Leadership

List of 8 items.

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  Stuart Hirstein

  Head of School
  Bio
  Dr. Stuart Hirstein was named the eighth head of school at Saint Edward's School in September of 2019. Prior to coming to SES, Stuart served as the head of school from 2013-2020 at the University School of Jackson in Jackson, TN. a Pre-K-12 school of 1,150 students. Stuart was the Associate Headmaster, Chief Operating Officer at Island Pacific Academy in Kapolei, HI. a Pre-K-12 school of 680 students from 2005-2013. While at IPA, Stuart also taught AP U.S. Government and was the head baseball coach. Prior to his time in independent schools, Stuart spent 12 years in banking working in North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York. Stuart served in the United States Army from 1989-1993 with the 24th Infantry Division and is a veteran of the First Gulf War.

   

  Stuart has a B.S. in secondary education from Tusculum College, an MBA from Rider University, and earned his EdD from Drexel University

   

  Stuart has been known throughout his career as an educator who is student-centered and believes that "our students who walk through the doors at Saint Edward's every school day are not destined to walk at the same pace through their educational experiences. It is not a preset path through which all students must march to the same beat. Instead, students can reach their educational milestones skipping, walking, or running. This is my approach to education as a student-centered educator. Students and teachers are fellow explorers on a quest to make meaning of the world around them. These shared learning experiences for both the teacher and student are a fundamental component of establishing the fact we are all life-long learners."
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  Jack MacMullan

  Associate Head of School, Head of Upper School
  Bio
  Jack MacMullan was introduced to the value of an independent school education in the fourth grade, when his parents moved from Philadelphia to Ohio and enrolled him in Columbus Academy. After earning his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame in 1991 and J.D. at Villanova University in 1994, Jack clerked for a judge for several years before returning to the independent school world as a mathematics teacher and coach at St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, Maryland in 1997. After serving in a variety of roles over an eleven year period, including college counselor, dean of students, head varsity basketball coach, and assistant principal, Jack accepted the position of Upper School Head at Spartanburg Day School in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2008. After ten years at Spartanburg Day, Jack moved to Vero Beach and assumed his current position at Saint Edward's in the summer of 2018. He is joined by his wife Maureen and their children: Maisie, Ellie, and Patrick. Jack strives "to build a community where students are challenged to be their best selves, and yet supported for who they are, each and every day."
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  Jason Dowdy

  Head of Middle School
  Bio
  Before joining the pirate ship in the summer of 2024, Jason Dowdy was the Head of Middle School at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, FL, a position he has held since 2008. Prior to serving as Head of Middle School, Mr. Dowdy was a middle school teacher and eventually the Assistant Principal at Trinity Preparatory, where he started in 2000.

  
  

  Jason and his wife, Sara Dowdy, are the proud parents of a son and daughter who are currently in college. Sara was a middle school science teacher at Trinity Preparatory where she has taught since 1999. She was also the head varsity coach for the boys and girls cross country and track teams. After vacationing here when their children were small, they both are excited to trade the concrete jungle of Orlando for the salty breezes of Vero Beach.   
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  Louise Dunn

  Head of Lower School
  Bio
  Dr. Dunn, an educator for 20 years, comes to Saint Edward’s from University School of Jackson  in Tennessee, where she served as Lower School Director since 2017. She also served as Vice Principal of the lower school at Gems American Academy, Abu Dhabi, UAE, for four years.  Originally from the United Kingdom, Dr. Dunn earned her Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Norwich  University in Vermont, a master’s degree in Education from Endicott College in Massachusetts,  and her Doctorate of Education from Northeastern University in Boston. Dr. Dunn believes that  as a school leader, she must always strive to be up to date and current regarding educational  research; being informed in order to make judgements on the value and implications of such practices that are collaboratively put forth. At USJ, she introduced and supported the word  study program “Words Their Way”, which focused on differentiate instruction; researched and  oversaw introduction of Handwriting Without Tears;” launched a STEAM lab, one-to-one learning  environment, and Google Classroom integration in collaboration with Director of Technology; and  collaborated closely to design and implement their professional development, campus security, and planning. We are fortunate to have Dr. Dunn join our school community.  
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  Jennifer Wyly

  Associate Head of School, Chief Finance and Operations Officer
  Bio
  Jennifer Wyly, a CPA, joins SES with over 15 years of finance office experience in the Independent School world, in addition to several years of accounting and finance positions.  Her experience includes working with Administration, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and families of these Independent School communities.  She has extensive experience with all aspects of the business office, including audits, human resources, accounts payable & receivable, collections, budgets, and strategic plan preparation.  Operationally, she has supervised technology, facilities, maintenance, custodial, food services, extended care programs, and summer camps.  Jennifer is a recent graduate of the Independent School Leadership program at Vanderbilt University, receiving her MEd in August of 2023.
  
  

  Jennifer joined SES from Maclay School in Tallahassee where she held the position CFO and Operations of the 100+ acre campus.  Prior to her role at Maclay, Jennifer was the Director of Finance and Operations of St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Baton Rouge, LA for seven years.  At St. Luke’s she managed the operations of the business office as well as the operations of the School, including the facilities, communications, and grounds maintenance and planning.  Prior to St. Luke’s, Jennifer was with Episcopal School of Baton Rouge for four years where she held the role of Assistant Director of Finance and Controller.
  
  

  Along with her Finance positions with Independent Schools, Jennifer was also a parent of two independent school alums.  She has served on and volunteered for many parent committees and activities, including Annual Fund, Parents’ Guild, and booster club. 
  
  

  Jennifer has always had a heart for education and considers herself fortunate to be able to utilize her background and experience in an environment that is dedicated to teaching and developing young people.
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  Monica Jennings

  Director of Marketing and Communication
  Bio
  Monica Murphy Jennings began her career in broadcasting, booking satellite feeds for international television news bureaus. She coordinated live shots from various locations on Capitol Hill and the White House and eventually became a remote and studio producer for in-house broadcasters. She was recruited to Medialink, where she was in charge of live events and revenue development for the Washington Bureau. In a decade with the company, her responsibilities expanded into management of the entire domestic sales and marketing division, as well as consulting with international broadcast partners. After moving to Florida, she became a freelance writer for media-related websites and local publications. She returned to broadcasting briefly before joining Saint Edward’s School as marketing director.  She is married to Charlie Jennings and they have two alumni children from the Class of 2018 and 2022. 
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  Kathy Savage

  Director of Development
  Bio
  Kathy Savage joined Saint Edward’s School in 1996 and is currently the Director of Development. Kathy truly believes the gift of education is the finest gift you can give to a child and finds great joy in raising money in support of this gift. She credits her ability to cultivate and nurture relationships as a key factor to her success. She says, “I have a deep commitment to helping others see their potential, whether it’s a donor who is considering supporting quality education, or a member of my own team. I have been very blessed with some wonderful relationships, and I enjoy watching them grow and develop over time.”
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  Mara Slattery

  Director of Admission and Enrollment Management
  Bio
  Mara Slattery earned her B.A. from Indiana University and her J.D. from Washington and Lee University.  She began her career in law but has been working in education since 2003 and at Saint Edward’s School since 2006.  After serving in a variety of roles at Saint Edward’s School, including teacher, Department Head and International Program Director, Mara took over as Director of Admission and Financial Aid in 2016.  She has dedicated her career to educating children and cherishes her role in guiding families as they make the best decisions for their child’s education.  Mara and her husband, José have two boys enrolled at Saint Edward’s School, Marlon, and César.  As a mother, former teacher and a School Administrator, Mara fully understands and appreciates the Saint Edward's Advantage and looks forward to sharing it with you and your family.