Faculty & Staff
Fr Adam Marchese
Pastor
Fr Adam Marchese was born and raised in Winter Springs, FL. From a young age, he was convinced he would spend his life working as a chef. While in high school, he started working in restaurants, and later graduated from culinary school in West Palm Beach, FL. After working several years in the restaurant industry, Fr Adam felt called to leave that life behind and enter seminary at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, FL. He graduated with his Masters of Divinity from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in 2020 and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Orlando. While in seminary, Fr Adam commissioned as an officer in the Army. After 3 years at his first parish, St. Margaret Mary in Winter Park, he spent 3 months supporting ROTC cadets at Ft Knox, KY before mobilizing to Kuwait for one year. He returned to the diocese for 8 months, working at St. Charles Borromeo and Bishop Moore High School, before deploying in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, supporting Catholic soldiers between Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. He now joins our community at Holy Name of Jesus as parochial administrator.
Mrs. Yesenia, “Jesse” De Leon, Ed.S.
Principal
Yesenia "Jesse" De Leon, an educator and woman of faith embracing her Cuban / Spanish heritage is a collaborative servant leader and dedicated principal that enjoys meeting the needs of her school community. She and her husband are blessed with seven children—four sons and three daughters—ranging in age from young adult to teenager. Several of their children are pursuing advanced studies in fields such as psychology, medicine, law, and engineering, while their youngest attends a local Catholic high school. As a family, they treasure time spent at Mass, enjoying the beach, playing sports, and sharing their love of Latin music and dance.
Jesse holds degrees from Florida International University in Elementary and Reading Education, along with a Specialist in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. With over 23 years of experience in both public and Catholic education, she has served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach / mentor, science research and gifted coordinator, and assistant principal. Jesse brings her deep commitment to Catholic values, academic excellence, and whole-child education into her leadership, embracing her role as principal as both a vocation and a blessing.
Mrs. Kathi Arms
Director of Student Services
Mrs. Arms obtained her undergraduate in Psychology and a Masters in Specific Learning Disabilities. Mrs. Arms has been a member of our HNJ family since 2008. During her years at HNJ, Mrs. Arms has taught Pre-K, Resource, and Third Grade.
When Mrs. Arms is not at school, she enjoys paddle boarding, reading, traveling, and her beach lifestyle on our gorgeous barrier island.
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Administrativa Assistant
Mrs. Nancy Easton
Office Manager
Mrs. Easton is married and has a daughter. She has a B.A. Degree in Business Administration from Cleary University, Ann Arbor Michigan. She has worked at HNJ in the front office for several years. She enjoys the beach, golfing, reading and needlepoint. She vacations in Michigan with her family during the summer and at Christmastime.
Mrs. Jo Ann Barnett
School Nurse
Mrs. Diane Duby
School Nurse
Dianne was born and raised in a small village in mid Michigan. As a child, she already knew she was born to be a nurse. After starting her family, she decided it was finally time. Her career began in an inner city hospital in Flint, MI where, much to her delight, she was challenged daily.. With the support of her family, she decided to become more active in her community and ran for and was elected to the Fenton City Council. She held that seat for 10 years. As Covid was beginning in early 2020, a family trip brought her to Disneyland. At that time, she decided she wanted to move to Florida and did so that September. Who knew life could be so amazing?! In her spare time, Dianne enjoys traveling, reading, needlework, walking the beach, and anything outdoors. She loves being a nurse at HNJ and interacting with the precious children.
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School Bookkeeper
Mrs. Lindsey Roosa
PreK3 (A) Teacher
Lindsey Roosa is a PK3 teacher at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School. She and her husband have a daughter, Charlotte who also attends Holy name. As a family we enjoy pool days, the beach, and travel.
Lindsey holds a degree from the University of Central Florida in Elementary Education with endorsements in ESOL, reading, and Gifted education. She spent 8 years in the public schools teaching 3rd and 6th grade.
Mrs. Amanda Naylor
VPK4 (A) Teacher
Mrs. Naylor attended Melbourne High School, Eastern Florida State College and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal Communication at the University of Central Florida. She has has taught Pre-K 3, Kindergarten and 6th grade.
Mrs. Naylor grew up in Toledo, Ohio. She attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic School K-8th grade before moving to Melbourne. She was baptized and confirmed there. She married her husband, Billy, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in 2006. She has 2 daughters and enjoys watching them play softball and volleyball.
