Strategic vision
Dr. Bohlin shared her gratitude with the school community saying, “The spirit of our students, faculty and families has never been more vibrant. It is truly a gift to be a part of this school community. The world needs more Montrose graduates, and the school will grow and thrive under Katie Elrod’s dynamic leadership.”
As Associate Head of School, Katie Elrod specializes in strategic visioning and leadership in every area of the independent school experience. Professionally, Mrs. Elrod has taught at every grade level, from elementary through college and has also served as an adjunct professor in the philosophy department at Boston College. She co-led the Abigail Adams Institute’s summer seminar “Divided We Stand: Pursuing the Common Good” in Cambridge, MA. Mrs. Elrod is a published author and a frequent presenter, having spoken at the University of Notre Dame, MIT and St. Joseph’s College, and the University of Navarra, Spain. A Lonergan Fellow, she received her BA and MA in philosophy from Boston College. She teaches Montrose School’s flagship Capstone course, “Embracing Big Questions and the Ethics of Human Flourishing.”
Former Montrose Board Chair Neil Jacob, who worked alongside Dr. Bohlin throughout her tenure, said, “Karen has led Montrose with vision, tenacity and, most importantly, great joy these past 18 years as the school has doubled in size and developed its own campus and identity in Medfield. I am impressed at how thoughtfully the Board has planned for this succession. This transition has been three years in the making, when Karen appointed Katie as Associate Head of School. We knew then we had a star in Katie.”
Two servant leaders
“Montrose young alumnae are thriving at colleges and universities around the country and across the globe including Harvard, MIT, UPenn, Dartmouth, University of Chicago and Notre Dame. More importantly, they are making an enormous contribution to impact our world for good. We have complete confidence that, under Katie’s leadership, the school will continue along its already impressive trajectory,” Mr. Jacob added.
Reflecting on his Board work with both Dr. Bohlin and Mrs. Elrod, Board Chairman Bill Noonan noted the transition’s potential as an opportunity for Montrose students to witness powerful synergy between two servant leaders. “In this change, our students get to witness responsible succession, an example of passion and response to a call. Montrose is the kind of place that attracts and launches great leaders in the world. This is an exciting time for Montrose, and I am honored to continue my work alongside these two great leaders in the months ahead.”