New Covenant Schools Athletic Staff
John Maynard
Athletic Director
John Maynard has been serving in the role of Athletic Director at New Covenant since 2020 and is in his 7th year of service. John has been an Athletic Director in North Carolina, South Carolina and now Virginia; a career in the Education/Athletic field spanning 16 years. He has served on Executive Board for the Blue Ridge Athletic Conference and will continue to do so this school year. John graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2009 with a degree in Exercise Sport Science – Sport Administration. He is married to Kelsey Maynard, a fellow educator, and together they have one daughter.
Elijah Kester
Assistant Athletic Director
Originally from Jamestown, New York, Elijah Kester moved to Virginia to pursue a career in athletics, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Sport Management and Administration from Liberty University. His experience includes serving as a graduate assistant at Liberty, consulting with NOCAP Sports, working at Lynchburg Wealth Management, and coaching men’s basketball at New Covenant Schools. Guided by his faith and passion for athletics, Elijah is honored to serve NCS and support its mission and student-athletes.
Juette Renalds
Director of Athletic Facilities
A graduate from the NCS Class of 2019, Juette is in his 3rd year of employment at New Covenant and 2nd in the athletic department. Juette graduated in 2024 from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2026 he transitioned into a new role as Director of Athletic Facilities where he heads up special projects of facility development and regular athletic facility maintenance. Juette has also served as the Varsity Lacrosse Head Coach since 2025.
Janna Walker
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Graduate from the NCS Class of 2021, Janna is in her 5th year in the New Covenant athletic department. After serving as head of game day operations for three years, Janna is in her second year as our Strength and Conditioning coach for all NCS JV and Varsity teams and athletes. She leads all team lifts, off-season workouts and our summer strength program. Janna has also served as a basketball coach at many different levels within our program.