Hi! I am Katie Browning, and this will be my 18th year teaching. I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in early childhood education. I began my teaching career at MBA and have loved every second! My husband, Justus, and I have four children, Cannon, Ruby, Reese, and Luke. We enjoy camping, traveling, hiking, gardening, and spending time together!

My name is Brittni Burch. My husband, Josh, and I have been married for 8 wonderful years and we have a precious little girl named Sophia. This will be my 9th year teaching. It will be my first year in Kindergarten. I previously taught Pre-Kindergarten for 7 years. Some of my favorite things are being with my family, friends, and church family, spending time at the beach, photography, crafting, and sharing my heart of teaching with little ones.

My name is Wendy Lynch and I am so excited to “Bee” at Austin teaching kindergarten!

My husband Clint and I have four children; Brooklynn, Brittni, Branden, and Brodey. We also have 3 grandbabies that we absolutely adore; Casyn, Callen, and Beckham.

I love spending time at the beach with my family, watching my boys play baseball/football, spoiling my grands, and shopping!

Teaching is truly my passion and I'm so excited to start year 24 of teaching!

My name is Jessica McDonough. I am a Kindergarten. This is my 15th year teaching and my 3rd year at Mary B. Austin. I taught kindergarten in Pascagoula for 9 years, before that I taught 2nd and 3rd grades in Hattiesburg. I have 2 wonderful children. I am originally from Slidell, LA. I attended USM where I received my Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education. I met my husband, Robert, while at USM and moved to Mobile 10 years ago.

Hi, my name is Townsend Bessonen! I am originally from Fairhope, where I grew up with my six siblings. I went on to graduate from Auburn University, where I met my husband, Alex, who was born and raised in Mobile. After teaching in Birmingham and Houston, we moved back home for me to start my sixth year of teaching, and we could not be more excited to plant our roots back home near our friends and family!

Hi, I am Margaux Golden, a Mobile native, one of Mary B. Austin’s second-grade teachers with 9 years of experience. I received an undergraduate degree in Communication Technology with a minor in Visual Communications from Saint Louis University and hold a master's in Elementary Education from Springhill College. I have recently completed the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training and I am looking forward to implementing some of the new skills I have learned this coming school year. I have been married for 8 years to my husband, Matthew Golden, and have four amazing children.

My name is Chasity Jackson and I am super excited to be teaching 2nd grade again this year at MBA! I have a dual Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education and have always had a life-long passion for learning. I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for 27 years and we are blessed to have five amazing children. I love spending time with my family, cooking, and traveling. I cannot wait to meet my students as I believe this is going to be an awesome school year as we learn and grow together!

My name is Grace O'Toole and I will be teaching 2nd Grade this school year. I am originally from the Chicagoland area, but I moved to Mobile after graduating from Spring Hill College. I completed my M.Ed. from The University of South Alabama this summer. When I am not teaching, I love to go to the beach, read, and bake. I am ready for an awesome school year!

My “roots to success” grow deep at MBA as my first teaching job began here in 2001. I taught fifth grade for 13 years, then switched to fourth grade where I’ve been very happy ever since. I have two daughters, ages 21 and 26. The oldest is an attorney and the youngest aspires to be an orthodontist. I am very proud of them, as I am of all the precious learners whom God has placed in my care.

My name is Emily Reed, and I am a Fourth Grade Teacher at Mary B. Austin. This will be my 20th year teaching and my third year teaching Fourth Grade. My husband Jeff and I have two daughters and are excited to have our youngest join the Mary B. Austin family as she starts kindergarten this year. My oldest daughter will be in 2nd Grade this year. We are looking forward to a great year together!

Hi! My name is Anna Sias (pronounced “sy-as,”)! I’m so excited to be joining the staff at Mary B. Austin. I’ve been teaching for several years now, most recently at Meadowlake Elementary School and I’m eager to get started with this year's fourth-grade class. I’m a lifelong Mobile resident, graduating from Baker High School and Spring Hill College. I’m a parent, too, and I understand how important communication is with the teacher. Feel free to reach out to me anytime! I can’t wait to meet your children!

My name is Ramona Ardizone, I am the ARI Reading Specialist here at Mary B. Austin. This coming year will be my 36th year as an educator. My husband Brett and I have been married for 37 years and have 3 wonderful children. I love what I do and am so happy to be part of the Mary B. Austin family!

Hi! I have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Elementary Education. I’ve taught 5th grade, Kindergarten, and Reading intervention for the last five years. I am married and have 3 children, Caroline (15), Jake (13), and Lane (8). I am excited and looking forward to teaching our Austin Innovators this year!

I have a wonderful, hard-working husband named Geoff, a beautifully smart daughter named Avery and a very vocal husky named Nimbus. When not at school, you can find me reading a book, traveling (we're currently at 32 states) or cheering on the Tide!

My name is Chasity Lambert. I have been the librarian at MBA for 10 years. I love to see students excited about books and technology.

