Mr. Mark Carothers - Principal
Mark Carothers has been principal at Poolesville High School (PHS) since July, 2019. Mr. Carothers has also worked at Watkins Mill, Magruder, Damascus, and Clarksburg High Schools as an English teacher and administrator. Mr. Carothers graduated from Slippery Rock University in western Pennsylvania and earned his Masters Degree from McDaniel College. Outside of school, Mr. Carothers enjoys traveling with his family, supporting his son, Christian, at his baseball games, and following Pittsburgh sports. Mr. Carothers believes every student deserves quality first instruction and to know they are seen, heard, valued, and supported.
Mr. Daniel Mckenna - Assistant Principal
Mr. McKenna joined the ranks of MCPS educators in 2001 at Richard Montgomery School and then moved west to Poolesville High School in 2008. As a Falcon, he has served as an English teacher, elected faculty representative, Humanities Head of House, English department resource teacher, and Debate coach. He earned his Bachelors in English Literature and Composition from Penn State and then did the unthinkable – for a Nittany Lion – by going to the University of Michigan for graduate school. He also completed an educational leadership certificate at Hood College. When not working with students and teachers at Poolesville, he spends his time walking his dogs, reading novels big enough to stop a door, playing guitar, and enjoying the company of friends and family. He makes his home in Lovettsville, VA with his brilliant wife of 26 years and four children. Fun fact: Mr. McKenna inexplicably won a recent “Most likely to win a rap battle” staff award even though he lost the only rap battle that he ever entered (to Mr. Ward!). In addition, Mr. McKenna has been spotted leading pop music sing-alongs with students at pep rallies.
Ms. Allison Wilder - Magnet Coordinator
Ms. Wilder began her MCPS career at Poolesville High School in 1999. Her roles at PHS include English teacher, English department resource teacher, staff development teacher, elected faculty representative, coach, class sponsor, National Honor Society advisor, and Black Student Union sponsor. Prior to working for MCPS, Ms. Wilder worked in private schools in Ohio and Maryland. She graduated with a BA-English from The College of William and Mary and earned her Masters degree in Education & Human Development from the University of Maryland. Ms. Wilder enjoys competitive cooking, guerilla gardening, and raising money for her local library. She lives in Frederick County with her husband and four children, a poorly behaved dog, two cats, and many chickens. Fun Fact: Ms. Wilder, along with Mr. Leong and Ms. Clowe, participated in the original Staff Infection act at the 2005 Talent Show.
Daphne Williams - Assistant School Administrator
Ms. Williams is excited for her second year as a PHS administrator. Prior to this, she served as the head of the special education department at Rocky Hill MS for 9 years. Before that, she was a special education teacher for 17 years. She's taught all four core subjects (but math is her favorite) and she's worked at RICA as well as schools in Philadelphia and Dallas. She also taught a course for undergraduate education majors at UMD for 9 years. Ms. Williams is very proud of her four daughters who've excelled in academics, athletics, and most importantly, being genuinely kind people. Ms. Williams is committed to meeting the needs of the whole child in order to maximize their growth, both in school and beyond.
Ms. Libby Hillard - School Business Administrator
Ms. Hillard grew up in Poolesville and graduated from Poolesville High School in the Class of 1984. Before joining MCPS in 2006, she worked in fundraising and international development. She holds a BS in Business and a MS in Leadership. Ms. Hillard has one daughter, a proud Poolesville graduate from the Class of 2017, who now working in accounting and lives in Bethesda, MD. Fun Fact: Ms. Hillard first worked at Poolesville from 2006 to 2015 before serving as the School Business Administrator at Walt Whitman High School and later as Operations Manager for the Division of Maintenance and Operations. She is happy to be returning home to Poolesville, where she resumed her role as School Business Administrator in January 2025.
Main Office Staff
Mary Fourcade
Administrative Secretary
240.740.2410
Adrienne Brooks
Magnet Office Secretary
240.740.2400
Rhona Bortnick
Main Office Secretary
240.740.2400
Lara Fisher
Main Office Secretary
240.740.2400
Champika Pallik Kondage Don
Attendance Secretary
240.740.2400
Financial Office
Nathaniel Gordon
Financial Specialist
240.740.2411
Security
Bryant Covington
Security Team Leader
240.740.2432
Ashley Herbert
Security Officer
James Rice
Security Officer
TBD
Security Officer
Health
Teresa Fanflik
Health Technician
240.740.2402
Janet Lee, SCHN
School Nurse
Building Services
Parbatie Ragunath
Building Service Manager
Johnatan Villalobos Orellana
Building Services Assistant Manager
Marisella Calix
Building Service Worker
Janice Carter
Building Service Worker
Brenda Cristobal Rafael
Building Service Worker
Trevor Riggs
Building Service Worker
Staff Development
Stefanie Draisen
Staff Development Teacher
240.740.2445
Building and User Support
TBD
Plant Manager
Kathryn Hackey
ITSS
240.740.2414
Foday Conteh
Media Services Technician
240.740.2418
Cafeteria
Julia Cho
Cafeteria Manager
240.740.2404
Paula Brooks
Cafeteria Worker
240.740.2404