Mrs. Jennifer Keller
VPK4 (B) Teacher
Mrs. Keller has a BA in Early Childhood Education from Augusta State University. She also holds a current Prekindergarten/primary Education (age 3-grade 3) Florida teaching certificate. Mrs. Keller has been teaching VPK at HNJ for several years. Before Holy Name, Mrs. Keller was a Florida VPK teacher for 7 years at Eastminster Presbyterian in Indialantic, FL. and a Georgia Pre-K teacher for 3 years in Augusta, Georgia.
Mrs. Keller is originally from Columbus, Georgia and resides beachside for the with her husband and two adult children, Tyler and Haley. The Keller kids are both MCC graduates. When she is not teaching, she is playing pickleball! She also likes to relax at home with her family and spend time with friends.
Ms. Shelley Angy
VPK4 (A) Aide
Ms. Angy is a native Floridian who graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development and Education. She is a Florida State Certified Teacher with endorsements in Reading and ESOL.
Ms. Angy enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time with family and friends in her spare time.
Martha Llanga
VPK4 (4) Aide
Mrs. Heather Forsman
Kindergarten Teacher
Mrs. Forsman grew up in Satellite Beach and recently moved back to the area with her family. She graduated from Satellite High School and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida State University. She is currently working on her Dyslexia Certificate from the University of Florida. Mrs. Forsman has taught for many years and has taught Kindergarten, First, and Second Grades.
When not teaching, Mrs. Forsman enjoys spending time with her family; her husband Andrew and two children, Liam and Lily. Lily and Liam also attend HNJ! She enjoys traveling with her family and every summer they try to do an extended R.V. trip together. Currently they have explored 14 National Parks and 40 states. Mrs. Forsman also loves reading, boating, and the beach.
Mrs. Apple Rowlette
Kindergarten Aide
Mrs. Rowlette has been Teacher’s Assistant several decades. She loves spending time with her family and taking care of her two granddaughters.
Mrs. Antoinette McCarthy
1st Grade Aide
Antoinette McCarthy is wife to Paul, who is retired from the Air Force, and mother of two children, Kevin and Keira. When not helping students learn, Mrs. McCarthy loves exercising, golfing, pickle ball, international travel, and spending time with her two grandkids! Professionally, she has 25+ years in finance.
Mrs. Paula McGowen
1st Grade Teacher
Mrs. McGowan is so excited to have returned to Holy Name of Jesus School where she began her teaching career. She grew up in this area and was a member of Holy Name of Jesus Parish as a child. After high school, she graduated from Florida State University. She was married at Holy Name of Jesus in 1989 to her husband Jim. Mrs. McGowan has two sons named Casey and Sean. As children, they attended Holy Name of Jesus School until our family moved out of the area.
When not teaching Mrs. McGowan loves spending time with her family and her dogs Scout and Puffer. She is enjoying rediscovering this area, its beauty and all it has to offer.
Mrs. McGowan loves teaching and is grateful for each of her 34 years of experience in education. She is excited to be working with the students, staff and community at Holy Name of Jesus School. She feels so blessed to be here and is looking forward to an amazing year!
Mrs. Jane Burley
2nd Grade Teacher
Mrs. Burley attended Satellite High School, Eastern Florida State College and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education at the University of Central Florida. She has completed the Master Teachers program with the diocese of Orlando, the Principal Discernment course, and worked with the Sacramental Program in our 2nd Grade for over 25 years. Mrs. Burley has taught first, second, and third grades.
Growing up in Satellite Beach, Mrs. Burley received her Confirmation and was married to her husband David, in 1991 at HNJ. Her children, Brianna and Andrew, both graduated from Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School.
Mrs. Burley enjoys spending her free time taking walks on the beach. Her passion is working with children and she believes teaching has been such a blessing in her own life!
Ms. Colleen Hagen
3rd Grade Teacher
This upcoming school year will be Ms. Hagen’s 34th year of teaching. 20 of those years have been right here at HNJ. Ms. Hagen has taught all grades from K-4. She is so happy to continue to teach 3rd grade as that is her absolute favorite.
When she is not teaching, she is spending time with her two adult children, Gabrielle and PJ (both HNJ alumni), her fiance Dan and their yorkie Mickey. She loves reading and walking on the beach. And every time she gets the chance, she heads to her favorite place in the world: Narragansett, Rhode Island.
Ms. Hagen is thrilled to be coming back “home” to meet a whole new generation of HNJ’s family of friends!
Mrs. Madi Thomas
4th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Thomas is thrilled to be starting her professional teaching career at Holy Name. Ms. Landers is a recent 2022 graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelors of Science Degree in Elementary Education.
