Introducing Interim Co-Heads of School: Melissa Gray-Hughes & Jeff Berman
Following Michael Saxenian’s retirement at the end of June, and a successful national search for Mike’s successor, we are thrilled to have longtime McLean School leaders Melissa Gray-Hughes and Jeff Berman step into the roles of Interim Co-Heads of School for the 2023-2024 school year.
Jeff and Melissa both joined McLean full-time in 2016, and currently serve as Assistant Heads of School. As with all that McLean does, the decision to appoint interim leadership from within, and the shared responsibility, was made with intention and with the School community’s best interests in mind, as evidenced by the unanimous support and approval of the Board of Trustees.
“Melissa and Jeff’s combined talents, their deep understanding of the School’s students and mission, and their close collaboration with me and our trustees provides McLean with valuable continuity that can be hard to come by in times of transition,” says Mike. “I’m grateful for their expertise and willingness to lead McLean into a new era.”
Together, Melissa and Jeff have prioritized six areas of focus:
Cultural continuity. It’s a big reason families choose McLean, and Jeff and Melissa are committed to preserving the School’s special and unique culture, that is fundamental to all we do. “We will continue to take care of all our students, faculty, and parents with the same thought and care everyone has come to expect here.” says Melissa. “Students are at the center, alongside the teachers who serve them, and the parents and caregivers who are critical in the partnership. And, of course, administrators are there, helping to guide and frame it all.”
New campus. With the opening of the Falls Road Campus for the 2023-2024 school year, McLean’s Lower School gets a spacious new home, and the Middle and Upper Schools have much needed room to expand their programs, as well, creating exciting opportunities for both locations. Beginning this summer, McLean will work with a team of architects to begin the process of determining how to best configure the existing Lochinver Lane Campus and make a plan for implementing those changes starting in the summer of 2024. One thing that will not change, however, is McLean’s commitment to community. “Two beautiful buildings, one school, one community,” says Jeff. “It will take some thought and work, but maintaining strong connections between the campuses and across our community is of paramount importance to us.”
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB). In recent years McLean has and continues to work at fostering a more just, equitable, and inclusive community–one in which all feel they belong. As part of that work, McLean recently completed a Climate Assessment to provide insight as well as to further inform the School’s DEIJB efforts. “It’s an area we have explicitly and intentionally been working in for years because it’s very important to us,” says Jeff. “But the nature of this work is there’s always more to be done.” For students, the adults that work with them, and their families, representation matters in all its many forms, from neurodiversity to family constellations to socioeconomics. “We want this to be a place where everyone can show up as themselves; where everyone feels they belong,” says Melissa.
Professional and pedagogical development. Over the past year, McLean’s division and department heads have been working to develop a Portrait of a Graduate: identifying the skills and qualities we want students to have when they graduate, and how to make that happen by revisiting the scope and sequence of what we teach. “We are striving to be very intentional about how we integrate the curriculum across grades and disciplines,” says Jeff. “To deliver on this promise, we need to support our teachers. The profession is constantly evolving and it’s our responsibility as administrators to give them the tools and training they need to be successful.”
Strategic planning. In February 2022, McLean embarked on a strategic planning process and while the plan will be completed by the end of this school year, the process itself is ongoing. “Ours will be an iterative process and something we will be thinking about on an ongoing basis as we begin to implement the framework we developed over the past year,” says Melissa. “The 21st century leadership model is one of adaptive leadership and agility, and especially as we help orient our new Head of School, we want to be sure there’s enough flexibility and fluidity to allow for their vision and direction.”
A smooth transition. Melissa and Jeff look forward to working to create a comfortable and welcoming environment for the incoming permanent Head of School when the time comes, making sure they have what they need in the way of connections, support, and resources for a strong start. “We see a big part of our job being to ensure a smooth and seamless integration,” says Melissa, “and having two of us to tag team should make that easier for everyone.”
“It’s an exciting time for McLean. Jeff and Melissa bring deep understanding of the School, including where we’ve been and where we’re going,” says Jim Cigliano, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “They have also built important relationships and trust within the McLean community, including our faculty and parents. It was important to the Board, and to everyone at the School, that McLean keeps moving forward. With Jeff and Melissa co-leading, we can responsibly and confidently do that. Melissa and Jeff will provide wonderful leadership in the 2023-2024 school year. We’re fortunate and so thankful for their expertise and commitment to McLean.”
In addition to being a powerful pairing of professional strengths, the two have mutual appreciation for each other as people. “Jeff is smart, funny, an extraordinary problem-solver, and creative beyond belief,” says Melissa. “We seek each other’s input and counsel all the time and it’s been that way since we started at McLean together, so I look forward to continuing our positive working relationship and friendship.” Says Jeff, “I feel so fortunate to be working at McLean in general and particularly to be working with Melissa. She has an unbelievable way of connecting with people and is so good at thinking strategically and seeing the big picture. These strengths have been and will continue to be key to the success of the School.”
In addition to sharing a leadership role and admiration for one another, Melissa and Jeff also share great respect and regard for Mike Saxenian. “We are both so grateful to Mike for the incredible work he’s done over the past 10 years,” says Jeff, “the way he conducts himself personally and professionally, and all he’s accomplished.” Melissa added, “We couldn’t do what we do, and will do, if it weren’t for Mike.”.
“Melissa and I know the job of Head of School because Mike has really encouraged and allowed us to be part of his leadership, involving and inviting us into the challenges and opportunities and decision-making along the way,” adds Jeff. “We’re both really looking forward to this next new phase, and because we’ve focused on different aspects of the work over the years, we bring a comprehensive set of skills to the experience.”
About Jeff Berman
Jeff joined the McLean School Administrative team in 2016, serving first as Chief Financial Officer and later adding the responsibilities of Chief Operating Officer. A graduate of Georgetown University with a BSFS and MA in International Security Studies, Jeff worked on educational projects and professional development initiatives in Latin America and the Middle East for over 30 years. His experiences in financial, nonprofit, and entrepreneurial management and as a longtime trustee and parent at an independent school all feed his passion for making a difference and helping young people reach their true potential. “I learn so much from watching our students and the effort they put into learning every day, our teachers and their incredible creativity and dedication, and the thoughtful and smart team of administrators here at McLean. It’s the nicest group of hardworking people I’ve ever known, and I feel truly fortunate to be here.”
About Melissa Gray-Hughes
Prior to McLean, Melissa spent more than 13 years in marketing and brand management across several industries. Melissa officially joined the Development Office in 2016 to help launch the Envision McLean Campaign. She was excited by the opportunity to tell McLean’s unique story while building a culture of philanthropy at the School. Melissa earned a BA in English at Spelman College and an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Melissa is also well acquainted with McLean as an Alumni Parent. “My son Leander enrolled at McLean as a fifth grader, and when I saw the work of the teachers and the incredible progress he made, I wanted in; I wanted to be part of something so special, to understand how and why, and to be part of the team that makes it happen. I am grateful I get to do this work, and to ensure that these same extraordinary opportunities exist for other children like mine, now and in the future.”