Staff & Students

Expert at doing research, creating connections, and engaging talented people, Kit Adcock makes things happen. She is accomplished at dreaming big and then connecting the dots of people, ideas, and infrastructure to create real results with real impact. Superbly organized and gifted with vision, she’s been doing just that for decades in her career and volunteer activities, both on Bald Head Island and on the mainland of North Carolina. Her passion for education in her own life is matched only by her passion to ensure education equity, excellence, and access for all. She holds degrees in Economics from Duke University and Mechanical Engineering from NC State, and completed graduate work in Business and Finance at Georgia State University. A former preschool assistant director, Ms. Adcock has volunteered with William Peace University (and Peace College), Triangle Day School, Durham Academy, The Hill School, and Girl Scouts of America. She has proven her dedication to BHI through the years by serving as Mayor pro tempore, with the Transportation Authority, and on the Bald Head Association board, including many outreach and educational activities with the Conservancy. She lives the Academy’s mission of respect for the environment through her commitment to BHI’s unique culture of maritime habitat preservation. Ms. Adcock was instrumental in securing Marina Park, helped establish the Smith Island Land Trust, and created relationships with NC Ports Board to protect the island. She supported the Conservancy with outreach to include marsh habitat exploration, she wrote grants to secure kayaks, and started the Conservancy’s annual fund.  She liaised with local and regional partners to prevent oil/gas/seismic development of NC shores and helped define regionally acceptable parameters for offshore wind. An integral part of the magnet school legislation in North Carolina, it was her dream to create a school on Bald Head Island that launched this effort.

Mark Prak puts his time where his heart is: the preservation of the natural beauty and history of Bald Head Island. He has served on the Old Baldy Foundation board for 10 years and is now its President. He and his wife, Robin, are life members of the BHI Conservancy. Mr. Prak has served on the Cape Fear Station and Harbor Architectural Review Boards. He and Robin have previously served on the Board of Audubon North Carolina. Mr. Prak is currently a partner with the law firm of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, where, among other things, he serves as an advisor to the local television industry.  A consummate negotiator and experienced litigator, speaker, and author on regulatory issues governing media enterprises, he has focused his career on regulatory issues affecting the communications industry and on First Amendment issues. It makes sense that Mr. Prak’s history of service to Bald Head Island should evolve to BHI Academy. An avid reader, dedicated appreciator and benefactor of the arts, and devoted philanthropist, he has a deep commitment to education. He has previously served as a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School and a Visiting Lecturer at the Sanford School of Public Policy for some19 years. As an attorney, his efforts to preserve the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and the press strategically and organically align with the Academy’s motto Scientia sit potentia: Knowledge is power.

More than just founder and CEO of a successful pharmaceutical and device development company, akta Pharmaceutical Development, Dr. Vaickus is a maverick. He looks at people and situations beyond the surface appearances, bringing a unique perspective of seeing all creatures–from single cells (as a researcher), to human beings (as a medical doctor), to disease states and pandemics (as an immunologist)–at their purest “cellular” level. aktaPD® collectively has helped companies to commercialize over 100 drugs and OTC resources currently on the market today, reinforcing its commitment to healing from the inside-out.

Dr. Vaickus attained his MD at Loyola University, and trained in Emergency and Internal Medicine at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital and the University of Chicago. With more than 30 years of experience in medicine, health, and developing treatments for all types of diseases, he has held medical faculty positions at two universities: the University of Iowa and Roswell Park Cancer Institute at SUNY Buffalo. He attained one of the highest honorary titles in medicine: Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a nomination by his peers based on his body of work.

Dr. Vaickus has always been a teacher. He enjoys his unique ability to communicate complicated subject matter to people at any educational level: third grade children (“How the Human Body Works,” “What Are Lungs?”, and “The Scourge Of Tobacco”); college and graduate students (nutritional metabolism, obesity, and alcohol); post-doctoral students (immunology and the business of science); nurses, medical students, interns, residents, faculty members, and fellows (internal medicine, hematology and oncology, drugs, and anti-tumor immunity); community physicians (latest treatments for cancer and cancer research); and pharmaceutical commercial organizations (drug development, clinical trial challenges, biostatistics, and organizational behavior). He has authored over 100 scientific papers, books, book chapters, reviews, and abstracts.

One of his favorite sayings is “Knowledge is Power”, which is incorporated in the BHI Academy logo in its Latin form. He is committed to fostering young minds by teaching them critical problem-solving tools and an “anything is possible” attitude that will allow them to thrive, not just academically, but as citizens of the world and life-long learners. He brings fresh perspectives, relevant medical and past teaching experience, and an innate desire to teach the Life Sciences. The name of his company is a derivative of the Latin phrase “acta non verba,” which translates to “actions, not words,” a philosophy he carries out in his everyday life.

