Administration

Dr. Colin Brown Head of School
Dr. Colin Brown joined AST in July, 2020. He has over 25 years in the education field and has held administrative positions or taught in Canada, China, Guatemala, Hungary, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic. Dr. Brown is currently the Board President of the Council of Administrators of Taiwan Expatriate Schools (CATES). He has presented at leadership conferences in Kentucky, Atlanta, Medellin, Abu Dhabi and Cairo on innovations in curriculum development, standards based grading and reporting and a unique teacher professional growth program. Dr. Brown has had numerous educational articles published and has led many workshops for teachers and administrators on new initiatives in education. He has frequently led or served on Cognia/AdvancED accreditation visits around the world (since 2011), and he has also served on or led accreditation visits for CIS/WASC/NEASC. Most recently, Dr. Brown was a contributing author of the book, International Education Leadership: Stories From Around the Globe (2022). Dr. Brown is passionate about continuing to support and guide AST towards academic excellence. His wife, Laura, who teaches third grade, and his two daughters are pleased to be a part of AST's warm community. Dr. Brown's family is truly international as he is Canadian, Laura is Australian, Keira was born in China and Maya was born in Guatemala. ​

​Mrs. Annie Tung Deputy Head of School/Elementary Principal
Ms. Annie Tung is a proud alumnus of the American School in Taichung. She returned to AST after living and teaching in the United States for over ten years, where she taught in both public and private schools in Northern and Southern California. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of California, and a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Education from the University of California, Irvine. In 2016, she received her administrative credential from the States of Washington. Throughout her years as an educator, Ms. Tung has held a variety of leadership positions, including Elementary School Coordinator, Summer Camp Director, and chair of the Professional Development Committee. She also piloted Mandarin Immersion programs and taught for several years as a classroom teacher. She has presented at TESOL International Conventions and Rotary Clubs. Ms. Tung is passionate about her students and fostering Excellence, Integrity, and Responsibility at AST. She is a wife, mother, and swimmer. Last year Annie swam across Sun Moon Lake and participated in several triathlon relay events with her husband, Joey. She enjoys being on adventures and continues to find joy along the way!

Ms. Kelly Konicki Secondary Principal 
Ms. Kelly Konicki will be joining AST in the 2022-2023 school year. Although originally from Chicago, Illinois she's lived in Seattle, Washington for most of her life. For the past 4 years, she has been the Associate Principal at Juanita High School and the Summer School Principal in the Lake Washington school district. Ms. Konicki is passionate about building and supporting systems focused on developing skills and character traits needed for life-long learning. In her previous middle school, and at the district level, she led work in advancing science curriculum, multi-tiered systems of support, standards based grading and district-wide social emotional learning. Ms. Konicki has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Biology from Washington State University, a Master’s in Teaching degree from Western Washington University (WWU) and certification in Educational Leadership and Administration from WWU as well. She will be moving to Taiwan with her husband Nacime, who is a Pacific Northwest native and works in the film production industry. Ms. Konicki and her husband are looking forward to the incredible culture Taiwan has to offer and to being active members of the AST community. 

Mrs. Jen Sylvester Director of Teaching and Learning
Mrs. Jennifer Sylvester is delighted to join AST for the 2022-2023 school year. She has served students and families in Texas and China for the past 13 years as a curriculum coordinator, Special Education teacher and English teacher. She holds a Master of Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from the University of Houston. As a lifelong and life-wide learner, she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in leadership and management with an emphasis on global and international education from Drexel University. She has also served as a Western Association of Schools and College's accreditation visiting team member in Tokyo, Japan and Yangon, Myanmar. She is passionate about supporting teachers, so they can help students achieve their highest potential. She will be moving to Taiwan with her husband and daughter who will be a 10th grade student at AST.

Mr. Ethan Dombkowski Secondary Assistant Principal
Mr. Ethan Dombkowski is a passionate teacher and administrator with 8 years experience as the Social Studies Department Head, 2 years of experience as the AST Activities Coordinator, and 2 years of experience as the AST Secondary Coordinator.  He has a Master’s of Educational Leadership (MSc) degree from the University of Leicester; a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Jacksonville University; and is a State of Florida, U.S.A. certified teacher.  His goals as an administrator are to strengthen the robust AST community, guarantee a happy and safe learning environment for all students, and to serve and support teachers so that AST will continue to be the prestigious institution that its history and future are built upon.