I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.
J.K. Rowling

I am Ashley Miller, and very excited to be a part of the incredible MBA family! I have taught for a total of 13 years, with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education along with a master's degree in Educational Administration. I am married with two beautiful children, love Dauphin Island, and drinking coffee on my back porch! I am ready for a fabulous year at Mary B. Austin.

My name is Keith Burt (Coach). I am a Physical Education teacher starting my 11th year at Mary B Austin. I am from Monroeville, Alabama, and graduated from Monroe County High School. I received my B.S. in Physical Education from the University of South Alabama. I am married to my beautiful wife Jackie and we are the proud parents of our two daughters Emily and Caroline.

Married to Geron Regan and have 2 children, Anna Louise & Joseph Cummins. I have been teaching PE for 25 years with MCPSS. I have been at MBA for 16 years. Love working with our students and the staff at MBA. Looking forward to a great year!

I am married with 4 children, a girl, 2 boys, and a nephew we have raised. I love college football (Roll Tide), saltwater fishing, reading, and traveling. You will usually find me laughing or with a smile on my face. I am excited to be at Mary B Austin and I am looking forward to serving the Austin Community as your school Registrar.

My name is Ashley Spelton, and I am the Bookkeeper here at MBA. I have been with MCPSS for 30 years, and I have been at MBA for 23 of those years.

My daughters and other family members attended MBA, and I am proud to say that I have grandchildren and other family members attending MBA this present day.

I believe that every day offers us a teachable moment to help motivate each other as administrators, teachers, support staff, parents, grandparents, and guardians of our children to overcome the day-to-day challenges to strive and achieve the desires of their hearts.

MARY B is the place to “BEE” living one day at a time and enjoying one moment at a time.

I will be starting my fourth year as a school nurse and my fourth year at MBA. I've been a nurse for almost 10 years. I've done memory care, special needs nursing, and I'm currently PRN for a local hospice. I have just completed my Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) training, which I am very proud to have completed! I am also currently working on my Master's Degree in Nursing with a focus on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement and will complete that in April. I have been married for 25 years in October and have 3 children. We love to travel! Looking forward to another great year at Mary B!

Hello, My name is Mrs. Asline "Denise" Johnson. This is my second year at Mary B. Austin ES as an attendance clerk. I enjoy doing arts and crafts in my spare time....

Hi, my name is Theresa Agee. I am from Mobile, AL (born and raised). I graduated from Bishop States Community College in 2003, with an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education. I am dedicated to Mary B. Austin Elementary and have graced my role as a Paraprofessional for over 20 years. I am motivated and supported by my loving family, made up of 4 children and grandkids. Faith, Family, and Friends are the most important driving forces.

Hello, I’m Tara Mcdonald. This will be my third year at MBA and my fourth year with MCPSS, I am a special education paraprofessional and I love every single one of my babies. They are a true JOY. I have two beautiful daughters Emaleigh who is 15 and Addison who is almost 12. I enjoy beach days, time spent with my family, and boat days with friends.

Hi, I am Jessica Murphy, Special Education Paraprofessional for Grades 4th & 5th. I'm a graduate of Springhill College and the mother of two adult boys Harold & Stephen. I enjoy working at MBA.

Hello everyone, My name is Kayla Winkler soon to be Kayla Bumgarner. I am 24 years originally from New Jersey. I have lived down here now for almost two years. I have worked with children my whole life, and now I have a five-year-old stepdaughter. I have been teaching K2 for three and a half years now. Becoming a Paraprofessional has been a dream of mine and furthering my education. I am looking forward to meeting y’all and working with everyone.

Hi, my name is Julie Bassett. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Mobile. I have a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts, both in elementary education. I taught 2nd and 3rd grade and have done math and reading intervention in the past, but for the last several years I have been a stay-at-home mom. My husband and I have two boys and my oldest will be a junior at the University of Alabama this fall while my youngest turned 16 this summer and will be a sophomore at UMS-Wright.

Hello Austin Family! I am honored to begin my second year as the Assistant Principal at Mary B. Austin! It is a privilege to work with a wonderful group of students and a dedicated staff and community that work together to ensure that Austin is an amazing place for our students to learn and grow. I am married, and my husband and I have three wonderful boys: Tyler, Antoine, and Troy. This year marks my 22nd year with MCPSS, and I think this is going to be the best year yet!

Hello, my name is Melissa Whigham. I have been the principal of Mary B. Austin Elementary since December 2018 and have been a part of the Mobile County Public School System for 25 years. I have 15 years of experience teaching at the elementary and middle school levels and have spent the past 10 years in administration. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, as well as a master’s and Specialist degrees in Educational Leadership. Currently, I am enrolled in the Executive Doctoral Program of Educational Leadership at the University of South Alabama.

It is a privilege to work with the students, parents, teachers, and staff at Mary B. Austin Elementary, where I'm committed to fostering a culture of learning and creativity. Our aim is to provide students with numerous opportunities to explore and develop their talents. At Mary B. Austin, we strive to create an environment where students can "BEE" their best selves. I'm grateful to all the parents and guardians who have entrusted us with their children's education.

On a personal note, I love to read, run, and spend time with my family, including my husband, children, and grandbaby.

We Are Austin Innovators!