top of page
_80A4423_2k_72dpi_edited.jpg
Artboard 4@3x.png

Head of School Transition

Artboard 4@3x.png
Letter from Julie Porter, Incoming Head of School

Dear Park Century Community,

 

I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to become Park Century’s Head of School. Park Century has a long tradition of being a leader in LD education in Los Angeles, and it is an honor to continue that tradition. I have always been drawn to school communities like Park Century that empower students to reach both their academic and personal potential, and where every member of the community is passionate and dedicated to the school’s mission and commitment to best practices. 

 

I believe that the culture and climate of an educational organization must contribute to an environment that is healthy and conducive to learning. Besides academic and social/emotional targeted intervention programming, students with diagnosed language-based learning differences deserve an environment where they are seen, heard and loved. 

 

During my on-campus visit, it was evident that Park Century School fosters this type of environment – a place where students do not merely attend - but belong. I am excited about launching what I like to call a “look, listen and learn tour” to experience first-hand the many ways that Park Century School is making a difference in the lives of so many kids and families.

 

I want to thank the Search Committee whose love for Park Century School inspired me to think about the possibilities that lie ahead.  Over the next few months, I look forward to partnering with Judith, Jennifer and the highly dedicated faculty and staff and getting to know each of you. I am incredibly excited to join this special community and to continue fostering the traditions, culture, and values of this school for years to come.

​

Best,   

​

Julie Porter

  • Reveta Franklin Bower
    Ms. Bowers is the former Administrator and Head of School for The Center for Early Education in Los Angeles, a consultant, and serves as chair of Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children use technology responsibly, safely, and effectively.
  • Max Brooks
    Mr. Brooks is an internationally known author and speaker about his firsthand experience growing up with dyslexia. He is also a Park Century parent.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis
    Ms. Curtis is an actress, author, and former PCS parent.
  • Rita Eichenstein, Ph.D.
    Dr. Eichenstein specializes in pediatric neuropsychological evaluations, testing for learning disabilities and ADHD, and accommodating children with learning differences and ADHD.
  • Leah Ellenberg, Ph.D., M.D.
    Dr. Ellenberg specializes in clinical neuropsychology.
  • Dr. Audrey Griesbach
    Dr. Griesbach’s practice is devoted entirely to the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of children with a wide variety of neuro-developmental disorders, including autism, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, developmental and cognitive delays, learning differences like ADHD, and other behavioral disorders. Dr. Griesbach also served on the board of the Westview School for children with learning and emotional challenges and was a founding board member of the WISH Charter Elementary School, which provides inclusive educational opportunities for children with special needs.
  • Karen Hellman-Fried
    Karen Hellman-Fried is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Educational Therapist in Santa Monica, California. Karen holds Master of Arts Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Human Development as well as a Certificate in Educational Therapy. She has a private practice in psychotherapy and is Co-Director of the K&M Center, Inc., a learning center providing educational services to students ranging from four years old to college age.
  • Justin Hunt
    Formerly a member of Park Century's Board of Trustees, Justin’s service on the Board began in 2012, and he was Board President from 2013 to 2017. He is President of William Walters Company, a real estate investment and management firm, specializing in multi-family properties. He and his wife, Michelle, are graduates of the University of San Diego and have two children who both attended Park Century School. They currently reside in Jackson, Wyoming.
  • Anthony Jaffe
    Anthony Jaffe is a Managing Director and head of CMBS Origination for J.P. Morgan’s West Coast office in Los Angeles. He was previously head of CMBS Origination at Credit Suisse and Managing Director of Natixis Real Estate Capital. Before joining Natixis Real Estate Capital, Mr. Jaffe worked at Credit Suisse First Boston and was part of creating the premier real estate finance company on Wall Street at the time. Additionally, he was one of the pioneering members of Nomura Capital, a leading real estate lender in the United States and a group credited with the application of securitization to commercial real estate finance. Mr. Jaffe is on the Board of Governors for Cedars Sinai Hospital, served as a member of the Park Century Board of Trustees from 2011-2019, is a Philanthropy Honoree at UCLA, and is Founder of the Tom Drysdale Fellowship at NYU where he received his bachelor’s degree.
  • Zeb Little, Ph.D., M.D.
    Dr. Little is a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist.
  • Dr. Jayme Neiman-Kimel
    Dr. Neiman-Kimel is a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist and leading specialist in neuropsychological assessment for children and young adults. Over the last 20 years, Dr.Neiman-Kimel has built a practice that has provided services to schools and expert witness testimony, and she maintains a private clinical practice.
  • Kelly Priest
    Ms. Priest is an ardent advocate for supporting the social-learning needs of children, teens, and adults. She is the founder of Kelly Priest & Associates, a resource for parents and teachers of children with mild to moderate social learning differences. She is a social-cognitive-development specialist, a faculty trainer, and parent educator.
  • Bruce Savett
    Mr. Savett is the principal and founder of Granite Peak Partners Inc, a commercial property brokerage firm with headquarters in Santa Barbara. A PCS alumnus, Mr. Savett was the third student enrolled in the school and the son of founding trustee Lou Savett.
  • Bennett Shaywitz, M.D.
    Dr. Shaywitz is a leader in applying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand the neurobiology of reading and dyslexia in children and adults. He is the Charles and Helen Schwab Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology) and the Co-Director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
  • Gail Spindler
    Ms. Spindler had a 45-year career at Park Century beginning as a classroom educator and retiring as Co-Director of the school in 2013.
  • Benjamin Sprague
    Ben Sprague is a PCS alum and son of former Board Chair Marianne Sprague. A former television producer and entertainment executive, Mr. Sprague was recently appointed CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds Board of the 19th District Agricultural Association, located in Santa Barbara.
  • Kearney N. Visser Ph.D.
    Dr. Visser is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in treating children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Visser is trained as a cognitive behavioral therapist.
  • Wendy Wachtell
    Ms. Wachtell is the President and CEO of the Joseph P. Drown Foundation. The Foundation attempts to reflect directly the interests of founder Joseph Drown, focusing its resources on education, medical and scientific research, community, and health and social services. The Foundation's goal is to assist individuals in becoming successful, self-sustaining, contributing citizens, funding programs that break down barriers preventing a person from continuing to grow and learn.
Get in Touch

