SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Laurel School has announced that its next head of school will come to Shaker Heights from New Hampshire.
The Laurel Board of Trustees has chosen Christina Breen, who has served as associate dean of student life and in other integral roles charged with the direction of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H. Those other roles include strategic planning and serving on the school’s curriculum, admissions, community conduct, and faculty agenda committees.
Breen will begin her Laurel duties July 1, 2025. She will fill the spot vacated by Ann V. Klotz, who announced that she will retire at the end of this school year, which will be her 21st year serving as head of Laurel School.
Laurel is a K-12 school located at 1 Lyman Circle.
“After an extensive search that attracted candidates of the highest caliber — a testament to Laurel’s reputation for academic excellence, innovation, and leadership in girls’ education — the decision to appoint Ms. Breen was clear,” said Laurel Board Chair Megan Lum Mehalko (Laurel Class of ’83), in a release. “Her diverse experience and exceptional skills were evident throughout her interviews and interactions with our community members.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Breen to Laurel next summer and look forward to seeing our beloved school continue to thrive under her leadership and expertise.”
Breen is known as an advocate for girls’ athletics and for fostering a healthy team culture. She initiated the “We Are All Big Red” program at Exeter to promote inclusion in athletics.
Under her leadership, the varsity girls lacrosse team that she coached enjoyed 10 consecutive winning seasons and earned national rankings.
A longtime English instructor, Breen has served on various campus life committees and chaired Phillips Exeter’s faculty agenda committee, which acts as a liaison between faculty and that school’s administration.
Breen is a two-time recipient of the Daniel E. Koshland, Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award, the Rupert Radford Faculty Fellowship Award, and the Graves Family Teaching and Innovation Award.
She received her undergraduate degree in English from Tufts University, where she also played varsity lacrosse.
Prior to her work at Exeter, Breen was a lecturer in English at the University of Vermont, an instructor in English at St. Mark’s School, and the founder and administrator of Heronfield Academy, where she led the buildings and grounds, development and pedagogy committees; designed curriculum; served as director of admissions; chaired the accreditation process; and helped to guide two strategic planning processes.
Breen holds two master’s degrees from the Universities of Vermont and New Hampshire. She will soon complete her third in independent school leadership as a Klingenstein Scholar at Columbia University.
In her acceptance of the position, Breen shared how excited she is to carry on the legacy that started in 1896 with Laurel’s founder, Jennie Prentiss.
“The simplicity and power of the Laurel mission, to inspire each girl to fulfill her promise and to better the world, has embedded within it the belief in the potential of every Laurel girl to nurture her passions, to care for her community, and to try new things with the knowledge that she will be supported every step of the way,” Breen remarked. “I am thrilled about this opportunity to lead Laurel, to honor the traditions that have made Laurel so successful, and to partner with the community to steward the school’s strategic vision moving forward.”
To learn more about Breen and see her video message to the Laurel community, visit here.
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