First Assembly Christian School

About FACS

• Overview
• History & Governance
• Faculty & Staff
• Calendars & Schedules
• Employment
• Development

Administration

Senior Administrators

Wendell Meadows, Head of School

Wendell Meadows assumed his duties as head of school at FACS in1996. His resume includes more than three decades of experience in Christian education. He has served as head of school in Christian schools in Georgia, California and Tennessee. Mr. Meadows holds a Bachelor of Science in education with a double major in history and Bible from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He earned his Master of

Science in education from Troy State University in Troy, Alabama. “To be able to interact with and develop relationships with students and point them toward Christ is an awesome privilege,” he said.

Ernie White, Elementary Principal

  Ernie White has served as FACS elementary

  principal since 1996, a position that also

  includes oversight of our satellite preschool,

  Cordova Learning Center. He holds a Master

  of Science in educational administration and

  supervision from the University of Memphis

  and a Bachelor of Arts in sacred music from

  Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

  He also studied at Southern Methodist

  University, Dallas, the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, and The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Prior experience includes secondary choral music instruction at FACS, teaching assignments at a Christian college and at various national clinics and conferences, 20 years’ service to churches as minister of music, and three years’ work as a member of the United States Continental Army Command Band and Chorus at Fort Monroe, Virginia.

Joe Newman, Secondary Principal

Joe Newman, Ph.D., began teaching history

at FACS in 1998 and became our dean of students in 2004. In 2006, he accepted his

current position as secondary principal,

overseeing personnel, course content,

classroom instruction and student discipline.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in philosophy

and theology from North Central University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Master of Educational Administration from the University of Memphis, and a Ph.D. in U.S. history after 1877, also from the University of Memphis. Prior to coming to FACS, he served as a pastor in Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee, taught history in Louisiana and Tennessee, and served as headmaster at Frayser Assembly Christian School, Memphis.

Directors

Deborah Wade, Director of Development

  Deborah Wade directs the school's development

  efforts and oversees business and marketing

  communications functions. Mrs. Wade graduated

  with honors from Kansas State University with a

  Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in speech.

  She also has completed development training with

  the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education and certification in grantwriting from The Grantsmanship Center Inc. Previous experience includes news reporting for a Midwestern metro daily, creative supervision for a regional advertising agency in the Northeast, and communications direction for a national consumer finance company.

Jeannie Smeltser, Director of School Counseling

Jeannie Smeltser coordinates testing for students in

K-12, directs college and career planning activities,

disseminates scholarship information, develops

secondary student and master schedules, and

coordinates senior graduation. Her department also

conducts parent workshops, oversees character

education activities, and provides personal counseling to secondary students. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education and Master of Education in counseling (elementary and secondary school endorsement) from the University of Memphis. Ms. Smeltser taught at FACS for nine years early in her career. She then worked in education in Texas and in counseling ministry in Indiana before assuming her current position with FACS in 1994.

Philip Spain, Director of Athletics

  Philip Spain directs all FACS athletic programs. He

  also teaches freshman boys’ wellness classes. He began

  teaching and coaching at FACS in 1977. He taught

  Tennessee history for more than 20 years. He

  assumed the school’s athletic directorship in 1983.

  Coach Spain holds a Bachelor of Science with degrees

  in health and physical education and history from the University of Tennessee-Martin.

Ellen DiGirolamo, Director of Admissions

Ellen DiGirolamo coordinates all FACS admissions

activities. She received her Bachelor of Science in

business administration from Evangel College in

Springfield, Mo. Mrs. DiGirolamo has served in

admissions at FACS since 2000. Previously, she

worked as a sales representative for a major soft lines

company. “I feel this is a continuation of experiencing and enjoying new relationships,” she said of the transition from business sales to admissions. “One of the very special times of my job is when I am able to sit in my office and pray with parents and students. I love being able to share that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we ask or think.”

Sharon Schaade, Curriculum Coordinator

  Sharon Schaade has served FACS in various

  teaching and administrative capacities since 1976.