If you have questions for the Search Committee, please feel free to send them to the confidential e-mailbox for the Search Committee at:

 

searchcommittee@parkcenturyschool.org

Head of School Search Committee 2021

Search Committee Co-Chairs

Bess Armstrong Fiedler (P ’06, Trustee)

Helen Newton Hartung (P ’05, Trustee)

PCS Teachers

Christine Lennon

PCS Parents

Dan Bucatinsky (P ’19, P ‘22)

Heather Primus (P ’21, P ’27)

Trustees

Jennie Maguire Burkart (Class of ‘92, Former Teacher)

Leslie Goodman (P ‘20)

Jason Keller (P '21)

Phyllis G. Thomas

Sally Weil

comittee
Search Consultant
logo.png

Doreen S. Oleson

Search Consultant

Doreen Oleson served Saint Mark’s School, an Episcopal Parish Day School in Altadena, CA as head of school for twenty-five years and retired in June, 2015.

​

Prior to her appointment in 1990, she was Assistant Vice-President at Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA and also taught in the public schools in Hawaii and California. She is married to Don Oleson, retired missile defense engineer, and is “Mom” to two boys and two girls (all grown up now) and is “Tutu-Granny” to seven grandchildren, ages 1 through 18. 


​

She served as the president of the governing board of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, was trustee of the National Association of Independent Schools, was president of the California Association of Independent Schools’ board of directors, served on the National Commission on Accreditation, was chair of the Commission on Schools for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and was a field instructor at the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College. Dr. Oleson currently coaches aspiring school leaders, and belongs to organizations and boards which support education and community service learning.

