Recognizing Excellence in Teaching

Johnny Chilton ’78 honors Greenhill Legend Wes Kittleman by establishing a teaching award.Johnny Chilton ’78 has fond memories of his years at Greenhill, especially his relationship with his teacher, Mr. Kittleman, a cherished faculty member and administrator who worked at Greenhill from 1961-83.Alexandra and Johnny Chilton, along with their son, J.P. Chilton ’10, wanted to honor those sentiments with the creation of the Wes Kittleman Impact Award Fund, a new endowment fund that will support full-time Upper School faculty members. The endowment fund has been created thanks to a $100,000 gift from the family.This award will recognize an outstanding member of the teaching faculty in Upper School for her/his positive and transformational impact on students. Each year, members of the senior class will nominate worthy faculty members, and all Upper School students will vote through a process conducted by the Senior Class officers in collaboration with the Head of Upper School.“Wes Kittleman was an inspiration to me during my time at Greenhill,” shared Chilton. “I know that Upper School faculty often have a transformational impact on their students, and Alexandra and I are honored to provide a tangible way for students to recognize their teachers.”“Our hope is that all of our students will be inspired by a Greenhill teacher like Wes Kittleman inspired Johnny,” said Head of School Lee Hark. “I am grateful to Alexandra and Johnny for their generosity in establishing this gift and for giving the students the opportunity to show gratitude for their relationships here at Greenhill.”According to From Humble Beginnings, which chronicles Greenhill’s history from 1950-2000, Wes Kittleman was “the heart and soul” of Greenhill during the '60s and 70's. During his 22-year tenure, Kittleman wore many hats, starting as the School's business manager before finding his calling in the classroom as a math teacher and eventually serving as math department chair. In addition, he started the School’s boys tennis program, served as the Director of Admissions, and held the position of Summer School Director.The inaugural Wes Kittleman Impact Award was given to math teacher Dr. Youssef Oumanar in May of 2020.