Welcome to Wildwood Christian Academy!

Administration

Larry Ruff, our Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Director on Non-Academic Affairs, is a founder of Wildwood. Larry is also our Director on Non-Academic Affairs and serves as the schools in-house legal council, having practiced law for over thirty years. Larry also serves on several committees, including Accreditation, Long Range Planning, Scholarship Development and Financial Development. Larry holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University and a Juris Doctorate Degree from Emory University School of Law.

Pamela Ruff, our Director of Business and Financial Affairs, is also a founder of Wildwood. Pamela oversees financial budgeting, all receipts and disbursements for Wildwood and business development. Pamela also oversees Wildwood’s store, The Trading Post. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Pamela holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. Pamela also graduated from paralegal school and managed the administrative and business affairs of an Atlanta law firm for several years. Pamela serves on several committees, including the Scholarship Committee and The Parents Action Council Board.

Lyn Cates, our Head of School, taught at Westchester Elementary School in Decatur City Schools, Decatur United Methodist Kindergarten, Agnes Scott College, and Emory University. For twenty years, she taught and worked in various roles at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta where she developed and implemented a new reading curriculum and taught Children’s Literature and Language Arts. In addition to overseeing the curriculum, Lyn also serves on the Financial Aid and Admissions Committees. Lyn has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Emory University with a certification in Gifted Education from Georgia State University. Lyn serves on Wildwood’s Board of Trustees.

Nancy Hammer, our Director of Admissions, served from 2003 until 2007 as our founding headmaster. Nancy taught for twenty years at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta and for the last ten of those years was Director of Studies overseeing the curriculum and academic program. She has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Nancy has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Latin from Wake Forest University, a Master’s Degree in English Education and a Specialist’s Degree in Reading from Georgia State University. Nancy serves on Wildwood’s Board of Trustees, and the Accreditation, Financial Aid, and Standardized Testing Committees

Melissa Lowrie, our Director of Communications and Marketing, is instrumental in growing the awareness of our school both within and around our community though marketing concepts and communications to our stakeholders at Wildwood. Her involvement with civic, religious and social organizations, as well as continuous communications through several county newspapers, keeps Wildwood’s name present in the community. Melissa has an extensive background in marketing, relationship building and liaison responsibilities, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Louisiana Tech University.

Darlaine C. Ward, Director of Development, assists in creating and maintain important business, civic, and personal relationships with our community leaders. Darlaine also works with all administrative personnel, the Parents Action Council and the Board of Trustees on development matters. She graduated from Radford University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing.

Sonia Cargile is Wildwood’s receptionist and provides assistance to all Administrative personnel. Sonia serves as the first contact at the school through clerical, telephone and personal face to face contact with all stakeholders. She is a graduate of LSU-Eunice in nursing. She worked as an R.N. for 20 years. Sonia has done various volunteer activities in Big Canoe and taught in a Mother’s Morning Out program for 3 years.

Laura Hensley teaches social studies and English to our Upper School and ninth grade honors students. She also teaches computer technology to the third through eighth grades and an eighth grade writing lab. Laura serves as the Director of Curriculum for the academy. She taught for five years at Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany, Georgia, where she taught seventh and eighth grades language arts, high school web design and journalism and in addition coordinated summer writing workshop classes. Laura has a Bachelor’s of Education degree concentrating in Middle Grades Education from Valdosta State University and a Master’s Degree of Education from Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina.

Board of Trustees

Larry L. Ruff, Chairman of the Board
Pamela B. Ruff, Treasurer
Jean B. Berry, Secretary
Joe Disharoon, Member
James P. Mahaffey, Member
Clay Eubanks, Member
Nancy Hammer, Member
Lyn Cates, Ex-Officio