Speaker information 2019 WLSA Global Educators Conference Page | 1 Gail BERSON Title: Director of College Counseling Institution: Lycée Français de New York Biography: Gail Berson is the Director of College Counseling at the Lycée Français de New York. She has more than 40 years of experience in college admission, student financial services, and counseling. A magna cum laude graduate of Bowdoin College, she earned her master’s degree at Emerson College. She served as Vice President for Enrollment/Dean of Admissions. n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Ms. Berson, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a former trustee of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Theresa BLAKE Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, China and on Jeju Island and in Seoul, Korea. She also served as a past president of the Bowdoin Alumni Council and in leadership roles for her class reunions. During vacations, she enjoys spending time with family and friends at her home on Nantucket. Title: Director of Social and Emotional Learning Institution: Appleby College Biography: Theresa Blake, M.Ed. CAPP, is the Director of Positive Education at Appleby College and is responsible for increasing faculty capacity to foster student wellbeing through theory and practice of Positive Education. Throughout her very successful teaching career, she has taught Mathematics, Sciences and French as a Second Language, and has served in multiple leadership capacities including Department Head of Languages, Director of Senior School and Director of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). As Director of Positive Education, Theresa is involved in and oversees the development, implementation and monitoring of the Positive Education Model at Appleby College by promoting, fostering and embedding principles of Positive Education and Social and Emotional learning across the school’s academic and non- academic programs in an intentional and integrated manner to optimize student wellbeing. Other educational experiences Theresa has enjoyed include being a member of an Assessment and Evaluation Policy writing team, developing evaluation tools for French as a Second Language in secondary classrooms and offering professional development workshops in a public school board in Ontario, Canada, and leading student cultural/service trips to Japan, Morocco and Costa Rica. Page | 2 Berry BOCK Title: Director of Operations Institution: Montessori Schools Amsterdam Biography: Berry is a member of the management team / board responsible for business operations of the four schools that together form the combined Montessori Schools. The MSA has 4000 pupils and employs 520 staff members. Berry’s most challenging and rewarding responsibility is creating and fostering a professional Learning Community. In tandem with this focus MSA started in 2012 the project “ICT in the Clouds” in collaboration with the Amsterdam Economic Board of the Municipality of Amsterdam, universities and the business community (incl. IBM, KLM, Cisco, XS4all). “ICT in the Clouds” is primarily an innovative approach to ICT education. It is a special digital education program with design labs in fields such as apps design, robotics and game development, in which pupils from grammar school to the lower secondary professional education work together in projects initiated by the business community. For more than a decade Berry has acted as chair of the CHEER Consortium and as chair of the CHEER foundation, one of the founding institutes of WLSA. Chris BRADFORD Title: Founder and Chief Operating Officer n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College Institution:(CA), interim African college counselor Leadership at Rocky Academy Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of Biography:colleges and Chris independent Bradford schools. is Ms.the Berson, Founder who has and been CEO a frequent of the speaker African on college Leadership admission, Academyis a former (ALA). trustee Chris of the Collegebrings Board a hybrid and currently background volunteers in for business the World Leadingand education Schools to his Associationwork designing (WLSA) where and she building presented educational sessions at their institutions summer programs of inexcellence. Shanghai, China Chris and holdson Jeju a BA Island degree and in summaSeoul, Korea. cum She laude also served in Economics as a past president from Yaleof the University Bowdoin Alumni and Council an MBAand and in leadership MA in roles Education for her class from reunions. Stanford During vacations,University. she enjoys At Stanford’s spending time Graduate with family Schooland friends of Busines at her homes, Chris on Nantucket. was named one of five Siebel Scholars in recognition of his academic excellence and extracurricular leadership. He has also been recognized as an Echoing Green Global Fellow in 2006 for his work in developing ALA. n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Ms. Berson, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a former trustee of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Page | 3 Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, China and on Jeju Island and in Seoul, Korea. She also served as a past president of the Bowdoin Alumni Council and Tara BUBBLE Title: Dean of Admissions Institution: Colgate University Biography: Tara Bubble is the Dean of Admissions at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. As the dean of admissions, Tara is leading a long-term strategic planning process to ensure Colgate’s continued success and future ability to attract outstanding students. Tara received her bachelor and master’s degrees from Cornell University. Her admission career began at Ithaca College and continued at Cornell University where she spent 14 years. This is the second WLSA conference Tara has participated in and most enjoys the enthusiasm of the counselors and educators as they prepare their students to become global leaders. n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Ms. Berson, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a former trustee Paulo CEOTTO of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, China and on Jeju Island and in Seoul, Korea. She also served as a past president of the Bowdoin Alumni Council and in leadership roles for her class reunions. During vacations, she enjoys spending time with family and friends at her home on Nantucket. Title: Assistant to the Head of School Institution: Escola Sesc de Ensino Medio Biography: Paulo is a trained electro technician with a BA in Languages, and has a passion for both the sciences and the humanities. A multi-language speaker, he has done courses on Linguistics and Natural Nutrition and specializes in language learning and teaching. In the past few years, Paulo worked for Escola Sesc, a boarding high school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and helped implement healthier menus in the school and develop a nutrition / health program for the community. Paulo has an interest in yoga, music and meditation and is currently studying Neurosciences and Permaculture Design. He is now part of the International Office staff at Sesc`s Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Ms. Berson, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a formerPage trustee | 4 of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, China and on Jeju Island and in Seoul, Korea. She Jamie CHAN Title: Upper School Dean Institution: Harvard-Westlake School Biography: Jamie is an Upper School Dean at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, California and has been working with high school and college-aged students for over 16 years. She is the faculty advisor for the first Asian students organization at Harvard-Westlake which she co-founded with a student. She also administers the Cambridge Assessment Admissions Tests for students applying to the UK and manages the test center at Harvard-Westlake. Jamie received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Emory University, is a four-time NCAA National Champion in tennis, and worked in the Emory Admission Office for 8 years. As Assistant Dean of Admission, she coordinated the Alumni Interview Program and created the Student Ambassador and Intern Program. She is the co-President of the Emory Alumni Chapter in Los Angeles. Douglas CHRISTENSEN, PhD n and Financial Aid at Mount Holyoke and Wheaton Colleges, as Director of Admission at Mills College (CA), interim college counselor at Rocky Hill School (RI), and has consulted broadly at a variety of colleges and independent schools. Ms. Berson, who has been a frequent speaker on college admission, is a former trustee of the College Board and currently volunteers for the World Leading Schools Association (WLSA) where she presented sessions at their summer programs in Shanghai, China and on Jeju Island and in Seoul, Korea. She alsoTitle: served Vice as a Provostpast president for of University the Bowdoin AlumniEnrollment Council andAffairs in leadership & Dean roles of for Admissionsher class reunions.