Resources Faculty & Staff Directory Faculty & Staff Directory A B C D E F (-) H J K L M N O P R S (-) T W Facet Last Name - Directory Faculty (-) Staff Facet Person Type - Directory Facet Area of Focus - Directory Center for Effective Lawmaking Facet UVA Partner - Directory Development Budget & Finance Information Technology Student & Alumni Services Facet Batten Department - Directory George Hadijski Program Associate, Center for Effective Lawmaking xyf3yg@virginia.edu George Hadijski is the Senior Program Associate at the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is responsible for increasing the use of CEL’s research by lawmakers, their staffs, and their influencers. Read full bio Sarah Hanks Director of Career Services shanks@virginia.edu Garrett L002A Sarah Hanks is the Director of Career Services for the Frank Batten School. She has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit capacity building, change management, and crisis recovery. Read full bio Ben Hartless Assistant Director of Information Technology bh4hb@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L029 Ben Hartless is the assistant director of information technology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Ben was born and raised an hour away in Lexington, Virginia where he worked at Washington and Lee University for thirteen years as a Technology Support Specialist. He also worked seven years at the Washington and Lee School of Law as the Director of Information Technology before beginning his new career at the Frank Batten School in Spring of 2020. Read full bio Andrea Henry Events Manager amh4tb@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Andrea Henry is an experienced professional fulfilling the role as our Events Manager. A University of Virginia alumna, class of 2019, with a dual degree in Art History and Sociology, her educational and professional journey from UVA and post-graduation provided a solid foundation in strategic planning and effective communication, all of which contribute to her expertise in event management. In her spare time, she indulges in HBO shows or tries new restaurants and coffee shops around town. Read full bio Jon Holmsted Director of Development jeh2jw@virginia.edu Jon joins the Batten School from the Virginia Athletics Foundation where he has served for two years, most recently as Director of Major Gifts. Read full bio Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor Tappé serves as Executive Director of Strategic Advancement where she helps shape and realize the strategic objectives of the Batten School. With a 25-year history in strategic planning and development, Elinor has held a variety of leadership roles in the corporate sector, as well as higher education and nonprofit. Her experience in philanthropy spans more than a decade and includes UC Berkeley, Larkin Street Youth Services and Urban Teachers Read full bio Kerra K. Thurston Executive Assistant to the Dean kaykay@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall 200 Read full bio Kim Turner Assistant Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Kim joined the Batten School in 2025 after a decade serving as the Finance and Administration Manager for UVA Music in the College of Arts & Sciences. In her current role, Kim focuses on the annual budget, financial reporting, and various other financial functions. An alumna of the University of Virginia, Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Committed to continuous growth, she went on to earn both an MBA and an MS in Public Relations from the University of Maryland University College. Read full bio
George Hadijski Program Associate, Center for Effective Lawmaking xyf3yg@virginia.edu George Hadijski is the Senior Program Associate at the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL), a joint partnership between the Batten School and Vanderbilt University. He is responsible for increasing the use of CEL’s research by lawmakers, their staffs, and their influencers. Read full bio
Sarah Hanks Director of Career Services shanks@virginia.edu Garrett L002A Sarah Hanks is the Director of Career Services for the Frank Batten School. She has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit capacity building, change management, and crisis recovery. Read full bio
Ben Hartless Assistant Director of Information Technology bh4hb@virginia.edu Garrett Hall L029 Ben Hartless is the assistant director of information technology at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Ben was born and raised an hour away in Lexington, Virginia where he worked at Washington and Lee University for thirteen years as a Technology Support Specialist. He also worked seven years at the Washington and Lee School of Law as the Director of Information Technology before beginning his new career at the Frank Batten School in Spring of 2020. Read full bio
Andrea Henry Events Manager amh4tb@virginia.edu Garrett Hall Andrea Henry is an experienced professional fulfilling the role as our Events Manager. A University of Virginia alumna, class of 2019, with a dual degree in Art History and Sociology, her educational and professional journey from UVA and post-graduation provided a solid foundation in strategic planning and effective communication, all of which contribute to her expertise in event management. In her spare time, she indulges in HBO shows or tries new restaurants and coffee shops around town. Read full bio
Jon Holmsted Director of Development jeh2jw@virginia.edu Jon joins the Batten School from the Virginia Athletics Foundation where he has served for two years, most recently as Director of Major Gifts. Read full bio
Elinor (Ellie) Tappé Executive Director of Strategic Advancement bcm2fj@virginia.edu Elinor Tappé serves as Executive Director of Strategic Advancement where she helps shape and realize the strategic objectives of the Batten School. With a 25-year history in strategic planning and development, Elinor has held a variety of leadership roles in the corporate sector, as well as higher education and nonprofit. Her experience in philanthropy spans more than a decade and includes UC Berkeley, Larkin Street Youth Services and Urban Teachers Read full bio
Kerra K. Thurston Executive Assistant to the Dean kaykay@virginia.edu 434-924-0828 Garrett Hall 200 Read full bio
Kim Turner Assistant Director of Financial Planning and Analysis Kim joined the Batten School in 2025 after a decade serving as the Finance and Administration Manager for UVA Music in the College of Arts & Sciences. In her current role, Kim focuses on the annual budget, financial reporting, and various other financial functions. An alumna of the University of Virginia, Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Committed to continuous growth, she went on to earn both an MBA and an MS in Public Relations from the University of Maryland University College. Read full bio