Leadership
Leading Women
The Winsor School has long benefited from strong, stable leadership. There have been just eight heads of school since Winsor’s founding in 1886. The trustees serve as the governing body of the school. The Winsor Corporation, part of the school’s governance structure, approves nominations to that board. Its ranks include many of the school’s most ardent and loyal supporters and ambassadors.
Winsor’s Head of School
Meredith Legg
Head of School and O’Donnell Family Chair
In describing her perspective on leadership, she reflected, “School leadership is a complex, fulfilling, and deeply human endeavor—an art and practice that requires constant attention and crafting."
Meredith Legg began her tenure as Winsor’s ninth head of school on July 1, 2025, bringing to the role a deep well of experience, a bold and inclusive vision, and a staunch commitment to girls’ education. A respected educator and strategic leader, Meredith has come to Winsor at a pivotal and inspiring moment in the school’s history—one that honors its extraordinary legacy while looking confidently to the future.
Meredith made her way to Winsor from Emma Willard School, a nationally recognized day and boarding school for girls in grades 9 through 12, where she most recently served as associate head of school. At Emma Willard, she oversaw the academic program and led a number of institutional initiatives, including faculty professional growth, curricular innovation, and strategic planning. Her responsibilities included managing academic faculty and staff and supervising the Offices of Curriculum and Innovation, College Counseling, Learning Support, Academic and Strategic Technology, and Experiential Learning.
Her leadership has been instrumental in shaping programs that center academic excellence, wellness, belonging, and sustainability. She helped develop the academic pillars of Emma Willard’s record-breaking $175 million capital campaign, introduced a new advanced studies curriculum, created the school’s DEI vision, led the school community through the challenges of Covid, and launched the Emma Willard Center for Teaching and Learning. She also played a critical role in the design and planning of a new performing arts center in addition to faculty housing.
Prior to her role as associate head, Meredith served in a range of academic and administrative positions at Emma Willard, including assistant head of school, academic dean, and director of academic technology. She also taught physics, engineering, and environmental science, with a focus on hands-on, experiential learning. In her own teaching—ranging from introductory engineering to advanced physics—Meredith emphasized lab-based experimentation and real-world applications, drawing from her own educational experiences in research and design.
A former competitive rower and swimmer, Meredith brings the same discipline and teamwork she learned on the water to her leadership. She rowed with the Quad City Rowing Association on the Mississippi River and competed at the U.S. Rowing Nationals in Syracuse, New York. Her early interests in math and science led her to a high school research opportunity through the World Food Prize, where she worked at an international agricultural research center in Mexico.
Meredith holds a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Iowa State University, where she was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and several organizations supporting women in STEM. She conducted undergraduate research in a structural design lab, helping to build and test faculty-led research projects. She earned her Ph.D. in civil engineering at Cornell University, focusing on civil infrastructure systems and natural hazard risk mitigation. It was during her doctoral studies—while serving as a teaching assistant for courses like Structural Analysis and Concrete Design—that she discovered her passion for education and was drawn to independent schools.
She and her husband, Ryan, are the proud parents of Matilda and Charles. As both head of school and a Winsor parent, Meredith is eager to immerse herself in the life of the school and its vibrant community. She believes deeply in the power of girls’ schools and hopes every Winsor student graduates with a strong sense of self and the confidence to pursue their passions.
With her thoughtful leadership and fresh perspective, Meredith Legg is poised to help Winsor advance its mission and realize the ambitious goals of the Winsor Leads Campaign. Her appointment affirms the school’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, wellness, and inclusion—and opens the door to a new chapter filled with promise and possibility.
Winsor's Historic Leadership
1886–1922: Mary Pickard Winsor
1922–1939: Katherine Lord
1939–1951: Frances Dorwin Dugan
1951–1963: Valeria Addams Knapp
1963–1988: Virginia Wing
1988–2004: Carolyn McClintock Peter
2004–2016: Rachel Friis Stettler
2016–2025: Sarah Pelmas
2025–present: Meredith Legg
Miss Virginia Wing, Winsor's director from 1963 to 1988
“I am honored and deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve the Winsor community as the ninth head of school. Winsor students are ambitious, thoughtful, and curious; I am excited to be a part of the educational environment at Winsor that shapes how students walk through the world with confidence and purpose.”
