to her students and her colleagues for developing most of her teaching skills. She taught for Collier County Public schools for ten years, completing several different assignments: teacher for students with Specific Learning Disabilities, third and fourth grade teacher, and Elementary Program Specialist. Jennifer was recognized as a Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction and holds teaching certificates from the State of Florida and the Association for Christian Schools International. She and her family attend Center Point Community Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 7
Melissa holds a BS in Elementary Education and Biblical Studies. She attended Word of Life Bible Institute and Word of Life School of Youth Ministries and Evangelism. She received her degrees from Philadelphia Biblical University. Melissa is certified in early childhood education and elementary education through the state of Florida and through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). She has taught middle school and elementary school in New York before transitioning to Naples Christian Academy, where she has taught preschool and elementary and served as our office manager. Melissa loves that she is free to teach Biblical truth in the classroom. Melissa and her husband have two children who both attend the Academy. Her family attends Calvary Church of Naples.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 8
Gloria Gulley teaches 1st - 8th grade music at the Academy. She was accepted into the Julliard School of Music’s Pre-College Program at the age of 12; she holds a Bachelor's of Music from University of Miami, a Master's in Music from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and is a registered Music Therapist. Gloria is certified in k-12 music through the state of Florida and through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)> She teaches music to students in an instrument-based environment. She is active on the music and worship leadership team at Summit Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 3
Julie attended Florida Southern College where she received a BA in Spanish & Secondary Education. In 2008, she received an MA from California State University, Sacramento in Spanish. Julie holds a Spanish Teaching Certificate (K-12) and has been recognized for Outstanding Acheivement in the Hispanic Field from the National Hispanic Honor Society (2004). Prior to joining the Academy faculty, Julie taught Middle School Spanish at the Community School for three years, and she taught at the Concordia Language Villages for six years (summers only). At the Academy, she loves being able to teach students Spanish worship songs. Julie has traveled all over Latin America & Europe, which has given her a deep understanding and love for the intricacies of the Spanish language. She and her husband are expecting a baby in April of 2010; they attend Fisherman's Home Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 22
Kathy has served in various capacities at the Academy on both the elementary and preschool teams. She loves teaching at the PreK-4 level and is passionate about preparing her students for kindergarten, particularly in the areas of pre-literacy and mathematics. Kathy received recognition as the Collier County Preschool Teacher of the Year in 2006. She has two daughters who graduated from the Academy, one of whom is now a kindergarten teacher in Collier County, and she attends Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 12
In November of 2008, Barb was named ACSI-Florida Elementary Teacher of the Year. She has a degree in art education from Rowan University and has studied Bible, church history, and pastoral counseling at Princeton Theological Seminary. She and her husband, John, are missionary staff members with Campus Crusade for Christ - Russia. They travel to Moscow and nearby areas to train pastors and lead mission trips to minister to the people of Russia. In addition, they travel throughout the U.S. and Central America for Campus Crusade. Barb helped implement and continues to oversee the Academy's school-wide mission program. She is certified by the State of Florida, the State of New Jersey, and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) as a K-12 art educator. John and Barb attend First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, and they have three grown children; their oldest son attended Naples Christian Academy.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 10
Renee graduated from Manchester College with a degree in elementary education. She holds teaching certification in Florida in early childhood education and elementary education. Renee is passionate about early childhood integrated instruction. She and her husband have two children and attend New Hope Ministries.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 8
Patricia Murphy believes that the second best gift she can give her students, beyond introducing them to Christ and His salvation, is to instill a love of reading. She attended Old Dominion University and George Washington University and has taught in Virginia, as well as at Saint Ann School and Seacrest Country Day School in Naples. Her family attends St. William Catholic Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 4
Gina is a graduate of Florida State University and has a B.S. in child development and elementary education. She has certification from the State of Florida in elementary education with an ESOL endorsement. Gina taught kindergarten in the Collier County Public Schools (Highlands Elementary, Golden Gate Elementary, Calusa Park Elementary) from 1992 to 2006, and also served as a county-wide reading coach. She has three daughters who are graduates of the Academy. Gina attends Restoration Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: new to NCA
Beth is new to Naples Christian Academy this year. She has a degree in Secondary Education – Social Studies from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She has eight years of teaching experience in the Collier County Public Schools. Beth is passionate about history and is excited about the opportunity to teach history from a Christian world view. She and her husband have two daughters and are members of Center Point Community Church.

Jennifer Summers
Director of Middle School Curriculum, Middle School Language Arts Teacher

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: 17
Jennifer has taught middle school English and language arts and has served in various administrative capacities including Dean of Students. She currently serves as Director of Middle School Curriculum and Instruction and teaches 7th and 8th grade language arts. She has a B.A. degree in English and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Covenant College. She is certified in English by the State of Florida, in educational leadership by the State of Georgia, and as a secondary teacher and all-levels principal by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). Her husband is a middle school teacher in the Lee County Public Schools. Jennifer and her husband have two children; they attend Cypress Wood Presbyterian Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: new to NCA
Dr. Phillip Tingle comes to NCA with 31 years of experience in Christian school administration. For the past nine years he served as Headmaster at Southwest Florida Christian Academy in Ft. Myers. Prior to his move to Florida he was Headmaster at Shoals Christian School in Florence, Alabama (an independent Christian school ministry). Dr. Tingle’s wife, Janice, served with him in Christian schools as a teacher for 22 years. She presently works at Edison National Bank. They have one son, Andy, and a granddaughter who attends a Christian school in Georgia. Dr. Tingle has been involved with ACSI for many years and presently serves on the Florida Regional Advisory Council. He holds ACSI Lifetime Professional Certificates as well as the Educational Leadership Certificate from the State of Florida. He and his wife are active members of McGregor Baptist Church.

Years of Service at Naples Christian Academy: new to NCA
Ted teaches middle school science and 8th grade Bible. He graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Zoology and has eight years of teaching experience at the middle and high school level. His favorite subjects to teach have always been science and Bible. Ted is also an ordained minister and has served as a secondary school chaplain, youth pastor, short-term missionary, and most recently, pastor to college students in Ft. Myers. His great passion is teaching and mentoring students. He and his wife Ashley attend Summit church in Naples.