Mrs. Thomas feels so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to teach alongside some of her closest friends and family members and she is so excited to have a great first year in fourth grade.
Mrs. Skylar Waterman
5th Grade Teacher
Mrs. Waterman was born and raised in Melbourne, FL. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida in Elementary Education in 2022, and began to pursue a master’s in general psychology before deciding she was eager to begin her teaching career.
When she is not working, she loves spending time at the beach, with her family and friends, or shopping. She is looking forward to helping students be their best selves!
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6th Grade: Middle School English Language Arts Teacher
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Mrs. Jennifer Grenn
7th Grade: Middle School Science/Lab Teacher
Mrs. Grenn moved to Satellite Beach in 2020 from Charlotte, NC, where she was a science teacher for many years. Her undergrad was in International Communications from Lynn University, and before leaving Florida she worked in television as a producer and director in Palm Beach County. She loves of all things science and nature pushed her to complete a Doctorate in Naturopathy.
She has three children, Jillian who is a junior at Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Jackson and Jianna both at Satellite High School. She also has an awesome Australian Shepherd named Dave and a bearded dragon named Srircha. She is so happy to be able to teach in a place where we welcome God into our learning environment.
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8th Grade: Middle School Religion/Social Studies Teacher
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Middle School Math
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STREAM Teacher/Tech Coordinator (K-5)
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Mrs. Randy Guarino
Art Teacher
Mrs. Guarino has been part of the HNJ family for 8 years, ever since she relocated here after moving around via Georgia, Delaware, and Spain. She has her BA in Studio Art with a focus on Printmaking from the college of Charleston; a Masters in Arts Education from the University of Georgia; 7 years of teaching elementary art in Georgia and 6 years of teaching middle and high school art and photography in FL. She is currently teaching hand building ceramics classes at Seagrass Pottery.
Mrs. Guarino’s family loves RVing and visiting national parks. In addition to teaching, she owns a small jewelry design business called Gilding and Steel. She looks forward to a great year of creating with the HNJ students.
Mrs. Theresa Guirola
Music Teacher
Theresa Guirola is a classically trained vocalist, accomplished performer, and dedicated music educator with a lifelong passion for the performing arts and sharing the gift of music with others.
Originally from New York, she earned her degree in Classical Vocal Performance from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. Her professional career includes numerous stage productions, television appearances on The Rachael Ray Show and TruTV, featured vocal performances with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, and private fundraising concerts supporting community initiatives close to her heart.
As an educator, Theresa is deeply committed to integrating real-world performance experience with the rich traditions of the Catholic faith. In the classroom, she strives to nurture students’ musical growth, confidence, and creativity while inspiring a lifelong appreciation for the arts that extends beyond the classroom into the school and broader community.
In addition to her work at the school, Theresa maintains a thriving private voice studio specializing in vocal technique, performance preparation, and audition coaching. Drawing from her extensive professional background, she helps singers of all ages and experience levels develop confidence, artistry, and strong stage presence.
While performing and teaching remain great passions, Theresa’s most cherished roles are at home as a wife and mother to two incredible children. She feels deeply honored to pass on both the Catholic faith and her love of music to the next generation.
Mrs. Andrea Vallejo
Spanish Teacher
Born and raised in Colombia, Andrea Vallejo moved to the United States at the age of 16 years old following her family. She has lived in Florida since then and currently resides in the Palm Bay/Melbourne area. She finished High School locally, then obtained her BAS in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.
Mother of two beautiful children and happily married, Andrea has always felt a call to help others. She has worked in the medical field since 2005 and has had the opportunity to observe how much guidance and assistance our community lacks. This is why she embarked in the rewarding career of Psychology; she also obtained a license as a Registered Behavior Therapist, and since 2021 has been providing therapy and early child intervention to children with special needs. These therapies include guidance and assistance with things such as basic activities of daily living, to social interaction and behavioral modification.
During her free time her hobbies include spending time with her family, traveling and relaxing at home. She is considered a thorough, passionate and considerate person who finds fulfillment in helping others to thrive, as well as following her faith through prayer and guiding others to pursue proficiency in everything they do. Andrea has proudly served as a member of Heart Works Ink, Inc. in the past, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the needed resources for a balanced and healthy soul, mind and body. Through this organization our community is able to seek the necessary tools and guidance needed towards success, mental stability and achievement.
Braden Kramer
Physical Education & Athletic Director
Braden "Brady" Kramer ~ Coach K ~ is the Physical Education teacher and Athletic Director at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School, where he brings energy and a passion for helping students stay active, confident, and engaged. He holds a Florida teaching credential in Physical Education.
