Dear Harbor Community,
On behalf of Harbor’s Board of Trustees, I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Colleen Brown as Harbor’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2026. Colleen’s appointment follows a rigorous and highly engaged search process that included a strong and diverse pool of candidates. After extensive evaluation and community input, the Board enthusiastically accepted the Search Committee’s recommendation. We are confident that Colleen is the right leader for Harbor’s next chapter.
Colleen currently serves as Associate Head of Early Childhood at the Dwight School in New York City, where she is a member of the senior leadership team. In that role, she has led strategic initiatives, supported faculty growth, and helped launch a new campus. She brings more than 25 years of experience across teaching, program leadership, and school administration, along with a deep understanding of early childhood and lower school education.
What stood out consistently throughout the search process was Colleen’s clarity of purpose and her alignment with Harbor’s mission. She is a student-centered leader who believes deeply in inquiry-based, differentiated learning and in creating environments where children feel known, challenged, and supported. Just as importantly, she leads through relationships – building trust with faculty, partnering closely with families, and fostering a strong, connected community.
Colleen’s background includes work shaped by both Reggio Emilia and International Baccalaureate approaches, as well as ongoing engagement in educator development through her role as an adjunct professor at Hunter College of Education. She holds a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Speech from Wagner College. Colleen is excited to return to Maryland, where she was raised, and lead a school whose values so closely align with her own.
I want to thank the Search Committee for the depth of thought, care, and discipline they brought to this process. This was a significant undertaking, and they approached it with the level of rigor and judgment that Harbor deserves. We are also grateful for the partnership and guidance of our search consultant, Andre Withers of Educators Collaborative.
I also want to recognize Leah Musico for her eight years of dedicated leadership at Harbor. Leah has led the school with care, integrity, and a deep commitment to students, faculty, and families. She has been a steady and thoughtful leader, and her contributions have meaningfully strengthened our community and positioned Harbor well for what comes next. We are sincerely grateful for her leadership and lasting impact.
Finally, thank you to our parents, faculty, staff, and the broader Harbor community. Your engagement, feedback, and trust were critical to our search process. The strength of our community was evident at every step, and it directly contributed to this outcome.
We will share more soon about opportunities to meet with Colleen, with timing that supports her transition back to the Maryland area. In the meantime, I’m pleased to share that Colleen will be joining us at the Harbor Gala on Saturday, March 14 – an early opportunity for many in our community to welcome her in person.
This is an exciting time for Harbor. Colleen brings the experience, judgment, and values to lead with both care and purpose, and we look forward to partnering with her as we continue to build on Harbor’s strong foundation and shape what comes next – together.
With enthusiasm and gratitude,
Naomi Senkeeto
Chair, The Harbor School Board of Trustees
Co-chair, Head of School Search Committee