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.
Tim Bazemore
Head of School
Tim has been the Head of School at Catlin Gabel since 2014. In addition to overseeing all aspects of school life, including strategic planning, financial management, operations, and fundraising, he is responsible for ensuring the execution of the school’s mission and vision. Prior to joining Catlin Gabel, Tim was the Head of School at New Canaan Country School, a private K-9 school in Connecticut for fourteen years. His professional career began at Springside Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia, where he spent sixteen years, first teaching humanities and then serving as Director of Admission and Middle School Head. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from Middlebury College and a master’s degree in history from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kama Bruce
Assistant Head of School
Kama joined Catlin Gabel in 2022. As the school’s chief academic officer, Kama is focused on developing the best educational experience for students. He oversees the division head team, PS-12 professional learning, and cross-divisional programs and services. Prior to Catlin Gabel, he was at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, a K-12 private school in Texas, for eighteen years. During his tenure, he was the Assistant Head, Lower School Head, Middle School Dean, and a fifth grade teacher. He earned a B.A. in Germanic Studies, a B.S. in Applied Learning and Development, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, and completed PH.D. coursework, all at the University of Texas, Austin.
Sara Nordhoff
Assistant Head for Enrollment and External Relations
Sara has been an integral part of the Catlin Gabel team since 2011. In 2022, her responsibilities were expanded to bring key constituencies together. She now oversees enrollment, financial assistance, institutional research, marketing and communications, summer camps, community arts programs, and is 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.
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 placed-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 BA 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.
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.
Derek Kanerek
Acting Head of Upper School
Prior to taking on the role of interim head in 2024, 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.
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 oversees all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion and oversees the execution of the school’s Strategic Inclusion Plan. 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 equity, diversity, and inclusion. Connie is also a therapist, specializing in counseling for BIPOC, People of Color, and LBGTQAI2+. She has a master’s degree in education from Harvard and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from New York University.
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.
Eunice Scotto
Director of Human Resources
Eunice joined the Catlin Gabel community in 2023 as interim human resources manager and director, becoming director in 2024. She has more than 20 years of experience in the full Human Resources cycle, including HR strategy and succession planning, organizational design, labor law compliance, compensation and benefits, HR information systems implementation, job analysis and design, training and development, and workplace safety. Before joining Catlin Gabel, she spent 15 years in various positions with San Diego State University and UC San Diego, and most recently worked for the Oregon Employment Department and the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Eunice has a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Eastern Oregon University and holds certifications in Human Resources Management from UC San Diego Extension, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Southern Florida University, and Community Emergency Response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Nicole Rinetti-Clawson
Director of Advancement
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.