Originally from Philadelphia, he graduated from Providence College, where he played college hockey before continuing on in the Montreal Canadiens organization. He emphasizes teamwork, effort, and a positive attitude in everything he does.
Outside of school, Coach K enjoys spending time with his wife, Pauline, and their dog, Willy.
Mrs. Ann Kasch
Resource Teacher
Mrs. Kasch is in her 27th year working for the Diocese of Orlando. She has 22 years of experience in the classroom teaching grades PK-8 and 5 years as the Admissions Director for Melbourne Central Catholic High School. Mrs. Kasch is a product of Catholic school and earned a B.S. in Education from Ohio University. She enjoys working with the students at HNJ and loves to see their excitement when they experience success in their learning.
When Mrs. Kasch is not teaching, she enjoys spending time running, shopping, and traveling with her husband, Scott and daughter, Marissa, both graduates of Our Lady of Lourdes and Melbourne Central Catholic. Marissa currently attends the University of Florida.
Mrs. Patricia OKeefe
Guidance Counselor
Patricia “Patti” OKeefe is a proud Brevard county home grown native. She graduated from Cocoa Beach High. She is the daughter of US Retired Army Colonel Keith T. OKeefe, who after his 35 years in the military commanding 3 military bases, was Director of Installation at NASA during the Apollo missions.
Patti grew up in a near perfect childhood with many fun activities at the beach. The youngest of 5 children coming from a blended family, her mother was from England. She spent many overseas visits to her mother’s hometown of Cambridge visiting with cousins.
Patti’s Dad, the Colonel, was a huge advocate of education. Having graduated from high school in New York at the age of 14, he instilled in Patti the desire to continue education after high school. Patti went on to earn 4 degrees, all in the area of education. Her mantra from her father is: “no one can ever take your education away from you.”
Patti successfully completed 40 years in public education before retiring. Primarily in Colorado but her roots started in Brevard Public Schools. Returning to Brevard due to family, Patti retired again from BPS but decided her faith is most important now. She she is very excited for this opportunity at Holy Name of Jesus to guide our future generation. Our children are our future.
Patti sings and shakes a mean tambourine at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Merritt Island at the 11:30 Mass. She has done music ministry for over 30 years and was blessed to sing at the Papal Mass in Denver years ago.
Patti looks forward to the start of her 46th year in education. Her door is always open!
Ms. Mary Shaffer
After Care
Mary Shaffer has been semiretired in Indialantic since 2007. She has one daughter and four grandchildren. She love reading, sewing and cats.
Ms. Samantha Ewing
After Care
Call her Sam! Sam is originally from Texas but moved to Florida in 2020.
Her favorite animals are penguins, giraffes and, ducks. She enjoys scrapbooking, journaling, being outside, and hanging out with friends. Sam sincerely enjoys working with kids. That’s her passion. She has been doing so since she was 12. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
Mrs. Ingrid Jackson
ELC Office Manager
Mrs. Jackson graduated from Berkeley College with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Mrs. Jackson has been working in the administrative field in Education for over a decade. It sort of just fell into her lap and she has enjoyed it ever since. Mrs. Jackson and her daughter recently relocated from New Jersey in July 2022. Her daughter is attending HNJ. They have finished unpacking and life is finally starting to settle so they can finally enjoy the outdoors and go to their favorite spots which are the beach or their community pool. Mrs. Jackson and her daughter are both happy and excited for our new chapters here with the HNJ family.
Mrs. Allison Komjathy
ELC 1 Year Old Teacher
Mrs. Komjathy obtained my bachelor's degree from Oakland University in Elementary Education in 2000 & then went on to obtain my masters degree in Early Childhood Education in 2008 from the University of Phoenix. She holds a professional teaching certificate in the state of Florida and has over 20 years of experience in a classroom setting and thoroughly enjoy working with children and watching them grow.
Mrs. Komjathy has been married for 17 years and is a mother to two beautiful girls. She enjoys spending time with my family, going on walks, doing word puzzles, and arts and crafts when she’s not teaching.
Mrs. Debra Ann Schenk
ELC 2 Year Old Teacher
Mrs. Lisa Murphy
ELC Aide
Mrs. Murphy is originally from England. She began working at Holy Name’s ELC in 2020. She absolutely loves working with little ones. Watching them learning to speak and become independent brings her so much joy.
Mrs. Murphy is also a wife with three children and one grandchild. In her spare time she enjoys working in her yard.
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ELC Aide
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