Staff Leadership
Together, Aseltine’s Executive Director Dr. Hayden Thomas, and Program Director Ms. Carol Patton, have served Aseltine students and the San Diego community for 61 years. This adds a significant level of stability to the school that has contributed greatly to its longevity and its effectiveness in meeting the needs of the children.
In addition, 11 staff members have been at Aseltine for 20 or more years each. The continuity of staff speaks to Aseltine’s unparalleled commitment to Aseltine students and the “Aseltine experience.”
Key Staff Biographies
Hayden Thomas, Executive Director
Hayden Thomas started his career at Aseltine School in 1979. Initially serving as Program Director, Dr. Thomas then served as Chief Administrative Officer until 1987 when he was appointed Executive Director – he has had the privilege of serving in this capacity ever since. Dr. Thomas studied Sociology at San Diego State University. He received his doctorate from the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, specializing in the field of Sociology in Education.
Carol Patton, Program Director
Carol Patton arrived at Aseltine in 1981 after searching for a school that shared her passion for developing creative, relevant, and effective learning paths for struggling students. Ms. Patton received her BA in English Literature from California Western University and earned her special education credentials at USD. She serves as Program Director – and has since 1984 – and teaches Aseltine students, assisting them to achieve their educational goals while developing their life skills and the self-assurance they need to achieve their dreams and transition successfully into adulthood.
Byron Dawson, Conflict Resolution Coordinator
Byron Dawson started his career at Aseltine in 1987. Byron, who majored in Human Services at Penn State, has served students in a number of capacities and is tremendously successful working with the most challenging students. Mr. Dawson attributes his success in his efforts at Aseltine to one of the school’s tenets, “What we ask of the students, we ask of ourselves.”
Kim Groulx, Family/Student Services Co-Coordinator
Kim Groulx arrived at the school in 1986. Ms. Groulx, who graduated from SDSU with a BA in Psychology, always remains “critically conscious of [her] actions and intent and how they affect the students” – one of the keys to her extraordinary ability to work effectively with our students – her consuming life passion. Ms. Groulx’s unique communication style allows her to guide, advise, and negotiate with students while making sure the student’s needs, desires, and life perspective are not only heard, but applied in every interaction and circumstance: “You have to consider yourself and the kids in your actions – no matter what you do.”
Carla Van Liew, Family/Student Services Co-Coordinator
Carla Van Liew, a native San Diegan who attended SDSU, has been making significant contributions to Aseltine School and its students since 1976, when she discovered a community of children who needed adults to believe in their ability to achieve – despite social and learning barriers. For more than 30 years, Ms. Van Liew has remained passionate, tenacious, and determined that every student entering Aseltine School’s doors will find the education and opportunities they need to experience and lead a vibrant and productive life.
Carla Brueggeman, Clinical Psychologist and Aseltine Teacher
While teaching in LA’s inner-city schools, Carla Brueggeman decided to pursue a doctorate in an attempt to find effective ways of helping students who, despite their potential, were headed in the wrong direction. Dr. Brueggeman came to Aseltine as an intern in 1981 while completing her doctorate and returned, this time for good, in 1983. When she became a licensed psychologist in 1987, Dr. Brueggeman started a program that targeted the most challenging students the districts sent to Aseltine. Through this program, Dr. Brueggeman discovered effective new ways of helping these youth – and her love for this challenging work. Since then, Dr. Brueggeman has served Aseltine students in a number of different roles and currently serves as Aseltine’s Clinical Psychologist as well as a classroom teacher.
Carla Hancock, Chief Administrative Officer
Carla Hancock arrived at Aseltine in 1999 from Athens, Georgia, where she attended the University of Georgia. She worked closely with the Board of Directors, Program Director, and Executive Director as well as the Development Coordinator and office staff to help ensure Aseltine provided students with the most effective services and programs to address their diverse needs. She moved to the East Coast in 2005 before returning to Aseltine in 2008 as the school’s Chief Administrative Officer. Ms. Hancock says she was drawn back to Aseltine by the strong sense of community the school creates for both students and staff – a quality she immediately loved, and which she strives to maintain every day in her interactions with students, staff, and community friends.
Susan Koehler, Development Director
Susan Koehler joined Aseltine in 2009. Susan joined the development profession after spending 20 plus years in for-profit, non-profit and political marketing and public relations in California and Washington, D.C. Among her accomplishments is rebuilding the development department of a social service agency after an ethical crisis, tripling the amount of dollars raised per year and securing several million dollar gifts.