Learn About Our Board

As Head of Cambridge School of Weston, Lise Charlier brings 25+ years of experience as a teacher and administrator, which is evident in her ability to build relationships, problem-solve, and innovate with creativity and confidence. Prior to CSW, Lise served as director of studies and strategic initiatives at Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland. Before this role at Severn, Lise was upper school assistant principal at Friends School of Baltimore in Baltimore, Maryland. She has served on the board of trustees for Green Street Academy, the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS), the Cowles Charitable Trust, and most recently the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). Born and raised in Haiti, Lise was educated in the Haitian, French, and American educational systems. She holds an MS in education from Johns Hopkins University and a BS from Georgetown University.

Dr. Renée Greenfield brings over 20 years of experience as a teacher, Orton-Gillingham Fellow, and university professor to her role as head of Carroll School. She returned to Carroll in 2021 after teaching at the school from 2000-2004 and serving as a teacher coach from 2011-2012.

Fueled by her early experiences at Carroll and a desire to support children who are underserved, Renée focused her advanced studies on language learning and dyslexia, earning a Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities from Lesley University and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction, Language and Literacy from Boston College. Previously, Renée was a professor of special education at the University of Hartford. Prior to becoming head of school, Renée was Assistant Principal of the Fort River Elementary School in Amherst, MA, where she oversaw special education.

Allison Webster has served as Head of School at Dedham Country Day since 2016. She began her career in law, practicing for two years in Boston before discovering her love of schools and switching careers to pursue the question of what makes children and institutions thrive. Over the next 20 years, she worked as a middle school teacher at Shady Hill School and The Park School, before serving as the Assistant Head of School at Shady Hill for 10 years. In addition to serving on the AISNE Membership Committee, Allison is a member of Headmistresses of the East (HMEA), The Head’s Network, Elementary School Heads Association (ESHA) and Country Day School Heads Association. She has published several articles in NAIS’s Independent School Magazine and led numerous workshops in positive psychology with independent schools leaders. She holds a B.A. in English from Rollins College, J.D. from Tulane Law School, M.Ed. in Teaching and Curriculum from Harvard University, and Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Tara Gohlmann joined Buckingham Browne & Nichols as the Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer in 2018. Previously, Tara served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Boston College High School. At BC High, Tara was responsible for Advancement & Fundraising, Buildings & Grounds, Information Technology, Admissions & Enrollment, International Programming, the Business Office, and all Ancillary Services. Tara has also served as Acting CFO/Business Manager at the North Bennet Street School in Boston and Director of Finance at Abpro Corporation. Tara began her career in finance at PricewaterhouseCoopers as a Senior Manager, responsible for Fortune 500 clients in both New York and Beijing. Tara brings to BB&N a wealth of experience ranging from her time in the business world to submitting a Charter School application, to working and studying in China. She holds an MBA from The Wharton School and an EdD in Educational Leadership and Administration from Boston College.

Before joining Beacon, Dr. Carter was a Founding member of the leadership team for Project Evident, a national organization focused on helping not-for-profit organizations and philanthropic foundations harness the power of evidence to achieve greater impact. He also co-created and led a virtual learning program for practitioners and leaders called a Talent Accelerator. Similarly, Dr. Carter designed and piloted the Data & Evidence Equity Guide, a tool to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into evidence building. Prior, he served as Deputy Director and Chief Strategy Officer at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, where he created a learning strategy and built the capacity of individuals, organizations, and systems to drive and scale innovation.

Dr. Carter is currently a Trustee for Concord Academy and the Foundation for MetroWest, and a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Evaluation Advisory Committee. He has been an Adjunct Faculty member at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and guest lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Simmons College Graduate Schools of Management and Social Work. He earned his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. in Social Work from Boston College. He lives in the MetroWest area with his wife Robyn and their two children.

Marshall Carter has served as Head of School at Atrium School since 2017, and worked in independent schools since 1991. At Atrium, he led the creation of the school’s first-ever endowment, guided a full rebuild of Atrium’s outdoor campus, and elevated faculty compensation as well as equity & inclusion work. He co-facilitates AISNE’s Small School Heads Working Group.

