Leadership

Brian H. Hargrove

Since his arrival at Northfield Mount Hermon in 2019, Head of School Brian Hargrove has led an energetic process of institutional transformation, building on the legacies of prior leaders and imbuing the school’s longstanding commitments to academic rigor, service, and citizenship with renewed relevance for today’s world.

During Hargrove's tenure, NMH has undertaken one of the most significant periods of campus improvement in the school's history, with more than $70 million invested in new or renovated campus facilities. This Place, This Moment: The Campaign for Northfield Mount Hermon, one of the most ambitious fundraising campaigns at an independent school, is nearing fulfillment of its $275 million goal, fueled in part by a bequest of $50 million, the largest-ever gift to the school. 

Under Hargrove’s leadership, NMH has seen record levels of applications, achieved new benchmarks in alumni and parent giving, awarded $80 million in scholarship support, expanded faculty compensation and employee benefits, and sustained an exceptional record of graduates’ matriculation to top colleges and universities. 

An accomplished educational leader, Hargrove came to NMH from Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, where he was the assistant head of school for advancement and communications. He previously served as director of development for St. Mark’s School of Texas, his alma mater, and has worked in higher education, educational technology, and executive search. He holds a master’s degree in education and school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Texas State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Gettysburg College.

Hargrove and his wife, Linda, have four children; one is an NMH graduate and another is a current student at the school. Hargrove is a member of the board of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), where he has served on strategic planning and governance committees, and is actively involved with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). He has served on the U.S. Advisory Council for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), for which he has chaired the Summer Institute for Independent Schools and earned distinction as a CASE Laureate for longtime volunteer service. He speaks and writes frequently on the importance of independent schools in serving the public good, educating and equipping young people for lives of humanity and purpose.

Beatriz Garcia P’09, assistant head for academic programs and dean of faculty, began her career mentoring educators through a teacher-training program for instructors of English as a foreign language in her native Uruguay. She later taught Spanish for two years at Deerfield Academy before joining Northfield Mount Hermon in 2003 as a member of the World Languages Department. At NMH, she has taught Spanish as well as courses in diversity and social justice and has led language-immersion programs abroad.

Bea served as chair of the World Languages Department from 2006 to 2014, then was assistant dean of faculty before being appointed dean of faculty in 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American literature and a master’s degree in applied linguistics from the Universidad de Jaén in Spain.

James Greenwood, dean of equity and social justice, first worked at NMH from 2007 to 2016, serving as director of multicultural affairs, then returned in 2024 to take on his current role. During this earlier time at the school, he also taught in the History and Social Sciences Department and spent five years as director of NMH’s SOAR Summer Program for incoming students of color and seven years as dorm head for 9th-graders in Cottage 1 (now Chan Cottage). 

Prior to his return to NMH, James was dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Western Reserve Academy in Ohio. He had also been dean of equity and inclusion at St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire and director of inclusion and multicultural practice at Shady Hill School in Massachusetts. His many years of experience at independent schools also include teaching history and work in admissions at the Williston Northampton School in Massachusetts. 

James has published and presented widely on issues of diversity and equity in education. He also volunteers his time and expertise, volunteering with the Association of Independent Schools New England, serving as a faculty member for the The Association of Boarding Schools Summer Institutes, and serving as a board member of the Independent School Association of the Central States, where he chairs the Equity and Justice Committee.  

James holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies, with a concentration in African and African American studies, from Kenyon College, and also did undergraduate work at Howard University. He earned a master of arts in teaching from Brown University, a master of education from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a doctorate in education from Boston College.
 

Trish Jackson, chief advancement officer, joined NMH in June 2022 to lead both the advancement and marketing and communications offices as well as the $275 million This Place, This Moment; The Campaign for Northfield Mount Hermon. 

She previously held leadership positions at Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Wheaton College, Geisel School of Medicine and Dartmouth Health, Brown University, and Dartmouth College. She also served in intentional interim roles as senior vice president for development and alumni engagement at The New School and senior consultant providing development leadership for the University of Vermont Health Network. 

Trish serves on the Scripps College Board of Trustees and on the board of Northern Stage, a regional theater in White River Junction, Vermont. She is an active volunteer for the Council of Advancement and Education (CASE) and has received the Crystal Apple Award for Outstanding Teaching, the Collier Award for Outstanding Service for the New England Region, and the CASE Laureate designation for service to the profession. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Scripps College and an MBA from the Drucker School of Management at the Claremont Graduate University.
 

Mary McEneany, assistant head for finance and operations and chief operating officer, joined NMH in 2019. She previously served as vice president for administration and finance and treasurer at Hampshire College, chief administrative officer at the nonprofit Center for Human Development, chief financial and operations officer at Community Action, associate director for administration and finance at UMass Amherst, and chief business officer for the Greenfield public schools and the Pioneer Valley Regional School District. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Iona College, an MBA in nonprofit finance from UMass Amherst, and master’s-level certification in school business administration from the Massachusetts School of Liberal Arts.

Charles Tierney III, P’16, ’19, ’20, associate head, knows NMH and the college-prep-school world like no one else. Since his arrival at NMH in 1998, he has been a history teacher, coach, dorm advisor, dean, accreditation coordinator, assistant head of school, interim plant facilities director, interim communications director, and interim head of school. From 2014 to 2016, he was head of the Tatnall School in Wilmington, Delaware. Charlie also was director of studies at St. Stephen’s School in Rome and taught at Choate Rosemary Hall and the Berkshire School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and a master’s in educational leadership and administration from Teachers College of Columbia University.

Clair Ward, NMH’s dean of enrollment, brings to her work more than 20 years of leadership and enrollment experience at independent schools. Prior to arriving at NMH, Ward spent 15 years as head at two different schools. She is affiliated with Excelle, an organization for female heads of school and continues to mentor and coach new leaders.  

Clair relies heavily on her decade of accreditation work with both the Association of Independent Schools in New England and the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools to think strategically about her work as an enrollment professional and as a coach.  

She began her career in education as a Latin teacher. She received her bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College, where she double-majored in English and classics, and holds a master’s degree in educational administration and curriculum from Boston College. Most recently, she trained at Brown University and now holds leadership coaching certification from the International Coaching Federation.