School Staff
Dr Michael Pennell, Principal 864.331.2145
Dr Pennell has been a teacher and administrator in Catholic schools since 1991. He joined Prince of Peace as Principal in June, 2005 as the school entered its third academic year. He had previously served four years as Assistant Headmaster and Head of Middle School at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville. Since 2005, Dr. Pennell has supervised the growth of the school from a K5 to 4th grade with130 students to a K4 to 8th grade with now almost 270 students enrolled for the 2011-12 school year.
Before arriving in Greenville in 2001, Dr. Pennell worked in Catholic education in the Diocese of Dallas at the middle school, high school, and college levels. He had served on two Texas Catholic Conference Accreditation Commission (TCCAC) teams in the late 90’s – for Bishop Lynch High School and for Dallas Jesuit. He is currently leading Prince of Peace Catholic School through the accreditation process with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or SACS. He also serves as a member of the Catholic Diocese of Charleston’s Governance and Leadership Committee which reviews state-wide SACS accreditation standards for the Catholic schools.
Dr. Pennell has attended Catholic schools since Kindergarten. He attended St. Raphael’s Catholic School and Cathedral High School in his native Canada as a youth, and he later earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire. He continued his studies earning both a Master of Arts and Ph.D. from the Braniff Graduate School of Liberal Arts at the Catholic University of Dallas in Dallas, Texas. He earned a certificate in Catholic Schools Administration in the University of Dallas’ Catholic School Leadership Program.
Jennifer Simpson, Office Manager 864.331.3911
Mrs. Jennifer Simpson joined Prince of Peace Catholic School in 2006 as administrative
assistant and now serves as office manager for the school. She handles all administrative tasks
relating to admissions, student records, employee records, and safe environment. She is at the
center of information communication on policies and procedures for families on behalf of the
Principal, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), the teachers, and the offices of the Diocese of
Charleston. Mrs. Simpson brought a wealth of experience and knowledge of human resources
and management to our school having earned a bachelor’s degree in management from Clemson
University, and has worked for New South Communications, Charter Communications, and
Sprint. She and husband Drew have 5 children with 2 enrolled in the school.
Cathy Foloky, Receptionist 864.331.2145
Began in: 2011
Activities:
Member of the POPCS Catholic School Management Committee – Enrollment
Education and Experience:
Mrs. Foloky is a graduate of Francis Marion University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and French. She retired from MetLife in 2011 after 30 years of service as an IT professional.
Mrs. Marie Hindman joined Prince of Peace Catholic School in 2006 as bookkeeper for the
school. She handles all accounting tasks relating to tuition, accounts payable, budgeting, lunch
and field trip collections and the payroll for the employees. Mrs. Hindman earned a bachelor’s
degree in accounting from Clemson University. She began her career in banking as an Internal
Auditor with Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. After moving to the upstate she began helping
various businesses with their accounting needs. She and husband Pat are parents to 3 beautiful
girls and a spoiled dog.
Please visit our school website for faculty contact information.