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
James Gerhard
Head of School
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.
Gray Macklin
High School 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.
Michael Gohde
Middle School Principal
Mr. Gohde has been part of SIS since 2022. He has had the pleasure of teaching and leading middle schools in the United States, Taiwan, Jordan, Thailand, Colombia, and El Salvador. He knows that middle school is the best place to be and is honored to be with a group of like-minded teachers at SIS.
Sarah Hay
Elementary School Principal
Ms. Hay became an educator to help change the world - and this is as true today as it was when she started teaching more than 30 years ago. Trained in Australia, Ms. Hay has worked as a teacher, leader and consultant in elementary, middle and high schools in Australia and internationally. She believes that successful schools provide rigorous and relevant experiences for students that are connected to real life. At the heart of Ms. Hay's thinking is the student experience and student learning.
Christopher DelVecchio
High School Assistant Principal
Mr. DelVecchio joined SIS in 2022. His background includes leadership roles at international schools in Shanghai and Hong Kong, as well as ten years of experience teaching middle and high school mathematics. He has also served as a college counselor and an international admissions reader for UCLA.
Lindsey Hagen
Elementary & Middle School Assistant Principal
Ms. Hagen joined SIS in 2022 and became the ES/MS Assistant Principal in 2023. She received a B.S. in Elementary Education from Loyola University Chicago and an M.A. in Zoology and Inquiry Education from Miami University Ohio. Before coming to SIS, Ms. Hagen served in several leadership roles, including as an MYP Coordinator in Chicago, an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University and Miami University, and a department and team leader at various schools around the world. Additionally, she taught middle school science for 15 years in various locations, including Chicago, Rome, Beijing, and Seoul. She is passionate about inquiry, sustainability, and environmental education.
David Mannell
Director of Curriculum and Professional Development
Dr. Mannell joined SIS in 2022 as the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development. He believes that every learner should feel a sense of belonging in school and that we all have a responsibility to create engaging, authentic, and relevant learning opportunities for ourselves and others. Prior to joining SIS, David has served in teaching and leadership roles in Germany, the United States, Honduras, and Brazil.
Nirmala Jayaram
Director of Admissions & Advancement
Ms.Jayaram was new to SIS in the 2023-24 school year. A third culture kid and adult, she is most at ease immersed in an international setting. She brings to SIS her more than 20 years' experience in enrollment management. Prior to moving to Korea and Seoul International School, Ms. Jayaram has worked in leading international schools in Oman, India and Myanmar. She is excited to be part of the SIS Tiger community.
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
Jong Cheol Kim
Head of Management Support Team
Young Kwon Ahn
Head of Finance & Accounting Team
Chung Yeol Lee
Head of Facility Management Team
Se Woong Kwak
Head of Transportation Team
Bum Shik Shin
Head of Information Technology Team, General Affairs Team
Hye Yong Min