About Us

Head of School Search

Northwest Academy

List of 1 items.

  • Head of School Search

    Under the capable leadership of our Interim Head of School, Brock Dunn, who is serving Northwest Academy during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years, the Board of Trustees has begun the search process for our next permanent Head of School to begin in July 2026. This is an important moment for our community, and we are committed to ensuring that all stakeholders – faculty, staff, parents, and alumni – are informed and engaged throughout the process.

    While the final decision rests with the Board of Trustees, community input is essential to finding the right leader who will understand and advance Northwest Academy's mission and values. Your participation and perspective will help ensure we find the ideal candidate to guide Northwest Academy into its next chapter. While some aspects of the search must remain confidential to protect candidates, we are committed to being as transparent as possible about the process itself.

    Throughout this process, we will provide regular updates via email to keep the community informed. Additionally, we will post information on this page of the Northwest Academy website.

    You can reach the search committee at HOSsearch@nwacademy.org
Update November 20, 2025

Dear Northwest Academy Community,
 
After a unanimous vote, the Board is thrilled to announce Laila Sales as our next Head of School. 
 
Laila (“call me LA”) comes to us with a 22-year history in arts education leadership. Most recently serving as Director of Fine Arts, Performing, and Culinary Arts for the Lawrence Public School District in New York, LA holds a BFA in Dance from SUNY Brockport, an MFA in Choreography and Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Master's in Psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University. She is currently completing her doctorate in Dance Education at Columbia with an emphasis on Interdisciplinary Arts and Public Policy. 
 
LA understands the transformative power of the arts firsthand. She is a founding member of Gritty Cherries Inc., an international nonprofit arts collective creating opportunities for young artists across three continents. As a professional dancer, she has performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov and worked with renowned choreographers Bill T. Jones and Twyla Tharp. LA has both performed and studied dance throughout Cuba and northern Italy.
 
LA is a passionate advocate for making arts education accessible to all students. She embodies Northwest Academy’s core belief that the creative process is essential to developing confident, joyful, empowered learners. Her deep pedagogical expertise, collaborative leadership style, and hands-on approach to supporting both educators and students are all key assets to help guide Northwest Academy toward an inspiring future grounded in knowledge, creativity, and critical thinking.
 
LA will be visiting us next semester to facilitate a smooth transition for her start date on July 1, 2026. More information on upcoming opportunities to meet and talk with her will be coming soon.
 
Our deepest appreciation goes to everyone involved in the search process. Faculty, staff, parents, students, search consultants, NWAIS – your engagement was both absolutely essential and a constant reminder of the rich, vibrant, creative school community the Board is so fortunate to serve.
 
Special thanks are due to our Board Search Committee members (Marilyn Beach, Heidi Hardman, Cheyenne Jones, Dana Kurtin, and Stefanie Silverman) and to our Advisory Committee (Leah Buxman, Ryan Campbell, Dan Dunning, Morgan Kunze, Elke Kurtz, Bee McNally, Keith Posehn, Jake Riswold, Candy Trujillo, Kristin Van Sickle, Kyle Wiggins, and Revan Williams). Over the past ten months we vetted over fifty candidates, performed seventeen interviews, and brought three exceptional candidates to visit our campus. Brock Dunn’s outstanding leadership as Interim Head of School, warm presence, and steady guidance remain invaluable.
 
We look forward to our new journey with LA in 2026. Please join us in a warm welcome to the Northwest Academy community.
 
Best,
 
Heidi Hardman & Marilyn Beach
Co-chairs, Northwest Academy Board of Trustees
Update May 28, 2025

