Meet the Admission Team

Chris joined Harvard-Westlake as Head of Admission and Enrollment in 2023. Prior to joining Harvard-Westlake, Chris was the Director of Admissions and Financial Assistance at Francis Parker School in San Diego, CA. Before entering independent school education, Chris worked for a college access organization helping low-income students become first in their families to attend and graduate from college. Chris earned his A.B. in Sociology from Harvard University and M.A. in Business Management from Wake Forest University.

Nancy's history with the Harvard-Westlake Middle School campus starts with her time as a Westlake student in the '80s.  After earning her B.A. in English and French Literatures from Stanford University and her M.Ed. from UCLA, Nancy joined the Harvard-Westlake English Department in 1994.  She has taught 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English and served as a Middle School Dean from 1998-2004.  After taking time off to spend with her three children, Nancy returned to Harvard-Westlake in 2012 and joined the Admission Office in 2013.  

Janine’s journey to Harvard-Westlake began in 2012 as a parent and she joined the Admission Office in 2015.  In addition to her work in the Admission Office, Janine previously served as Harvard-Westlake's first Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and is now the school’s first Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging.  

Prior to Harvard-Westlake, she worked as a lawyer at several large law firms, served as Senior Advisor/Deputy Legal Counsel to former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and taught several law school courses at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and Capital University Law School.  For the admission side of her work, Janine works closely with prospective families throughout the application process, conducts applicant interviews frequently, and sits on the school's admission committees.  

Janine's husband, Chris, is Chair of the Upper Schools Deans and they have two daughters, Taylor and Avery, 2018 and 2023 graduates of Harvard-Westlake.

Julia joined the Harvard-Westlake Admissions Office in 2018. After growing up in Washington, D.C., Julia attended the University of Michigan where she earned her B.A. in psychology. She then worked for three years at a boutique recruitment firm before returning to school at NYU where she finished her M.S.W. in 2012. Prior to Harvard-Westlake, Julia worked at Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, where she interviewed children, families, and volunteers for their community-based mentoring program.

Veronica joined the Harvard-Westlake Admission Office in 2022. In addition to her work in the Admission Office, Veronica serves as an assistant coach for the Middle School Cross Country and Track and Field teams. A Los Angeles native, Veronica attended Macalester College in St. Paul, MN where she earned B.A.s in Psychology and Music. She then worked at Macalester College’s Admissions Office for three years, first as Diversity and Inclusion Fellow and then as Admission Officer and First-Year Support Coordinator. Outside of the Admissions Office, she co-chaired the Latinx Faculty/Staff Affinity group on campus.

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.

Tracey began her journey at Harvard-Westlake in 2015 as a parent and admission volunteer. She joined the Admission Office in 2022. Prior to joining the Harvard-Westlake team, she worked in the Admission Office of Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA. Prior to her work in independent school admission, Tracey spent over a decade working in Advertising as a Client Service professional in Dallas, TX and here in Los Angeles.

Tracey grew up in the Mid-West and is a proud University of Illinois alum. She has three children, including two Harvard-Westlake alums, class of 2021 and 2023, and one current student, class of 2026.

Citlaly joined the Harvard-Westlake Admission Office in 2022 having previously been a high school Spanish teacher in East Los Angeles. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA where she earned a B.A in Latino/a & Latin American Studies. While at Occidental, she worked in their Admission Office where she interviewed prospective students and served as a seasonal admissions reader. In her free time, she likes to spend time with family and friends and her pet bird.

I have been at Harvard-Westlake School since 1989. Currently, I am the Admission Assistant and Receptionist for the school. I greet our guests and applicant families as well as help with admission related events.  Throughout my years at Harvard-Westlake, I have worn many hats and established close friendships with my colleagues. In my free time, I enjoy travelling and spending quality time with my family.