Judy T. Thigpen
Head of SchoolMrs. Judy Thigpen hails from northeastern Pennsylvania and completed her undergraduate dual degree in Elementary Education and Spanish with honors at Juniata College.  She earned her Masters of Arts in teaching from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where she held a Spanish teaching assistantship during her tenure on campus.

Mrs. Thigpen continued her studies at Georgia State University, gaining her leadership credentials, and later served as a board member of the Georgia State Principals Center.  She has also studied at the University of Valencia in Spain, Harvard University’s Principal Center, and did doctoral work through Nova Southeastern University.  She is fluent in Spanish and has established personal and professional relationships with both the Universidad de Salamanca and the Universidad Pontificia in Salamanca, Spain through her annual visits there as a chaperone for AP Spanish immersion students at Walton High School.

Mrs. Thigpen has been a classroom teacher, administrative assistant, assistant principal, and principal of Sedalia Park Charter School and Sope Creek Elementary School, both in Cobb County.  She has been a keynote speaker throughout the state, especially on the topics of school climate, student achievement, and educational leadership. 

Coming to Wood Acres eight years ago, Mrs. Thigpen saw both the reality of a fine proprietary school and the dream of what The Wood Acres School could become.  The dream is now being realized.

Maria Thigpen
Upper School DeanMrs. Maria Thigpen grew up in the suburban community of Kingwood outside of Houston, Texas, but has deep family roots on the north fork of Long Island, New York.  She began her undergraduate studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, moved to Georgia, and completed her undergraduate degree in education with honors at Georgia State University.

Mrs. Thigpen received her Masters degree in Educational Administration and Policy from the University of Georgia.  She taught for Gwinnett County Public Schools before beginning her career in private education. Mrs. Thigpen has been a classroom teacher, ESOL teacher, president of the PTA, staff development instructor, and coordinator of new teacher training.

She began her time at The Wood Acres School as an Upper School teacher and now serves as the Dean of the Upper School and Academic Advisor as well as uses her expertise in test data analysis and staff development.   

Laurie Mazor
Grammar School DeanMrs.Laurie Mazor is a native New Yorker, but has happily established deep roots in the East Cobb area. She received an Undergraduate Degree from Boston College in Elementary Education, Special Needs and English and then completed a Master Degree as a Reading specialist at Columbia University. She currently holds an Educational Leadership certificate from the great state of Georgia.

Mrs. Mazor’s teaching experience spans three states and working with Kindergarten through eighth graders. During her public school tenure, including Cobb County’s Sope Creek Elementary, Mrs. Mazor has been a classroom teacher, support professional, mentor to new teachers, and part of a building leadership team.

Mrs. Mazor left public school after many years and gratefully made a new home at “The Woods” where the excitement for learning is boundless and contagious. Mrs. Mazor developed and implemented a creative writing program titled “Growing Authors” for Wood Acres students in grades 3-5 and currently, along with her administrative responsibilities, teaches her most passionate subject, English, to our most senior sixth through eighth grade students.

Ashley Nellis
Early School DeanMrs. Ashley Nellis, a native Floridian, brings over a decade of educational experience with her to Wood Acres. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from The Florida State University and went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University. Mrs. Nellis has completed doctoral work in Educational Leadership at Florida State University and currently holds a Georgia certificate in Educational Leadership as well.

Her educational experience spans the early years of preschool through elementary and middle school teaching. Mrs. Nellis taught classes at Florida State while serving as a graduate mentor in her doctoral program.

During her tenure at Wood Acres, she has worked on the school’s accreditation and curriculum and development while serving as a classroom teacher. Mrs. Nellis changes her focus and energy this year as she becomes a part of the administration team at Wood Acres. While she has moved throughout the southeastern United States, Mrs. Nellis has not only made Georgia her home, but Wood Acres her home as well.