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Leading

With Service & Purpose

Our collaborative administrative team leads with passion, care, and creativity as we serve the Villa Academy community. We work closely together to guarantee  an extraordinary Villa experience for all.

Our Mission

Liz Willis, PhD

Head of School

As a faith-centered educator who sees my work with students, families, faculty and staff as a vocation and not just a career, I’m inspired to take this step into service of Villa Academy and its people. I’m deeply grateful to the Board of Trustees for entrusting me with leading the community they love so dearly.

Dr. Liz Willis

Welcome to Villa Academy!

It's an honor and joy having you find your way home to us. Here at Villa, we are an inclusive independent school community dedicated to whole child “education of the heart.” All of our programming–academic, co-curricular, philanthropic, and social–reiterates our deep investment in the holistic development of young people. We are in the business of relationships: we meet students where they are, and through demonstrated belief in their ability to thrive amidst challenge and opportunity, we support their growth as scholars, artists, athletes, and community members. Our inquiry-based educational program empowers students to be agents of their own learning, from the earliest years through the middle school grades. And, our deep investment in children’s spiritual development supports their growth in preparation for lives of service and purpose.

While our academic program honors the needs and curiosities of each child, our robust community engagement opportunities similarly offer something for everyone. We encourage all families to actively participate in the life of the school, as each member nurtures and edifies our community of belonging. There are countless options to engage in for both students and families, and we look forward to connecting across the year!

The Latest with Dr. Liz Willis

Leadership Team

Shaun Burl

Director of Athletics

Anthony Calomeni

Director of Technology

John Everett

Director of Reinemund Counseling & Wellness Center

Emma Hodgson

Director of Student Experience

Jackie Hughes

Director of Teaching & Learning for Inquiry & Equity

Akeem Layne

Director of Enrollment Management

Matthew McAuliffe

Director of Middle School

Marika Motiwalla

Director of Institutional Advancement

Richard Piecora

Director of Facilities

Marion Richards

Director of Business & Finance

Melissa Schweitzer

Director of Lower School

Liz Willis, PhD

Head of School

The Villa Difference

THE VILLA DIFFERENCE

Villa is the only independent school in the city of Seattle nurturing the holistic development of children: mind, body, and spirit. Dedicated to inquiry-driven, student-centered academic excellence, Villa simultaneously tends to whole child growth and integrated health, informed by clear and compelling research on the powerful influence of nature, spirituality, and social-emotional intelligence on academic thriving. Our empowered students become stewards of their lives, caretakers of their mental and social wellbeing, and custodians of the environment. Villa firmly stands in commitment to the transformative power of our Cabrinian tradition of “education of the heart.”
 

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