Owner & CEO

Dr. John Singleton has 33 years of experience working in education and 17 years of experience in therapeutic school leadership. John’s extensive education experience is steeped in life-changing results and award-winning programs.

John plays several vital roles in the Treatment Industry. He serves on the Board of Directors for NATSAP, the Therapeutic Industries national professional organization. John also serves on the board of Trustees for the IECA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of IECA. Further, John is the Founder and President of the Board of GEMS, which is a non-profit organization & conference. Finally, he serves on the board of directors for the Whetstone Family Foundation.

In early 2000, John’s strong belief in multisensory learning and an individualized approach to education guided him from public school administration into the Program Director role at Stone Mountain School, a therapeutic wilderness boarding school in Black Mountain, NC. A few years later, he used his knowledge and management experience to help establish New Leaf Academy of North Carolina, an all girls’ therapeutic boarding school. By 2006, he became the Executive Director of Cedars Academy in Delaware, a program for Autism Spectrum Disorder students; a role he continued for four years before serving as President and Head of School at Brandon Hall in Atlanta. During his six years at Brandon Hall, he was instrumental in overseeing the school’s 700% growth in student enrollment, facility development and creation of a 21st Century technology enriched learning model. Finally, before he purchased Whetstone in 2016, he was the Director of Business Development at Trails Carolina, a therapeutic wilderness program in Western North Carolina.

John has presented nationally and is published on the subject of Educational Leadership and learning differences. His most recent presentations include: GEMS 2019, NATSAP 2018, CASE-NAIS National Conference Pre-Conference Advancement Master Class, January 2013, Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), Philadelphia, PA, May 2011 and Texas A&M University – Southwest Teaching and Learning Conference in 2010.

He has attended Harvard Graduate School of Education – Independent Schools Institute. He has also furthered his studies at Yale Child Study Center in 2008; Minds and Hearts Clinic, Tony Attwood, Ph.D. in 2007; and The Medical University of South Carolina, Russell Barkley, Ph.D. in 2006.

John received his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Education from Gardner-Webb University and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2010 from the University of Phoenix. His research was focused on the topic of Educational Leadership and working with students on the Autism Spectrum.

In his spare time, John enjoys traveling, gardening and spending time with his family and dogs.

Chass Armstrong

Chass is our Executive Director at Maple Hall Academy. With a background in Business Administration, Marketing, and Communications, Chass helped to develop the marketing strategy and growth model for Maple Hall & Whetstone Academy while he served as Chief Marketing Officer across both campuses. 

Prior to helping CEO John Singleton start Maple Hall in 2021, Chass had worked as the Director of Business Development at Whetstone Academy since 2018.

Chass has worked in Mental & Behavioral Healthcare since 2015. He was a Marketing Manager for Family Help & Wellness from 2015-2018 where he focused on website development, media collateral procurement, digital marketing, and print material creation for 14 different behavioral and mental health programs. 

Chass is from the Texas Hill Country and graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX with a B.A. in Business Administration and also in Speech Communication. He was a former elite athlete having raced for Mizuno, Asics, and Skechers Performance competing in multiple USATF Road Racing championships.

In his free time, Chass enjoys skiing, hunting, gravel cycling, trail running, and hiking. He enjoys these activites with his wife, Pascale, daughter, Fabienne, and their three dogs Blu, Beluga & Sage.

Rick began his work in the therapeutic industry in 2004 and brought his extensive and varied experience to be our Director of Business Development. From 2021-2022 Rick served as the Executive Director at Maple Hall. He was employed as a retail District Leader for 16 years before starting his life-changing career in schools. 

In 2004, he began with the inaugural team of New Leaf Academy of NC, an all-girls therapeutic boarding school that he helped lead for over five years. He continued his career in therapeutic education as he led admissions teams for wilderness programs, assisting families with placements for various diagnoses. For three years, he was Assistant Head of School at Brandon Hall School, an independent boarding school in Atlanta, GA. For six years, Rick considered it a privilege to lead a team at a residential treatment program that brought so much positive change and healing to the lives of adolescents and their families prior to arriving at Maple Hall. 

Rick was a board member of NATSAP from 2018 until 2021 and is Vice President of the GEMS conference. Rick received his M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Mercer University. His research topic focused on the topic of Educational Leadership and working with students on the gender spectrum.

In his spare time, he enjoys a variety of activities including kayaking, hiking, singing and painting. He loves his daily walks and time with his family and Yorkshire terrier daughters, Katy and BeBe.

