Retained Search

Live Oak School, a K-8 independent school in the heart of urban San Francisco, believes that the best learning happens when students are actively engaged in the process — thinking deeply, exploring ideas, and trying on strategies for solving problems. The school’s approach to teaching and learning is deeply rooted in progressive tradition and informed by contemporary research. Live Oak anchors its instructional program around the students as individual learners, determined to prepare them for the opportunities that will define the lives of graduates in the twenty-first century.

The finance office at Live Oak is an essential business unit, comprising three people: a director of finance, and two full-time staff positions reporting to the director: a controller and an employment resources manager. In addition, the facilities department, which is outsourced to a third-party management company, rolls up to the director of finance. At a school like Live Oak, all administrators serve both strategic and hands-on functions, and they lean into opportunities to support and engage the academic program. Live Oak is led by an outstanding, highly respected, dedicated, and mission-centered head of school, who has worked at the school since 2001 and served as its head since 2009.

Live Oak School sought a director of finance to oversee all aspects of the school’s finance and budget management, human resources, and facilities. The director is a member of the head of school’s strategy steering team and has frequent touch points with the board of directors via three standing committees. Five years ago the school nearly doubled in physical size and student enrollment. Many leaders at the school have already started to imagine further expansion via real estate acquisition, for which the director of finance would be an essential partner. Live Oak School looked forward to welcoming the next director of finance in the summer of 2024.

This search has concluded with a successful hire.  A formal announcement will be made later this summer.

Shanghai American School (SAS) is an English-language day school offering an American curriculum, prekindergarten to grade 12, for expatriate families living in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China (PRC). SAS is one of the few independent, non-profit, coeducational day schools in Shanghai. SAS is an entity duly registered, licensed and regulated by the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau and the Shanghai Education Commission. SAS is governed, however, by the Shanghai American School Association of Parents. Every parent, by virtue of their child’s SAS enrollment, is a member of the Association. SAS has two campuses, one in Pudong (East), one in Puxi (West), each offering a full PK-12 program. Each high school offers a wide range of AP courses, as well as the full IB diploma. SAS is the largest international school in China with over 2,700 students and over 650 faculty and staff members.

SAS saught a chief financial officer (CFO), to start in the summer of 2024.  The CFO would be a key leadership role responsible for overseeing the financial health and integrity of the school. The CFO provides strategic financial guidance, planning, and leadership while ensuring the effective management of the school's financial resources. Reporting directly to the head of school, the CFO plays a pivotal role in shaping the financial future of the institution. The CFO oversees two business units (Finance; Purchasing and Contracts), each with a director that supervises managers and other staff that support their respective business units.  This position included a competitive salary range, plus a generous benefits package that allows for a very comfortable lifestyle and incredible savings potential. SAS values its employees and compensates accordingly.

This search has concluded with a successful hire.  A formal announcement will be made in the fall of 2024.

Island School, a PK-12 private college-preparatory school that offers a traditional and well-rounded educational experience for families on the island of Kaua‘i, announces the hiring of Danette Nelson as their next Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Nelson brings over 20 years of experience in guiding corporations through scaling up, navigating complex restructuring, and overseeing mergers and acquisitions.

This position reports to the head of school.

Lick-Wilmerding High School, a private school with public purpose, serving 550 students in grades 9-12 in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Elizabeth Pulido as their Human Resources Manager. Ms. Pulido is a dynamic and service-oriented human resources professional focused on meeting organizational issues head-on with a creative and innovative approach.

This position reports to the chief financial and operations officer.

Shanghai American School (SAS), an English-language day school offering an American curriculum to nearly 3,000 expat students in prekindergarten through grade 12 on two campuses in Shanghai, announces the hiring of Renate Hegre as its Director of Human Resources. Ms. Hegre has a robust background in human resources management in both education and the private sector, and she has a passion for creating an open, inclusive and positive working environment.

This position reports to the head of school.

