School Leadership
Welcome to Charlotte Latin School!
Choosing the best school community for your children is a critical decision. We all want a school with dedicated teachers who bring learning to life and stretch our children’s minds to achieve their full potential. At Latin, crafting an education that is individualized and personal is important to our faculty. In addition, we want our students to grow up with strong character to be leaders with confidence. Leadership, honor, work ethic, friendship, teamwork, inclusivity, empathy, and compassion are taught not only in the classroom, but also on the athletic field, the stage and in clubs, and organizations. The diverse breadth of experiences to be tried, honed, and developed at Latin are enhanced even further by the diversity of its people. There is no better school in Charlotte to partner in parenting and raising your children than Charlotte Latin School.
Charlotte Latin is a community that is intentionally designed to capture every teachable moment as each year builds on the next, pedagogically and personally. The words Honor Above All are above the doors in every classroom raising each student’s sights, both literally and figuratively, to grow into his or her full potential as a student and a person. Our 128 contiguous acres provide a setting with plenty of green space for children to explore, while state-of-the art facilities like our new Inlustrate Orbem Building, world-class Horne Performing Arts Center, nationally-known Fab Lab, Beck Student Activities Center, and eight athletic fields provide the space for children that enhances their educational setting.
While facilities and technology are critical today, they don’t replace excellent teaching that sparks curiosity and inspires a lifetime love of learning. At the end of the day, it is our students, faculty, coaches, and staff that make Charlotte Latin a great school.
The only way to understand Latin’s most important element — its people — is to schedule a visit and come see for yourself. Our campus community is a happy place — one which is better experienced first-hand than read about online.
Come visit Charlotte Latin!
Chuck Baldecchi
Head of School
I was initially attracted to Charlotte Latin because of its national reputation for academic excellence, but the reason I fell in love with the school is its strong sense of community.
Chuck Baldecchi,
Head of School
Meet the Administrative Team
Mrs. Taylor was previously at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM), where she was the Diversity Recruitment Manager. Her role included directing all initiatives to attract and retain underrepresented students, building and managing outreach and school district partnerships, and collaborating with civil rights, social, and community organizations to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) interest and participation among racial minorities. Prior to her work at GSSM, she was a science curriculum writer for CPO Science, in Nashua, New Hampshire, where she wrote physics, chemistry, biology, and other scientific content for inquiry-based secondary science education textbooks, created model lesson plans for teachers, and managed curriculum and assessment projects in several states. Taylor was also a public high school science teacher in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and Orlando, Florida, and a chemist at the start of her career at the Flowers Chemical Laboratories.- Todd Ballaban, Head of Middle School
- Joanne Beam, Director of Philanthropy
- David Gatoux, Director of Athletics
- Jim Huffaker, Chief Technology Officer
- Beth Lucas, Director of Human Resources
- Rob McArthur, Chief Financial and Operations Officer
- Erica Moore, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Mary Yorke Oates ’83, Director of Admissions
- Mark Tayloe, Head of Lower School
- Lawrence Wall, Head of Upper School
Todd Ballaban, Head of Middle School
Mr. Ballaban is the Head of Middle School. Todd has a rich background in education having spent years as an English and Debate teacher as well as serving in administrative capacities in both middle and upper school. Todd came to Latin from La Jolla Country Day School in California as the Upper School Dean of Academics and Student Life and the Assistant Upper School Director. Todd has a BA from Amherst and a Master’s degree in Education Leadership from California Lutheran University. Todd and his wife, Amy, have their own 21st Century learner, Keegan.Joanne Beam, Director of Philanthropy
Joanne is a Latin parent (Ryan ’22) and joined Latin’s Office of Philanthropy as Director in 2021. Joanne has a diverse background in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. A founding partner of Capstone Advancement Partners (sold in 2014), Joanne also founded Beam Outcomes, where she assisted clients with capital and endowment campaigns, major gift programs, strategic planning, start-up plans and programs, volunteer and staff training, as well as board development and governance to higher educational institutions and independent schools. Widely-known in the fields of philanthropy and development, Joanne is a frequent presenter at conferences for nonprofit leaders. David Gatoux, Director of Athletics
