Faith and family were of central importance in Ann Cobler’s home during her growing-up years, and excellence in schoolwork naturally was expected. Ann firmly embraced those values, which are reflected in her successful teaching career that spans three decades, including the last 27 years on the St. Charles faculty.

A native of Columbus, Ann is the oldest of Valentino and Maxine DiPietro’s four daughters. She was valedictorian of her Brookhaven High School Class of 1966, and graduated summa cum laude in 1969 from The Ohio State University with a degree in education. She began her teaching career in the Columbus Public School system at Northland and Central High Schools before accepting a position at St. Charles in 1977. When hired, Ann was the only woman on the St. Charles faculty. (“I love St. Charles,” Ann commented in an interview for the St. Charles history book five years ago. “I feel at home here,” she said.)

During the 1980s, Ann served as moderator for three student activities: The Carolian newspaper, the Ski Club, and the “In the Know” team. Among her duties, she organized and conducted the activities award banquets, which recognized student achievements.

Ann has taught English at all four grade levels during her 27 years at St. Charles. She takes special pleasure teaching juniors, with whom she has worked diligently to build up their PSAT and AP scores. She has devoted many hours to provide extensive tutoring to students. For her strong dedication to education Ann in 1988 was presented the Distinguished Teaching Award by the Diocese of Columbus.

To help uphold St. Charles’ high standards and the quality education provided by the school, and at principal Dominic Cavello’s suggestion, Ann initiated the faculty’s use of the electronic plagiarism checking service for student papers -- something that’s now available to teachers all over the Columbus Diocese and in many other school systems.

For many years, Ann has responded to many requests to give both academic and religious presentations at student retreats and faculty meetings. She has written hundreds of messages of recommendations to help seniors gain admittance to their colleges of choice. And she has served as a mentor to many young teachers.

Eleven years ago Ann and St. Charles chemistry teacher Penny Bostic teamed up to create an interdisciplinary Chemistry/English project, which continues today. They also have paired up each of the last 12 years to organize and conduct the St. Charles prom. That involves year-long fundraising aimed at reducing the student’s ticket cost for the event.

Ann and her husband, Deane, have been married for 34 years and have two adult sons, Mason and Drew, and two grandchildren, Mason II and Fiona. Deane, who’s an accomplished chef, also has strong ties with St. Charles. Among other things, he worked to reopen the school’s cafeteria operations in 1978. Ann and Deane worked together during the next 20 years to cater monthly faculty meetings, the faculty-board Christmas dinner, staff and volunteer appreciation banquets, 8th grade open house receptions, and Monte Carlo fundraising events.

Ann earned a Master in the Art of teaching degree in 1999 from Marygrove College in Detroit. She is especially proud to have been at St. Charles long enough to teach the sons of St. Charles graduates she taught in years past. She is an active member of Tri-Village Christian Church where her husband is a deacon.

Doug Montgomery

Stage productions at St. Charles Preparatory School consistently attract rave notices. And it’s no wonder; they’re second to none in artistry among high schools in Central Ohio and beyond. Although he’s quick to give credit to others – student players, technicians, stage assistants, and others -- Doug Montgomery is primarily responsible for making St. Charles the eminent stage success it is year after year. He’s a highly motivated drama teacher with a strong love for theater. He also is a dedicated teacher of English, a subject he has taught at St. Charles for 26 years.

Montgomery’s interest in theater took root while at Watterson High School from which he graduated in 1973. After being accepted by The Ohio State University School of Music as a voice major, Doug in 1974 met Fred L. Smith, the drama director at St. Joseph Academy, a former all-girls school in downtown Columbus. He assisted Smith with several stage productions and thereby began a 30-year collaboration that continues to this day. Fred, who attended St. Charles College, taught Doug the fundamentals of play direction, inspired him to pursue a career in the theater, and introduced him to St. Charles theater. Smith for many years has served as technical director and designer for St. Charles stage productions.

Doug began directing plays at St. Charles in 1976 when he switched his college major to education. He completed his student teaching at St. Charles in the spring of 1978, earned his B.S. in education, and started his teaching career the following fall. During his first seven years at St. Charles, Montgomery served as drama director, taught all levels of English, and was moderator for the student newspaper, The Carolian, and school yearbook, The SPECTRUM. He also coached reserve and freshman soccer and announced home football and basketball games. Doug and Fred in 1980 founded the St. Charles Summer Community Theatre and produced six shows in1980 and 1981.

Departing St. Charles after the 1983 school year, Doug enrolled at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he earned a masters of fine arts in acting from the school’s Professional Actors Training Program in 1986. He was a company member of the prestigious Great Lakes Theater Festival in Cleveland from 1985 to 1988 and has been a member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the professional stage actors union, since 1986. In addition to his acting roles with Great Lakes, Doug helped design and implement the Great Lakes highly successful Shakespeare-in-the-School program, touring Ohio for three years.

Doug returned to St. Charles in the fall of 1988 and resumed duties of drama director and English teacher. In 1996 he became choral director and three years later produced the school’s first choral CD. This year he will begin his 23rd season as the basketball “voice of the Cardinals.”

Overall, Doug has directed 67 stage productions at St. Charles, 17 of which were Columbus and Central Ohio premieres. The Ohio House of Representatives in 1995 recognized Doug for his contributions to the arts in Central Ohio. Montgomery is especially proud that many St. Charles graduates have pursued careers in acting and technical aspects of theater work.

Doug has expressed a wish to extend a public thanks to his sixth-grade football coach at Immaculate Conception Elementary School “for stressing hard work, dedication, and commitment. That same man enabled me to return to St. Charles in 1988 and has fervently supported my work in the classroom and the theater. His vision for St. Charles has made it what it is today. Thank you Mr. Cavello.”

Doug and his wife, Nancy, who shares his love for theater, have two sons, Joseph, 8, and John, 5, and are members of St. Timothy Parish.

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