McLaren is Wellington’s First Female Head of School and 6th in its 42-year history
(Columbus, OH) -- The Wellington School is proud to announce Eliza McLaren as its new Head of School ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 school year. Eliza brings a wealth of experience, a deep commitment to joyful learning, and a strong family history in independent school education to her new role at Wellington.
“I am immensely excited, grateful, and honored to serve as Wellington’s next Head of School,” McLaren said. “Wellington is an engaged and passionate community connected by a shared mission. It was the words in Wellington’s Mission Statement that first drew me to the School: ‘We help students find their purpose and realize their potential for tomorrow's world.’ I will be steadfast in support of Wellington and its educators as we deliver on this important mission.” Read her full letter here.
McLaren comes to Wellington from Indian Creek School in Annapolis, Maryland, a highly regarded private independent school serving 550 students in prekindergarten through grade 12. In her role as Associate Head of School and Upper School Principal, Eliza advanced the quality of the educational program and strengthened the school’s market position by launching new academic initiatives across all divisions, advancing student leadership, and prioritizing faculty and student well-being.
Prior to her time in Annapolis, McLaren was an instructor of marketing and strategic planning at Columbia University in the Klingenstein Center’s masters degree program for independent school leaders. Her diverse experience includes teaching history, coaching field hockey and softball, leading marketing and admissions teams, and founding an innovative teaching and learning institute.
“The Head of School Search Committee unanimously recommended Eliza to the Board of Trustees, citing her breadth of experience in independent schools, her demonstrated ability to collaborate, and her strong identification with the Wellington mission and values,” said Jim Croft, Search Committee and Wellington Board of Trustees Chair. “We are certain that her joyful, student-centered approach will be instrumental in leading Wellington into the future.”
McLaren holds a bachelor’s degree in history and master's degrees in the teaching of social studies and independent school leadership from Columbia University. Her passion for independent schools is deeply rooted, as her father was also the head of an independent school and her mother taught second grade.
McLaren's appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive year-long search process led by Wellington’s Head of School Search Committee and supported by Carney Sandoe & Associates, involving participation from Wellington staffulty, parents, students, and alumni.
McLaren and her husband, Dominic Albanese, and their two children recently relocated to Upper Arlington and are looking forward to the upcoming school year.
ABOUT WELLINGTON:
Founded in 1982 by a group of local entrepreneurs as Columbus’ first coeducational independent school, Wellington is home to lifelong learners and lifelong leaders. Our 700 students, from three-year-olds to 12th graders, thrive as part of a community where the thrill of pursuing new experiences ignites curiosity and joy. With a focus on passion-driven learning guided by students’ interests, Wellington fosters an entrepreneurial mindset for today’s generation to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Diversity is foundational to our educational philosophy because a greater sense of belonging leads to better learning. With students from 52 zip codes and 67 countries of origin, our community represents an array of identities. Learn more about the Wellington experience at www.wellington.org.
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