Administration Archives - Charles River School

Lily Yee

With nearly 20 years of professional experience, Lily Yee brings her expertise in research finance, analysis, financial reporting, and grants. She joins CRS from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University (HNRCA), where she most recently served as the Associate Director of Planning and Analysis. At HNRCA, Lily was the primary financial advisor and technical resource for all accounting and financial management matters. She oversaw the center’s billing and compliance, purchasing, human resources and recruitment, capital equipment procurement, and audit support. She was also responsible for overseeing the annual operating and capital budgets for HNRCA, and managed a team of staff assistants who provided daily support to the center’s research laboratories, core scientific units, scientific computing, physical plant and facilities.

Prior to her most recent position, Lily worked at Boston Children’s Hospital as the grant compliance specialist and senior grant officer and at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center as an administrator in the Office of Sponsored Programs. In each of these roles, she worked closely with other departments and committees to consult, train, and advise best financial practices.

Lily earned her bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Laura Woodring

CRS is such a joyful place. People are genuinely happy to be here, and that joy and happiness create an environment of positivity that permeates throughout the school community. It’s a warm, friendly place to learn and work.

Kat Whitten

It’s a privilege to introduce families to the CRS community and to help students begin their journey here. I believe strongly in the impact that an intentionally intimate, student-centered school can have on the ability of children to learn. CRS allows students to think deeply, respect themselves and others, and to have fun while doing it.

Kat Whitten joined CRS in June of 2007 as the Assistant Director of Development in charge of the Annual Fund. In 2012, she added responsibilities in Admissions to her role in Development, and during the 2013-14 school year she became the Director of Admissions and Parent Relations.

Kat considers herself lucky that in her time at the school she has gotten to know alumni who attended CRS 50 years ago as well as students and families who are part of the community today. Seeing the passion and loyalty that people feel for CRS throughout their lives is inspiring and helps inform her conversations with prospective families. She believes that parents are truly investing in a life-long gift of a tremendous educational foundation when they choose Charles River School for their children.

Prior to coming to CRS, Kat was an admissions officer and upper school English and history teacher at Thayer Academy, where she also coached cross country and track. In addition, she served as Director of Stewardship at Beaver Country Day School. Kat holds a master’s degree from Brown University and received her undergraduate degree from Connecticut College.

Emily Walberg

I love the small community and the opportunity to really get to know both our kids and their families. CRS has a unique warmth that makes coming to work each day really enjoyable!

Emily joined CRS in 2019 as the Assistant Director of Development and has played an integral role in the department, helping to support all advancement activities. She has led the planning of several large-scale community events, both in-person and virtual, including spearheading new family events and the 2021 Graduation. Emily overseesall development efforts, including the Annual Fund, major gifts, special events, and alumni relations.

Prior to joining CRS, Emily served as the Alumni Program Officer at Concord Academy, where she was responsible for alumni engagement and events such as reunions and alumni receptions. She also previously worked at Dexter Southfield in alumni engagement and special events.

Steve Trust

Steve Trust has been in education for 15 years, working in both public and independent schools as a classroom teacher, staff developer, curriculum writer, and administrator. Steve joined CRS in 2011 as a Technology Integration Specialist, and has served as the Director of Academic Technology since 2014.

Before coming to CRS, Steve was a founding teacher at the Laboratory School of Finance and Technology in Bronx, NY, where for 8 years he developed and implemented the school’s technology curriculum, ran afterschool programming in digital music, computer hardware, and entrepreneurship, and served as a staff developer for new teachers. Most recently through his work with CRS, Steve has presented at numerous conferences on topics ranging from 3D printing and robotics to early childhood and middle school education, and is a frequent speaker on parenting in the age of social media.

Steve earned his BA from Hamilton College with a dual major in Computer Science and Philosophy, and a MS in Teaching from Pace University. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Steve has lived in rural upstate NY, the South Bronx, and now settled down with his wife, son, and daughter in Southborough.

Netra Srikanth

CRS is one of the most supportive communities I have ever been a part of. Every day, I see students supporting each other and colleagues working together to solve problems –there is truly the ethos that if we help each other, we help our community and make it stronger and better for all!

With a background in both education and entrepreneurship, Netra has a strong knowledge of both educational programming and business as well as a passion for the arts and athletics. She has co-founded and led several highly-acclaimed programs, including Birch Learning, Urban Kids Music, and Leoa Academy and Sports. Additionally, Netra has worked as a curriculum development leader, teacher mentor, and classroom teacher. She is also a trained musician and has taught piano, viola, and voice.

Netra has an MA from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, and a BA from Tufts University. She lives with her family in Lexington, Mass.

Nia Jacobs

I feel lucky to be a part of a community that recognizes that being a warm and caring community and an academically vibrant one are not mutually exclusive; in fact, it is the former that allows for the latter.

Nia joined CRS from Dana Hall School, where she most recently served as the Academic Dean. In this role, she developed and reviewed the curriculum for grades 5-12 as well as the school’s academic policies. Nia also coordinated diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for faculty in conjunction with the Director of Community, Equity, and Inclusion. She served on the Community and Equity Council and as the chair for the Department Heads’ and Curriculum Committees. Prior to her role as Academic Dean, Nia was the Assistant Director of the Upper School and the Junior Class Dean at Dana Hall.