Oregon Episcopal School (OES), which since 1869 has been educating students from around the world with a commitment to inclusion, purpose, service, and social justice, announces the hiring of CJ Remmo as its inaugural Director of Campus Operations. Mr. Remmo has a proven track record in overseeing multifaceted operations and a commitment to fostering safety, security, and community partnerships.

This new position reports to the head of school.

Escuela Bilingüe Internacional (EBI), a PK to grade 8, Spanish-English bilingual, International Baccalaureate (IB) independent school with two campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area, announces the hiring of Zachary Rubin as EBI's campus director.  A bilingual educator himself, Mr. Rubin has taught overseas and in the United States at a variety of grade levels.  He has experience as both an IB coordinator and assistant principal in both private and charter schools.

This position reports to the head of school.

Stevenson School, a PK-12 co-educational, college preparatory, boarding and day school with 771 students on two campuses in the beautiful central coast of California, announces the hiring of Kelly Dalton as its Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications. With more than 20 years of experience, Ms. Dalton is a seasoned communications & marketing professional--skilled at developing creative strategies to boost brand recognition, involve stakeholders, and handle public and community relations in both hospitality and government fields.

This position reports to the president.

TVT Community Day School (TVT), one of Orange County’s oldest independent, college preparatory, co-educational day schools, with 830 students in grades TK through 12, announces the hiring of LeAnn Burton as the school's inaugural director of marketing and communications.  This is a new role, charged with strategic leadership in support of the school's externally facing initiatives and campaigns within Orange County and beyond.  Ms. Burton has dedicated over 15 years in marketing and communications, strengthening brand recognition and consistent messaging in the healthcare and medical device industries.

This position reports to the head of school.

Lick-Wilmerding High School, an independent high school in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Monica Alatorre as its director of strategic communications.  Since its founding in 1895 as a vocational school, Lick-Wilmerding has built upon a long tradition of valuing and integrating the liberal arts, sciences, technical arts, visual arts and performing arts to offer a robust college-prep curriculum. Today, the LWHS curriculum is both a catalyst and a vehicle for civic engagement, and the Public Purpose Program offers students the opportunity to contribute their time, talent, and treasure through partnerships with community organizations.  Ms. Alatorre is an experienced, mission-driven communications professional, having served foundations, nonprofits, and educational institutions.  She most recently worked at Envision Education for 10 years in a variety of communications and development roles.

This position reports to the head of school.

Chinese American International School, an independent two-year-old through grade 8 independent school in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Berkley Summerlin as its next director of advancement.  Founded in 1981 as the first Mandarin immersion school in the United States, CAIS has been recognized globally as a leader in bilingual education and an innovator for its commitment to immersive, cultural education through the study of language.  Ms. Summerlin is a highly experienced, relational, and talented development professional who has worked in the field since graduating from college.  She has served K-12 schools, colleges, associations, and community service organizations.  She is a former D1, all-American, college lacrosse athlete.

This position reports to the head of school.

Francis Parker School, a K-12 school in San Diego founded over 100 years ago, announces the hiring of Allison Kaufman as its next head of marketing and communications.  Ms. Kaufman over 15 years of experience in independent school marketing and communications.  She is a former D1 athlete with expertise in data-driven marketing strategy, project
management design, brand management, and website development.  The head of marketing and communications oversees a team of six people: creative director, assistant director, graphic designer, storyteller, and two specialists.

This position reports to the assistant head of school for external relations.

Francis Parker School, a K-12 school in San Diego founded over 100 years ago, announces the appointment of Mike Rinehart as its interim assistant head of school for finance.  Mr. Rinehart has a background in corporate and nonprofit finance and operational administration.  The assistant head serves as the schoo's chief financial officer and oversees the business office, which includes a director of finance and controller.  The CFO has many touchpoints with the board of trustees and is heavily involved in supporting Parker's continued campus redevelopment and masterplan projects.

This position reports to the head of school.