Sally Clay

Sally is a founding member of Whetstone Academy in Mountain Rest, SC. She was the Business Manager for Whetstone for 10 years before becoming CFO of both Whetstone Academy and Maple Hall Academy in 2021. Sally brings over fifteen years of financial and administrative experience to both schools, as well as a passion for helping children obtain the services they need in an academic environment. A native of South Carolina, she lives in Mountain Rest with her three children and is an avid fishkeeper and aquascaper.

Lynn Perry is Chief Operating Officer at Maple Hill Academy where she will provide day-to-day oversight and direction for all aspects of the non-academic daily operations.

Joe D’Urso is a New Hampshire native who resided in Western North Carolina since early 2012 to further his career working with middle school and high school youth. Joe attended the New Hampshire Institute of Art and Keene State College, where he studied Special Education, focusing in art.

Joe brings to Maple Hall Academy a wealth of knowledge through over 10 years of experience working in several different wilderness based therapeutic programs.  Joe is coming to us from Asheville Academy for Girls, a therapeutic boarding school for middle school girls, where he was the Program Coordinator.

In his free time, Joe is an avid comic book enthusiast and can be found hiking and exploring the outdoors with his husband and two dogs, Odin and Loki.

Tabitha brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her time at Asheville Academy for Girls.

Tabitha’s clinical work has included working with foster children in a group home, juvenile justice involved adolescents in a community setting, and adolescents in a therapeutic boarding school.

Her journey in the mental health field began with work as a side-walker for equine assisted therapy sessions while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Eastern Kentucky University. These skills will be greatly utilized with our Equine Assisted Therapy program at Maple Hall.

Tabitha enjoys working with middle school-age students as they begin the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. She finds this stage of life highly important for developing self-identity, self-awareness, and strong relationships for a life full of happiness.

She is experienced in working with children expressing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, attachment difficulties, oppositional defiance, and explosive anger.

She has also received additional training in treatment modalities such as play therapy, trauma-based interventions, compassion focused therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and artistic or expressive therapy.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and pups, reading, exploring Appalachia, and knitting.

Tonia comes to us with 20+ years of experience working in the mental health field and obtained her masters and LPC in Counseling Psychology. Tonia started her career in Pennsylvania working in a residential facility with adults and children, and moved on to working as a Clinical Program Coordinator at a Partial Hospital program. After living in San Diego for several years, Tonia found her calling in the wonderful state of Virginia! She has spent the last several years growing and managing a local office that provides community based services, helping at risk youth, adults and families succeed. Tonia’s strengths surround trauma informed care and working with children to navigate through depression, anxiety, anger management, ADHD, self esteem, and attachment and adjustment issues. In terms of counseling modalities, Tonia tends to follow a cognitive behavioral approach, while incorporating mindfulness into her work.

Tonia is excited to work at Maple Hall Academy to share her passion with the next generation, guiding them towards implementing life long skills that can change the trajectory of their lives. Tonia’s positive, up beat personality assists her in connecting well with the children she works with in a fun way that welcomes change.

Tonia’s claim to fame is that she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine! In her spare time she enjoys hiking and backpacking with her husband and three dogs. You can also find Tonia buying dog food, toys and treats daily as her dogs have very high expectations of her.

Maddie Wheeler

Maddie originally hails from the town of Woodstock, GA. She has spent most of her life working with youth in several different settings including athletics, mentor programs, academics, and as a caregiver.  Maddie received her Associate’s of Arts Degree in Education from Andrew College where she played both collegiate basketball and volleyball. She continued her education and basketball career at Point University where she gained her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Child and Youth Development. Following her graduation, Maddie spent the next year as a study skills teacher in a boarding school setting before deciding to further her education once more. She spent the following two years in Virginia coaching collegiate basketball and working on her Master’s Degree from Mary Baldwin University. Here, Maddie centered her research on wilderness programs and the positive outcomes involving academic success. She obtained her Master’s of Education Degree in Environment-Based Learning and spent a year volunteering for a non-profit educational farm.

Pascale works as the Admissions Director for Maple Hall Academy. Originally from Canada, Pascale obtained her B.A. in History at the University of Montreal and did her graduate studies in Public History at Carleton University. Prior to joining our team, she worked as a Digital Marketing Manager at Family Help and Wellness where she managed marketing strategies for several wilderness therapy programs and therapeutic boarding schools. She loved the contact she had with families in this role, which is what led her to seek a position in admissions.

