HW - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of Communications & Strategic Initiatives
After serving as an Upper School Dean for 15 years, I became Head of the Upper School in July 2020. My role is to lead the Upper School faculty, staff and students in living the mission of Harvard-Westlake - encouraging the joyful pursuit of excellence, creating a diverse and inclusive community, and fostering purpose beyond ourselves. My entire career has been in the field of education, working in career services at Georgetown University (my alma mater), undergraduate admissions at USC, and in the Deans Office at HW. After moving to California from my home state of Massachusetts in 1995, I earned my Master's degree and Ph.D. in Education from UCLA, completing a dissertation on academic and social self-esteem in girls. I am the proud parent of 4 children, the oldest of whom graduated from HW in 2017, and the proud wife of a music educator.
Job Titles:
- Dean and Dean Department Head, Upper School
I am honored to work with a dynamic team of 14 as Department Head of the Upper School Deans and to guide and support nearly 900 students throughout their upper school academic careers and the college admission process. In addition, I serve as faculty sponsor for several student groups, and coached basketball during my first seven years at Harvard-Westlake. I joined HW in 2012 after 10 years as Co-Director of College Counseling and Head Basketball Coach at Columbus Academy (OH). I also spent seven years in college admission at Kenyon College, Williams College (alma mater), and American University. Between admissions stints at Williams and American, I received a Master's degree from Columbia University Teachers College. My wife, Janine, serves as HW's Associate Head of School for Community & Belonging, and we are the proud parents of two HW alums (Taylor, '18, and Avery, '23).
Job Titles:
- Head of Admission and Enrollment
- Head of Admission and Enrollment 310 - 288 - 3200
Chris joined Harvard-Westlake as Head of Admission and Enrollment in 2023. Prior to joining Harvard-Westlake, Chris was the Director of Admissions and Financial Assistance at Francis Parker School in San Diego, CA. Before entering independent school education, Chris worked for a college access organization helping low-income students become first in their families to attend and graduate from college. Chris earned his A.B. in Sociology from Harvard University and M.A. in Business Management from Wake Forest University.
Job Titles:
- Admission Administrator and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Assistant 310 - 288 - 3254
Citlaly joined the Harvard-Westlake Admission Office in 2022 having previously been a high school Spanish teacher in East Los Angeles. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA where she earned a B.A in Latino/a & Latin American Studies. While at Occidental, she worked in their Admission Office where she interviewed prospective students and served as a seasonal admissions reader. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends and her pet bird.
Job Titles:
- Chief Information Officer
As Chief Information Officer at Harvard-Westlake, I lead the school's technology initiatives, ensuring our systems align with the educational mission. I bring over a decade of experience, having served as CIO at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where I oversaw innovative IT solutions to enhance business education. I'm passionate about leveraging technology to foster collaboration, progressive learning, and forward-thinking ideas. Originally from Los Angeles, I earned my bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and am excited to return home, where I enjoy exploring the city's vibrant food scene with my wife and two daughters.
Dr. Chelsea Heyward is a subject matter expert in utilizing sport as a vehicle for change and innovation. She currently serves as an Athletic Director and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist at Harvard-Westlake. Specializing in operations, compliance, impact strategy, player relations, and digital media, she has consulted for athletes, coaches, and executives across 12 professional leagues, 20+ colleges and universities, a premier high school sports governing body, and 30+ sports adjacent companies and organizations. Her work has helped drive 29 legislative reforms, injected $1.5B into public schools, and directed $40M+ in grants and contributions. An avid reader, researcher, and writer, Dr. Heyward also serves as an adjunct professor at CSULB and Morehouse College, teaching sports, culture, and power courses.
Job Titles:
- Head of External Relations
Coming to Harvard-Westlake two years after the merger in 1994, I am currently the Head of External Relations at Harvard-Westlake. Over the years, I have also been an Associate Director of College Counseling, dean of juniors and seniors, and Chief Advancement Officer. I have also taught psychology, served as faculty advisor to the Asian American Awareness Club, the Straight-Gay Alliance, and Project 10. Before joining Harvard-Westlake, I graduated from Brown University with a degree in psychology and worked in college admissions at Occidental College and Brown University. I'm an avid baseball fan, movie buff, and foodie (who also cooks Chinese food).
