OPA Administration
Debbie Deem
Executive Director
Debbie Deem has been deeply involved with OPA since its inception in 2003, first as a parent and a member of the OPA Board of Directors. She was hired as a Mathematics teacher at the OPA Junior High in 2005. Over time, Mrs. Deem has taken on various roles, and she currently serves as the Executive Director, overseeing the business operations of OPA.
Mrs. Deem holds a BS Degree in Applied Mathematics with a minor in Business from Weber State University; she attended graduate school at Utah State University in the Computer Science Master’s program; and she earned an Advanced Human Resources Management Certificate from the University of Utah.
Married with four children who all graduated from OPA, Mrs. Deem is a proud grandmother of six. In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, swimming, and traveling.
Kasey Kennington
Elementary Principal
Mr. Kennington was born and raised here in good ‘ol Utah. He is the oldest of five kids and attended Northridge High School in Layton. After serving a two year service mission for the LDS church he attended and graduated Weber State University with a degree in Physical Education and Spanish. Mr. Kennington has been at OPA for fourteen years. Before becoming an administrator he taught PE and Spanish at the Junior High School. He also coached basketball, soccer, and cross country. He enjoys exercise, camping, sports, and is a proud member of the Utah Army National Guard.
Shevon Lopez
Junior High Principal
It is such an honor to continue to serve as Principal of Ogden Preparatory Academy Junior High. Our school is a wonderful place to be. I have the privilege of leading a passionate team of people who truly care about each and every student and value the work they do. Our students are amazing and continue to be the reason why I look forward to coming to work. My heart is happy every day!
This will be my 23rd year in education and my 7th as a junior high administrator. My first few years were spent as a teacher in California. Then in 2005, when OPA junior high first opened, I came here to teach Language Arts, Creative Writing and AVID. After nine years of teaching at OPA, I moved on to become a teaching specialist at a nearby district and spent three years as an assistant principal within that district. In 2021, I made the decision to return to OPA as an administrator, and I’ve been so pleased with that decision. I’m passionate about serving our community and can’t wait to begin another year!
Angela McPhee
Elementary Principal
Hello! I’m Angela McPhee and I have had the privilege of being part of the Ogden Preparatory Academy family since it first opened its doors back in 2003! I’ve taught fourth grade for one year, third grade for twelve years, and second grade for four years. I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was five years old when my kindergarten teacher, Miss Jordan, taught us the importance of reading by opening a whole new world with the different books she read to us.
I pursued my teaching degree and completed it at San Francisco State University in 2000. After I got married, my husband and I moved to beautiful Utah because of the United States Air Force. I completed a Reading Endorsement at Weber State University. I then figured I only had a few more courses left to complete my Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Grand Canyon University in 2010.
This will be my second year as a school leader and I look forward to being a Principal alongside Mr. Kennington. OPA is not just a place of employment for me. It’s a second home and therefore I am committed to its success and want to provide the very best environment for all of our students and families.
