Kathleen Devaney Appointed Head of School at The Hill School

Kathleen Devaney, Executive Director, Hartford Partnerships & Horizons at Westminster, has been named Head of School at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa. Kathleen will begin her new appointment on July 1, 2023.

 

Kathleen joined the Westminster School faculty in 1998. During that time, she has served as a dean of students, history teacher, coach, corridor supervisor and advisor. She served as a dean for the Classes of 2002, 2006, 2011 and 2015. Kathleen also chaired the school’s 2005 NEASC Decennial Evaluation, worked as the director of student life for five years and served as assistant head of school for seven years. In 2002, she won the O’Brien Award and also became an honorary member of the Class of 2002 and 2018. Kathleen has served as the founding Executive Director of Horizons at Westminster since 2018 and during that time the program has grown and flourished under her leadership. Through it all, Kathleen has been a committed teacher and coach, having taught various core and elective courses in the history department and serving as the head coach of the Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team for 12 years.

 

Prior to Westminster, Kathleen taught German and served as an admissions officer at Deerfield Academy. Before that, she worked in corporate banking for two years in New York City and was awarded a Fulbright grant to teach English and history in former East Germany. She holds a B.A. from Bowdoin College with a double major in European history and German literature and a M.A.L.S. from Dartmouth College. Kathleen will be the first female head of school for The Hill School.

 

“During her tenure at Westminster, Kathleen has been a strong and consistent voice for equity in all regards, but she was particularly instrumental in securing a voice and a better place for young women on Williams Hill as the school grew into its co-educational self,” said Head of School Elaine White.

 

Kathleen and her husband, Mark de Kanter ’91, who is the associate head of school at Westminster, are the parents of Emmett ’19, a junior at Harvard University, and Samantha ’22, a freshman at Boston College. 

 

Mark was appointed to the faculty at Westminster in 1997. Beginning with his years as a Westminster student, Mark has always respected Westminster’s strong sense of community and the manner in which the school strikes a healthy balance of academics, athletics and service. At Williams College, he continued to combine athletics and academics into his daily schedule, double majoring in English and biology, while competing on the varsity swim and crew teams. He began his teaching career at Eaglebrook School. At Westminster, he has served as dean of faculty, a dorm head, a department head, director of the Westminster Teaching Initiative, director of academic technology, and head coach of three varsity sports. Mark taught AP® Biology for nearly two decades as well as other courses within the science curriculum.

 

“Certainly no couple has held as many leadership positions as Kathleen and Mark have during their tenure, and they have been community role models in balancing those leadership positions and raising a family. Both have been remarkable mentors for so many at Westminster; they have listened thoughtfully, dispensed advice, offered help and provided solutions. They have cared deeply and fully for every single person on the Hill and we are such a better place for having had them in our midst for these many years,” said White.