Pascale is dedicated to supporting the Maple Hall families every step of the way. She really enjoys working with students and is grateful that she gets to play a small part in their journey towards emotional, relational, and physical healing.

Pascale is a Master Gardener volunteer in our area. She loves gardening and trying out new recipes with friends and family. She is also an avid snowboarder and loves cycling, hiking, and spending time in nature with her daughter, husband and her three pups.

Jerica started working at Maple Hall Academy as a youth mentor and is now our Residential Life Director. She started out caring for others as a respite caregiver for a child with special needs. While in college, Jerica worked as a Campus Programmer and planned inclusive activities for students on her campus. Jerica became passionate about the individual student experience while working at the university as a Student Success Coach for two years before coming to Maple Hall Academy. Seeing the growth and progress that the Maple Hall Academy students make daily is the reason why she works at Maple Hall.

Originally from California, Jerica loves to spend time in the sun and runs to the beach any chance she gets. She enjoys traveling and spending time with loved ones, but also enjoys some quiet time with her pets, working on puzzles, and finding new plants to love.

Tabitha brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her time at Asheville Academy for Girls.

Tabitha’s clinical work has included working with foster children in a group home, juvenile justice involved adolescents in a community setting, and adolescents in a therapeutic boarding school.

Her journey in the mental health field began with work as a side-walker for equine assisted therapy sessions while pursuing her undergraduate degree at Eastern Kentucky University. These skills will be greatly utilized with our Equine Assisted Therapy program at Maple Hall.

Tabitha enjoys working with middle school-age students as they begin the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. She finds this stage of life highly important for developing self-identity, self-awareness, and strong relationships for a life full of happiness.

She is experienced in working with children expressing depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, attachment difficulties, oppositional defiance, and explosive anger.

She has also received additional training in treatment modalities such as play therapy, trauma-based interventions, compassion focused therapy, animal-assisted therapy, and artistic or expressive therapy.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and pups, reading, exploring Appalachia, and knitting.

Tonia comes to us with 20+ years of experience working in the mental health field and obtained her masters and LPC in Counseling Psychology. Tonia started her career in Pennsylvania working in a residential facility with adults and children, and moved on to working as a Clinical Program Coordinator at a Partial Hospital program. After living in San Diego for several years, Tonia found her calling in the wonderful state of Virginia! She has spent the last several years growing and managing a local office that provides community based services, helping at risk youth, adults and families succeed. Tonia’s strengths surround trauma informed care and working with children to navigate through depression, anxiety, anger management, ADHD, self esteem, and attachment and adjustment issues. In terms of counseling modalities, Tonia tends to follow a cognitive behavioral approach, while incorporating mindfulness into her work.

Tonia is excited to work at Maple Hall Academy to share her passion with the next generation, guiding them towards implementing life long skills that can change the trajectory of their lives. Tonia’s positive, up beat personality assists her in connecting well with the children she works with in a fun way that welcomes change.

Tonia’s claim to fame is that she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine! In her spare time she enjoys hiking and backpacking with her husband and three dogs. You can also find Tonia buying dog food, toys and treats daily as her dogs have very high expectations of her.

Emily works as a Primary Therapist here at Maple Hall Academy. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Hollins University and graduated from Radford University with a Master’s in Social Work. Before joining the team at Maple Hall, Emily worked with children, adults, and families in a multitude of settings, including wilderness, public schools, community-based, and outpatient programs. Emily has extensive practice in the treatment of substance-use disorder and maintains her Virginia license as a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor (CSAC). Through her work with all age groups and many backgrounds, Emily discovered the value of meaningful relationships and connection. 

Emily utilizes a person-centered approach tailored to each individual’s needs. Through a trauma-informed lens, she aims to create safety and authenticity geared toward relational healing and growth. Emily is passionate about working with youth, as she believes this period of life is special and formative. She is excited to be supporting students and their families on their own unique journey here at Maple Hall Academy. 

In her spare time, Emily enjoys spending time in nature and with her pets, Cedar and Olive. Her favorite outdoor activities include gardening, paddle boarding, and walks in the woods. She also enjoys many art forms in her free time, including watercolor painting, poetry, reading, and knitting.

Dr. Kara Rooney is the Medical Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Central Health. She works with our students throughout their stay at Maple Hall Academy.

Specialty: 

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Certifications: 

American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Education and Training:

MD, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 1993

Residency, Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, 1997

Fellowship, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, 2001

Joe D’Urso is a New Hampshire native who resided in Western North Carolina since early 2012 to further his career working with middle school and high school youth. Joe attended the New Hampshire Institute of Art and Keene State College, where he studied Special Education, focusing in art.

