Meet Our Head of School

Prior to joining Lakefield College School (LCS), Anne-Marie served as the Executive Director of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools (CAIS) for 11 years, leading an association of 95 schools committed to learning and leadership. She spearheaded strategies for continuous school improvement, overseeing research, professional development, and accreditation programs that shaped the future of independent education in Canada.

A strong advocate for research-driven decision-making, Anne-Marie launched the National Tracking Project to examine young alumni success in university, co-authored the National Technology Project: A Report on Effective Practice, and created the first National Parent Motivational Survey. She also authored the CAIS Governance Guide and led several accreditation reviews, positioning CAIS as a leader in accreditation standards recognized by the NAIS International Commission of Accreditation. Under her leadership, CAIS refined its National Standards, challenging schools to enhance innovative learning, student engagement, wellness, governance, and risk management.

Committed to learning and leadership development, Anne-Marie oversaw the  CAIS Leadership Institute, training over 175 emerging leaders annually, and introduced new leadership modules, including Women in Leadership, Coaching Leaders, Faculty Culture, and Marketing.

Since joining LCS in 2017, Anne-Marie has led a broad strategic research and planning process, culminating in Vision. Direction. Focus. Strategic Direction for Lakefield College School 2019-24. She ensured deep engagement from students, staff, parents, trustees, and board members, resulting in a dynamic, student-centered strategy built on four key tenets: Authentic Learning, Community First, Outdoors Every Day, and Strength and Permanence.

Anne-Marie currently serves on the Board of the National Business Officers Association (NBOA). She has previously served on the boards of the Enrolment Management Association (EMA) and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS), the Independent Schools Association Network (ISAnet), and the NAIS International Commission on Accreditation. She is also a Founding Board Member of the eLearning Consortium of Canada (ELCC).

She holds a BA, B.Ed., and M.Ed. from Queen’s University, attended the Independent Schools Institute at Harvard in 2008, and earned the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from The Directors College (a joint venture of McMaster University and The Conference Board of Canada) in 2012. Anne-Marie’s husband, Kevin, is the Dean of Arts at the University of Ottawa, and they have two children, Jacob and Kathleen.