Tell us a little bit about you and your background.

I’ve been in Talent Acquisition and Career related services my entire working life. I started work in the UK and moved to the US when my company opened an office in NYC. 5 years after I moved here, I married a NYC native and opened my own recruitment business in the City.  When that business closed, I decided to work locally and ended up at the School of Rock for a time, which is where I first met Matt Ross, One River’s Founder and CEO.

What attracted you to work at One River School?

I have always been interested in Art. My “A” level subjects in high school in the UK (equivalent to AP exams) were English, French, and Art. However, at that time Universities in the UK did not offer art – so I had to choose between an academic degree or art school. My compromise was to choose the academic route (English Major and French Minor) while running the Art Society at the college. Getting the chance to work in an art school (even though I am in talent acquisition and not in a school all the time) was a really nice way to tie in all my interests. My deep respect for Matt Ross and the fantastic team he has assembled at ORS convinced me that this would be a great place to work. I wasn’t wrong.

How would you describe your team?

The Corporate team is an incredibly dedicated bunch. I think every single person has a strong sense of responsibility to support the schools. We each have very different roles but there are overlaps where we all pull together to get things done. Agnes Mauro, our COO, is super focussed and very knowledgeable about every aspect of our ORS business. She provides strong leadership and helps us find and use our strengths.  Matt Ross provides inspirational leadership and brings his energy and drive to every project that the corporate team works on.

What do you think we do best at One River?

When I first interviewed for the position Matt spoke about the importance of “community” to people in the art world. The longer I work at One River, the more I understand how deeply that goes within our corporate culture. Specifically, what One River does well is “build community”.  It’s kind of awesome to watch our two newest schools in Montclair and Manhasset go from nothing to thriving art communities. The way we engage within and outside our schools is key to our success and it also fulfills our mission to “transform art education”. Building community is also incredibly inclusive, organic and rewarding. Our clients are, in fact, part of our community and that’s a very unique corporate culture.

Is there a special One River moment that stands out for you?

Seeing the opening of the brand new school in Manhasset was very special. This was the first school I had seen develop from initial plans, to hiring staff, building out the space and blitzing Long Island with an effective marketing strategy. I saw all the components of our corporate office team come together to work on a single project and most of the corporate team was there last October for the first Open House in the School. It was such a fun day!

Who or what motivates you?

I’m pretty much a self-starter and results oriented. However, I am also inspired by those around me. I become a better person and more effective worker by emulating the best that I see in others. I’m also someone who really enjoys helping others to be their best selves, so the coaching aspect of working in HR really appeals to me. I always work from the idea that I’m here to help the schools achieve their goals and I try to be as helpful as I can be.

What do you enjoy outside of One River?

I love to learn new things and take on new projects. So, learning to play the bass guitar was something I started around 9 years ago. It has led to being part of a local bar band and we play at local venues here in NJ and NY. It’s always a challenge memorizing the songs (around 35 for each gig) and always a thrill to get up and perform.

During Covid my husband’s job went 100% remote and it has stayed that way, so we fast-forwarded our plans to buy a home near the ocean and we have a second home in Neptune, NJ that we have been renovating. I love to work with my hands and have lots of projects lined up to do on the weekend. For the first time in my life, I got into gardening and planned and planted a native species flower garden that I love to watch develop.