Dear Northwest Academy Community,
We are thrilled to update you on the status of Northwest Academy's Head of School search. 
Our search process began with listening deeply to our community, including in-person and online feedback from faculty, staff, parents and alumni (Feb-Apr). We then gathered nominations and volunteers from those same stakeholder groups to be part of our Advisory Committee. 
It’s been truly gratifying to see the incredible interest and high calibre of applicants for our Head of School position. Out of more than 48 applications, 17 potential candidates rose to the top for review with our dedicated Advisory Committee. 
Together, the Search and Advisory Committees embarked on an intensive interview process (Apr-May), informed in large part by the feedback we collected:
  • Completing anti-bias training
  • Reviewing feedback from listening sessions and online surveys
  • Reviewing candidate portfolios
  • Aligning on evaluation criteria
  • Determining interview protocol and questions
  • Conducting Zoom interviews 
  • Completing exercises to rate and rank each candidate 
After much deliberation, we jointly landed on our top candidates. I am delighted to announce that three finalists for our Head of School will be visiting Northwest Academy in the fall. We will share candidate bios closer to their visit dates. We look forward to the community to have an opportunity to learn more about them, and for them to learn more about us. 
Upcoming Opportunities for Community Input
Please keep your eye on your inbox for upcoming opportunities to participate in our Head of School selection process, including in-person events, online surveys, and more. 
Questions? 
As always, please feel free to email the Board of Trustees Search Committee at hossearch@nwacademy.org
To our entire community, we deeply appreciate your time, perspectives, and guidance during our search process. Thank you for your continued engagement and support.
Sincerely,
Heidi Hardman
Board of Trustees Search Committee Chair


Update April 3, 2025: Announcing the HoS Search Advisory Committee
Dear Northwest Academy Community,
As we launch our search for Northwest Academy's next Head of School, the Board of Trustees Search Committee (BoTSC) would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who volunteered – or nominated colleagues – to join our Advisory Committee (AC).
After careful consideration of all nominations and volunteers, we’re thrilled to announce our final twelve-person Advisory Committee of faculty, staff, parents, and alumni from both our Middle and High Schools:
  • Candy Trujillo - Operations Manager & Current Parent, MS
  • Dan Dunning - Math & NWAIS Self-Study Coordinator, MS & HS
  • Elke Kurtz - Current Parent, HS
  • Jake Riswold - Alumni Student, Class of 2012
  • Keith Posehn - Current Parent, MS
  • Kristin Van Sickle - Vocal Music & Musical Theater; Production Coordinator, MS & HS
  • Kyle Wiggins - Humanities Dept. Chair, HS
  • Leah Buxman - Current Parent HS & Alumni Parent
  • Morgan Kunze - Chief of Staff
  • Phoebe (Bee) McNally - Math, MS & HS
  • Revan Williams - Social Studies, MS; Alumni Student
  • Ryan Campbell - Math & Science, HS
Our AC members will be joining the six-person BoTSC team (Interim Head of School Brock Dunn, Head of Search Committee Heidi Hardman, and Board members Cheyenne Jones, Dana Kurtin, Marilyn Beach, and Stefanie Silverman) in developing our final HoS candidate assessment methods, meeting qualified candidates, and helping to identify front-runners for the position. 
Upcoming Opportunities for Community Input
Please keep your eye on your inbox for additional opportunities to participate in the Head of School search, including 
  • An in-person evening event at the upcoming State of the School Event (Thursday, April 24 at 5:30pm) to share updates on the search process and gather additional input.
  • Online surveys for specific information and feedback.
  • Community feedback on candidates at the finalist stage – stay tuned for updates and timelines.
Look for More Updates Soon!
We will continue to provide regular updates as the HoS search moves forward. Questions? As always, please feel free to email the BoTSC at hossearch@nwacademy.org
To our entire community, we deeply appreciate your time, perspectives, and guidance through this search process. Thank you for your continued engagement and support.
Sincerely,
Heidi Hardman
Board of Trustees Search Committee Chair