I am Harvard-Westlake's Head of Advancement. I began at Harvard-Westlake in 2005 on our alumni relations team, followed by graduate school, and then two years running the alumni and annual giving programs at Polytechnic School in Pasadena. In 2012, I returned to Harvard-Westlake to run our annual giving program, pursue major gifts for the school, and teach 8th grade debate. In 2017, I was promoted to my current role. I studied Politics at Princeton University and received a Master's in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. As a recipient of financial aid throughout my own education, my work is driven by a desire to create the same types of opportunities at Harvard-Westlake that so many others provided for me.
Harvard-Westlake Summer offers the chance to learn what makes Harvard-Westlake special. Participants can experience our renowned programs in academics, visual arts, performing arts, film, debate, and athletics.
Harvard-Westlake Summer is divided into six different program areas: North Faring Exploration, Coldwater Prep, Coldwater Arts, HW Online, Debate LA, and Wolverine Sports. Students who enroll in North Faring Exploration or Coldwater Prep choose up to three different classes. Students who enroll in Coldwater Arts, HW Online, Debate LA, and Wolverine Sports will have an immersive experience in that one area. Details about the schedule can be found in the general information section of our website. Registration begins on February 1 each year.
Harvard-Westlake Summer takes great care in hiring teachers and coaches. The overwhelming majority of teachers and coaches work at Harvard-Westlake during the academic year. They are full and part time teachers, coaches, adjunct faculty, and lecturers who are eager to share their expertise with our summer participants. When a faculty member is hired for the summer only, that candidate is vetted by the same process as academic year faculty. Rest assured, your summer faculty will give you a true Harvard-Westlake experience.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging and Associate Director of Admission
- Associate Director of Admission / Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging 310 - 288 - 3200
Janine's journey to Harvard-Westlake began in 2012 as a parent and she joined the Admission Office in 2015. In addition to her work in the Admission Office, Janine previously served as Harvard-Westlake's first Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is now the school's first Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging.
Prior to Harvard-Westlake, she worked as a lawyer at several large law firms, served as Senior Advisor/Deputy Legal Counsel to former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and taught several law school courses at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and Capital University Law School. For the admission side of her work, Janine works closely with prospective families throughout the application process, conducts applicant interviews frequently, and sits on the school's admission committees.
Janine's husband, Chris, is Chair of the Upper Schools Deans and they have two daughters, Taylor and Avery, 2018 and 2023 graduates of Harvard-Westlake.
As an Associate Director of Admission and Harvard-Westlake's inaugural Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging, I am dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the Harvard-Westlake community. Prior to joining Harvard-Westlake, I practiced law at prominent law firms, served as a senior advisor to former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and taught several law schools classes including legal writing. My experiences in law, public service, and education have equipped me with the skills to navigate complex issues and advocate for equity. I am honored to lead our school's initiatives in community, belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion. My husband, Chris, serves as Chair of the Upper School Deans, and our daughters, Taylor and Avery, are proud graduates of Harvard-Westlake.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Admission and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Assistant Director of Admission and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 310 - 288 - 3375
Jessica McKay threaded her love of children, education, families, and books into a career as an educator and writer. After attaining her BA in English from Spelman College and MA in English Education from Columbia University Teachers College and teaching at various schools and grade levels in her hometown of Washington DC as well as New York City, Jessica began her career in Los Angeles as a 5th grade English teacher at the Center for Early Education. After that, Jessica was the Assistant Director of Admissions at Geffen Academy at UCLA within the first year of the school's founding and later became the Director of Outreach and Inclusion there. One year ago, Jessica stepped down from that position in order to help her young children transition back to school as it reopened post-virtual school and to pursue a longtime dream of publishing her first children's book, Always With You, Always With Me.
I started at Harvard-Westlake over 34 years ago as the upper school theater's Technical Director. I then phased into becoming the Middle School Plant Manager, then the Chief of Campus Operations. Being the CCO was a very hard but very rewarding job. My departments included maintenance, security, clerical, and food service, and I still supervised all the theater technical staff. My motivation as the CCO was to make sure everyone at HW was taken care of - students, parents, faculty, and staff - by making sure they had what they needed to maximize the value of their experiences at Harvard-Westlake. I have now transitioned again to Chief of Construction to run the River Park project. The River Park project will be the largest project in HW history, so it will need all my attention to make it a great success like the middle school project I completed years ago.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Kutler Center & Summer School Programs
Jim Patterson has been the director of the summer program since 2007 and has been at Harvard-Westlake since 1994. Before taking the helm at Harvard-Westlake Summer, he worked at the UCLA Summer Program for High School Students and the Leysin American School. His camp experience began when he worked for 10 summers at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. Jim also is the Director of the Kutler Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research. He can be contacted at jpatterson@hw.com.
