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Founder
Edward Ben Adams
Founder of School
Mr. Edward Ben Adams is the founder of Seoul International School. He was the principal and headmaster from 1973 to 2002. From 2003 through to the present, he has been overseeing the operations of the school as founder and manager.
Academic Leadership Team
Michael Colaianni
Head of School
Mr. Colaianni has been with SIS since 2014, when he was appointed as Director of Schools and later on, as Head of School. He has been in international school leadership positions in Vienna, Austria, Kobe, Japan and Florence, Italy.
James Gerhard
High School Principal
Dr. Gerhard has been with SIS since 2015. He is a committed international educator who has held teaching and leadership positions in Kuwait, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Burma, Sierra Leone, and now Korea. He was formerly an Economics, History, and Government teacher and has been a principal in Elementary, Middle and High Schools and has served as a Director of Schools. He has worked in both the AP program and with the IB program where he continues to serve as a Diploma Examiner.
John Benavidez
Middle School Principal
Mr. Benavidez has been with SIS since 2017. He has been a Middle School Administrator for over 15 years. He loves working with the SIS students and families and believes in the African Philosophy of UBUNTU, "I am because you are". We become better by helping others.
Brian Byrne
Elementary School Principal
Mr. Byrne is joining the SIS community this year. He has worked in education for 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including homeroom teacher, curriculum coordinator and Elementary School administrator. Prior to SIS, Mr. Byrne held leadership positions at international schools in Shanghai and Beijing and public schools in Connecticut, USA.
Gray Macklin
High School Assistant Principal
Mr. Macklin has served in a variety of capacities at SIS since 2006. When asked why he has stayed so long, he replies that he loves the challenges posed by the ambitious, demanding students at SIS.
Agnes Schuppel
Elementary & Middle School Assistant Principal
Agnes Schuppel has been at Seoul International School since 2009. This is her fourth year as the Assistant Principal of the Elementary and Middle School. Prior to being Assistant Principal, she worked as a classroom teacher, literacy coach, reading specialist and Elementary School Coordinator. Each day it is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to work with our students, staff and parent community.
David Coleman
Director of Curriculum and Professional Development
David Coleman first came to SIS in 2013 as part of the high school English department and joined the school's Leadership Team in 2017 as Director of Curriculum and Professional Development. In nearly three decades as an educator, Mr. Coleman has served as a teacher leader, curriculum coordinator, accreditation specialist, and taught English and Journalism at the high school and college levels in Colorado, Maine, and South Korea.
Irene De Shazo
Director of Admissions
Mrs. De Shazo joined Seoul International School in 2009 as the Reading Specialist. With a Masters Degree in Education Administration and English as a Second Language, she was appointed as the school's Director of Admissions in 2012.
Kelcey Edwards
Director of Guidance and College Counseling
Kelcey Edwards came to SIS in 2020. She has focused on the high school to college transition for more than 20 years through her work in various K12, higher education, and educational testing organizations.
Administrative Leadership Team
Young Ok Chi
Business Manager
Sung Chul Cha
Head of Facilities
Yang Min Ko
Head of Academic Services
Chung Youl Lee
Head of Finance and Accounting
Bum Shik Shin
Head of Information Technology and General Affairs
Se Woong Kwak
Head of Transportation
Jong Cheol Kim