Head of School & Leadership

On April 1, 2024, Angela G. Garcia was appointed as the 4th Head of School after serving eight months as Interim Head of School. Angela is honored to serve in this role and to partner with all members of NNM community to make NNM the best it can be.

Ms. Garcia brings to NNM over 30 years of experience in the field of education. Angela previously served as the Head of School at Friends Community School, a Kindergarten-Grade 8 Quaker independent school in College Park, Maryland. Ms. Garcia also served as the Assistant Head of School at The Fessenden School (MA) and the Head of School of the Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys (DC). For nine years, Ms. Garcia taught elementary school at William Penn Charter School (PA), Shady Hill School (MA) and the Trenton Public Schools (NJ), and was the Director of the Lower School at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School (VA). She received a Bachelors from Brown University and a Masters from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds a certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University.

Associate Head of School

Hannah Richardson

Meet Hannah

Meet Hannah

Hello Everyone! I have a husband and 2 beautiful children who attend Near North. I am a lifelong Montessorian, with twenty years of experience in the field. I have been a Primary teacher, a Program Coordinator, Coach and administrator at various Montessori schools (private and public) as well as trained and consulted at Montessori schools around the country. I have had the privilege of learning from and working with some of the most well known Montessorians of our day and I strive to always work with the experience of the child at the center of everything I do.

I am here to help support the great work that is being done in service of children, by way of setting up systems for community collaboration through the coaching model. How wonderful it is to be able to capitalize on the wealth of knowledge and experience we have as a community. Children thrive when adults work together.

The coaching model asks us each to step into roles of coaches, sharing our expertise and providing support around the things we know best, while at the same time leaning into others and learning and growing from what they offer. Those of us who will be directly coaching will observe often, have discussions to support everyone’s practice, and work together through professional development, supporting children with both shared and individual goal setting. As families, your experience with the directors you have known will mirror the relationships you will hold with the coach at your child’s level. This may include but is not limited to:

Asking general questions about the level
Collaborating around supporting your child beyond the classroom
Working together to foster and implement Montessori practices

This work leads to stronger Montessori experiences for all children. It means we will work more closely as a community to meet the needs of each child and align our practices from infancy through adolescence, including all the co-curricular and supporting areas of our school. The goal here is really to ensure experiences that will benefit your child from the day they enter Near North to the moment they graduate.

I love Montessori because I believe it allows us to create a space where children can truly thrive. It requires us to step away from societal norms and truly lean into what is best for children. They have a great journey ahead, and we work to lay foundations for their success, which will benefit all of humanity.

Finance & Operations

Robert Hart

Meet Robert

Meet Robert

Depending upon when or where you met me I am either Robert, (The Finance and Operations Director) Bobby, (the husband to Meg) or Dad… I contain multitudes.

I’m entering my 6th year at Near North. In that time, I’ve been privileged to work alongside committed colleagues and board members to lead our efforts in building the new addition to the Bergen building and to manage school operations through a pandemic. While the stress and challenges were real, I bring a resolved leadership and perspective that has been informed by those experiences. Prior to my time at Near North, I co-founded Steel City Academy (a stand-alone public Charter School in Gary Indiana). I am fortunate to have been able to apply my legal and business background in a field for which I am passionate.

My role is to create and support systems that allow the whole school to function as a fully prepared environment. This includes ensuring we have a sustainable budget that supports all the prepared adults who make this school possible; working with our operations staff to maintain our beautiful facilities and materials; directing operational strategy centered on our principles of diversity, equity and inclusion that help us live out our mission.

I am excited by the challenge to prepare children for life in an ever-changing/ uncertain world. This is big work that requires creative thinking, adaptability and persistence. Each day is rarely like the one that preceded it. I am fortunate to work with so many passionate and thoughtful educators who put the children at the center of their work.

I love Near North for the same reason so many people who came before me: It is my community. From the parents who spent a decade sending their children to the school employee who has spent 30+ years at Near North, this is a place that has become central to their identity. This is true for me, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is comprised of twelve to eighteen NNM parents. The Head of School, Director of Finance and Facilities, and two staff members also serve on the board as non-voting members.

Near North's Board of Directors provides guidance and direction for the school, oversees budgeting to ensure financial stability and ensures that the school maintains its focus on its educational mission.

The Work of the Board
The Composition of the Board

The Work of the Board

The overarching work of the NNM Board is to hold the school in trust for future generations. The primary work of the Board is to promote the school mission, vision and values; focus on long range and strategic issues; select, hire and evaluate the Head of School; and be accountable for the School’s financial stability. The Board is not involved in the daily operations of the school.

The Composition of the Board

The composition of the NNM board is representative of our school community and each member possesses professional experience and talent to support the work of the board. Parents who are interested in joining the Board of Directors or a board committee should contact the Development Office for more information. Interviews for board positions are conducted in February and early March.

Individuals on the board are current parents and possess a wide range of experience and talents and also serve on Board Committees. Members of the NNM community are welcome to attend open board meetings. Meetings are held at least four times a year, typically on Monday evenings, and notification of such meetings are listed in the This Week and on the school calendar.

Our Board Members

First page of the PDF file: 2024UpdatedBoard

Directors

George Aye
Sarah Berghorst
Jay Biedler
Lee Clark
Gary Cloudman
Paul Do
Taylor Dugas
Erica Falukner
Bhumika Gashti
Dan Goodman
Ali Khan
Caroline Ko
Sachin Master
Kim Nemirow
Rina Patel
Puja Singh Patel
Lesley Pinckney
Tony Sutton
Matt Zweifel

Officers

Rina Patel, President
Lesley Pinckney, Vice President
Sachin Master, Secretary
Gary Cloudman, Treasurer

Administrative Representative

Interim Head of School

Administrative Support

Robert Hart, Finance & Operations Director

Pat Daniels, Jessica Parman, and Emma Smart
Faculty & Staff Representatives

Standing Committees

Audit
Compensation
Advancement
Executive
Diversity
Finance
Nominating

Annual Committees

Communications
Facilities
TSA Investment
Technology
Strategic Plan