Staff Contact List
Heidi Anderson, Social Studies Teacher
M.A. Public History, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
B.A., Secondary Education, Social Studies and History, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
TESOL Certification
Ms. Heidi Anderson has taught Social Studies and College/Career Readiness for five years.
She is starting her fourth year at Augsburg Fairview Academy. She started as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow and was responsible for developing the Friday Tutoring program, e-mentor program and service projects. The following year Ms. Anderson helped create and manage the Essentials Studies Program. She also began to teach College/Career Readiness. Ms. Anderson has transitioned back to her passion, Social Studies, and is now the Social Studies teacher at Augsburg Fairview Academy. She is also a school board member.
I am proud to be a teacher at Augsburg Fairview Academy. I have the opportunity to “mold the minds” and mentor young adults every day! Teaching social studies is my passion, and I am thrilled to be back in my content area.
In my free time I enjoy traveling, reading, and learning about new cultures. I am an animal lover. I grew up on a small farm in Saxon, Wisconsin so am used to having a wide range of animals around. Here in the city, I live with my cat, Ranger and chinchilla, Tuco.
My classroom door is always open, so please feel free to stop by!
Ron Bentley, Special Education
M.Ed Educational Psychology, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD
M.S. Special Education, Emotional Behavior – St Cloud State University
B.Ed Middle School Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
B.A. Psychology and Science – Laurentian in Ontario
Education is a journey, not a destination.
Mr. Ron Bentley has 27 years of teaching experience at elementary, middle school, high school, traditional public and alternative schools. He has nine years of administration experience in various schools in Canada, including two schools in a native Canadian reservation project. He also has experience as a Teacher Therapist at an Adult Correctional Facility. He holds various certifications including Life, Space, Crisis Intervention (LSCI), and Response Abilities Training.
Mr. Bentley joined the Augsburg Fairview Academy staff as Special Education teacher in 2004. He moved to Minnesota from Canada when he met his wife at a conference. He is an avid hockey player and he plays for the “All Stars” recreation team. Ron has a great sense of humor and is a joy to be around.
I enjoy the students at Augsburg; they energize me like the mystical fountain of youth promised to do for Ponce de Leon.
There is only “one” sport and that sport is “HOCKEY.” All the rest are interesting pastimes, My wife is my best friend and the reason that I try to be better every day. I love all food but if it is well made then even better…..we are lucky to have two chefs in the family.
Brittany Hacker, Mathematics Teacher
B.S. Mathematics and Minor in Adventure Tourism at Winona State University
If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. — Henry David Thoreau
She was a substitute teacher last year at many different schools and then she became a long term substitute teacher last January for Augsburg Fairview Academy for the start up of the Connections program. Now she is full time teaching as the Connections Mathematics teacher. While she was substitute teaching last year, she was also working for Huntington Learning Center tutoring students in math. Brittany also worked for Herzing University for a semester helping a professor out with an college Algebra course.
I especially like the math that is used to describe the world around us and how it is used to try to explain how the things in our universe work.
When I am not teaching math or tutoring in math, I like to run on the treadmill, teach/manage swimming lessons, go camping, spend time with my husband and family, watch movies and travel as much as possible!
Faaria Husain, Admissions Director
BA, Communication Arts & Literature/Secondary Education, St. Catherine University (formerly known as College of St. Catherine)
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
- Leo Buscaglia
Faaria joined the Augsburg Fairview Academy family in 2008 as an Americorps Promise Fellow. In 2010, she began working as the Director of Admissions.
In my free time I enjoy reading, exploring the city and spending time with the people I love. I was born in Scarborough, Ontario and moved to Minnesota just before entering middle school. My philosophy towards teaching and education in general is that it is all about relevance. Give a student a lyric from their favorite song to describe metaphor and they’re hooked. I love Schoolhouse Rock and how easily a student can learn what an interjection is just by singing along. I truly believe that everyone learns differently and for many youth creating situations for students to relate to the world only enhances their bond with their community and belief in themselves.
Bart Johnson, Lead Teacher
B.S. Biology & Comprehensive Science, St. Cloud State University. Masters Degree in Educational Leadership (in progress, 2012 completion), Minnesota State University, Mankato.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mr. Johnson is in his 13th year in public education. A graduate of St. Cloud State University, Mr. Johnson has taught general science, earth science, physical science, biology, and chemistry at the high school level. He has worked in rural, suburban, and urban schools. In 2010-2011, Mr. Johnson became the lead teacher of Augsburg Fairview Academy.