Nia has served as a Teacher Mentor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she guided mentees through their first experiences with lesson planning, classroom management, and assessment design. She also taught U.S. History at both Buckingham Browne and Nichols School and Beaver Country Day School.

Nia earned her BA in History from Columbia University, as well as her MA in education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She served as a trustee for Boston Renaissance Charter Public School and was awarded Teacher of the Year at BB&N and The Peter Gow III Award for Excellence in Teaching at Beaver.

Elizabeth Clayton

I love the amazing teachers. As a parent of two CRS graduates, I appreciate how well known and safe my children were at school. As a colleague, I feel lucky to work with such a dedicated and talented group of educators.

Elizabeth Clayton is in her ninth year of being the Associate Head of Charles River School. She has been an educator for over twenty years with experience teaching math and science in middle and high school, and several years as a coach, advisor, and administrator.

Before becoming the Associate Head at CRS, Elizabeth taught middle school math and science at the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School in Franklin, Mass. for eight years. For several of those years she also served as the Middle School Coordinator and Academic Dean of Grades 5-8. During her time in Franklin, Elizabeth was a key administrator, working closely with four different Heads of School. She also taught earth science and physical science at Worcester Academy in Worcester, MA and coached varsity soccer and middle school basketball. Early in her career, she worked as a Senior Field Supervisor at archeological field sites in Indiana and Kentucky.

Elizabeth earned her BA cum laude from Smith College with a major in geology and a minor in archaeology; she played varsity lacrosse there as well. Elizabeth pursued her master’s degree in Geological Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington where she also served as an Associate Instructor and Lab Coordinator.

Gretchen Larkin

Creativity and curiosity permeate the campus. As a result, there is an exciting and synergistic energy between children and adults fostering deep and meaningful relationships and a strong sense of community.

Gretchen Larkin is the Head of School at Charles River School (CRS). Since joining the community in 2014, Gretchen has shared both her expertise as an educator as well as her own love of learning with faculty, staff, and students; she passionately believes in the school’s mission to nurture children by igniting their curiosity, encouraging creativity, and cultivating intellectual engagement.

Under Gretchen’s leadership as the school’s 10th Head of School, CRS has seen remarkable growth and success in recent years. In 2015, the school created an on-campus Wetlands Laboratory to give students of all ages hands-on, STEM learning opportunities. In 2019, the school wrapped up a record-setting, comprehensive campaign, surpassing its goal and raising $10.8 million to strengthen the endowment, boost the Annual Fund, and allow for the construction of a state-of-the-art middle school building and Media and Design Lab. Gretchen also led the administration in work to increase diversity among CRS faculty and students; reduce attrition to the lowest level in five years; and increase enrollment.

In 2019, Gretchen received the Division I Chief Executive Leadership Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), an award that is traditionally given to leaders of colleges or universities.

With nearly three decades of teaching and administrative experience in elementary and secondary schools, Gretchen has worked in independent schools in the Boston area for much of her career including Dedham Country Day School, The Fay School, and The Advent School. She served as the K-8 Assistant Principal and Head of Lower School at Milton Academy, where she also worked as the school’s founding K-8 Curriculum Coordinator overseeing curriculum design. Gretchen began her career as a middle school math, English, and history teacher, and also worked as a Lower School Reading and Learning Specialist and a PreK-8 Educational Coordinator.

Gretchen serves as an officer on the Board of Directors for the Association for Independent Schools of New England (AISNE) and as co-chair of Greenwich Academy’s Boston Alumnae Chapter. She also serves as a Trustee at Belmont Day School and on the advisory board of CCS Fundraising, a Boston-based consulting firm that partners with nonprofits. Previously, Gretchen chaired the Education Committee for St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church and served as a board member for the Northeast Association of Learning Specialists.

A graduate of Greenwich Academy, Gretchen earned a bachelor’s from Lake Forest College and a master’s in teaching from Manhattanville College. Outside of CRS, Gretchen enjoys reading, running, hiking, and traveling with her family – husband Bill, daughters Maisie and Lucy, and dog.

Julie Powers

My role at CRS allows me to visit classrooms across campus, so I get to see the benefits of progressive education in action at every grade level. What I find never ceases to amaze me. Truly masterful teachers help curious students make connections across themes to the outside world.

A seasoned marketing and communications professional, Julie began her career in higher education before moving to independent schools in 2005. Prior to joining CRS, she served as the inaugural Director of Communications at Dexter Southfield, where she implemented and managed the school’s rebranding efforts and developed a comprehensive marketing and communications program. Previously, Julie served as the Director of Digital Communications and Assistant Director of Communications at Noble and Greenough School. At both Dexter Southfield and Nobles, Julie also taught Health and Wellness classes, and served as an advisor and coach.

She graduated cum laude from Stonehill College, where she earned her bachelor’s in communications. Julie lives in Walpole, Mass., with her husband and their two young sons.