Administrative Leadership Team

At Catlin Gabel, the Administrative Leadership Team is responsible for developing and managing the strategic priorities and operations of the school in concert with the Board of Trustees. These school leaders meet regularly as a team to consult on key objectives and goals and provide updates to the Board throughout the academic year.

headshot portrait of head of school aline garcia rubio

Dr. Aline García Rubio ’93

Head of School

Aline became Catlin Gabel’s Head of School in 2026 after serving as Associate Head of School at Oregon Episcopal School, where she oversaw the school’s PS-12 academic program and helped advance academic innovation and faculty development. Aline’s connection to Catlin Gabel spans decades. She first came to the school as an exchange student from Mexico City before earning her medical degree from Universidad La Salle and beginning her career in education at Punahou School in Hawaiʻi. She joined Catlin Gabel in 2004 as an Upper School science teacher and went on to serve as department chair, Dean of Students, Assistant Division Head, and Head of the Upper School. During her seven years leading the Upper School, Aline advanced competency-based learning, expanded experiential education opportunities, and guided the division through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Headshot portrait of Sara Nordhoff Assistant Head for Strategic Initiatives

Sara Nordhoff

Assistant Head of School

Sara has been an integral part of the Catlin Gabel team since 2011 holding various roles in the school administration. She currently serves as Assistant Head of School where in addition to supporting the Head of School office with strategic initiatives, Sara oversees a range of cross-divisional and community-facing programs including athletics, outdoor education, campus health, risk management, marketing and communications, summer camps, and the East Campus community arts program. She also serves as the administrative liaison to the Parent-Faculty Association. Prior to Catlin Gabel, she worked in higher education, including at Mt. Holyoke and Bennington Colleges and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Sara has a history/art history degree from Middlebury College and a master’s degree in communications from Boston University.

headshot portrait of Nick Zosel-Johnson Head of Beginning and Lower School

Nick Zosel-Johnson

Head of Beginning and Lower School

Prior to arriving at Catlin Gabel in 2023, Nick spent twelve years at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington, as a teacher, curriculum co-chair, assistant director and director of the Lower School, where he incorporated place-based experiential education and updated curriculum and assessment tools across the grades. He also taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Chicago through Teach for America. Most recently, he was the Lower School Director of Admission at Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma. Nick earned a B.A. in government from Claremont McKenna College, an MAT from Dominican University, and an MA in educational leadership from Klingenstein Center, Teachers College at Columbia University.

Headshot portrait of Michele Roberts Head of Catlin Gabel Middle School wearing scoop neck blue short sleeved shirt with a green bokeh effect background

Michele Roberts

Middle School Head

Michele joined the Catlin Gabel community in 2024 after serving for over a decade in education leadership positions. Most recently, she was Elementary Principal for Shawnee Local Schools in Lima, Ohio, where she led a team of educators in implementing evidence-based instructional practices, developed a comprehensive curriculum framework, and launched a school-wide positive behavior management system. She has also been Assistant Principal for Napoleon Junior/Senior High School in Napoleon, Ohio, and Title One Reading Teacher for Lima North Middle School. A native of Portland, Michele attended Grant High School, and holds a B.A. in English Literature from Mills College and an MBA from George Fox University.

Headshot of Head of Upper School Derek Kanerek

Derek Kanerek

Head of Upper School

Prior to taking on the role of head in 2025, 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.

headshot image of connie kim-gervey ph.d, Catlin Gabel Director of equity and inclusion

Connie Kim-Gervey, Ph.D.

Director of Equity and Inclusion

Connie first joined Catlin Gabel as interim director for equity and inclusion in 2021, becoming director in 2022. In this role, Connie helps integrate equity and inclusion throughout the school in partnership with colleagues, students, and parents, to help community members have their best possible Catlin Gabel experiences. She also manages and analyzes research to help inform decision-making to ensure long-term institutional sustainability. Before arriving at Catlin Gabel, Connie spent more than 20 years working in applied and academic research positions, with nearly all of her research focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Connie is also a therapist, specializing in counseling for BIPOC, People of Color, and LBGTQIA2+. She has a master’s degree in education from Harvard and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from New York University.

Headshot photo of Sharon Keiser Chief Finance and Operations Officer

Sharon Keiser

Chief Finance and Operations Officer

Sharon leads the business office, IT, and facilities functions for the school. Prior to joining the Catlin Gabel community in 2023, she was COO of a national nonprofit, Embracing Equity, and supported teacher leaders in starting micro-Montessori schools as Finance Partner under The Wildflower Foundation. Sharon’s career has been focused on supporting innovative, entrepreneurial nonprofits and schools to grow and thrive. She holds a bachelor’s in accounting with a specialty in nonprofit management and a minor in economics along with an MPAcc from Metropolitan State University of Denver.

headshot portrait of advancement director nicole rinetti-clawson

Nicole Rinetti-Clawson

Chief Advancement Officer

Nicole joined the Catlin Gabel community in 2018 to oversee all aspects of the school’s advancement program, including philanthropy, alumni engagement, community events, and data services. She has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of fundraising, and all of those years within the field of education, having worked at such institutions as University of Portland, Santa Clara University, University of San Francisco, and UC Berkeley College of Engineering. Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Redlands and a masters in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco.

wood paneling shaped like a fir tree

Kristina Berman

Director of Enrollment Management

Kristina joined Catlin Gabel in 2026 after serving as Director of Enrollment Management at Children’s Day School in San Francisco. There, she led admissions, financial assistance, retention, and enrollment strategy, helping strengthen family engagement and expand the applicant pool. Kristina began her career as a classroom teacher and brings a deep appreciation for the student experience to her work in enrollment. She has also served on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Board at Lick-Wilmerding High School. Kristina earned a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and an MEd from the University of California, Berkeley.