The castle soaks up the mid-fall sun while the surrounding trees change colors.

Leadership at Lab

The importance of leadership cannot be underestimated. Excellent leadership has everything to do with the outcomes for a school and its students. At Lab, it is the leader of the school along with her devoted team of educators, administrators, and clinical professionals who cultivate a school environment that allows students and teachers to flourish.

The Lab School of Washington has long benefited from strong, stable leadership. There have been just three heads of school since Lab’s founding in 1967 — all three thoughtful, forward-thinking educators, dedicated to the success of their students and whole community.

Meet our team: 

Head of School

Kim Wargo, Head of School

Kim Wargo

In July 2020, Kim Wargo became Lab's third head of The Lab School. She comes to the position with more than 20 years of experience in education, beginning her career as a teacher, then serving as associate head and head of school for four other schools across the country.
 

Click here to view Contemplations from Kim, a monthly column from our Head of School

Kim Wargo serves as head of School of The Lab School of Washington. Prior to her headship at Lab, Kim has been head of three independent schools around the country, and has also had other senior leadership roles. Kim served as head of School at the Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco, as Eugene McDermott Headmistress at The Hockaday School in Dallas, and as head of school at GEMS World Academy in Chicago. Kim has also served as associate head of school at the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and as head of the Upper School at the Louise S. McGehee School in New Orleans. She began her career in education at the Hill School of Ft. Worth, a school for students with learning differences, where she taught 2nd through 8th grade students and was named Teacher of the Year. Kim has also served as director of College Counseling, History Department chair, and Middle and Upper School History and Government teacher.

At Burke’s, Kim focused on improving professional development for faculty and staff, building parent-school partnership through parent education and conversation, and examining all programs with a focus on mission-alignment. At Hockaday, Kim led the school through its Centennial celebrations and a successful Centennial Capital Campaign, which included building a state-of-the-art integrated Science and Arts building, while also developing a new strategic plan and guiding the school’s ISAS self-study. At GEMS, Kim focused on building school culture and enrollment, critical components of developing a successful new school. At Newman, Kim led a board-level task force to develop principles for civil discourse and a new mission statement highlighting the school’s commitment to inclusion, while also leading the school through a successful self-study. At McGehee, Kim was instrumental in leading the Upper School through the challenges associated with Hurricane Katrina. She also focused on growing the enrollment of the Upper School and fostering excellence in the academic, athletic, and extracurricular programs.

Kim currently serves on the board of The Heads Network. She has previously served on the boards of ERB, the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest, the Southwest Preparatory Athletic Conference, and Aim High in San Francisco.

Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Louisiana State University, where she graduated summa cum laude with minors in History and English. She earned a master’s degree in History and is ABD from Tulane University.

Kim is married to Mark Cortez, a career math teacher in independent schools. Kim and Mark have one daughter, Ida Cortez, a graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine who is now a teacher in an independent school. Kim enjoys traveling, entertaining, reading, going on DC city hikes, cheering on her beloved Saints, and spending time with friends and family.

More in this Section

Senior Leadership and Administration

Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Kim Wargo

  • Head of School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Kim Wargo
  • Head of School

Contact Information

  • (202) 944-2221

Education

  • Louisiana State University - B.A.
  • Tulane University - M.A.
  • Executive Office
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Diana Meltzer

  • Associate Head of School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Diana Meltzer
  • Associate Head of School

Contact Information

Education

  • Pennsylvania State University - B.A.
  • American University - M.Ed.
  • Executive Office
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Ann Feeley

  • Chief Financial and Operations Officer
Faculty Staff Headshot
Ann Feeley
  • Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Contact Information

  • (202) 454-2248
  • Business Office
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Bob Lane

  • Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management
Faculty Staff Headshot
Bob Lane
  • Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management

Contact Information

  • (202) 944-2214

Education

  • Teachers College
  • Columbia University - M.A.
  • Ed.M.
  • Ed.D.
  • Admissions
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Upper School

Anthony Perry

  • Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
  • Social Studies Teacher
Faculty Staff Headshot
Anthony Perry
  • Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
  • Social Studies Teacher

Contact Information

Education

  • College of William & Mary - B.A.
  • Georgetown University - M.S.
  • Georgetown University - Ph.D.
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Upper School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Natosha Speight

  • Director of Wellness and Social Emotional Learning
Faculty Staff Headshot
Natosha Speight
  • Director of Wellness and Social Emotional Learning

Contact Information

  • Psychology & Wellness
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Lower School

Elizabeth Eastwick

  • Head of Lower School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Elizabeth Eastwick
  • Head of Lower School

Contact Information

Education

  • University of Michigan - B.A. Psychology and Education
  • University of Pennsylvania - M.Ed. Independent School Leadership
Lower School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Middle School

Melissa Wood

  • Head of Middle School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Melissa Wood
  • Head of Middle School

