College and Academic Advising

Marcia Hunt, Dean of College and Academic Advising, recently concluded a four-year term as a College Board Trustee. She is the former president of both the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC), has served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Common Application.

Mrs. Hunt is the recipient of the Excellence in Counseling Award from the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, their highest honor. She is also the recipient of the Larry West Award from the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, their highest honor.

Mrs. Hunt has served on the United States Presidential Scholars Review Committee as well as university counselor advisory boards, including those of The University of Chicago, the University of South Carolina, Drexel University, Northwestern University, Miami of Ohio and the University of Michigan. She currently sits on the University of Pennsylvania Counselor Advisory Board. She presents regularly at national and regional conferences and has been quoted in national news media such as CNN, Huffington Post, Newsweek, and Smart Money.

She earned her B.A. in political science from Syracuse University and her M.S. in school counseling from Canisius College.

Email: [email protected]

Kathleen Sullivan is the Director of College and Academic Advising. Mrs. Sullivan’s counselees benefit from her extensive experience in both college admissions and college preparatory school college counseling. Prior to joining Pine Crest in 2004, Mrs. Sullivan worked in college admissions at Bentley University, St. John Fisher College, and Le Moyne College where she was the Senior Associate Director of Admission.

She served on the inaugural California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Counselor Advisory Board and is a member of the Rice University Nominator’s Circle.  

As the recipient of the University of Miami Excellence in Counseling Award, she was recognized for her positive influence on the college search process for her counselees. 

Mrs. Sullivan earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Le Moyne College and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Boston College.

Email: [email protected]

Jeff Shea is the Senior Associate Director of College and Academic Advising. He completed his undergraduate degree at Rollins College where he studied international business and Spanish. He holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from the University of Central Florida. Mr. Shea currently serves on the Advisory Board for MaiaLearning, a tool used by our office to aid in the college search and application process, and was responsible for the program’s onboarding with Pine Crest. Mr. Shea also implemented College Kickstart at Pine Crest, another tool used with juniors and seniors in the development of individualized college lists. 

As Associate Director of Admission at Rollins College, Mr. Shea played an integral role in the selective admission process and served as the Director of the Alfond Scholarship Program, the institution’s most prestigious full-ride merit scholarship. In this role, he was responsible for the careful evaluation of some of the most talented students from both domestic and international high schools.

Mr. Shea is originally from Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.

Email: [email protected]

Dr. Katie Byrnes is the Associate Director of College and Academic Advising and the Tenth Grade Academic Dean. She started at Pine Crest in 2016 and has been a school and college counselor in the South Florida region since 2006. Dr. Byrnes believes in a student-centered approach; she helps students discover who they are and what they want from their college experience. With her guidance, students learn to navigate a variety of options that will help them find their best fit.

Dr. Byrnes completed her undergraduate degree at Florida State University, where she was a varsity swimmer, and received a Master of Education degree, specializing in school counseling, from Boston University. Katie has a Ph.D. in family therapy from Nova Southeastern University.

Email: [email protected]

Mr. Casey Zimmer is the Associate Director of College and Academic Advising. A seasoned and well-respected college counselor and administrator, Mr. Zimmer joined Pine Crest from Sanford School in Delaware, where he served as Director of College Counseling since 2012, taught English Literature, and served as Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach. Before Sanford, Mr. Zimmer served in various capacities for more than 13 years at Darlington School in Georgia, including College Counselor, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, and English teacher. He received his bachelor's degree in English from Duke University, a master's degree from Berry College in secondary education, and a master's degree from Columbia University in private school leadership.

Prior to moving to Florida and joining the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling, Mr. Zimmer served as Chair of the Admission Practices Committee, as a faculty member for the Summer Institute and as a delegate to the National Association for College Admission Counseling for the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling. Within SACAC, Mr. Zimmer serves on the faculty for its Summer Seminar training program.

Email: [email protected]

Julia Moris-Hartley joined the school as its Writing Specialist in 2018, bringing with her a lifelong love of language and storytelling.

Mrs. Hartley has over a decade of experience working with young writers. She is dedicated to helping students craft their most authentic and resonant narratives. 

After completing her undergraduate work in English at Utah State University, she earned her M.F.A. in creative nonfiction from the University of Arizona. She is the author of Wax Onion – The Artwork of Sean Diediker. Her writing has appeared in The Bellingham Review; Take Two, They’re Small; and Wanderlust Journal.

Email: [email protected]

Kalah Fanning is the Ninth Grade Academic Dean and Associate Director of College and Academic Advising. She has served in this role since 2013. Prior to her current role, Mrs. Fanning was a faculty member in the Social Sciences department for 15 years and a swim coach.

Perfectly suited for her position, Mrs. Fanning brings a depth of knowledge of the Pine Crest curriculum and a keen understanding of the skill set required for student success.

After graduating from Pine Crest where she was a varsity swimmer, Mrs. Fanning received her B.A. in history from The University of the South (Sewanee). She continued her swimming career at The University of the South and was co-captain of the 1999 SCAC Championship team, which was inducted into The University of the South Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. Mrs. Fanning also holds an M.Ed. in school counseling from Florida Atlantic University.

Email: [email protected]

Ivan Reese is the Eleventh Grade Academic Dean and Associate Director of College and Academic Advising. Mr. Reese previously served as an advisor, AP teacher, and three-sport coach and mentor at Pine Crest. Before joining the Panther family, he served many roles at Suffield Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut, where he acted as an admission officer, residence hall parent, teacher, and coach. Mr. Reese completed his B.A. in economics from Bates College and his M.A. in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University Irvine. He is a member of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC).

Email: [email protected]

Karen Wilson-Walters is the College and Academic Advising Associate and has served Upper School students since August 2016. She previously worked in Pine Crest’s Lower School library.

A North Carolina native, Mrs. Walters graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Email: [email protected]

Lauren Pasquale is the College and Academic Advising Assistant for the ninth and tenth grade Academic Deans and students. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Ms. Pasquale enjoyed a 36-year teaching career before joining Pine Crest in 2023.

Email: [email protected]

Kristen Kirkendall is the Director of College and Academic Advising Communications. Coming from Jacksonville University, Mrs. Kirkendall spent five years developing communications for JU’s graduate and undergraduate admissions teams. She also oversaw the college visit experience and future student events.  

Prior to beginning her career in education, Mrs. Kirkendall worked in corporate communications, developing million-dollar campaigns and managing Fortune 100 events. She holds a B.A. in strategic communications from Elon University and an M.Ed in leadership from Jacksonville University.

Email: [email protected]