Prior to Atrium, Marshall was K-8 Principal at Milton Academy for seven years, Middle School Director at the Rashi School, and a middle school teacher at Shady Hill from 1998-2005. He served long tenures on Rashi’s Board of Trustees and for Cambridge-Ellis School. Through the years, he has held wilderness & environmental education roles, and in museum education leadership. He has a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and a master’s from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Marshall is an independent school graduate and parent as well.

After serving as the inaugural dean of teaching and learning at Milton Academy for nearly a decade, Indu started Door 21 Consulting to support the growth of academic and instructional leaders in independent schools. As a consultant, Indu coaches and facilitates professional development for a range of school leadership roles and develops school-based growth and evaluation systems. In addition to consulting, Indu is an instructor at the Independent School Teaching Residency (ISTR) of the Penn Graduate School of Education. Prior to her school leadership experiences, Indu taught English at the Winsor School (MA) and Phillips Exeter Academy (NH), where she learned first-hand the power of transformative adult learning communities.

Cathy has been the Head of School at Noble and Greenough School since 2017. Nobles is a 7th-12th grade school located just outside of Boston. Prior to Nobles, Cathy spent 13 years at The Episcopal Academy, located outside Philadelphia, serving many roles there over the years, including Director of Technology, English teacher, varsity girls soccer coach, Academic Dean, and Assistant Head of School. Cathy earned her B.A. in Economics from Princeton University and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia.

Brian Hargrove joined NMH in July 2019. Since his arrival, NMH has built on the momentum of previous leaders and remained focused on delivering on its mission to empower its students to act with humanity and purpose. During Brian’s tenure, NMH completed a strategic planning process, invested more than $50 million in campus improvements, increased financial aid by 40%, and launched the $225 million This Place, This Moment: The Campaign for Northfield Mount Hermon.

Brian came to NMH from Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, where he was the assistant head of school for advancement and communications. He previously was director of development for St. Mark’s School of Texas, his alma mater.

Brian holds a master’s degree in education and school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Texas State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College.

Danielle Heard serves as the head of school at Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, MA. She joined the Nashoba Brooks community in 2008 as assistant head and was appointed to the head of school position in 2012. Prior to Nashoba Brooks, Danielle worked as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, and administrator in independent schools and subsequently as the Vice President of Programs and Operations for The Steppingstone Foundation. She graduated from Williams College and holds an M.Ed. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She was a Klingenstein Institute Fellow at Columbia University Teachers College and completed the Program for Leadership Development through Harvard Business School’s executive education program. In addition to serving on the AISNE Membership Committee and Board of Trustees, Danielle enjoys serving as a mentor, advisor, and trustee for schools and non-profit organizations and currently serves as the president of the board of trustees for the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools.

Ben Jackson became Head of School at NYA in 2015. Ben has 30 years of experience in independent schools as English and history teacher, baseball and basketball coach, mock trial coach, dorm parent, board member, parent, and administrator. Prior to joining NYA Mr. Jackson served for 10 years as Head of School at Evergreen Country Day School. Ben earned his BS in Political Science from Hobart College, MA in American History from Providence College, and a M.Ed. Leadership from Regis University. Ben previously served on the faculty at The Wheeler School in Providence, RI; Friends Academy in North Dartmouth, MA; and St. Andrews School in Barrington, RI.

Charlotte E. Jacobs, Ph.D. (she/her), is an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Her research interests focus on issues of identity formation, race, and gender in education concerning adolescent girls of the global majority, justice-centered teacher education and equity in schools, and youth participatory action research (YPAR). Charlotte is the co-founder of the EnGenderED Research Collaborative a research hub for scholars and practitioners dedicated to equity in education through a critical feminist lens. She is also the director of the Independent School Teaching Residency program at Penn GSE. Charlotte has also authored multiple books, journal articles, and book chapters focused on her research and work. Charlotte proudly serves as a board member for the Girls Justice League, the Christina Seix Academy, and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Charlotte received her Ph.D. in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education from the University of Pennsylvania, her M.Ed. in Middle School Humanities from Lesley University, and her B.A. in psychology and Spanish literature and language from Columbia University.

Kristy Kerin took the reins as Brewster Academy’s 13th Head of School on July 1, 2020—the first woman in the school’s two-century history to hold this position. A graduate of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, Kerin worked in the College’s Advancement Office for eight years prior to joining Brewster in 2011. Since then, she has worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure that Brewster’s financial future and reputation are secure.

