Leadership

DR. HEATHER BECK

Head of School since 2023

Dr. Heather Beck became The Awty International School’s 12th Head of School in July 2023. 

After serving as Deputy Head of School at the Canadian International School of Singapore, she decided to make Awty her next home. She was drawn to Awty for its global mindset and its diverse community of teachers and learners. 

As a child, Dr. Beck struggled in school, but she didn’t have the words to explain her needs — and often her teachers didn’t have the awareness or resources to support her. That’s why she became an educator: to be a voice for children and a champion for schools that recognize, embrace, and celebrate each child’s unique needs and contributions. 

With over 30 years of experience in education, Dr. Beck has taken part in several wide-ranging, transformational efforts, including leading Lake Oswego School District to its recognition as #1 out of more than 10,000 school districts in the United States. 

Dr. Beck believes today’s schools must prepare students for a world that is increasingly connected and driven by technology — with curricula built on compassion, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. Most importantly, she believes school communities are responsible for creating an environment where every child and teacher is empowered to ask for help when they need it and no one is left behind. 

Dr. Beck is an alumna of The Lovett School, a K-12 independent day school in Atlanta, GA. She earned her undergraduate degree in International Affairs at University of Colorado, Boulder and her master’s degree in Special Education at University of Northern Colorado. She completed her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Denver. 

Dr. Beck is an avid reader who enjoys painting and quilting, hiking, tennis, and traveling the world. She lives with her wife, Jamie, and their Shih Tzu, Tibby.Their son and daughter-in-law, Edward and Johana, have a beautiful daughter named Eliana. 

 

PIERRE PUGET

Proviseur since 2018

M. Pierre Puget  is originally from Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean.

He comes to Awty as “détaché” from the French Ministry of Education (MEN) through the Mission Laïque Française (MLF), an important  partner of Awty.

He started his journey in education as a Mechanical Engineering instructor and appreciated the opportunity to teach college students. He worked for six years at the Naval Training Center of Toulon for the French Navy where he taught at all levels, including the officers' school. He has also been involved in the development of digital teaching tools for military personnel onboard warships.

After a position as Deputy Head of School he held two positions as Head of School in two different French Lycées before realizing his first expatriation.  Pierre served  for five years as Deputy Head of Lycée La Bourdonnais in Mauritius. From there, the French teaching agency abroad (AEFE) offered him a position as Head of School at Lycée Jean d’Alembert in Valparaiso, Chile.

M. Puget studied in France at Institut Universitaire de Technologie d'Aix-Marseille, and then at Université d'Aix-Marseille, earning a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering.  He subsequently completed the concours CAPES certifying him to teach higher level students, and was admitted to the corps des personnels de direction - authorized by the French MEN to serve as a Proviseur.

He has now held a school leadership role for 16 years.

 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATORS

ERIKA BENAVENTE
Acting Director of Admissions

GWEN CARIO
Director of Communications Operations

DON DAVIS
Director of Facilities and Construction

SEVERINE IRELAND
Head of Early Learning

LAUREN LINN
Acting Director of Advancement

TIM LONG
Head of Lower School

Kate Adams, Chief Academics Officer

JAMILA MACARTHUR
Chief Academic Officer 

JAMAL MADDEN
Chief of Staff

JOHN MURPHY
Chief Financial Officer

TOM ODEN
Head of Secondary