Update: February 24, 2025
Dear Northwest Academy Community,
The Board of Trustees would like to share some updates on our Head of School search process, including a quick introduction, a rough timeline of events, and specific opportunities for community input. 
The Board’s Search Committee is comprised of both current members of the Board and Brock Dunn, our Interim Head of School: Heidi Hardman (Head of Committee, Trustee, P ‘25), Marilyn Beach (Trustee, P ‘25 & ‘27), Cheyenne Jones (Trustee, P ‘24), Dana Kurtin (Trustee, P ‘22), and Stefanie Silverman (Trustee, P ‘25).
Our goal for the Head of School Search is to have our new Head of School begin their tenure in July 2026:
  • January-March 2025: Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment informed by input from faculty, staff, parents, and alumni; begin active candidate recruitment and outreach
  • April-May 2025: Review and evaluate initial candidates
  • June-October 2025: Semifinalist interviews, finalist campus visits, gathering of appropriate community feedback
  • November-December 2025: Final candidate selection and announcement
  • January-June 2026:  Detailed transition planning, introduction, and welcome
As we embark on this process, we invite all stakeholders – faculty, staff, parents, and alumni –  to provide their insights on the current and future needs of the school. Our first in-person touch-base is planned for Feb 19th at 8:30: Parent Coffee; the next will be at the evening State of the School Meeting (after Spring Break; final date coming soon). More in-person meetings as well as online survey information will be shared in the coming weeks. Please come, ask questions, provide feedback, and share your thoughts. 
If you would like to be more deeply involved during the HoS search, we will also be seeking applications for our eight-to-twelve member Advisory Committee (AC). More information on requirements and process will be available soon.
Managing the Head of School is a legal responsibility of the Board of Trustees. Although some aspects of the search must remain confidential, we are committed to being as transparent as possible about the process itself. Look for regular email updates intended to keep our Northwest Academy community informed. Our dedicated Search page will be up on the school website soon. You can also reach the Search Committee directly at HOSsearch@nwacademy.org 
Your participation and perspective are essential to Northwest Academy’s search for the ideal candidate. We look forward to working together in this important process.
Sincerely,
 
Heidi Hardman
Head of School Search Committee Chair


Update: December 20, 2024

Dear Northwest Academy Community,

As hard as it is to believe, Winter Break is already upon us. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we want to wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season and a wonderful start to 2025!

Looking ahead, the Board is moving forward with the search for a permanent Head of School, which will officially kick off in early 2025. In October, we committed to providing you with an update before the new year, so here’s where things stand.

A few key points for context:
  • Brock Dunn, our outstanding Interim Head of School, will remain in place through the end of the 2025/2026 school year (June 2026).
  • We aim to have our new Permanent Head of School hired by this time next year, with the successful candidate starting in July 2026 for the 2026/2027 school year. We also want to ensure ample time for a smooth transition between Brock and the new hire.
In early January, the Board’s Permanent Head of School Search Committee, led by our Board Secretary Heidi Hardman, will begin mapping out the search. This will include setting milestones and identifying key stakeholders, including representation from
teachers, staff, and parents. We want to ensure this process reflects the voices and perspectives of our entire community.

As we finalize these details, we will keep you informed and engaged in this important work. We’re excited to embark on this search and grateful for Brock’s leadership during this transition. Brock, our senior leadership team, and the Board all share the same goal: to find a Permanent Head of School who will further our mission with optimism and skill while building on the strong foundation already in place at Northwest Academy.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Northwest Academy. We look forward to updating you further on the Head of School search in the new year.

Sincerely,
Shane Wolfsmith
Chair, Board of Trustees
Northwest Academy
Northwest Academy seeks an inspiring and visionary leader to serve as our next Head of School. 

List of 1 items.

  • About the Search Committee

    The Board of Trustees has formed a Search Committee comprised of trustees who bring both board experience and parent perspectives to this important process:

    • Heidi Hardman (Trustee, Parent of 12th grader), Search Committee Chair
    • Marilyn Beach (Trustee, Parent of 10th and 12th grader)
    • Stefanie Silverman (Trustee, Parent of 12th grader)
    • Dana Kurtin (Trustee, Parent of alumni)
    • Cheyenne Jones (Trustee, Parent of alumni)
    • Brock Dunn (Interim Head of School)

    We are fortunate to have Brock Dunn's experienced leadership on our committee. His extensive background with head of school searches and firsthand experience as a candidate brings valuable insight to our process.

    You can reach the search committee at HOSsearch@nwacademy.org

Diversity Statement

A commitment to equity and inclusion lies at the heart of Northwest Academy’s culture, and we strive to carry it out through our arts and academic partnerships. We value the uniqueness of each student, family member, teacher, and staff member; their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives create a culture rich with mutual respect and authenticity. The Northwest Academy community values all ethnicities, races, cultures, religions, economic backgrounds, family structures, sexual and gender identities, and abilities. Ongoing efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to our staff and to our students’ abilities to develop into thoughtful and creative global citizens.
1130 SW Main Street, Portland, OR 97205-2047
Phone: 503.223.3367   
Copyright © 2025 Northwest Academy. All Rights Reserved.