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Head of School Search
The Masters School Announces Megan Harlan as 15th Head of School
Dear Members of the Masters Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am delighted to announce that the Board has voted unanimously to appoint Megan Harlan as The Masters School’s 15th head of school, effective July 1, 2027.
Megan comes to Masters from Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she served as head of school for the past four years and became the first woman to lead the school in its 92-year history.
During her tenure at Fountain Valley, Megan led a revitalization of the school’s boarding program, strengthened the academic curriculum, and recruited outstanding faculty to deepen academic rigor. She also launched a capital campaign that raised $32.5 million in its first 15 months while helping grow the school’s endowment over her four years of leadership.
Before becoming a head of school, Megan spent 25 years at St. Paul’s School, Phillips Academy Andover, Princeton Day School, St. Mark’s School, and Groton School. Across these institutions, she steadily expanded her leadership responsibilities as a coach, dorm head, teacher, director of college counseling, and, ultimately, assistant head of school at Groton. These experiences shaped Megan’s understanding of what makes an independent school community thrive.
Megan earned a B.A. in American literature from Middlebury College and an M.S. in counseling from Villanova University. She and her husband, Geoff, are the proud parents of three adult children.
Megan shared that she is “honored and delighted to join this remarkable community that Laura Danforth has thoughtfully and joyfully stewarded. I look forward to listening to and partnering with the Masters community as we build upon its many strengths and continue advancing its mission.”
As chair of the Board of Trustees, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the members of our Head of School Search Committee and our search partners at RG175 for their dedication, care, and countless hours of work, and to the students, families, faculty, staff, and trustees who interviewed and shared feedback on our three finalist candidates.
We look forward to welcoming Megan and her family to Dobbs Ferry in the coming year and ultimately, to Masters full-time in July 2027 as Laura Danforth ends her remarkable 12 years of leadership.
Sincerely,
Beth Nolan ’69
Chair, Board of Trustees
During her tenure at Fountain Valley, Megan led a revitalization of the school’s boarding program, strengthened the academic curriculum, and recruited outstanding faculty to deepen academic rigor. She also launched a capital campaign that raised $32.5 million in its first 15 months while helping grow the school’s endowment over her four years of leadership.
Before becoming a head of school, Megan spent 25 years at St. Paul’s School, Phillips Academy Andover, Princeton Day School, St. Mark’s School, and Groton School. Across these institutions, she steadily expanded her leadership responsibilities as a coach, dorm head, teacher, director of college counseling, and, ultimately, assistant head of school at Groton. These experiences shaped Megan’s understanding of what makes an independent school community thrive.
Megan earned a B.A. in American literature from Middlebury College and an M.S. in counseling from Villanova University. She and her husband, Geoff, are the proud parents of three adult children.
Megan shared that she is “honored and delighted to join this remarkable community that Laura Danforth has thoughtfully and joyfully stewarded. I look forward to listening to and partnering with the Masters community as we build upon its many strengths and continue advancing its mission.”
As chair of the Board of Trustees, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the members of our Head of School Search Committee and our search partners at RG175 for their dedication, care, and countless hours of work, and to the students, families, faculty, staff, and trustees who interviewed and shared feedback on our three finalist candidates.
We look forward to welcoming Megan and her family to Dobbs Ferry in the coming year and ultimately, to Masters full-time in July 2027 as Laura Danforth ends her remarkable 12 years of leadership.
Sincerely,
Beth Nolan ’69
Chair, Board of Trustees
Please click here to read a letter from Megan Harlan to the Masters community.
The Masters School