Joe brings to Maple Hall Academy a wealth of knowledge through over 10 years of experience working in several different wilderness based therapeutic programs.  Joe is coming to us from Asheville Academy for Girls, a therapeutic boarding school for middle school girls, where he was the Program Coordinator.

In his free time, Joe is an avid comic book enthusiast and can be found hiking and exploring the outdoors with his husband and two dogs, Odin and Loki.

Jerica started working at Maple Hall Academy as a youth mentor and is now our Residential Life Director. She started out caring for others as a respite caregiver for a child with special needs. While in college, Jerica worked as a Campus Programmer and planned inclusive activities for students on her campus. Jerica became passionate about the individual student experience while working at the university as a Student Success Coach for two years before coming to Maple Hall Academy. Seeing the growth and progress that the Maple Hall Academy students make daily is the reason why she works at Maple Hall.

Originally from California, Jerica loves to spend time in the sun and runs to the beach any chance she gets. She enjoys traveling and spending time with loved ones, but also enjoys some quiet time with her pets, working on puzzles, and finding new plants to love.

Joe is originally from Missouri where he graduated from Lindenwood University with a degree in Criminal Justice. Joe started his career in the field in 2006. He has worked in Inpatient/outpatient Alcohol and Drug treatment for teens and adults as a Community Support Worker and as Assistant Residential Director, as a Counselor Supervisor at a Residential Treatment Program, a Senior Group Leader at a wilderness program. He comes to us from Whetstone Academy where he was a mentor for the Transition Program.  Joe also recently completed his Therapeutic Game Master Class.

In his free time he likes to play disc golf, play video games, and play Dungeon and Dragons.

Harrison started off working as one of our Youth Mentors and is now our Weekday Manager. Originally from Charlotte, NC, he has spent most of his professional career working in therapeutic residential programs, including three years at Maple Hall’s sister school, Whetstone Academy. 

Harrison also has experience coaching soccer teams for youth at therapeutic boarding schools and in a separate Recreation League. Harrison’s experience reaches beyond adulthood, however, as he himself spent time at two different residential programs similar to Maple Hall as a child. This experience and knowledge greatly inform his relationship with our students.

Harrison is currently working towards furthering his schooling and career in Therapeutic Education.

Maddie Wheeler

Maddie originally hails from the town of Woodstock, GA. She has spent most of her life working with youth in several different settings including athletics, mentor programs, academics, and as a caregiver.  Maddie received her Associate’s of Arts Degree in Education from Andrew College where she played both collegiate basketball and volleyball. She continued her education and basketball career at Point University where she gained her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Child and Youth Development. Following her graduation, Maddie spent the next year as a study skills teacher in a boarding school setting before deciding to further her education once more. She spent the following two years in Virginia coaching collegiate basketball and working on her Master’s Degree from Mary Baldwin University. Here, Maddie centered her research on wilderness programs and the positive outcomes involving academic success. She obtained her Master’s of Education Degree in Environment-Based Learning and spent a year volunteering for a non-profit educational farm.

Rob Longley, our math and science teacher, was raised in New England, where his family’s many fishing, sailing, and camping adventures instilled in him a love of the outdoors and the environment. After college, Rob embarked on a 30-year career in journalism, serving as a political and environmental reporter, and later, a news and managing editor, at newspapers in New York, Florida and Virginia. He also taught high school workshops on writing and was a guest lecturer on politics and journalism at several colleges and universities in New Jersey, Florida and Virginia. After three decades spent chasing stories inside and outside the Beltway, Rob traded the newsroom for the classroom. He joined the team at Maple Hall in 2021.

Rob and his wife Maria live in nearby Staunton, VA. They have two children — a daughter, who is a college freshman, and a son, a sophomore in high school. They also have three cats who graciously allow the family to live in their home.

Sarah is the English Language Arts teacher at Maple Hall Academy. She is the product of a military family, born and raised on naval bases scattered up and down the East Coast. After settling into a sleepy town in Connecticut during high school, she soon traded the small-town life for the city. She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology at Southern Connecticut State University while living and working as a vegan/vegetarian cook in New Haven.

She kicked off her teaching career as a Hatha yoga instructor in college, but it was her move to Shenzhen, China, in 2018 that genuinely inspired her passion for teaching. While abroad, she began teaching English as a Second Language to students ranging from 3 years old to 50–toddlers to CEOs. That passion has grown and since led her to her role here at Maple Hall Academy.

