After teaching at Magruder High School for 25 years, theatre connoisseur Mike D’Anna has taken over assistant principal Christopher Berry’s former position as Blake’s new signature program coordinator.

Mr. D’Anna became a candidate for the position when Mr. Berry was promoted after assistant principal Scott Murphy transferred to Neelsville Middle School. “He has a great background that would be able to facilitate the arts and humanities at Blake,” says Mr. Berry. “He’s a very dynamic person, he works extremely well with students and he has a wealth of knowledge.”

From being the founder and president of two nonprofit organizations that put on theatre festivals, to working as the on-site director at the London Globe of the United States, as well as having taught three different classes and coached three different sports, there is little Mr. D’Anna has not seen or done.

The job of a signature coordinator includes a wide range of responsibilities, including doing tours and presentations for the Preferred Choice Program, creating programs for the arts and humanities and handling school administrative tasks. “It puts me in touch with all the arts programs,” says Mr. D’Anna. “I want to keep the program stepping up levels of excellence, and to continue to set standards of excellence.”

Besides continuing to build from the foundations Mr. Berry has set, Mr. D’Anna, who has worked with Mr. Berry in the past, also hopes to set up an academy for scenic and entertainment design.

Mr. D’Anna’s daughter, dance teacher and poms coach Danielle D’Anna, also works at Blake. “I love it,” she says. “We have a good relationship, and being within the same school allows us to be a lot closer to each other so it’s very beneficial to us both.”

Adds Mr. D’Anna, Blake is “an exciting place to be, but I think it’s the people here…the staff is energized and compassionate. It’s been a good move in.”