About Me
I am the Head of School at Oak Hill School in Eugene, Oregon. Previously, I served as Head of School at Davidson Day School in North Carolina. Over the course of my career, I have worked as a Classroom Teacher, Director of Technology, Division Head, Assistant Head of School, and Head of School across public and independent schools in Australia and the United States.
Originally from Australia, I moved to England at eighteen to pursue a professional soccer career. During that time, I worked as a Teacher’s Assistant at a boarding school and discovered a love for education. That experience reshaped my path. I returned to Australia, earned degrees in Education, Special Education, and School Administration, and began my teaching career in 1998 as a Fourth-Grade Teacher in a public school.
After several years, I joined Sydney Grammar School, where I taught in the elementary school and served as Director of Technology at one of Australia’s leading independent schools. In 2008, my wife and I took a sabbatical after relocating to the United States. By 2009, we had settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I taught at The Nueva School before moving into administration at the Chinese American International School. There, I served as Lower School Director and Assistant Head of School, followed by roles as Head of Lower School and Assistant Head of School at Lake Forest Country Day School, outside of Chicago.
Each step of this journey shaped how I think about leadership. Having worked across classrooms, divisions, and entire schools, I bring a holistic perspective to the work of leading schools. I deeply value strong culture, belonging, strategic thinking, financial stewardship, enrollment sustainability, and authentic relationships with families, faculty, and boards.
Leading schools has been both humbling and deeply rewarding. It continues to be work that stretches me, challenges me, and inspires me.
About This Site
This site exists to support aspiring and new Heads of School and school leaders.
Early in my career, I experienced firsthand the difference a kind, patient, and courageous school leader can make. I worked with leaders who modeled integrity, shared their thinking openly, and took the time to invest in others. They shaped not only my professional growth, but also who I became as a person.
As I moved into leadership myself, I became increasingly aware of how much of the Head of School role is learned on the job. Many of the most important aspects of leadership, culture building, financial management, enrollment strategy, fundraising, and board partnership are rarely taught explicitly. Too often, new leaders are left to figure these things out alone.
I created this site as a place to share what I have learned along the way. The reflections, frameworks, and stories here are intended to be practical, honest, and grounded in lived experience. These are invitations to think, reflect, and grow.
If you are a teacher considering leadership, a new Division Head, an aspiring Head of School, or a sitting Head looking for support, my hope is that you find something here that helps you feel better prepared, more confident, and less alone in the work.