Team

As an Associate Director of Admission and Harvard-Westlake’s inaugural Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging, I am dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all members of the Harvard-Westlake community. Prior to joining Harvard-Westlake, I practiced law at prominent law firms, served as a senior advisor to former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and taught several law schools classes including legal writing. My experiences in law, public service, and education have equipped me with the skills to navigate complex issues and advocate for equity. I am honored to lead our school’s initiatives in community, belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion. My husband, Chris, serves as Chair of the Upper School Deans, and our daughters, Taylor and Avery, are proud graduates of Harvard-Westlake.

Jessica McKay threaded her love of children, education, families, and books into a career as an educator and writer. After attaining her BA in English from Spelman College and MA in English Education from Columbia University Teachers College and teaching at various schools and grade levels in her hometown of Washington DC as well as New York City, Jessica began her career in Los Angeles as a 5th grade English teacher at the Center for Early Education. After that, Jessica was the Assistant Director of Admissions at Geffen Academy at UCLA within the first year of the school's founding and later became the Director of Outreach and Inclusion there. One year ago, Jessica stepped down from that position in order to help her young children transition back to school as it reopened post-virtual school and to pursue a longtime dream of publishing her first children's book, Always With You, Always With Me.

Jon has been involved in independent school education for the last twenty years since his first job as an elementary educator at Germantown Academy just outside of his hometown of Philadelphia. He went on to become a lead second grade teacher at Moorestown Friends School in New Jersey and then at Seven Arrows Elementary school in the Pacific Palisades upon landing in California in 2004. Throughout his time in schools, Jon has always immersed himself in DEI efforts both within the curriculum and in co-curricular activities. Upon finishing his Ph.D. in Urban Education at UCLA in 2010, Jon served as an adjunct professor at Occidental College in the Education Department before landing at Harvard-Westlake in 2012 as the Head of the Swimming Program. Jon joined the middle school Dean team in 2015. He has continued to supplement his work in schools with DEI initiatives such as serving on the Co-curriculuar Committee, helping to facilitate the Pollyanna Conference, the Diversity Recruitment Job Fair, Brown Bag lunch presentations, serving on the faculty of the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, and being a lead advisor for the Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club.

Reb Limerick joined the Harvard-Westlake community in 2019 as a member of the Visual Arts Department faculty. In addition to being a creative catalyst in the classroom teaching Video Art, Reb co-coordinates the annual Westflix Student Film Festival and the HWGo! Storytelling Adventures Program. Before taking HW by storm, Reb graduated with their MFA in Interdisciplinary Art and Social Practice while co-teaching such courses as "Making Sense of Climate Change: Science, Art, and Agency" at the University of Minnesota. Concurrently, Reb acted as an ambassador for This Free Life, an organization that fiercely advocated for tobacco-free lives for the LGBTQIA+ young adult community. Reb’s passions for earth, art, education, social justice, and their intersections are evident in her work and life. Reb practices and recognizes the importance of inclusive language as a key element in dismantling systems of oppression within everyday conversations. Reb is referred to with the gender-neutral honorific "Mx. Limerick" by their students, and feels comfortable with both they/them and she/her gender pronouns.

Dr. Chelsea Heyward is a subject matter expert in utilizing sport as a vehicle for change and innovation. She currently serves as an Athletic Director and DEI Specialist at  Harvard-Westlake. Specializing in operations, compliance, impact strategy, player relations, and digital media, she has consulted for athletes, coaches, and executives across 12 professional leagues, 20+ colleges and universities, a premier high school sports governing body, and 30+ sports adjacent companies and organizations. Her work has helped drive 29 legislative reforms, injected $1.5B into public schools, and directed $40M+ in grants and contributions. An avid reader, researcher, and writer, Dr. Heyward also serves as an adjunct professor at CSULB and Morehouse College, teaching sports, culture, and power courses.

Sakura Schmall joined the Harvard-Westlake community in 2019 working as part of the Human Resources and Benefits team in the business office. Prior to Harvard-Westlake, she worked in Human Resources in the IT/EdTech industries, specializing in onboarding, recruiting and employee engagement. In the business office, she works closely on the recruitment and onboarding of new employees. Sakura’s role is to serve as a member of the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion team, focusing on employees. This includes assisting with the hiring of diverse faculty and staff, coordinating the diversity recruitment fair, engaging employees in meaningful affinity groups, and creating a culture of belonging.