First as Brewster’s Director of Advancement and later as Associate Head of School, Kerin spearheaded a range of strategic areas, including Advancement, Outreach, and Global Programs. She designed and launched two capital campaigns, including Our Watershed Moment: The Campaign for Brewster, the Academy’s largest and most successful campaign to date. Kerin helped implement an integrated approach to outreach that maximizes the scope of Brewster’s Admissions, Advancement, and Communications efforts and co-led the Academy’s rebranding initiative, strengthening Brewster’s position in the field of education and garnering faithful support from the community the school serves. 

An alumna of the Lincoln School, Sophie Glenn Lau became the school’s 17th head in July 2020. Previously she was head of Senior School at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sophie came to Lincoln with an outstanding record of strategic thinking, experience in developing and launching programs and partnerships, and a deep dedication to students. Earlier in her career, Sophie taught at The Groton School, Tabor Academy, and The Pingree School, before joining The Wheeler School in 2002. In her 12 years there she served as a history teacher, the History Department Chair, and the Technology Integrationist. Sophie is a graduate of Princeton University and subsequently received her master’s degree in history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst 

Rene Menard brings over 30 years of experience in teaching and school leadership to his role as Head of School at Thornton Academy, a position he has held since 2012. Beginning his career as a teacher, coach, and dorm parent at Fryeburg Academy, he is committed to the unique and historic mission of the “town academy” model of northern New England – one that serves publicly funded students with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, abilities, and needs, alongside traditional day and boarding students. Rene holds an M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Maine Association of Independent Schools and previously served on the board of the Independent School Association of Northern New England, helping to initiate a merger with AISNE in 2020.

Danny has served as Putney’s head of school since 2022. Prior to returning to the Green Mountain State (where he did his undergraduate work at Middlebury), Danny served for a decade as the leader of the High Mountain Institute in Colorado. Over his school leadership journey, Danny has successfully led two transformative capital campaigns, helped develop multiple strategic plans, greatly expanded financial aid budgets, and oversaw dramatic facilities transformations. He has taught in classrooms and on backcountry trails, in the United States and internationally. Student-centered schools that promote student agency and leadership are his passion. Danny has also served on multiple independent school accreditation teams and as a consultant to the College Board, and the board of directors of the Lake County (Colorado) Community Foundation and Bright Start Learning Center. In addition to his undergraduate degree, Danny earned his masters degree in history from the University of Colorado.

Sarah Enterline Roch is an Institutional Research Consultant for Mission & Data and is the Immediate Past-President of the New England Educational Research Organization. She received her Ph.D. from Boston College in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation and founded the Office of Assessment and Accreditation at BC’s Lynch School of Education. Sarah has led educational research projects across the United States and beyond, working with state departments, higher education institutions, public school districts, and elementary and secondary schools (both public and private). Her work focuses on admission and enrollment management, student life, measuring and tracking key performance metrics, faculty and staff culture, and more. Her methods of program assessment, survey design and evaluation have been adopted and cited across the United States and beyond. As a skilled statistician and qualitative inquirer, she expertly works with students of all ages, teachers, school leaders, Board members, community members, parents, data analysts and other researchers.

Sam Schaffer became the Head of School at Roxbury Latin School, a boys’ school for students in 7th through 12th grade, in the summer of 2024.

Before coming to Roxbury Latin, he worked for nearly twenty years at St. Albans School, an independent boys’ school in Washington, DC, where he taught all levels of history, coached football and basketball, and at various points was an advisor, dorm head, Assistant Director of College Counseling, Associate Dean of Faculty, and Head of the Upper School.

Sam holds a Ph.D. in history from Yale University, and a BA in history with minors in Latin and Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sara joined AISNE as Director of Membership and Accreditation in 2018. Prior to joining AISNE, Sara was Senior Director of School Accreditation & School Improvement at the American Montessori Society. She began her work in education as a kindergarten teacher in public and independent schools before becoming a Montessori Early Childhood teacher and teaching in public and private Montessori schools. Sara has served on the Executive Committee of the National Council for Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) and on the boards of state private school accrediting agencies including the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE). Sara is a graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon School, the University of Virginia, and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sara lives in Beverly, MA with her daughter.