Contact Information

Education

  • Williams College - B.A.
  • MGH Institute of Health Professions - M.S. Communication Sciences and Disorders
Middle School
Leadership

Academics and Activities

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Leadership

Kip Crouch

  • Athletic Director
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Kip Crouch
  • Athletic Director

Contact Information

  • (202) 580-7040

Education

  • Ursinus College - B.A. Political Science
  • University of North Texas - M.A. Kinesiology & Recreation
  • Ohio University - M.S. Coaching Education
  • Physical Education
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Audrey Dolginoff

  • Director of Jurisdictional Services
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Audrey Dolginoff
  • Director of Jurisdictional Services

Contact Information

Education

  • American University - M.A. Special Education
  • Jurisdictional Services
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Upper School

Daniel Hartmann

  • Director of Educational Technology
  • Upper School Engineering and Robotics Teacher
Faculty Staff Headshot
Daniel Hartmann
  • Director of Educational Technology
  • Upper School Engineering and Robotics Teacher

Contact Information

Education

  • Wheaton College - B.A.
  • American University - M.A.
  • George Mason University - Ph.D. in progress
  • Technology
Upper School
Leadership
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Leadership

Mike Huber

  • Director of Facilities and Operations
Faculty Staff Headshot
Mike Huber
  • Director of Facilities and Operations

Contact Information

  • (202) 454-2352
  • Facilities and Operations
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Lower School, Middle School & Upper School

Sally Kiernan

  • Director of the Arts
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Sally Kiernan
  • Director of the Arts

Contact Information

Education

  • University of Maryland - B.A.
  • American University - M.A.
  • Teaching Artists
Lower School, Middle School & Upper School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Upper School

Chris Lanier

  • Associate Head of Upper School
  • Freshman Seminar Teacher
Faculty Staff Headshot
Chris Lanier
  • Associate Head of Upper School
  • Freshman Seminar Teacher

Contact Information

Education

  • James Madison University - B.A.
  • University of Iowa - M.S.W.
Upper School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Middle School

MacRae O'Brien

  • Dean of Student Life
Faculty Staff Headshot
MacRae O'Brien
  • Dean of Student Life

Contact Information

Education

  • The College of William and Mary - B.A. Psychology & English Literature
  • Virginia Commonwealth University - M.S.W. Clinical Social Work
Middle School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Upper School

Rashaad Phillips

  • Dean of Student Life
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Rashaad Phillips
  • Dean of Student Life

Contact Information

Education

  • Davidson College - B.A.
  • University of Pennsylvania - M.S.Ed
Upper School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Lower School

Judy Shincarick

  • Associate Head of Lower School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Judy Shincarick
  • Associate Head of Lower School

Contact Information

Education

  • College of Misericordia - B.S.
  • College of Misericordia - M.S.
Lower School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership
Middle School

Angela Steele

  • Associate Head of Middle School
Faculty Staff Headshot
Angela Steele
  • Associate Head of Middle School

Contact Information

Education

  • University of Maryland University College - B.S.
  • Trinity Washington University - M.A.
  • Towson University Level 1 Certification
Middle School
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Jewell Watson-Hellkamp

  • Associate Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management
Faculty Staff Headshot
Jewell Watson-Hellkamp
  • Associate Director of Admissions & Enrollment Management

Contact Information

Education

  • University of Phoenix - M.Ed.
  • Admissions
Leadership

Expert Services

Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Mary Jo Coiro

  • Director of Reservoir Psychology Group
Faculty Staff Headshot
Mary Jo Coiro
  • Director of Reservoir Psychology Group

Contact Information

  • Psychology & Wellness
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Leadership

Courtney Heldman

  • Director of Occupational Therapy
Faculty Staff Headshot
Courtney Heldman
  • Director of Occupational Therapy

Contact Information

Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis - B.S. Psychology
  • Washington University in St. Louis - M.S. Occupational Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
Leadership
Gretchen Kunz
Leadership

Gretchen Kunz

  • Director of Speech, Language & Literacy
Gretchen Kunz
Gretchen Kunz
  • Director of Speech, Language & Literacy

Contact Information

Education

  • Loyola College of Maryland - B.A.
  • Northeastern University - M.S.
  • Speech, Language & Literacy
Leadership
Faculty Staff Headshot
Staff

Kelly Mills

  • Finance and Operations Manager of The Reservoir Group
Faculty Staff Headshot
Kelly Mills
  • Finance and Operations Manager of The Reservoir Group

Contact Information

  • (202) 349-8660

Education

  • Trinity Washington University - B.A.
  • Speech, Language & Literacy
Staff

Board of Trustees

2023-2024 Board of Trustees

2024-2025

The Board of Trustees supports the work of The Lab School and provides mission-based leadership to ensure the school’s health and welfare both now and in the future.