The Bolles School is moving full steam ahead into the 2024-25 school year!

To kick off the back-to-school countdown, alumnus Talmadge Coley ’96 returned to the Bolles Upper School San Jose Campus on August 7 to share how his Bolles experience made a profound impact on his life during the All Faculty and Staff Welcome held in McGehee Auditorium. Coley also discussed his perspective as a member of the Bolles Alumni Board of Visitors and a proud parent of two children who attend the Bolles Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach Campus – commending the faculty and staff for continuing to inspire excellence in their students.

Coley began his Bolles education as a Grade 7 student on the San Jose Campus, before the middle school was relocated to the present-day Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus. As an upper school student, he excelled as a student-athlete and member of Coach Don Suriano’s Bulldog baseball team. 

After Bolles, Coley attended the University of North Florida, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history, and went on to earn a master’s degree in international administration from the University of Miami. In addition to serving for four years in the United States Air Force as a Russian cryptologic linguist at the National Security Agency, Coley also assumed numerous leadership roles in several government affairs capacities while working in Washington, D.C.

In 2022, Coley returned to Jacksonville as the new CEO of the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association. He has continued to be a leader in the Bolles community, most recently being appointed as the new Bolles Fund Chair for the Ponte Vedra Beach Campus.

After Coley’s inspiring remarks, Bolles faculty and staff members broke into various campus-specific and department meetings, held summer reading book discussions, participated in trainings and enjoyed the Bolles Human Resource Department’s annual Health and Wellness Fair before convening again in the afternoon for the first All Faculty and Staff Meeting of the 2024-25 school year. Bolles President and Head of School Tyler Hodges announced two themes that will be central throughout the school year – belonging and civil discourse – before handing it over to Bolles Associate Head of School Andrew Forrester and leaders from Operations, Advancement and Admission for a series of exciting updates. The group also gave 29 new faculty and staff members a warm welcome to the Bolles family!

The jam-packed day concluded with an All Faculty Art Show held in Gooding Gallery, showcasing pieces from art teachers on all four campuses: Andrew Dickson (San Jose Campus, Art History), Tiffany Gonzalez (San Jose Campus, Fine Arts), Christopher Hicks (San Jose Campus, Fine Arts), Lily Kuonen (San Jose Campus, Fine Arts), Billie Westerlind (San Jose Campus, Photography), Tammy Woehle-Fennell (Bartram Campus, Art), Heather Hagy (Ponte Vedra Beach Campus, Art/iLab) and Elizabeth Crawford (Whitehurst Campus, Art). View pictures from the reception here. After the show, faculty and staff enjoyed spending the evening together on the River Campus during the annual family back-to-school party.

Bolles math and science teachers also took time this week to check out their new classrooms in the Frank R. Sanchez & Hope and Dana E. Fender Center for Innovation (Sanchez Fender CFI) overlooking the St. Johns River. They are excitedly arranging their spaces while the upper school English department settles into their temporary classrooms on the second floor of Bolles Hall. Learn more about the School’s transformational construction projects, including the opening of the Sanchez Fender CFI, continuing renovation of Schultz Hall and upcoming Phase II of the Gund Residence Hall.

We can’t wait to see everyone on all four campuses next week! #BollesBackToSchool