I have been married for almost 10 years to Ruth Wollersheim. We have a son, Wesley, who was born in May of 2011. He is a joy to be around. We live in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis, where we like to take walks along the Mississippi River and also to the Dairy Queen. I love to play guitar and sing. My favorite musical artists currently are Beach House, T. Rex, and Hayden (Desser). I also love to read books. This year I finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
My personal and professional goal is to quash and bridge the achievement gap, especially for students of color and students living in poverty. I enjoy working with students because I enjoy watching them grow and learn and become young adults. Knowing from experience that high school is challenging for most students, whether academically or socially, I am glad that I am able to provide help and resources to students when they need it. I also believe it is my job to challenge everyone in school to become better students and people. I believe our conceptual framework of the Circle of Courage is a great model for personal growth. The Circle’s four components of Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity are crucial for each person in order to have a happy and healthy life. We provide help with all aspects of the Circle’s components at AFA.
I believe that the future of Augsburg Fairview Academy is strong. We will be the best possible school we can be and help to improve the future lives of our students and the community.
Here’s to another great year!Mr. J.
Jessica Kitzerow, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow, Volunteer/Tutor Coordinator
University of Minnesota: Major in Psychology, Minor in Family Social Science
Jessica graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2011 with a major in Psychology and minor in Family Social Science. She was involved in Psi Chi, an honors psychology club. As a senior at the U of M, she tutored at AFA for her senior project on facilitating resilience in at-risk youth through educational institutions. Jessica is now back at AFA as an AmeriCorps Promise Fellow.
I am originally from Port Washington, WI (go Packers!) but moved to Minnesota to go to the school at the University of Minnesota. I graduated from the U of M in May, 2011 and am now living in Maplewood, MN. I enjoy gardening and staying fit! I have one pet, a chinchilla named Billa. I love animals and hope to have at least a couple more pets in the future. Everyone in my immediate family is still living in Wisconsin. I am the oldest of four children. My sisters are both sophomores in college, and my brother is a senior in high school. Both of my parents are in helping careers, my mom is a public health nurse and my dad a high school guidance counselor. I believe it was from my parents that I decided to pursue a career that involves helping people. I love working with youth and seeing them prosper. Working as a Promise Fellow at AFA has been a perfect fit for my love of working with youth and gaining more experience in education. I really enjoy working together with the kids to assist them in their learning. After my service with AmeriCorps I hope to eventually attend graduate school, and get my master’s degree in School Psychology. The young adults and staff here at AFA are awesome, and I hope to continue having a great year with all of them!
Tom Matuseski, Math Teacher
B.S. Mathematics and Secondary Education, Bemidji State University
Problems cannot be solved by the level of awareness that created them. — Albert Einstein
Mr. Matuseski joined the Augsburg Fairview faculty in Fall 2007 as the math teacher.
I especially like the math that is used to describe the world around us and how it is used to try to explain how the things in our universe work.
I am from northern Minnesota and enjoy the outdoors. I am an avid cook, and my mother and grandfather introduced me to Italian cooking at a very young age. I met my wife while we were both working in Tokyo, Japan. She is from Canada.
Jessica Niemand, Health & Wellness Coordinator & Teacher
B.A., Health Education and Technology Certification, University of Minnesota
Never give up hope because without it, you have nothing.
Jessica deals with all aspects of wellness in the school. She organizes health screening, runs the lunch program, and organizes student memberships at the YMCA. She is also responsible for student records. Jess represents the staff on the Academy’s board of directors and joined the staff in the summer of 2006.
I enjoy my job because the class sizes are smaller and therefore I get to know every one of my students. My responsibilities all have to do with health but are different from each other so I am able to work with students on many different levels. I also enjoy enrolling students because I get the chance to meet them the first day that they are at the school and am able to get to know them right when they start.
Working with the YMCA is also a favorite role of mine because fitness is one of my main hobbies. Other hobbies of mine are downhill skiing, hiking, and volleyball.
My favorite snacks include candy, which many of the students know, and it is always fat-free so that makes it somewhat healthy.
Kitty Patraw, Operations Manager
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life. — Jesus (John 3:16)
Kitty oversees government reporting and business management for the Academy. She joined the staff in March 2006.
I love doing my job because it is different every day; also I love to work on problems and get them solved. I have been married to a great man for 21 years. I have 3 awesome teenagers. We go to church in Oakdale at Cornerstone Community Church. I love Jalepeno Jelly, and I love to read Christian Fiction.
Kelsey Perreault, Administrative Assistant
B.A. in Biology and Secondary Education from College of Saint Benedict
“Only in the dictionary does success come before work.” - Mark Twain
Kelsey joined the Augsburg Fairview Team in 2011 as the Administrative Assistant. Prior to coming to AFA, she taught High School Science for two years in and around the Metro area. She is responsible for daily office work, and assists with multiple programs around the school.
