leadership
Dr. Margaret (Sissy) Wade
Dr. Wade has invested over three decades in the world of education. In the classroom as a teacher and as head of school for two independent schools in Nashville, Tennessee, her work and leadership have influenced and inspired many over the years. Following her retirement from the school setting, Sissy became a principal of Walker, Wade and Associates, a mission based, not-for-profit consulting firm. In December 2014, Dr. Wade was named the Executive Director of The Heads Network, which promotes active collaboration and professional growth for independent school heads and leaders committed to the education of girls and the advancement of women’s leadership.
Sissy earned both her undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University. She and her husband Frank live in Nashville. They enjoy spending time with their family. They have two sons, Jay and Will, along with Will's wife, Lauren, and her granddaughter Caroline. Sissy enjoys exercise, gardening, and watching anything sports.
Board of
Trustees:
2022-2023
Officers
Joan Hill, Chair (2021)
Lamplighter School
Dallas, TX
jhill@thelamplighterschool.org
Kim Wargo , Secretary (2024)
The Lab School
Washington, D. C.
Anthony Sgro, Treasurer (2023)
The Asheville School
Asheville, NC
Ann Klotz, Member at Large (2023)
Laurel School
Shaker Heights, OH
Vice Presidents
Geoff Wagg, VP Area I (2024)
Waynflete School
Portland, ME
Ken Aldridge, VP Area II (2022)
Wilmington Friends School
101 School Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
Autumn Graves, VP Area III (2023)
St. Anne's Belfield School
Charlottesville, VA
Percy Abram, VP Area V (2024)
The Bush School
Seattle, WA
Members at Large
Matt Byrnes (2024)
Wooster School
Danbury, CT
Jennifer Ciccarelli (2022)
Columbus School for Girls
Columbus, Ohio
jciccarelli@columbusschoolforgirls.org
Penny Bach Evins (2024)
Incoming Head: July,2023
Holton-Arms School
Bethesda, MD
Dan Glass ( 2025)
The Brandeis School of San Francisco
655 Brotherhood Way
San Francisco, CA
Ereni Malfa (2022)
St. Paul's School for Girls
Brooklandville, MD
Colleen Ramsden (2025)
Derby Academy
56 Burditt Avenue
Hingham, MA
Ex Officio
Margaret 'Sissy' Wade, Executive Director
Nashville, TN
From the
board Chair
Welcome to The Heads Network website!
We are delighted to have you traverse the pages of our website and share The Heads Network’s inspiring mission, “Advancing Girls and Women’s Leadership in Independent Schools!” Our mission has the ability to transform our schools and communities by striving to maximize our schools’ educational experiences and encourage and promote leadership amongst our peers and colleagues.
This website is designed to invite your immediate participation, share our mission, reflect on our history and governance, communicate exciting upcoming events and encourage the utilization of The Heads Network (THN) and our website as an ongoing resource for our member schools.
Our members aspire to ensure each person in our school communities finds his/her own unique voice and makes a positive difference in educational institutions and beyond. We specifically work to maximize women’s leadership through seminars, conferences, ongoing resources and collegial support.
Thank you for visiting our site – and we hope you return many times to get involved in and celebrate the process of preparing, investing in, inspiring and advancing women’s leadership in independent schools!
"The Heads Network is a thought leader in the movement
to promote the value of female leadership in education."
~ Tekakwitha Pernambuco-Wise
Sea Crest School
Half Moon Bay, CA