I have been the Director of the Kutler Center since 2014 and the Director of the Summer Program since 2007. In both roles, I help to develop programs outside the traditional liberal arts core that provide unique opportunities for the joyful pursuit of educational excellence. I came to Harvard-Westlake in 1994 to teach in the math and science departments and moved into my current role after serving as an upper school dean for 12 years. Before taking the helm at Harvard-Westlake Summer, I worked at the UCLA Summer Program for High School Students and Summer in Switzerland at the Leysin American School. I also spent ten summers working at Camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island ultimately serving as Camp Director for two years. I grew up in the Inland Empire region of Southern California and earned a Bachelor in Physics from Harvey Mudd College in Claremont. I also hold two master's degrees, one in Education from the University of La Verne and one in Physics from Cal State Northridge.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dean
Jon has been involved in independent school education for the last twenty years since his first job as an elementary educator at Germantown Academy just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. He went on to become a lead second grade teacher at Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey and then at Seven Arrows Elementary school in the Pacific Palisades upon landing in California in 2004. Throughout his time in schools, Jon has always immersed himself in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts both within the curriculum and in co-curricular activities. Upon finishing his Ph.D. in Urban Education at UCLA in 2010, Jon served as an adjunct professor at Occidental College in the Education Department before landing at Harvard-Westlake in 2012 as the Head of the Swimming Program. Jon joined the middle school Dean team in 2015. He has continued to supplement his work in schools with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives such as serving on the Co-curriculuar Committee, helping to facilitate the Pollyanna Conference, the Diversity Recruitment Job Fair, Brown Bag lunch presentations, serving on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and being a lead advisor for the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club.
I am the Head of Middle School and a middle school teacher at Harvard-Westlake. During my time at Harvard-Westlake, I have also been a middle school dean, upper school dean, department chair, and a coach for a variety of middle school sports. After receiving my undergraduate degree in English from Princeton, where I also played football and volleyball, I taught for a year at Cardigan Mountain School in Canaan, NH. Through the generosity of Harvard-Westlake's professional development program, I received my master's degree in English from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English. My wife, Amanda Angle, is also a middle school teacher at Harvard-Westlake. We met here at Harvard-Westlake in 1998, and we have two children, Franklin '25 and Lila '26.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Admission 310 - 288 - 3204
Julia joined the Harvard-Westlake Admissions Office in 2018. After growing up in Washington, D.C., Julia attended the University of Michigan where she earned her B.A. in psychology. She then worked for three years at a boutique recruitment firm before returning to school at NYU where she finished her M.S.W. in 2012. Prior to Harvard-Westlake, Julia worked at Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, where she interviewed children, families, and volunteers for their community-based mentoring program.
Job Titles:
- Dean and Dean Department Head, Middle School
I have been a member of the Harvard Westlake family since 1999 as an 8th and 9th grade history teacher, and then starting in 2012 as an 8th and 9th grade dean. As the Head of the Middle School Dean Team, I work alongside a team of 7 amazing, empathetic, caring deans and our student support team of Counselors and Learning Specialists. We have a relational and holistic approach to shepherding students through middle school and the transition to the upper school. In addition to teaching an Ethnic Studies class in our Middle School Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research Department, I am a faculty advisor for the Middle School Asian American Culture Club, and I designed and teach a summer school course on Asian Americans and Los Angeles. I earned my Bachelors of Arts in History and Asian Studies from the University of Utah and a Masters of Arts from UCLA in Chinese History.
I am proud to be Harvard-Westlake's Head of School. Prior to beginning this position, I was the Associate Head of School at Harvard-Westlake for three years. Before that, I spent eight years as an upper school head, three at Harvard-Westlake and five at Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas. Prior to moving into a division head role I spent seventeen years in a variety of roles in education: I've been a college counselor, a college admissions officer, a soccer coach, a teacher of meditation, social ethics, and world religions, and a dorm parent in a boarding school. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Wesleyan University and a Master's degree in Educational Administration and Student Affairs from Stanford University. My husband Gregg teaches math at the middle school at Harvard-Westlake and our daughter Casey is Harvard-Westlake class of '23 and our son Graham is Harvard-Westlake class of '26.
