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Our People

Jennifer C. Rao

Jennifer C. Rao

Head of School

A dedicated educator and experienced leader in girls’ education, Jenny C. Rao was named the sixteenth Brearley Head of School in May 2024 and assumed her responsibilities in July 2025. Previously, Ms. Rao served as the head of Emma Willard School, an all-girls boarding and day school in Troy, New York, for grades nine through 12.

At Emma Willard, she developed a strategic plan that integrated innovation, excellence, diversity, inclusion, and well-being into all aspects of the school. She empowered the faculty to enrich the curriculum with new advanced offerings and independent study opportunities. Most recently, she led a record-breaking $175 million capital campaign that expanded the school’s campus to include a performing arts center, additional faculty housing, and increased resources to support student well-being, programmatic initiatives, and faculty innovation.

Before joining Emma Willard, Ms. Rao held various senior leadership roles at Garrison Forest School, an all-girls day and boarding school in Baltimore, Maryland, serving students in grades K through 12. Additionally, Ms. Rao brings more than a decade of classroom teaching experience in Spanish, English, and geography. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of the New York Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), including two years as vice president and two years as president. In 2021, she chaired the NYSAIS accreditation team for Brearley.

Ms. Rao earned a master's degree in private school leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is a graduate of Bates College, where she earned a degree in economics with a minor in French. Born and raised in Mexico City by her Mexican mother and British/American father, she is fluent in Spanish and studied classical ballet for 15 years. She and her husband, Arjun Rao, have two school-aged boys.

Brearley Leadership

A headshot of Lydia Barovero

Lydia Barovero

Academic Dean

Ahmed Najm

Ahmed Najm

Dean of Faculty

Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer

Maria-Anna Zimmermann

Maria-Anna Zimmermann

Head of Lower School

Tim Brownell

Tim Brownell

Head of Middle School Student Life

Stephanie Wright

Stephanie Wright

Head of Upper School Student Life

Coy Dailey

Coy Dailey

Director of Equity and Community Engagement

Christina Clemente

Christina Clemente

Director of Enrollment Management

Colin Samuel

Colin Samuel

Chief Technology Officer

Carolyn Clark

Carolyn Clark

Director of College Advising

Phoebe Geer

Phoebe Geer

Director of Advancement

Jennifer Stewart

Jennifer Stewart

Director of Communications

Board of Trustees

Brearley's Board of Trustees sets important policies for the school and oversees its governance and fiduciary health. The board meets regularly to discuss developments at the school and vote on policy decisions.

    Leadership

  • Sue Meng '99

    President
  • Tom Farrell

    Vice President
  • Ning Jin

    Vice President
  • Lauren Wasson

    Vice President
  • Tara Abrahams

    Secretary
  • Olivia Wassenaar '97

    Treasurer

    Members

  • Eloise Austin

    Board Member
  • Tanisha Bellur

    Board Member
  • John Botti

    Board Member
  • Alexander Brodsky

    Board Member
  • Jasmine Chu '90

    Board Member
  • Ranika Cohen

    Board Member
  • Daphne Crespo-Helm

    Board Member
  • Michael Dees

    Board Member
  • Amina Elderfield '94

    Board Member
  • Martha Haakmat

    Board Member
  • Megan Lui '10

    Board Member
  • John McGinn

    Board Member
  • Emily McLellan '94

    Board Member
  • Margo Nederlander

    Board Member
  • Jenny Rao

    Board Member
  • Terri Seligman '78

    Board Member
  • Sidaya Moore Sherwood '90

    Board Member
  • Bill Shutzer

    Board Member
  • Nekesa Straker '97

    Board Member
  • Runako Taylor

    Faculty Representative

    Trustees Emeriti

  • Modupe Akinola '92

    Former Board President
  • Christine Frankenhoff Alfaro '91

    Former Board President
  • Georges F. de Ménil

    Former Board Member
  • Jane Foley Fried

    Former Head of School
  • Evelyn Janover Halpert '52

    Former Head of School
  • David T. Hamamoto

    Former Board Member
  • Stephanie J. Hull

    Former Head of School
  • Ellen Jewett '77

    Former Board President
  • Alan Jones

    Former Board President
  • John F. Savarese

    Former Board Member
  • Priscilla Winn Barlow

    Former Head of School

Faculty and Staff

Brearley's teachers are as excited as their students to come to school. Highly accomplished in their fields, they are attentive to each student's aspirations and pace of development—her personality and talents. By asking much, and by serving as role models of commitment and achievement, teachers here inspire their students to stretch beyond their perceived limits and to internalize the connections between good work habits and success.

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