Head of School Search

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Jennifer Zaccara has been appointed by the Board of Trustees as The Hewitt School’s ninth head of school. Following the search committee’s recommendation, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Jennifer’s appointment. She will begin her tenure at Hewitt in July 2025.

Jennifer is an inspiring and collaborative leader who believes deeply in Hewitt’s commitment to educating high achieving, healthy, and happy girls and young women. Trustee and Search Committee Chair Santiago Rubin P’26 shares, “Jennifer brings a wealth of independent school leadership experience to Hewitt, and we are excited to welcome her as our next head of school. Her passion and enthusiasm for leading Hewitt into its next successful chapter was evident throughout our search process. We are confident that, under Jennifer’s leadership, Hewitt will continue to differentiate itself as a school where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.”

ABOUT OUR NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL
Dr. Jennifer Zaccara has served as head of school at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vermont, since 2017. From 2013 to 2017, she was associate head of school at The Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City. She has also served as associate dean of faculty at The Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut. Jennifer began her career teaching English at several distinguished independent schools, including the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, Connecticut; Rye Country Day School in Rye, New York; and The Winsor School in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also taught in higher education, serving as a lecturer in the English Department at The University of Connecticut in Storrs and as a visiting assistant professor of English, American Studies, and Rhetoric and Writing at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. 

Jennifer has been a board member of the Association of Independent Schools In New England (AISNE) since 2021, served as a board member of the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England (ISANNE) from 2019-2021, and was recently inducted into the Heads and Principals Association. She holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from Trinity College, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Jennifer has two sons, Bryce Rafferty, who is an attorney in Denver, and Keefe Rafferty, who is a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy. She also has two dogs, a red lab named Copperfield and a red golden named Brontë.

Reflecting on her appointment, Jennifer said, “I am honored to step into the role of head of school at The Hewitt School. From the moment I arrived at Hewitt, I felt the energy across the school’s campus and experienced a deep connection and a sense of coming home. Hewitt has both embraced its proud history and turned deliberately toward the excitement of a rapidly changing world in order to prepare girls and young women to lead ethically and with joy. I look forward to working with an outstanding administrative team and dedicated community of families and faculty to support the growth of every Hewitt girl. Together, with faith and courage, we will embrace the bright future of a great school. 

I share my deepest gratitude with the search committee and the entire Hewitt community for the warm welcome I received, and with Dr. Tara Christie Kinsey, who has led with strength and vision during her tenure. I will treasure every moment that I spend working with lower, middle, and upper school students and faculty; strong administrative teams; current and alumnae families; the extended school community; and with a Board of Trustees that impressed me from the moment we met.”

THE SEARCH PROCESS
Led by Trustee and Search Committee Chair Santiago Rubin P’26, the Board of Trustees engaged Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A) to conduct a comprehensive search for Hewitt’s next head of school. We thank our CS&A consultants for their partnership in recruiting several highly qualified candidates. Our transparent and equitable search process invited participation from all members of the Hewitt community. We began by conducting listening sessions and a survey to learn about the qualities and skills our community valued in Hewitt’s next head of school, and community members were invited to meet our four finalists and to share feedback on the candidates via an online survey.  Jennifer received strong support from all constituents in our community, including faculty and staff, parents and guardians, and alumnae. We are deeply grateful to the Head of School Search Committee and Academic Sub-Committee, and to all members of the Hewitt community, for their invaluable and enthusiastic participation in this process. 

In the coming months, Jennifer will visit Hewitt to get to know our community better and will work closely with Head of School Dr. Tara Christie Kinsey to ensure a smooth and effective transition process. As we welcome Jennifer to Hewitt, we will also have several opportunities to celebrate Tara’s lasting legacy at our school. 

Dr. Jennifer Zaccara is a strong and dynamic leader who will advance Hewitt’s mission to inspire the next generation of game changers and ethical leaders, and we look forward to welcoming her to Hewitt. 

By Faith and Courage, 

Marlon Bustos P’24
Chair of The Hewitt School Board of Trustees

Santiago Rubin P’26
Trustee and Search Committee Chair