David has more than 20 years experience as an athletic director and has directed Latin Athletics since 2012. His past experience includes Friends Academy in Locust Valley, NY, St. Mary's School in Raleigh and the Galloway School in Atlanta. David earned a BA from Denison University and an MA from Ohio University. Jim Huffaker, Chief Technology Officer
Jim Huffaker is Charlotte Latin's Chief Technology Officer. With an M.S. in Instructional Systems and Technology from Cabrini University, St. Davids, PA, and a B.A. in Organizational Management from Eastern University, St. Davids, PA, Huffaker is also a veteran of the United States Navy. Previously head of school technology at The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, NJ, Huffaker monitored technology needs for new construction, including the Hun's STEM Center and Theater. He designed IT and AV infrastructure for the school's Global Commons and Middle School buildings and led numerous other significant projects, including chairing the committee for a new Learning Management System, managing the implementation of a new Student Information System, and installing campus-wide WiFi. In addition to leading the Tech Department, he was also active with the student body, serving as an Upper School Advisor and establishing its competitive robotics team and Lego League.Beth Lucas, Director of Human Resources
A native North Carolinian, Charlotte Latin’s Director of Human Resources Beth Cox Lucas attended an independent school in Winston-Salem. Beth holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management - Human Resources from UNC Greensboro, a Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Harvard University Extension School, and twoRob McArthur, Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Charlotte Latin's Chief Financial and Operations Officer, Rob comes to Latin from the Asheville School where he served as Assistant Head of School Operations/Chief Financial Officer. Before Asheville, Rob was at Carolina Day School, also in Asheville, and St. Paul’s School in Brooklandville, MD. Before working in independent schools, Rob worked at many technology companies, including Apple Computer, Inc., Compaq Computer Corporation, and IBM. His undergraduate and MBA degrees are both from Virginia Tech. His volunteer work includes the United Way and parish financial committees and board positions at Leadership Asheville and OpenDoors. He and his wife Lynda have two adult sons and one granddaughter. In his spare time, he enjoys watching all kinds of sports and working around the house and yard.Erica Moore, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Erica Moore was formerly the Director of Faculty Equity & Inclusion and Director of Student Activities at Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS). Prior to that role, she served as the Director of Diversity at MICDS. Moore is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences, including INDEX DEI, SAIS Diversity Practitioner Institute, the People of Color Conference, and ISACS. She holds numerous certifications for professional development, including Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida and the Graduate Leadership Certificate from the Jack Welch Management Institute. She holds a B.S. in Physical Education – Wellness from the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, and an M.Ed. in Sports Administration from Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.Mary Yorke Oates ’83, Director of Admissions
In her role as Latin’s Director of Admissions, Mary Yorke Robison Oates holds Latin’s commitment to child-development and readiness to heart. Through ongoing study of cognitive, social, physical, and emotional milestones of the young child, Mary Yorke and her team of Kindergarten experts work diligently to assess a child’s readiness to begin school. With an equal emphasis on normed assessment results, current pre-school success, and a vetted readiness snapshot, the team is committed to capturing a full, balanced picture of every young applicant. And while there is no one “ideal” portrait of a Kindergarten student, there are many predictors of success that can be captured through a play-based, science backed, best-practice method.Mark Tayloe, Head of Lower School
Lawrence Wall, Head of Upper School
Mr. Wall became Charlotte Latin’s Upper School Head in 2000. Prior to that he served as Headmaster of St. Timothy’s School in Raleigh. At Charlotte Latin, Mr. Wall continues to teach both Latin and Greek to Upper School students amongst the myriad of administrative duties. Mr. Wall has a BA in Latin from Sewanee: The University of the South and an MA in Classics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Other Leadership
Mr. Baldecchi's Twitter