Timothy Krist, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the states of North Carolina and Ohio, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Miami University (Ohio), and an MBA from Arizona State University. He has over 30 years of accounting and finance experience in public accounting for individuals, as well as in public and private companies of all sizes in industries including manufacturing, software and technology, residential real estate and construction, multi-unit retail, telecommunications, and entrepreneurial ventures. An Intuit Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor, Mr. Krist’s services include fractional CFO/Controller services, business consulting, and tax planning and compliance. Mr. Krist embodies the Academy’s dedication to instilling good stewardship of resources in its students: he believes that a financial advisor should be a trusted partner to help clients achieve financial success through maintaining viability in the present, while taking a proactive approach to achieve future goals. He’ll bring these essential factors to the growth and sustainability of BHI Academy and its Foundation. Approachable and a practical thinker, he uses open communication, research, and analysis to understand clients’ needs and support their goals. His firm Green-Krist, CPA PLLC, which he and his wife Kelly (also a CPA) started, is dedicated to meeting client goals with high standards of excellence and professionalism. Esteemed and respected for their hard work, talent, and responsiveness, their firm has been a reliable staple of North Carolina’s business community for years.

In high school, he opted to participate in a vocational program that allowed him to work at the track in the morning and attend honors classes in the afternoon. Intent on discovering all he could about the business he loved, he chose racing over college, working full-time as a groom, exercise rider, and apprentice jockey for renowned trainer, Marty Fallon. After a bad spill and a year in a rehab hospital ended his racing career, he took another step on his journey of lifelong learning about his chosen field: He enrolled in the University of Virginia and later graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1981 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Economics and Animal Science. After working for Fasig-Tipton auction house and Barry Weisbord’s Executive Bloodstock, he founded Denali Stud in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1990, an internationally-recognized farm that raises and sells Thoroughbred racehorses. In order to optimize business operations and build a better company, he once again turned to education, completing the Owners and Managers Program (OPM) at the Harvard Business School, 2008-2010. Bandoroff knows lifelong learning goes both ways: He gains new insights and shares his knowledge by serving on several industry boards, including Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, Kentucky Equine Education Project, The Lexington School, The Jockey Club, and Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). Bandoroff’s dedication to conservation aligns with BHI Academy’s focus on habitat preservation and mission to embed respect for self, others, and the planet for generations to come. A key component–and smart business philosophy–of Denali Stud is its use of solar energy, installed in 2015 and the most extensive deployment of the technology among Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky. His long-term goal for the company is 100% solar energy usage, including electric farm vehicles. A resident of BHI and avid tennis player, he is married to Holly; they have three children and one grandchild. Bandoroff is a perfect fit for BHI Academy and its customized STEA+M model because he knows goals and dreams come in all shapes and sizes–and a well-rounded, whole-child education that inspires a passion for lifelong learning is the key that unlocks the door to an inspiring and satisfying future.

The first is her love of writing, which she has shared in her children’s book featuring the lovable Ellie and the island’s endangered loggerhead sea turtles. The second is her passion for photography. When Robin isn’t accompanying her husband, Mark, and Ellie on walks (a.k.a. squirrel hunts), she is photographing birds and other wild creatures (including her four grandchildren), singing at the Village Chapel, cross-stitching the youngest grandchild’s Christmas stocking, reading, playing the piano, or pretending to caddy for Mark (there are birds on the golf course, so she takes her camera). Robin can be found reading children’s book to the kids at the Academy every summer and helping them learn what they are looking at when exploring the wildlife lookout. She loves BHI, its magic, and especially its young people.

Daniel Edwards has more than 30 years in the law enforcement field. He began his career in 1991 as a member of Uniform Patrol in Durham’s Third District and a Field Training Officer for recently graduated recruits. He steadily moved up the ranks of the Department: Patrol Corporal, Criminal Investigation Sergeant, Hostage Negotiator, Lieutenant (Watch Commander), and Instructor and Trainer for the Durham Police Department and the Durham Emergency Communication Center. He was promoted in 2016 to the Patrol Division Commander of Durham’s Fourth District. A successful entrepreneur, community leader, husband, father, and friend, Edwards is founder and president of Critical Perceptions, LLC, a company that provides fundamental training skills to nationwide law enforcement, first responder, and other organizations that are ready for change. Thanks to an extensive criminal justice enforcement and training background, a master’s in psychology, and professional coaching expertise, Edwards has a unique ability to embrace difficult topics in the law enforcement, business, education, government, and nonprofit arenas and encourage meaningful discourse in which participants are personally engaged and impacted. He delivers measurable skills improvement metrics and enhanced accountability scores with a bottom line of empowering and shifting people’s thinking and perspectives for good. As BHIA Safety Officer, he is dedicated to enforcing state laws and city ordinances and protecting life and property.

Melanie Raskin knows success is in the details. A veteran project manager and award-winning producer, with a background in radio news, she brings more than 30 years in the marketing communications field to her copywriting and public relations duties at aktaPD®. Her expertise includes writing websites and eblasts, articles and feature stories, press releases, video and audio scripts, direct mail (sales letters, cards, and invitations), slogans, product names, and sales force/employee/healthcare communications and training. Ms. Raskin develops and oversees budgets and time lines, supervises vendors and creative personnel, and manages communications projects. A long-time volunteer, workshop presenter, and past board member of multiple organizations (Alcohol Drug Council of NC, HopeLine [crisis intervention], IABC [International Association of Business Communicators, ITVA [International Television Association, now MCAI], and Unity Church of Raleigh), she understands how important precision and accuracy of words and actions are to new ventures…especially academic institutions and the children and families they serve.