I am excited to be working at Augsburg Fairview Academy, and I truly enjoy the energy the students bring to the building! When I’m not working I enjoy photography, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Kendra Perry, English Teacher
M.L.I.S., Library & Information Science, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
M.A., English (Language), Andrews University
B.A., English (Writing) & German, Andrews University
You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view — until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. ~Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Kendra joined the Augsburg Fairview faculty in 2007 as the English teacher. She has been teaching English, German, and ESL at various levels since 1998.
I love helping people communicate with each other through writing, reading, speaking, and learning other languages. We all have such diverse backgrounds and experiences and have so much to learn from each other. It’s great to see that connection happen between people.
My husband, Jay, and I recently moved to the Minneapolis area with our son, Nathaniel. In my spare time (what little I have!), I enjoy surfing the Internet, reading, and dreaming about travel. I’m hoping our next big trip will be to New Zealand, but we’ll see!
Beth Pottratz, Spanish Teacher
B.S., Spanish Teaching, Winona State University
Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things. –Flora Lewis
Beth works at Augsburg Fairview Academy as the Spanish and College and Careers (CCR) teacher. She comes from a background of many experiences teaching and working with kids including at Rushford-Peterson Schools, summer camp and after-school programs. Her most recent teaching experience took her to Montevideo, Uruguay to work with elementary kids there.
I am really excited about working at Augsburg Fairview Academy and working with the students and staff. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year. I love other cultures and other languages. In my experiences with Spanish, I have lived and worked in Uruguay, South America and have also spent time living in Spain. In Uruguay, I worked two different jobs, one in a church and the other with elementary kids in an after-school program.
In my free time I enjoy drinking maté, playing the guitar, volunteering with kids, reading, surfing the internet, learning about other cultures, dreaming about travel, and knitting.
Bill Spira, Executive Director
Ph.D., Bacteriology
M.S., Bacteriology
B.S. Bacteriology
Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk. — Carl Jung
Dr. Spira is Augsburg Fairview Academy’s Executive Director. He helped to start the Academy as Lead Teacher in 2005 after teaching at Minneapolis South High School for seven years, where he also served as Science Department Chair for four years. In 2006, he was named as the Academy’s Executive Director.
Dr. Spira was an Associate Professor of International Health at The Johns Hopkins University in the 70’s and 80’s, then spent the 90’s in private business. He lived in Bangladesh for two years conducting cholera research. He also lived in Peru for nine years where he founded an international non-profit organization to improve children’s health in develloping countries. He is a Vietnam Veteran. He is fluent in Spanish and is able to read in Portuguese, French and German.
Dr. Spira has been married to Harriet, his wife and best friend, for 43 years. Together, they enjoy reading, camping, symphony concerts and going to movies. They have three great children and seven wonderful grandchildren. Their older daughter is an attorney in Madison, Wisconsin; their son is an English teacher in South Korea; and their younger daughter is an Arabic specialist with the National Security Agency.
Kelly Timian, AmeriCorps Promise Fellow
B.A., Foreign Languages and International Affairs, University of Puget Sound
Kelly graduated from University of Puget Sound with a degree in Foreign Languages and International Affairs and a minor in Political Science in Tacoma, Washington. Kelly comes from a background of tutoring students K-8 for several years, serving as an ESL instructor to adult immigrants, and helping refugees learn English and obtain employment. She recently spent the past year teaching English to elementary school children in Montpellier, France. Her education stems from cross-cultural experiences and continues in her work at Augsburg Fairview Academy.
We are privileged by the diversity that Minneapolis has to offer and I enjoy learning as much as I can from others, especially students. The exchange of knowledge is extremely powerful and I hope to inspire conscious creativity in the youth that I work with.
Kim Wolfe, Science Teacher
B.A., Biology, Hamline University
It is very important to generate a good attitude, a good heart, as much as possible. From this, happiness in both the short term and the long term for both yourself and others will come. ~Dalai Lama
Kim Wolfe is joining the Augsburg Fairview Academy team after three years of teaching high school science in alternative programs in the west metro.
My love of science stems from my interests in plants and animals. Currently, my zoological collection includes three cats, Machi, Tsu-Baki, and Oscar, a Meyer’s parrot, Nelly, and a giant desert tortoise, Tortuga. I also have two guinea pigs, Alberta Einstein and Coco Bean, two snakes, Mr. Burns and Herman, two African lungfish, Beef and Graham Wellington, and one leopard gecko named Martin. My husband and I are now working on converting multiple reef tanks into one large tank, so that we may enjoy the fish and corals in a better viewing area.
In my botanical collection, I own three large Amorphophallus bulbs. The common name for this plant is “the corpse plant”. This is because when it flowers, it releases a scent of rotting meat or dead flesh. So, why do I have this? How many other people do you know that own this plant?