www.rg175.com

HoS Search Position Statement_Page_01.jp
Position Statement for Head of School
search consultant
position statement
  • Reveta Franklin Bower
    Ms. Bowers is the former Administrator and Head of School for The Center for Early Education in Los Angeles, a consultant, and serves as chair of Common Sense Media, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children use technology responsibly, safely, and effectively.
  • Max Brooks
    Mr. Brooks is an internationally known author and speaker about his firsthand experience growing up with dyslexia. He is also a Park Century parent.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis
    Ms. Curtis is an actress, author, and former PCS parent.
  • Rita Eichenstein, Ph.D.
    Dr. Eichenstein specializes in pediatric neuropsychological evaluations, testing for learning disabilities and ADHD, and accommodating children with learning differences and ADHD.
  • Leah Ellenberg, Ph.D., M.D.
    Dr. Ellenberg specializes in clinical neuropsychology.
  • Dr. Audrey Griesbach
    Dr. Griesbach’s practice is devoted entirely to the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of children with a wide variety of neuro-developmental disorders, including autism, cerebral palsy, genetic disorders, developmental and cognitive delays, learning differences like ADHD, and other behavioral disorders. Dr. Griesbach also served on the board of the Westview School for children with learning and emotional challenges and was a founding board member of the WISH Charter Elementary School, which provides inclusive educational opportunities for children with special needs.
  • Karen Hellman-Fried
    Karen Hellman-Fried is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an Educational Therapist in Santa Monica, California. Karen holds Master of Arts Degrees in Clinical Psychology and Human Development as well as a Certificate in Educational Therapy. She has a private practice in psychotherapy and is Co-Director of the K&M Center, Inc., a learning center providing educational services to students ranging from four years old to college age.
  • Justin Hunt
    Formerly a member of Park Century's Board of Trustees, Justin’s service on the Board began in 2012, and he was Board President from 2013 to 2017. He is President of William Walters Company, a real estate investment and management firm, specializing in multi-family properties. He and his wife, Michelle, are graduates of the University of San Diego and have two children who both attended Park Century School. They currently reside in Jackson, Wyoming.
  • Anthony Jaffe
    Anthony Jaffe is a Managing Director and head of CMBS Origination for J.P. Morgan’s West Coast office in Los Angeles. He was previously head of CMBS Origination at Credit Suisse and Managing Director of Natixis Real Estate Capital. Before joining Natixis Real Estate Capital, Mr. Jaffe worked at Credit Suisse First Boston and was part of creating the premier real estate finance company on Wall Street at the time. Additionally, he was one of the pioneering members of Nomura Capital, a leading real estate lender in the United States and a group credited with the application of securitization to commercial real estate finance. Mr. Jaffe is on the Board of Governors for Cedars Sinai Hospital, served as a member of the Park Century Board of Trustees from 2011-2019, is a Philanthropy Honoree at UCLA, and is Founder of the Tom Drysdale Fellowship at NYU where he received his bachelor’s degree.
  • Zeb Little, Ph.D., M.D.
    Dr. Little is a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist.
  • Dr. Jayme Neiman-Kimel
    Dr. Neiman-Kimel is a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist and leading specialist in neuropsychological assessment for children and young adults. Over the last 20 years, Dr.Neiman-Kimel has built a practice that has provided services to schools and expert witness testimony, and she maintains a private clinical practice.
  • Kelly Priest
    Ms. Priest is an ardent advocate for supporting the social-learning needs of children, teens, and adults. She is the founder of Kelly Priest & Associates, a resource for parents and teachers of children with mild to moderate social learning differences. She is a social-cognitive-development specialist, a faculty trainer, and parent educator.
  • Bruce Savett
    Mr. Savett is the principal and founder of Granite Peak Partners Inc, a commercial property brokerage firm with headquarters in Santa Barbara. A PCS alumnus, Mr. Savett was the third student enrolled in the school and the son of founding trustee Lou Savett.
  • Bennett Shaywitz, M.D.
    Dr. Shaywitz is a leader in applying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to understand the neurobiology of reading and dyslexia in children and adults. He is the Charles and Helen Schwab Professor of Pediatrics (Neurology) and the Co-Director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity.
  • Gail Spindler
    Ms. Spindler had a 45-year career at Park Century beginning as a classroom educator and retiring as Co-Director of the school in 2013.
  • Benjamin Sprague
    Ben Sprague is a PCS alum and son of former Board Chair Marianne Sprague. A former television producer and entertainment executive, Mr. Sprague was recently appointed CEO of the Earl Warren Showgrounds Board of the 19th District Agricultural Association, located in Santa Barbara.
  • Kearney N. Visser Ph.D.
    Dr. Visser is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in treating children, adolescents, and families. Dr. Visser is trained as a cognitive behavioral therapist.
  • Wendy Wachtell
    Ms. Wachtell is the President and CEO of the Joseph P. Drown Foundation. The Foundation attempts to reflect directly the interests of founder Joseph Drown, focusing its resources on education, medical and scientific research, community, and health and social services. The Foundation's goal is to assist individuals in becoming successful, self-sustaining, contributing citizens, funding programs that break down barriers preventing a person from continuing to grow and learn.
Get in Touch

If you have questions for the Search Committee, please feel free to send them to the confidential e-mailbox for the Search Committee at:

 

searchcommittee@parkcenturyschool.org

faq
bottom of page