Head of School Kathleen Devaney

Ms. Devaney first learned of the positive and profound impact of the boarding school experience serving on the faculty of Deerfield Academy for five years, where she coached soccer, alpine skiing, and lacrosse; supervised a dorm; and led the student activities office.

From Deerfield, Ms. Devaney headed to Westminster School, where she and her husband, Mark de Kanter, served on the faculty for the last 25 years and raised their two children. During that time, in addition to teaching and coaching, Ms. Devaney took on several administrative positions including Assistant Head of School, Dean of Students, and Director of Student Life. Most recently, Ms. Devaney had served as the founding Executive Director of Horizons at Westminster, a tuition-free, academic enrichment summer program that leverages a unique public-private partnership to close the opportunity gaps and advance educational equity for students from Hartford.

Ms. Devaney has received numerous awards in recognition of her work and contributions and served on nearly every conceivable committee at Westminster, including: Strategic Planning, Faculty/Student Trustee, Academic Review, and Student Support. She serves on the Westminster Board’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and co-chaired Westminster’s Diversity Committee. Ms. Devaney also serves on the board of National Network of Schools in Partnership. Ms. Devaney earned her B.A. from Bowdoin College and master’s degree from Dartmouth College.

Read more about Ms. Devaney and the Head of School search.