New Middle School Head Appointed
Elsa Hepner has been appointed Head of the Middle School to succeed Carol Collet on July 1. Ms. Hepner has been a member of the faculty at Grace since 2012 serving as a Latin teacher in both the middle and high school divisions.
Before Grace she taught Latin at Staten Island Academy and at a public middle school in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
In addition to being a standout teacher at Grace for the past eight years, she has been a leader of the faculty and involved in the life of the school at many levels. She is the faculty representative to the Board of Trustees and has served as a member of many committees, including work on faculty evaluations, scheduling and design learning. She coaches Middle School Girls Soccer.
When asked about her appointment Ms. Hepner said, “I knew the moment I walked through the door that Grace was truly an exceptional place. What I did not realize was that over the next eight years, it would become my home. I am so excited to transition into this position of leadership and invest myself further in the community that I so love. It is an honor to be following in Ms. Collet’s footsteps. I will work each day to carry forward the spirit and culture that Ms. Collet instilled in the middle school as I address what the future holds.”
Ms. Hepner is a home-chef, who enjoys exploring different cultures through the lens of food. She loves spending her weekends with her husband, Olivier, and her two children, Nora and Elliot, going to the farmer’s market, reading, and running in Prospect Park near their home in Brooklyn. Ms. Hepner completed a Master of Education from St. Joseph University in 2009. She completed a B.A. in Classics at Trinity College in 2008.
In announcing Ms. Hepner as the next Head of Middle School, Mr. Davison said, “What makes her the best candidate is that she is a warm, caring, thoughtful, thorough, and persistent person. We have blessed to have had Carol Collet at the helm of the Middle School for the last 32 years, and Elsa is the perfect person to, not only keep the warm humor and care that Carol has shown every day, but also lead through the challenges of the next generation.”