  She assumed her present duties in 1996. In addition

  to   curriculum coordination, she serves as

  elementary school counselor. She holds a Bachelor of

  Science in elementary education from Evangel

  University and earned her Master of Arts in counseling from Liberty University. Of her time at FACS, she says, “It’s a privilege to lead children to become all God intends them to be.”

Carrie McDaniel, Director of Media Services

Carrie McDaniel, FACS class of 2001, joined the FACS administration as Media Services Director in 2007. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (emphasis in English) at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, and her Master of Science in Library and Information Science at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Under her direction, the FACS library has become fully automated.

Business Staff

Marilyn White, Office Manager

  Marilyn White has served as FACS office manager

  since 2001. She previously served FACS for several

  years as a substitute teacher and kindergarten

  assistant. Her background also includes business

  experience in health care, finance, transportation and

  light industry. Her postsecondary studies were at

Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

Judy Meadows, Accounts Payable

Judy Meadows has served FACS in the accounting

department since 1996. “This is a wonderful school

and a great place to work,” she said.

Barbara White, Accounts Receivable

  Barbara White joined FACS in 2006 after retiring from

  her position as advertising operations manager (retail)

  for the Commercial Appeal, where she supervised a

  special publications sales team responsible for new

  business development. “It’s exciting to see where the

  Lord leads us,” Mrs. White said of her previous plan to

retire.

Karen Lane, Office Receptionist

Karen Lane has welcomed our parents and students in

the school office since 2004. Prior to moving to the

office position, she taught junior kindergarten here for

one year. She also worked as an educational assistant

at Altruria Elementary School. “I love the students

and enjoy getting to know their parents,” she comments.

Kathy Ferrin, Attendance Secretary

  Kathy Ferrin manages the school’s attendance records.

  Before joining FACS in 2006, she worked in the graphic

  design field for 20 years. She is also owner of Ferrin

  Design & Decorating. “I like getting to know all the kids

  and faculty,” Mrs. Ferrin said.

Susan Gilmore, Administrative Assistant

Susan Gilmore joined the FACS staff as an

administrative assistant in 2007. She completed four

years of childhood education at the University of

Memphis. She has worked for more than five years as

an administrative assistant, with experience at Christ

United Methodist Church, Bellevue Baptist Church and

Capital Investment Realty. "FACS does a fantastic job of pairing Biblical truth with all academic subjects," she comments.

Media Center

Dana DeLisle, Library Assistant

  Dana DeLisle has served as library assistant since 2005.

  She has attended Baptist Hospital School of

  Nursing/Union University, the University of Memphis

  and Shelby State Community College, and currently is

  pursuing completion of her degree. “I have really been

  blessed to be part of this school,” she said. “I love kids and enjoy investing in their lives.”

School Safety

Giovannia Garner, Security Officer

Affectionately called Miss MeMe, Giovanni Garner

serves as school crossing guard and provides security

in the elementary school area, a responsibility she

assumed in 2006. Mrs. Garner served as a reserve

officer with the Memphis Police Department for ten

years. She also served the Department in the Memphis City Jail and worked as a crossing guard.

Greg Williford, Security Officer

  Greg Williford joined the FACS staff in 2007 to assist

  with security, substitute teach, and serve as

  assistant varsity football coach. Mr. Williford is a

  graduate of Quinnipiac University in Hamden,

  Connecticut, with a Bachelor of Arts in financial

  management. He served as a Navy Hospital Corpsman and is a veteran of the Gulf War. He previously owned Southern Surgical.

Satellite School-Cordova Learning Center

Barbara Bennett, Director

Barbara Bennett, known to students as Ms. Barbara, has directed the Cordova Learning Center (CLC) since 1997 but has worked for FACS since 1984. She served at the main school as a substitute teacher and in

after-school care, and also as an assistant in the junior and senior kindergarten programs. “I love my job,” she says of her work at the CLC. “There is not one day that is a duplicate of any other. “I feel very good about the children who leave our center and go on to kindergarten. We have made a real contribution to their lives.”