GULF HIGH SCHOOL

Faculty and Staff

A - F | G - L | M - R | S - Z

Claire E. Gabay teaches Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II Honors. She joined the Gulf faculty at the start of the 2004-2005 school year. She was previously a dropout prevention teacher at Zephyrhills High School for two years. She has a civil engineering degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree in Education from NLU. Before becoming a teacher, she worked for Xerox and Nielsen Media Research. She was born in Cartagena, Colombia, and came to the U. S. in 1981.

Lynn Galvin-Murray is the ESOL Resource Teacher and joined the Gulf faculty in 2006. She also provides ESOL services at seven other Pasco County Schools. She previously taught Spanish in Gulf Middle School for fourteen years. She graduated from Iona College, New Rochelle, New York with a B.A. in Spanish. She attended La Universidad de Sevilla (University of Seville ) in Spain for one year. Her education certification classes were completed at the University of South Florida, Tampa. Her two daughters are both Gulf High graduates and are now pursuing careers in pharmacy and veterinary medicine.

Rebecca Gedraitis teaches Drama. She has taught at both Gulf Middle and Gulf High for a combined 22 years. She has a B. A. in Speech/Drama from Cameron University in Oklahoma.

Jeffrey Green teaches mathematics. He joined the Gulf faculty at the start of the 2004-2005 school year. He has a B. S. degree in mathematics from Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa., and completed the teacher certification program at Dickinson College. He was born in Philadelphia and grew up there. He has lived there, and in Sicily, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Los Angeles. He previously taught in the Central Dauphin school district in Pennsylvania and the William S. Hart school district in Santa Clarita, California.

Marta M. Hajdu joined the Gulf faculty during the 2007-08 school year. She currently teaches Spanish Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. Before coming to Gulf she taught Spanish at Land O’ Lakes High School. She has a B. S. degree in Business Management from Rutgers University. She worked in international business in Manhattan for about 20 years. She was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and attended Sta. Maria Goreti High School, a school in Colombia which was run by Franciscan Swiss nuns. She came to the U. S. about 30 years ago. She and her husband have two boys, who are twins. Mrs. Hajdu is certified to teach Spanish, K-6, and ESE. She says she enjoys teaching Spanish very much, as it is her native language. She also speaks some French and Hungarian.

Steve Griffith joined the Gulf faculty at the start of the 2005-06 school year. He teaches math, mostly in the International Baccalaureate program. Before coming to Gulf, he taught for 16 years at Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Indiana. He is a graduate of Indiana University. He has two grown children who are both teachers and a stepdaughter who graduated from Gulf High School.

Margie Herzek is our Cafeteria Manager.

Teresa Herzog was in charge of the ISS program during the 2006-07 school year. She came to Gulf from Anclote Elementary School where she had five years experience in Parent Involvement, a Title I program. She grew up in Palm Harbor and has lived in Pasco County for the last 15 years. She has four children. In 2006-07, one attended Gulf High School, two were twins in the fourth grade at Anclote Elementary, and the other child was one year old.

Carol Hlad teaches Nutrition & Wellness, Food Preparation, and Child Development. She was selected as the Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year for Pasco County in 2002. She has taught at Gulf for six years and in Pasco county since 1980. She previously taught in Pittsburgh. Since moving to Florida in 1979 with her husband, Greg, she has worked as a food products demonstrator for Montgomery Ward, taught at Ridgewood High, ran the child care program at Land O’ Lakes High, and was the child care training coordinator for the Pasco County School District. She has a daughter attending the University of Florida.

Mary Jones is the guidance counselor for students whose last names begin with A-F. She joined the Gulf faculty at the start of the 2009-10 school year, although she had previously been a guidance counselor here. She has also been a counselor at Ridgewood and Schwettman. Mrs. Jones was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, and attended Lincoln Park H. S. in Lincoln Park, Michigan. She has a bachelor’s degree from USF and a master’s degree in School Guidance and Counseling from Nova SE University. She has three children and four grandchildren.

Craig Judy presently teaches Construction Technology I, II & III. He has been a teacher in Pasco County for 22 years; nine at Bayonet Point Middle School and the last 13 at Gulf High School. He has a B. S. in Industrial Arts Technology from VA Tech, and a Masters in Educational Leadership from USF. Craig also has four years of experience in management at The Home Depot and one year of cabinetry in Georgia. To keep student interests at peak levels, the projects in his classes change each year to help facilitate optimal learning experiences. Over the years, projects have included: picnic tables for Sims Park and Starkey Park, display cases, GHS sign in front of the school, podiums for teachers, bookshelves, Drafting desks and stools, computer tables, administrative office and classroom remodels, and developed a spice rack making business with The Spice House in Illinois. Each school year brings about new and exciting opportunities.

Patti Keep joined the Gulf faculty in August 2005. She teaches Biology, Biology Honors, and Integrated Science. She formerly taught at Hudson High School for three years. She holds a B. A. degree in Biology from Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. Ms. Keep was born in Hastings, Michigan. She has five adopted children.

April Kelley is the guidance counselor assigned students whose last names begin with W through Z and students in IB and PIB. She is a member of the High School Guidance District Committee. Ms. Kelley has a B. A. in Business Education and an M. A. in Guidance and Counseling from the University of South Florida. She has 21 years experience as a guidance counselor and six years experience as a business education teacher.

Lina LaBarbara is a graduate of Gulf High School class of 1988. She earned her B.A. at the University of Texas at Arlington, in Arlington, Texas in 1996. She then taught 2 years in Cleburne, Texas (8th grade Science and 7th and 8th grade girl's volleyball, basketball and track coach.) She has been at Gulf High since 1999 teaching Drop Out Prevention (M.A.P.) and coached the cheerleaders for 2 years. She has 2 children. While going to college she worked in the in customer service and the fitness industries.

Joe Lampkin is a social studies teacher who has taught at GHS since the 2006-2007 school year. He is certified in Social Studies and Physical Education and has an endorsement in Reading. Mr. Lampkin is also a certified Swimming Coach with the American Swimming Coaches Association. He is a retired Army officer, and has worked at the director level in the global economy for several years prior to entering the teaching profession in 2005.

Dean Lofton teaches Science. He is the Cross Country coach and has been teaching at Gulf for 10 years. He graduated from Hudson High School in 1978 and obtained his Science Ed. degree from USF.

Janice Long teaches in the science department and is adviser of the Ecology Club and Envirothon teams. She joined the Gulf faculty at the beginning of the 1980-81 school year. She was discharged from the Army Reserve after 19 years with the rank of Captain. She received her B.S. in biology and chemistry, M.S.C.T. in biology, and completed her Rank I in counselor education at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY. She has been a member of the Cotee River Lions club since 1993 and a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace church since 1980. She was a Girl Scout brownie and junior leader for 7 years and has been a merit badge counselor for the Boy Scouts since 1990. Her twins graduated in 1998 - Jamie from Gulf High School; Janie from Ridgewood High School. Her younger daughter, Jennifer, graduated from Ridgewood in 2001 and UCF's Rosen School of Hospitality and Management in 2006.