Keynote Speakers – ICGS Educating Girls Symposium at Marlborough School

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Abigail Disney, Filmmaker, Philanthropist, Activist

Abigail E. Disney advocates for real changes to the way capitalism operates in today’s world. As a philanthropist and social activist, she has worked with organizations supporting peace-building, gender justice, and systemic cultural change. She is a documentary filmmaker who won an Emmy for “The Armor of Light.” Her latest film, “The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales,” which she co-directed with Kathleen Hughes, made its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The film screened in select theaters and is available on demand.

She is also Chair and Co-Founder of Level Forward, an ecosystem of storytellers, entrepreneurs, and social change-makers dedicated to balancing artistic vision, social impact, and stakeholder return. She also created the nonprofit Peace is Loud, which uses storytelling to advance social movements, and the Daphne Foundation, which supports organizations working for a more equitable, fair and peaceful New York City.

in conversation with
Concepcion Alvar, Headmistress, Marymount School of New York

Concepcion Alvar has been the Headmistress of Marymount School of New York since 2004. She attained her Master of Arts at Columbia University Teachers College and has completed master’s level courses in Communication Arts at Ateneo, a Jesuit University in the Philippines. She taught at several schools in Bahrain, the Middle East, and the Philippines, and served as a nursery teacher and director of admissions at Marymount prior to becoming the Headmistress.

Concepcion’s most recent accomplishment is the fruition of a strategic initiative—a 155,000 square foot building in New York City, which serves as a new campus for grades 6- 12. She is very proud to continue supporting Marymount’s mission to prepare young women to challenge, shape and change the world, as the school looks toward its 100-year anniversary.

Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE, Executive Director, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools

Christina Lewellen is a seasoned association executive who brings a data-driven framework to business planning and strategy, having earned her MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Certified Association Executive designation from the American Society of Association Executives.

She was named the Executive Director of ATLIS in 2019 and travels coast-to-coast visiting independent schools and their leadership teams. She serves as a trustee for the Harmony Foundation International and is a board member for the Virginia Society of Association Executives.

Erin Rehel, Chief Operating Officer, One Schoolhouse

Erin Rehel is the Chief Operating Officer at One Schoolhouse, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that partners with independent schools to support their academic program. She joined the One Schoolhouse team after serving as the Director of Strategy and Institutional Research at Episcopal Academy, a PreK-12 grade coed day school in Newtown Square, PA. Her work with independent schools began as the Practice Manager of the Independent School Executive Forum, part of the Advisory Board Company/EAB, a Washington, D.C.-based research and technology firm that partnered with senior leaders across healthcare and education in the U.S., Canada, the UK, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. As Practice Manager, Rehel helped school leaders develop and implement data-informed strategies to improve all aspects of school operations.

Prior to moving into the independent school world, Rehel led the Advisory Board Company’s International Clinical Operations Board, supporting senior health care executives and their teams in more than 40 countries on key operational concerns, including hospital efficiency, care quality, and staff engagement initiatives.

Rehel holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Vanderbilt University, where she conducted cross-national comparative research examining the influence of state-level social policies on corporate work-life balance strategies and initiatives. She also earned a master’s degree in sociology from Brandeis University and two degrees from McGill University: a master’s degree in religious studies with a concentration in bioethics, and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies. Rehel has published research in the fields of sociology of gender, organizational behavior, health disparities, and bioethics.

Khanichi N. Charles, Co-chair, Generative artificial Intelligence Committee (MaGIC), Marlborough School – session moderator

Khanichi Charles co-leads this team of innovative educators who meet regularly across departments and divisions to evaluate available AI tools and resources, and experiment with novel classroom strategies. Nearly one year after its public release, Khanichi has successfully integrated the use of open AI tools into her classroom management and curriculum framework. Along with other MaGIC members, she aims to explore new ways of leveraging AI to further advance the school’s mission of redefining excellence in education.

Khanichi is a doctor of biological sciences in public health with an extensive background in teaching, research, change management, and mentorship. For 15+ years, she has leveraged these strengths to inspire others to let their passion define their work and guide their purpose. As a former grade-level dean, she collaborated with the middle school director to establish and maintain congruence between the student and teacher experience. During her tenure, she introduced systems for clarifying expectations, providing multi-tiered support, and formalizing accountability structures.

She is an alumna of California’s Teacher Development Collaborative’s (CATDC) Women Rising cohort, a mentorship and empowerment program for aspiring female leaders. Following CATDC’s Women Rising, Khanichi earned a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School and Graduate School of Education where she deepened her knowledge and leadership skills through collaborative learning with nearly 500 education thought leaders spread throughout the globe. Prior to this leadership training, she earned her Ph.D. at Harvard University as a Prize Fellow in the Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, authoring articles in premier scientific journals such as Nature Medicine and Cell Reports. She continues to contribute to the scientific canon, most recently publishing research in the fall of 2020.

As a Marlborough science faculty member, since 2013, Khanichi has served her school community as an agent of change in myriad roles, including faculty mentor, advisor to the African American Cultural Exchange, grade-level dean, school accreditation leadership, and admissions liaison. In each of these roles, Khanichi has focused on the implementation of key actions operating in strategic alignment with Marlborough’s core values―elements designed to uphold the vision of “Equity Leads Education.”

Whether leading a team of intrepid students or experienced educators, Khanichi does so with an enduring commitment to amplifying excellence.