The San Francisco School, a progressive, PS to grade 8 school in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Farnaz Devitt as its next director of finance and operations.  This position oversees the business office, facilities, health and safety, human resources, the kitchen, and other operational areas.  The DFO is also a key liaison to multiple board committees.  Ms. Devitt was most recently the business manager at the Drew School in San Francisco.  She was born in Iran and has over 20 years of nonprofit finance experience.

This position reports to the head of school.

Hillbrook School, a JK-12 independent school in Los Gatos and San Jose, CA, announces the hiring of Josie Porcella as its inaugural director of student support.  Ms. Porcella comes to Hillbrook having worked most recently at Harker School in San Jose, where she was a learning specialist.  She has also served in that role at Bayhill High School in Oakland and Compass High School in San Mateo. A Bay Area native, Ms. Porcella is a member of the Association of Educational Therapists.  The director of student support is a new role that consolidates leadership of two departments--learning specialists and counselors--at a time when the school is adding a high school and a second campus.

This position reports to the associate head of school.

The Girls' Middle School, a grades 6-8 independent school in Palo Alto, announces the hiring of Liz Landa as its director of advancement.  GMS has an ambitious, full-ride scholarship program that supports over 15% of its student body, in addition to traditional development and fundraising goals each year.  Ms. Landa comes to GMS with many years of experience as a fundraising professional in educational and community organizations throughout California.

This position reports to the head of school.

Westmark School, a grades 2-12 independent school in Encino, announces the hiring of Jennifer Stroud as its associate head of school.  Westmark School is a creative and supportive college preparatory school that is dedicated to educating, empowering, and celebrating students with distinct learning styles in areas such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.  Ms. Stroud comes to Westmark with over 15 years experience working with neurodiverse students.  She has been a learning specialist, program leader, curriculum manager, and academics administrator.

This position reports to the head of school.

Berkeley Hall School, an independent K-8 school in the Santa Monica Hills, announces the hiring of Courtney Grady as its inaugural director of campus operations.  Ms. Grady is an experienced school leader who has overseen programs, projects, and operations in both public and charter school environments.  She has a Bachelor of Science Administration in Interpersonal and Public Communication and a Master of Science Administration in Public Administration, both from Central Michigan University.

This position reports to the head of school.

Drew School, an independent high school in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Lyn Werbach as its next CFOO.  Ms. Werbach is an experienced COO/CFO with 20+ years scaling companies and other organizations in the Bay Area.  Ms. Werbach is a board member of the JCC of San Francisco and a Wexner Heritage Fellow. She holds a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, and a M.A. in International Finance and Economics from Brandeis University.

This position reports to the head of school.

Mission Dolores School, a K-8 school outside of Seattle, announces the hiring of Natalie Garcia Lara as its principal.  The principal is the cornerstone of the school’s leadership team, and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations while upholding the school’s mission-driven financial and educational models.  As an educational leader, Ms. Lara has created communities and partnerships with teachers, parents, and students.  She was previously a director of academics at a school in the East Bay.

This position reports to the head of school.

Open Window School, a gifted K-8 school outside of Seattle, announces the hiring of Elizabeth Welden-Smith as its inaugural director of advancement and strategy.  This position was created to help the school launch a major capital campaign with three primary goals: Access, Excellence, and Opportunity Capital.  Ms. Welden-Smith is a mission-driven‌ ‌leader‌ who has brought philanthropic and nonprofit management expertise to numerous social impact organizations.

This position reports to the head of school.

The San Francisco School, a progressive, PS to grade 8 school in San Francisco, announces the hiring of Raquel Vizcaíno as its next head of middle school.  This position oversees grades 6, 7, and 8.   Ms. Vizcaíno studied and worked in Spain before moving to the Bay Area in 2014. She has been a Spanish teacher, upper school head, high school counselor, and educational technology liaison/support before her most recent role as 2nd-8th Grade Principal at Escuela Bilingüe Internacional.

This position reports to the head of school.

Francis Parker School, a K-12 school in San Diego founded over 100 years ago, announces the hiring of Mike Rinehart as its inaugural head of operations.  Mr. Rinehart has a background in corporate and nonprofit finance and operational administration.  The head of operations oversees several critical functional units at Parker, including transportation, health and safety, facilities, and construction management.

