Dr. Douglas Brophy
Head of School

Meet Doug

Started at Town in: 2018

Years in Education: 28

Previous Career: I was an attorney for eight years.

Education: Tulane University, B.A.; Tulane Law School, J.D.; Stanford University, M.A.; University of Pennsylvania, Ed.D.

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: I continue to stay active in the broader NYC community, from leadership at my synagogue to regularly volunteering at a local homeless shelter.

Favorite thing about Town: Always being around such wise and thoughtful people (including my students) who cause me to think about something in a new way.

Other things to know about me: I love the outdoors, whether hiking with my family or backpacking with the same group of friends for the past 30 years. I also have so many NYC favorites, with the downtown jazz clubs right at the top.

Pronouns: he/him/his

Want to connect with Doug? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

Alison Flannery
Head of the Nursery-Kindergarten Division

Meet Alison

Started at Town in: 2021

Years in Education: 20

Education: B.A. Cornell University, M.A. Bank Street College of Education

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: I am proud to have helped create an Anti-Racist Read Aloud initiative at Poly Prep; I am a past member of the Board of Trustees at St. Luke's School; and I was fortunate to recently attend The Heads Network Administrative Leadership Seminar for Women.   

Favorite thing about Town: The warm welcoming community​​!

Other things to know about me: I'm a native New Yorker (I grew up in Greenwich Village), and I love attending Broadway shows.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Want to connect with Alison? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

David Andrew Wood
Head of Lower School

Meet David

Started at Town in: 2014

Years in Education: 21

Previous Career: I performed in live theatre regionally, at Radio City Music Hall, and on Broadway.

Education: Columbia University, EdM; Hunter College, MSEd; New York University, BFA

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: I enjoy promoting the professional development of others, in service to their ongoing growth and learning, and ultimately to our students' learning and lived experience.

Favorite thing about Town: My favorite thing about Town is the community - its complexity and authenticity.

Other things to know about me: I enjoy running in Prospect Park and taking advantage of local Brooklyn activities  on the weekends.

Pronouns: he, him, his

Want to connect with David? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

Carol Seeley
Head of Upper School

Meet Carol

Started at Town: 2019 

Years in education: 21

Education: Connecticut College, BA in Sociology 

An aspect of my work I’m proud of: I really value the many opportunities I have at Town to support professional development and collaborate in curriculum work in Upper School. In my previous schools I have participated in reaccreditation self study work, worked with the Admissions office interviewing families, and coached basketball, soccer, and lacrosse. 

Favorite thing about Town: I love Town’s community! And the reason I chose Town is the N-8 model. Especially as a middle school educator, being in a place where children can really be children at such an influential age is important to me. Our 7th and 8th graders know that high school is on the horizon, but it’s not looming over them every day. Our middle schoolers are in a place where they can learn for learning's sake, take joy in their learning, and thrive. 

Other things to know about me: I am a born and bred New Yorker, and huge Yankees fan. I enjoy playing sports and baking. And I love my Converse sneakers. 

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Want to connect with Carol? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

Dr. Janie Vance
Academic Dean

Meet Janie

Started at Town in: 2006

Years in Education: 25

Education: James Madison University - BM; University of Miami (FL) - MM; Teachers College, Columbia University - EdM. and Ed.D.

An aspect of my work I'm proud of:  I oversee professional development across all grades and work closely with our professional literacy and math teaching coaches -- I love partnering with our faculty as they continually push themselves to be even better teachers.

Favorite thing about Town: My favorite thing about Town is the warmth of the community. Town is a place that feels like home.

Other things to know about me: I am a HUGE Musical Theater fan! 

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Want to connect with Janie? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

Pierangelo Rossi
Director of Equity and Community Action

Meet Pierangelo

Started at Town in: 2021

Years in Education: 13

Education: Macalester College: BA in Eductional Studies and Latin American Studies (double major)
New York University: MA in Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)

An aspect of my work I'm proud of:  Centering student voice in the curriculum and helping them unpack the many layers of their identities. In my previous school, I co-created a class called Forum in which students learned how to formulate and express their own opinion on a variety of topics (identity, news, the environment, changemakers). It eventually became part of the grade curriculum. 

Favorite thing about Town: I love how warm and welcoming Town has been with me! Town is intentional about making sure all students and adults feel like they belong in this school. I also love its focus on N-8. Childhood education has been my passion for more than 10 years so our values fit very well.  I love that we can let our students discover who they are as people and as learners in a nurturing, joyful, and caring space. 

Other things to know about me: I love learning languages. I grew up in Peru and spoke Spanish as my native language, but I was lucky to learn English in school. This opened the door to other languages like French, Italian, and Portuguese. I also love to play soccer (huge Barcelona fan) and collect soccer jerseys. I love to dance, eat hot pepper sauces, and learning how to care for my indoor plants.  

Pronouns: He/Him/Él

My office is always open. Stop by and say hi!

Want to connect with Pierangelo? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org

Chloë Scott-Giry
Director of Admissions and Enrollment

Meet Chloe

Started at Town in: 2022

Years in Education: 13

Previous Career: Tennis and Basketball Coach

Education: B.A. in Sociology with a concentration in social justice, Goucher College; M.S. in Nonprofit Management, Fordham University. 

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: I really value the connections I make with prospective families in helping them as they seek to find the best educational fit and community for their child and their family. 

Favorite thing about Town: The warm and thoughtful community! Everyone goes out of their way to make sure that you feel like you belong here the moment you set foot in the door.

Other things to know about me: I was born and raised (for 7 years) in Paris and am a native French speaker. I am also a huge fan of Queens — I strongly believe it to be the best borough, and am happy to discuss this with anyone who will listen. 

Pronouns: she,her,hers

Want to connect with Chloe? Email admissions@townschool.org

Philip Bien '95
Director of Institutional Advancement

Meet Philip

Started at Town in: 2015

Years in Education: 18

Previous Career: Concurrently worked as a clinical social worker.

Education: B.S., M.S.W., New York University

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: In balance of community and relationship building, I have launched many technology projects for educational administration.   

Favorite thing about Town: I treasure the life-long friendships that were made when I was a student at Town. 

Other things to know about me: I am currently learning bridge (and very humbled by the challenge)! While international travel has been temporarily put on hold, I look forward to visiting new countries. I love how reflecting on different cultures affords me to learn more about myself and my own culture. 

Pronouns: he, him, his

Want to connect with Phil? Email advancement@townschool.org

Jason Bossart
Chief Operating Officer

Meet Jason

Started at Town in: 2020

Years in Education: 6

Previous Career: Association Management, Non-Profit Construction Management

Education: George Washington University, BA Political Science; Capella University, Master of Business Administration (MBA); Western Governors University, Master of Management & Leadership (MSML)

An aspect of my work I'm proud of: ​​ ​​Serving stakeholders of non-profits, specifically those working with youth.

Favorite thing about Town: Sense of community and culture is evident among the faculty, staff, and families

Other things to know about me: I'm a Yankees fan, enjoy exercise, reading, and I occasionally play something that sometimes resembles golf. I love NYC: the energy and that the city is teeming with diverse people and ideas.

Pronouns: he, him, his

Want to connect with Jason? We'll put you in touch! Email info@townschool.org