Meredith Legg
Administrative Council
Board of Trustees
Armine Afeyan ’08
Shakeeb Alam P’27, ’30
Susan Alexander P’03, ’05, ’08
Christopher Andrews P’26
Eman Ansari P’20, ’24, ’28
Hope Baker ’62
Katharine Baker-Carr ’80
Rajeev Balakrishna P’21
Bhaskar Banerjee P’22
John Barker P’21, ’23
Kristin Bennett ’85
Leslie Cohn Bernstein ’81, P’09, ’11
Ami Bhatt P’25, ’31
Brant Binder P’20
Allyson Bloom P’29, ’31
Robert Brace P’73*
Kerry Brennan
Virginia O’Brien Brennan ’77
Casey Brock-Wilson ’07
Jane Brock-Wilson P’07, ’11
Casey O’Donnell Buckley ’07
Elizabeth Bennett Carroll ’89
Jennifer Chan P’23
Candace Cheatham P’21
Joanne Cheng P’23, ’25, ’28
Larry Cheng P’23, ’25, ’28
Kasia Chmielinski ’02
Hassan Chowdhry P’26
Sara Christensen ’92
Julian Chun P’16, ’23
Raymond Chung P’18, ’21
Helen Clement P’24
Alexandra Coburn ’82
Roberta Cohn P’81, ’89, GP’09, ’11
William P. Collatos P’03, ’05, ’09
Mark Condon P’16, ’18, ’18, ’21
Christina Spagnuolo Condron ’92, P’26, ’33
Karilyn Crockett ’91
Wendy Cromwell P’21
Michael Cronin P’07
Caitlin Crowe ’89
Patience Crozier ’92, P’30
Stephan Danik P’25, ’27
Priya Desaii P’27, ’32
Leslie Dewan ’02
Jennifer Dolins P’23, ’26
Jeffrey Drucker P’18
John Egan P’09, ’13
Kathleen Egan ’13
Pamela Egan P’09, ’13
Susan Shuster Eisen ’90
Bart Epker P’13
Chandler Evans P’29
Laurie Healy Ewald ’91, P’23, ’25
Audrey Fenton ’93, P’26
Nicole Fitzpatrick P’25, ’27, ’29, ’33
Benjamin Flaim P’30
Valerie Fleishman ’88, P’25
Janel Forde ’97
Courtney Forrester P’23
Linda Dorcena Forry P’28
Kelly Friendly P’21, ’23
Christopher Gabrieli P’13 ’15 ’16
Mary Gallagher ’94
Nancy Gardiner P’04, ’09
Jane Glazer ’99, P’29
Nancy Go P’27, ’30
Robert Go P’27, ’30
David Goel P’23
Stacey Goel P’23
Claire Pasternack Goldsmith ’01
Jonathan Goldstein P’22, ’24
Mary Beth Gordon P’23, P’26
Amit Gupta P’13
Larry Hamelsky P’20
Jack Hart P’15, ’17, ’19, ’22
Brenda Haynes P’16
Elizabeth Partridge Heald ’57, P’87, GP’18, ’20, ’21*
William Heald P’18, ’21
Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01
Claudia Hochberg P’23, ’27
Jacqueline O. Hodge P’18, ’22
Gemma Hogan P’23
Risteard Hogan P’23
David Humphrey P’28, ’31
Jean Hynes P’16, ’18, ’18, ’21
Carrie Jenks ’94, P’31
Shan Jin P’24
Beth Johnson P’17
Cara Grayer Johnson ’93
Christopher Johnson P’27, ’27
Julie Ann Kaneb P’15, ’19
Gwendolyn Kane-Wanger ’80, P’09
Hillary Kelly P’30
Amanda Kennedy P’23
Sam Kennedy P’23
Badar Khan P’27