This position reports to the head of school.

Catlin Gabel School, one of the top-rated K-12 schools in Oregon, announces the hiring of Sharon Keiser as its next CFOO.  For the last 10+ years, Ms. Kaiser has served in operational and financial leadership roles at nonprofits throughout the US.  Ms. Kaiser is a Certified Project Management Professional and has a Master's Degree in Professional Accounting from the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

This position reports to the head of school.

Menlo College, a small, private, four-year college in Silicon Valley, announces the hiring of Ahmed Abou-Ismail as its next chief financial officer.  Mr. Abou-Ismail worked most recently for Plug In America, a non-profit, supporter-driven advocacy group that helps consumers, policy-makers, auto manufacturers and others to understand the powerful benefits of driving electric.  Prior to that, Mr. Abou-Imsail worked in various for-profit institutions in senior-level finance management positions.

This position reports to the college president.

The National Association of Independent Schools, an association of nearly 2,000 schools across the US and beyond, announces the hiring of Morva McDonald as its inaugural vice president, leadership and governance.  Ms. McDonald comes to NAIS from Giddens School in Seattle, where she had served as head of school since 2015.  Prior to that, she was an associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the College of Education at the University of Washington in Seattle.

This position reports to the chief operating officer.

Mayfield Junior School, a Catholic, K-8 school in Pasadena, CA, announces the hiring of Linda Rabitoy as its next director of finance.  For ten years prior, Ms. Rabitoy worked at Claremont Lincoln University, most recently as the CFO, where she managed the finance division and built the entire financial system for a new university.  From 2000 until 2012 she worked at Methodist Hospital of Southern California, serving first as chief accountant and later as assistant controller.

This position reports to the head of school.

Live Oak School, an independent, K-8 school in San Francisco, CA, announces the hiring of Francisca Guzman as its next director of advancement.  Ms Guzman worked most recently at Live Oak, where as director of communication she increased community engagement, implemented processes to ensure brand consistency, executed crisis communication plans during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Francisca is passionate about the power of stories to transform organizations and promote social justice.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Evergreen School, an independent, preschool to grade 8 school in Shoreline, WA, announces the hiring of Dan Wagner as its next chief financial officer.  Mr. Wagner brings over a decade of experience in finance and operations in a variety of organizational settings.  Most recently Mr. Wagner was the director of finance and operations at Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, where he oversaw strategy and operations for finance, accounting, investments, endowment management, human resources, risk management, legal, facilities, dining services and transportation.

This position reports to the head of school.

Mission Dolores Academy (MDA), an independent, K-8. Catholic school in San Francisco, CA, announces the hiring of Lars Lund as its next head of school.  Mr Lund brings decades of school leadership experience, including 36 years at Junipero Serra High School.  Mission Dolores Academy resulted from the merging of two San Francisco Catholic schools: the Megan Furth Catholic Academy (MFCA) and Mission Dolores School (MDS). The school's history stretches back to 1852, making it the longest-standing Catholic school in San Francisco.  Almost all students at MDA are students of color.

This position reports to the board of directors.

The San Francisco School, a PS - grade 8 independent school in San Francisco, CA announces the hiring of Theo Dumothier to serve as its inaugural dean of library services and learning commons. Mr. Dumothier has a wide background in information literacy, information services, and technology.  Mr. Dumothier most recently worked at Simmons University in Boston, where he conducted archival research analyzing provenance narratives for Arabic-script manuscripts held in Western collections, with the goal of assessing the extent of colonial confiscation of manuscripts.

The dean of library services and learning commons reports to the assistant head of school.

Keys School, an independent, preschool to grade 8 school in Palo Alto, CA, announces the hiring of Jing Xu as its next director of admission and enrollment.  Ms. Xu comes to Keys from Yew Chung International School Silicon Valley, where she was the head of marketing and strategic engagement.  For nine years Ms. Xu worked at UCLA in a variety of research, marketing, and communication roles.

