Newton’s Attic Staff
Newton’s Attic operates with a small, dedicated full‑time staff supported by a diverse team of part‑time and seasonal instructors who help run our classes, camps, and STEM activities. Our extended staff includes college and high school students, homeschool parents, certified teachers, and retired professionals—each bringing unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives to our programs. This blend of ages and experiences allows us to offer creative, hands‑on STEM learning while staying true to our mission of making science and engineering exciting, accessible, and engaging for students across Central Kentucky.
The Core Team
Newton’s Attic is powered by a small, dedicated core team that oversees daily operations, program development, and the long‑term mission of the organization. This group includes our full‑time staff and our highly involved Chairman of the Board, all working together to create innovative STEM experiences and support the thousands of students we serve each year. Our core team ensures continuity, quality, and vision across every program, class, and outreach effort.
Bill is the founder and president of Newton’s Attic. A professional mechanical engineer and former high school physics teacher, Bill has always been passionate about designing and fabricating imaginative constructs to demonstrate physics principles. From his early creations like an 80-foot free-fall tower and a fully automatic tennis ball cannon to creating Newton’s Attic, he has excelled at making science and engineering exciting and accessible. Bill continues to inspire students through hands-on, project-based STEM education. Bill has created the arena and all of the mechanical devices in RGL.
Keith Hollifield, Chief Toy Maker at Newton’s Attic, brings a lifelong passion for model building and electronics to the Robot Gladiator League (RGL). With expertise in advanced fabrication tools such as CNC machines, 3D printers, and robotic systems, he designs robot chassis, conceptualizes game rules, and oversees the overall operations of the league. When not engineering cutting-edge creations, he enjoys fishing, photography, music, gaming, and traveling.
Dawn, a former teacher with a Master’s in Education and TESOL certification, combines her experience in education and business to connect Newton’s Attic with the community. After teaching and working in her family’s international high-end loudspeaker company, THIEL Audio, Dawn joined Newton’s Attic in 2012, contributing her passion for teaching and community building to the program’s success. She loves working with her husband Bill and the wonderful students, parents, instructors, and volunteers at Newton’s Attic.
Trish brings a background in Early Childhood Education and over a decade of homeschooling experience to Newton’s Attic. Since joining the organization in 2021, she has progressed from volunteer to instructor to her current role- Self-Proclaimed Chaos Coordinator- coordinating daily operations, supporting program logistics, integrating STEM activities, and assisting in the development of new classes. She blends strong organizational skills with a passion for informal STEM education and lifelong learning. When not at Newton’s Attic, she enjoys reading, art, exploring, boxing, learning new skills, and spending time with her husband, three teenage boys, and their dog.
Kathy was co-founder and president of the esteemed high-end loudspeaker company, THIEL Audio, and chair of the Consumer Electronics Association, a 2000 member, industry-only trade association, where she was later inducted into the Hall of Fame. Kathy served on Kentucky’s State Board of Education, the Work Skills Readiness Commission, and the Educational Standards Board. Kathy brings a wealth of leadership experience to the Newton’s Attic Board of Directors, where she has been pivotal in the launch of Robot Gladiator League.
The Instructors and Activity Leaders
Alongside our full‑time staff, Newton’s Attic is supported by a dynamic group of part‑time and seasonal instructors and activity leaders whose backgrounds span a wide range of ages, professions, and experiences. College and high school students, homeschool parents, certified teachers, and retired professionals all contribute their skills to help run classes, camps, field trips, and STEM activities. This ever‑changing team brings fresh energy and diverse expertise each season, enriching our programs and helping us deliver engaging, hands‑on STEM learning to students across Central Kentucky.