This Monday at 1:30 p.m., Head of School Luis Ottley announced that Assistant Head of School, Jill Romans, will be heading to Williamstown, Massachusetts after accepting a Head of School position at

. Pine Cobble offers preschool through 8th grade and is just a mile from Williams College, Romans’s Alma Mater. This decision comes after she was a finalist in their search for a Head, and was reached out to again in 2024. Romans has served the SPA community for 23 years. After graduating from SPA, she returned in 2002, first as a Middle School Counselor, then a Middle School Principal, then in 2017, Assistant Head of School. She will finish out the school year here, while a search for an interim Assistant Head is conducted before a search for a permanent one in the fall.

RubicOnline reached out to Romans with some questions:

What is a memory that stands out from your time at SPA?

I have many memories over the past 23 years, but some of my most cherished are the moments at Camp Widjiwagan with 7th-grade students over the years. I recall fondly attending that week as a 7th grader myself when I was an SPA student, and having the chance to get to know students in that magical way was always something I looked forward to when I had the chance to go. Specifically, I would say cross-country skiing through the woods and playing thicket!

What has your favorite thing about the SPA community been?

The way people pull together and the relationships I’ve made. I appreciate working in a community where people pull together and figure things out when there is a challenge to address. It’s important to me to be in places where people see one another and contribute to the collective good.

What is one thing that you hope to take with you as you transition into the next stage of your career?

I have learned so much. And to that end, I guess it is important always to remember that the world is evolving at a fast pace, and I hope to remain curious about and open to those changes. It is critical to slow down, take a look around, and be present with and for others.

What is a hope that you have in this next chapter for you?

I hope that I can contribute meaningfully to the Pine Cobble community and serve their needs in transformative ways.

Is there anything else you could share about how you got the job at Pine Cobble or how they reached out to you?

I was a finalist in a search they did in 2021 for a new Head of School, and as such, was able to get to know the school, members of the faculty, and members of their Board of Trustees. When Pine Cobble found themselves in another transition this year, they reached out to see if I might be interested in applying for the opening at this point in my career. Given my appreciation of the school, their mission, and what I had learned previously, I was honored by the invitation to be considered in their search and excited about the possibility. After a full search conducted this spring that involved a full-day visit to the school and meetings with parents, students, faculty, and community members, I was fortunate to be offered the job. Interestingly, when I was in college, I worked with students at the Pine Cobble school as part of my honors thesis; this feels like a very natural next opportunity for me.

Updated 5/23: The News In Brief was expanded to include Romans’s responses.