This position reports to the head of school.

Live Oak School, an independent, K-8 school in San Francisco, CA, announces the hiring of Tanya Susoev as its middle school head.  Ms Susoev worked most recently at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, where she ensured the mission alignment and overall health of academic programs, supervised faculty and staff, and institutionalized equitable, anti-racist, and anti-bias practices across academic and co-curricular programs.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Bush School, the only independent, K-12 school in Seattle, announces the hiring of Rather Stanton as its next chief financial and operating officer.  Mr. Stanton joins the Bush community from Chicago, Illinois, where he co-founded and servers as the COO of Legal Preparatory Charter Academy, a free, open-enrollment public high school that uses a law themed curriculum and culture of high expectations to cultivate compassion, self-motivation, and reflection in young adults.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Willows Community School, an independent, DK to grade 8 school in Culver City, CA, announces the hiring of Geoffrey Agnor as its assistant head of school for academics.  Mr. Agnor has worked for 25 years in schools and served in academic leadership roles in Los Angeles and New York, most recently as the middle school director at Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles.  Geoff began his teaching career at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, where he worked as a teacher, dean and coach from 1997-2007.

This position reports to the head of school.

Phillips Brooks School, an independent, preschool to grade 5 school in Menlo Park, CA, announces the hiring of Sara Poplack as its assistant head of school for academics.  Ms. Poplack is an experienced and committed elementary school educator, who demonstrated not only alignment to the mission and learning culture of PBS, but also her capacity to lead and execute the key responsibilities for this role.  Ms. Poplack is excited about her new role. She has called PBS a special place and was impressed with the faculty’s depth of reflection on their craft, warmth, and dedication to students.

This position reports to the head of school.

AIM Academy, an independent day school in Conshohocken that serves students with language-based learning differences, announces the hiring of Annette Fallon as its next head of school.  Fallon spent 10 years at the Baltimore Lab School, a division of The Lab School of Washington, the original inspiration and design of AIM Academy. Fallon served as a teacher and ultimately went on to a leadership role as the Director of Admissions for eight years.  "We believe that Annette's experience at Baltimore Lab School, watching children learn when actively engaged and fully immersed in their learning experience and seeing the academic success of students when well-trained teachers delivered evidence-based curriculum and strategies to their students, uniquely prepared her to work with our team and lead AIM Academy into the next chapter of our future vision of AIM," said AIM Associate Director Nancy Blair.

Woodland School, an independent day school situated on 10.5 acres in the beautiful and serene community of Portola Valley, announces the hiring of Daniel Cristiani as its next director of teaching, learning, and professional growth, to start July 1, 2021.  Mr. Cristiani comes to Woodland as a senior research analyst at Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), a part of the Hoover Institution.  Prior to CREDO, Mr. Cristiani worked at two highly respected Bay Area Independent Schools: Nueva School and Pinewood.  At Woodland, Mr. Cristiani will be leading teacher support, mentorship, and development, as well as instructional design and curricular innovation initiatives.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Athenian School, based in Danville, CA announces the hiring of Whitney Hofacker as its inaugural dean of experiential education, to begin on July 1, 2021. Ms. Hofacker brings a diverse and rich background in experiential education, from work as a wilderness experience associate director, to co-director of community service, to program director for youth leadership.  Ms. Hofacker has a Masters of Nonprofit Administration from USF, and BA in Political Science from Miami University.

This position reports to the assistant head of school.

The Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI), based in Oakland, CA announces the hiring of Ashlee Gutierrez as its next executive director, to take over leadership of BATTI on July 1, 2021. Ms. Gutierrez will assume responsibility following the retirement of Bob Houghteling, who is retiring after nearly twenty years of service as BATTI's founding head.

The executive director reports to the board of directors.