Outside of the classroom, Sarah finds leisure in hiking with her pup, painting with watercolors, reading mystery novels, and playing Dungeons and Dragons. 

Bugs is the culinary teacher at Maple Hall Academy. He grew up in Charleston, SC, where he studied classical piano performance at an art high school. He then attended Columbia College in Chicago, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in photography.

His interest in cooking began at an early age when he would spend time with his mother and grandmothers in their kitchens. They taught him how to cook, and it has since become a lifelong passion. This passion coincides with his love of gardening, and he loves to use fresh ingredients from his garden when preparing meals. He enjoys researching new recipes, preparing authentic dishes from around the world, and feeding his friends and family.

Along with teaching our students how to prepare meals in the kitchen, he is excited to show them how to grow some of their own vegetables in our gardens and encourage them to try new foods.

Outside of work, he is an avid gardener, plays the piano, goes hiking with his husband and two dogs, and of course, cooks.

Jeremy is from the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield Region of Appalachia. He graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA in History (and he is still a huge Kentucky sports fan – GO CATS!)

In his career, Jeremy has worked in several roles that allowed him to build relationships and help others meet their goals. He has always had a passion for history, especially Appalachian history. What he loves most is sharing the rich and fascinating stories of our region. Jeremy is excited to share some of these stories with his students. Coming from a family of small town teachers and coaches, Jeremy witnessed first-hand the lasting impact educators have on the lives of their students. That’s what he hopes to bring to Maple Hall.

When he is not teaching at Maple Hall, you can find Jeremy on the golf course, reading, playing or watching sports, watching movies, or playing with his dogs Louie and Laverne.

Bio coming soon.

Erica has been in love with cooking since she was a child. She always told her parents growing up that she wanted to be a chef. Prior to joining the Maple Hall team, Erica worked in several kitchens and even owned her own bakery for two years. It was so successful that she couldn’t keep up with the orders! Since closing her bakery, Erica worked in manufacturing but was desperate to get back in the kitchen.

Erica is excited to work for Maple Hall because it gives her the opportunity to cook for the most honest food critics in the world: children.

In her spare time, Erica is an avid reader. She doesn’t have a favorite genre but finds herself reading more fantasy than anything else.

Bio coming soon.

Charlotte is one of our two pot belly pigs. She loves belly scratches, sunbathing and sneaking into the garden to eat vegetables.

Clover is one of our equine therapy horses. She is a Quarter Horse and a former show horse. Clover is very laid back, friendly, and loves building connection with our students.

Harley is one of our equine therapy horses. He is a Morgan, Arab and Quarter Horse mix. He is very friendly, sociable and loves bonding with our students.

Bartholomule and Donleyote (Bart and Don) are our two donkeys. They came to us from a farm where they were livestock guardians, and are slowly getting accustomed to human kindness and attention.

Lucy is one of our many goats. She loves to hang out with Pearl and roam around our pastures.

Pearl is one of our many goats. She loves to eat grass and lay around in the sun with her friends.

Walter is our newest farm kitten. He is very curious and loves running around our farm animals, both big and small. He is very friendly and loves getting pet by our students.

Skink is one of our fourteen farm chickens. Skink loves running around his pen and eating fresh vegetables from the garden.

Fatty the Third is one of our fourteen farm chickens. She loves pecking on the farm grass and eating fresh vegetables from the garden.

Scrooge is one of our fourteen farm chickens. He loves cuddles from our students and eating fresh vegetables from the garden.

Tom is one of our three friendly goats! He loves hanging out with students, getting pet, and roaming around the farm.

Oreo is one of our three goats! Oreo is very friendly and loves making friends with our students, and hanging out with Tom and Ginger at the farm.

Ginger is one of our three goats! She is the smallest of the three and loves to roam around in the pasture and eat grass and flowers. She is a bit shy, but very sweet, and loves our students very much.

Blu is our official greeter and admissions assistant. He loves to greet new students on their first day on campus and alleviates their anxieties with his snuggles and kisses. He is honored to be many of our students’ first “buddy” on campus. Blu is also an expert fetcher and all-around good boy. 

Sage is one of our many campus dogs! As our Junior Lifeguard Assistant, she works part-time on Fridays and comes to campus to hang out with students by the pool. Sage joined our team as a two month old puppy, and is excited to get to grow and learn alongside our students. They have already taught her a bunch of new tricks!