Dear Member of the Nashoba Brooks Community,
It gives us great pleasure to announce that Danielle Boyd Heard has accepted the invitation of the Board of Trustees to become the next Head of Nashoba Brooks School, effective July 1, 2012. Ms. Heard was the unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee and was again unanimously approved by the full Board.
The appointment of Danielle Heard is the exciting culmination of an intensive nationwide search to find a successor to E. Kay Cowan who announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2011-12 school year following a 20 year tenure of extraordinary leadership.
Ms. Heard is currently the Assistant Head of Nashoba Brooks. In her three years here she has demonstrated outstanding intellect and passion for education while guiding professional development, overseeing academic programs and curriculum development and developing strategic initiatives for outreach and diversity. Her integrity, openness and consensus building style have earned the respect and trust of faculty, students and parents. Her ability to balance tradition and innovation at every level, her limitless energy, bright sense of humor and her unfailing moral compass will ensure that Nashoba Brooks continues to deliver the very best possible education, inspiring every student toward a life of continuous and joyous learning. Ms. Heard understands and, more importantly, she embodies the School’s mission and values.
Ms. Heard is an exceptional leader who brings a unique combination of depth and breadth in teaching and administrative experience. Her teaching experience includes The Emma Willard School, Dana Hall School and Willow Hill School. At these schools she taught subjects including social studies, literature, African studies, Western civilization and economics, and she also developed a strong and vibrant community service program. Before coming to Nashoba Brooks, she spent 12 years at the Steppingstone Foundation where she rose from the Director of the Scholar’s Program (managing recruitment, admissions, curriculum and instruction) to being the Executive Vice President of Programs and Operations. As the Steppingstone Foundation grew to serve 800 students in three cities, Ms. Heard helped lead its expansion with effective constituent and donor relations, brand development, strategic planning and evaluation.
After growing up in Concord, MA and graduating from Concord-Carlisle High School, Ms. Heard attended Williams College where she graduated with a B.A. in American Studies. She holds a M.Ed. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, was a Klingenstein Institute Fellow at Columbia University Teachers College, and most recently completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School. Ms. Heard and her husband, Andre, live in Milton, MA where Andre is the Associate Dean of Students at Milton Academy. They have two daughters, ages five and seven.
Working with talented consultants from Carney, Sandoe & Associates, who solicited over 100 applications for the position, the eight-member Search Committee interviewed candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, educational philosophies and experiences. Four strong finalists emerged from this process and spent several days at Nashoba Brooks meeting with members of our community. The feedback provided by parents, faculty, staff and students was invaluable to the Search Committee’s work and we would like to thank everyone who participated in this thoughtful and demanding process.
Throughout these past months, the search process has enabled us to explore more deeply the true character of our school and to learn much more about what Nashoba Brooks provides to the children who attend. We have reflected many times on how strong our school is, what a wonderful community we enjoy, and how remarkable the education is that we offer. With these pieces in place the school’s potential is nothing short of stunning. We know the rest of the Board joins us in feeling privileged to be taking this next step with Danielle Heard at the helm as we continue to propel the school forward toward its exciting future.
With best wishes,