Sonya Khan ’00
Nancy Kim P’28
Meshal Kirmani ’92
Adam Koppel P’16
Kimberly Krawshuk ’87, P’20
Eleanor Laurans P’28, ’30
Patricia Perrin Lawrence ’46, P’72*
Meredith Legg P’32
Sarah Leggat ’75
Anne Lewis ’03
Elizabeth Lewis ’96
Adrienne Penta Lissner ’96, P’32
Julia Livingston ’66, P’85, ’07
Kate Lubin ’97
Nancy Kurson Lubin ’64, P’91, ’97, GP’26, ’32
Richard Lubin P’91 ’97, GP’26, ’32
Jessica Lutzker P’25
Emily Smith Magruder ’03
Mallika Marshall P’27
Tomoyo Matsuzaka P’24
Georgia Simpson May P’24
Erica Mayer ’91, P’25
Jane Mayer P’91, ’95, GP’25
Annsley McAleer P’26
Katherine McCord ’02
Elise McDonald P’26, ’28
Warren McFarlan P’92
Marlyn McGrath ’66, P’96, ’03*
Janet Feldstein McKillop ’90
Anne McNay P’16
Rick Melvoin P’96
Anjali Midha ’98
Bartholomew Mitchell P’09, ’11
Kevin Mohan P’30, ’32
Jameson Morris-Kliment P’23
Mary Mullen P’18, ’21
Alison Killilea Neuwirth ’94
Suzanne Ranere Norris ’94
Kate O’Donnell ’05
Jane Hoeffel Otte ’57, P’84, ’86, GP’25
Krishna Palepu P’21
Cindy Pan P’23, ’28
Madeleine Pannell ’07
Saul Pannell P’07
Maria Pantazis P’29, ’31
Paresh Patel P’27, ’29, ’30
Michelle Paterniti P’26, ’26
Ambika Patni ’98
Allison Kaneb Pellegrino ’89, P’21, ’22
Sarah Pelmas
Carolyn Peter*
Jennifer Morgan Peterson ’89, P’20, ’22, ’26
Megan Pickette P’21
Christopher Picotte P’24
Keziah Robinson ’96
Lacey Rose ’06
Anne Swinton Ruggles ’85, P’14
Marion Pantazelos Russell ’91, P’22, ’25
Kristen Ryan ’88, P’22
Catherine Frankl Sarkis ’82, P’23
Sam Schaffer
Gregory Schneider P’25
Christina Capodilupo Schwefel ’97
Susan Simon P’16
Georgia Simpson May P’24
Forbes Singer ’72
Elizabeth Skates ’88, P’25
Gilda Smart P’24
Sidra Smith ’88
Folashade Solomon P’26
Lee Thorndike Sprague ’58
Donald Stanton P’93, ’97
Rachel Stettler*
Cathleen Stone P’13
Genevra Stone ’03
Kristen Samuelson Stuart ’98
Tara Sullivan ’03
Ricky Sun P’27
Kerry Swords P’23, ’27
Carol Taylor P ’88 ’01
Linda H. Thomas P’02, ’06
Kamaya Prince Thompson ’00
Squeakie Thompson ’72
Susannah Tobin ’96
Carolyn Kimball Tolles ’58
Nancy Tooke P’98
Katherine Traquina ’13
Meredith Traquina ’09
Perry Traquina P’09, ’13
Robin Traquina P’09 ’13
Neal Vachhani P’29, ’31
Nora Ross-Johnson Vernazza ’97
Margaret Otte Warren ’84
Tiffany Warren ’92
Whit Washington ’07
Kent Weldon P’16
Lori Whelan P’23, ’25
Emily Lubin Woods ’91, P’26, ’32
Yuhong Yang P’20, ’24
Elizabeth Yntema ’76
Bryn Zeckhauser ’89, P’24, ’27
* Lifetime corporator