Job Titles:
- Admission Assistant / Middle School Receptionist 310 - 288 - 3207
I have been at Harvard-Westlake School since 1989. Currently, I am the Admission Assistant and Receptionist for the school. I greet our guests and applicant families as well as help with admission related events. Throughout my years at Harvard-Westlake, I have worn many hats and established close friendships with my colleagues. In my free time, I enjoy travelling and spending quality time with my family.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Senior Associate
- Senior Associate Director of Admission and Enrollment Management 310 - 288 - 3382
Nancy's history with the Harvard-Westlake Middle School campus starts with her time as a Westlake student in the '80s. After earning her B.A. in English and French Literatures from Stanford University and her M.Ed. from UCLA, Nancy joined the Harvard-Westlake English Department in 1994. She has taught 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English and served as a Middle School Dean from 1998-2004. After taking time off to spend with her three children, Nancy returned to Harvard-Westlake in 2012 and joined the Admission Office in 2013.
Job Titles:
- US Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Visual Arts Teacher
Reb Limerick joined the Harvard-Westlake community in 2019 as a member of the Visual Arts Department faculty. In addition to being a creative catalyst in the classroom teaching Video Art, Reb co-coordinates the annual Westflix Student Film Festival and the HWGo! Storytelling Adventures Program. Before taking HW by storm, Reb graduated with their MFA in Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice while co-teaching such courses as "Making Sense of Climate Change: Science, Art, and Agency" at the University of Minnesota. Concurrently, Reb acted as an ambassador for This Free Life, an organization that fiercely advocated for tobacco-free lives for the LGBTQIA+ young adult community. Reb's passions for earth, art, education, social justice, and their intersections are evident in her work and life. Reb practices and recognizes the importance of inclusive language as a key element in dismantling systems of oppression within everyday conversations. Reb is referred to with the gender-neutral honorific "Mx. Limerick" by their students, and feels comfortable with both they/them and she/her gender pronouns.
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Human Resources Generalist
Sakura Schmall joined the Harvard-Westlake community in 2019 working as part of the Human Resources and Benefits team in the business office. Prior to Harvard-Westlake, she worked in Human Resources in the IT/EdTech industries, specializing in onboarding, recruiting and employee engagement. In the business office, she works closely on the recruitment and onboarding of new employees. Sakura's role is to serve as a member of the school's diversity, equity, and inclusion team, focusing on employees. This includes assisting with the hiring of diverse faculty and staff, coordinating the diversity recruitment fair, engaging employees in meaningful affinity groups, and creating a culture of belonging.
Ted Slavin Field is located on the upper school campus. Built in 2003, it features an NFL-caliber Field Turf surface and a synthetic track. It is the proud home of Wolverine Football, Soccer, Track & Field, Lacrosse, and Field Hockey. The following camps will be held on this field: Field Hockey, Football, Boys' & Girls' Soccer, and Boys' & Girls' Track & Field.
I am the Head of Athletics at Harvard-Westlake School. Prior to serving in this role, I was the Athletic Director for Communication at HW. Before coming to Harvard-Westlake, I was a Department Business Manager at the University of Southern California (USC), where I was responsible for the restricted and unrestricted budgets for the Linguistics, Psychology, and Neuroscience departments. I received my Bachelor in Communication and my Master's in Education from USC. I was also captain of the USC Football team in 1995.
Job Titles:
- Admission Counselor 310 - 288 - 9834
Tracey began her journey at Harvard-Westlake in 2015 as a parent and admission volunteer. She joined the Admission Office in 2022. Prior to joining the Harvard-Westlake team, she worked in the Admission Office of Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA. Prior to her work in independent school admission, Tracey spent over a decade working in Advertising as a Client Service professional in Dallas, TX and here in Los Angeles.
Tracey grew up in the Mid-West and is a proud University of Illinois alum. She has three children, including two Harvard-Westlake alums, class of 2021 and 2023, and one current student, class of 2026.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Admission 310 - 288 - 3387
Veronica joined the Harvard-Westlake Admission Office in 2022. In addition to her work in the Admission Office, Veronica serves as an assistant coach for the Middle School Cross Country and Track and Field teams. A Los Angeles native, Veronica attended Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where she earned B.A.s in Psychology and Music. She then worked at Macalester College's Admissions Office for three years, first as Diversity and Inclusion Fellow and then as Admission Officer and First-Year Support Coordinator. Outside of the Admissions Office, she co-chaired the Latinx Faculty/Staff Affinity group on campus.