The Alexander Dawson School, an early childhood - grade 8 independent school in Las Vegas, NV announces the hiring of Marc Leonor as its inaugural director of co-curricular programs, to oversee the athletics, summer camp, and after school programs. Throughout his career, Mr. Leonor has been in many co-curricular leadership roles for educational and youth organizations.  He has served as site director for the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, baseball league director for the Los Angeles City Parks and Recreation Department, and sports director (and later day camp director) for Camp Sharwood in Los Angeles.  In addition, he founded a summer camp program in the Philippines, which grew from 40 students to over 500 in its most recent year.

This position reports to the director of teaching and learning.

The Alexander Dawson School, an early childhood - grade 8 independent school in Las Vegas, NV announces the hiring of Michelle Eckmann as its next chief financial officer. Ms. Eckmann has a long and distinguished career as a financial leader in both the for-profit and nonprofit industries.  For fifteen years she worked at Bank of America in their CFO group, overseeing core finance functions for different business units.  From 2016 to 2020 she was CFO for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada.  Ms. Eckmann has been active in Nevada as a philanthropic leader, which includes her long service within the Junior League since 2007.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Alexander Dawson School, an early childhood - grade 8 independent school in Las Vegas, NV announces the hiring of Brandon Wiley as its next director of teaching and learning.  Mr. Wiley most recently served as the chief program officer of the Buck Institute for Education, a nonprofit consulting firm that helps schools and districts design and sustain quality project based learning initiatives.  Mr. Wiley has also worked for GlobalEdLeader and previously Asia Society, where he was the executive director of the International Studies School Network.  Mr. Wiley has an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania in educational and organizational leadership

This position reports to the head of school.

Live Oak School, a K-8 independent school in San Francisco, CA, announces the hiring of Victoria Ladew to oversee its lower school, which spans kindergarten through grade 4. For the previous nine years, Ms. Ladew worked at Escuela Bilingüe Internacional in the East Bay, serving as lead teacher, head of lower school, and later as director of teaching and learning.

The lower school head reports to the head of school.

The San Francisco School, a PS - grade 8 independent school in San Francisco, CA announces the hiring of Kathryn McElvaney to oversee its lower school, which spans the preschool through grade 4. Ms. McElvaney has a long history of progressive education--both as a teacher and administrator.  She was most recently the founding director of High Meadows Center for Progressive Learning at High Meadows School in Roswell, GA, where she worked since 2005.

The head of lower school reports to the head of school.

The Athenian School, a 6-12, day and boarding school in Danville, CA announces the hiring of Vivian Liao to oversee the Carter Innovation Studio, a 5,200 square foot space that features a shop area, an industrial arts area, and a computer/CADD/3D printer space.  Ms. Liao has a background in engineering--as a student, teacher, advisor, and industry professional. For several years she was a site director for Partnership for Success!, a summer program based in Southern California.

This new position reports to the director of teaching and learning.

The Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, a non-profit association serving independent school technology offices, announces the hiring of Christina Lewellen as the next executive director.  Ms. Lewellen most recently served as the vice president for business development and operations of a DC-based association, where she helped to grow membership, revenue, and services.  Ms. Lewellen is a CAE from ASAE, and also holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

This position reports to the board of directors.

The Thacher School, an independent, coeducational, college preparatory boarding and day school located in Ojai, California, announces the hiring of Tracy Miller as the next director of studies.  The director of studies oversees the entire curricular program — strategically and operationally — and leads school-wide efforts to advance the teaching and learning program, ensure student success, and develop robust PD for faculty.

This position reports to the head of school.

The Grauer Institute for Excellence and Innovation is thrilled to announce the hiring of Gwyneth Connell as its second director to lead this five-year-old institute at Pomfret School in Connecticut.  Founded in 2014, the Grauer Institute coordinates the ongoing strategic innovation and evolution of the teaching and learning program.  Ms. Connell brings a passion for discovery and a professional background in improvisation as leads what is a major strategic pillar at this revered institution.

San Diego Jewish Academy, a K-12 pluralistic Jewish day school in San Diego, CA, announces the hiring of Kwaku Aning to lead the new Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking.  Mr. Aning brings years of experience as an innovation, technology, and entrepreneurial leader.

This new position reports to the head of school.