Upper School Leadership Team
The 2024-25 Upper School Interim Leadership Team brings vast experience in teaching, curriculum development, and leadership, and a collective vision forged from years of working together in support of Catlin Gabel students and faculty.
Derek Kanerek
Acting Head of Upper School
Prior to taking on the role of interim head, Derek served as the Upper School Academic Dean at Catlin Gabel for six years, leading professional learning, academic policy, instructional coaching, and curriculum alignment. His previous post was at Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey, where he served as the Mathematics Department Chair, 12th grade coordinator, and faculty co-chair of the Technology Leadership Team. Derek holds a B.S. in computer science and B.A. in communication from Rutgers University, a Masters of Teaching from James Cook University (Townsville, Australia) in secondary school math and IPT education, and an Ed.M. in educational leadership studies from Teachers College. He is also a doctoral student in Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.
John Harnetiaux
Upper School Dean of Students
John has been in his current position at Catlin Gabel since 2020, overseeing all aspects of the school experience for our Upper School students, including advisory programs, clubs and activities, student government, community gatherings, and academic and mental health support programs. He also served as Catlin Gabel’s Director of Outdoor and Global Education Programs (2016-20). Prior to joining the Catlin Gabel community John was Associate Director of Campus Recreation/Outdoor Programs at Eastern Washington University in Cheney and Operations Manager for NOLS Pacific Northwest in Conway, Washington. John holds a B.A. in Sociology from Willamette University and an M.A. in Organizational Systems, Leadership and Organization Development from Saybrook University.
Shannon Rush
Interim Upper School Academic Dean
Shannon returns to Catlin Gabel after two years in which she focused on instructional design, continued her work with adult learning, earned several certifications, and transferring her skills to the corporate setting. In her decade at Catlin Gabel (2012-22) she was the lead instructional coach designing and facilitating competency-based learning and assessments and equitable teaching practices; an Upper School mathematics teacher and department chair; a C&C and 9th grade class advisor, and an advocate for students with learning differences. Prior to her time at Catlin Gabel, she taught at Tsinghua International School in Beijing, China; Bellingham High School in Bellingham, Washington; and Ballard High School in Seattle, Washington. Shannon has a B.A. in mathematics from Seattle Pacific University and is a National-board certified teacher.