Heronfield Leadership

My teaching career began with a middle school position in 1994, and yet I was rather certain I would soon move on to teaching older students. It wasn’t long, though, before I found myself captivated by the enthusiasm and energy of middle school students, taken by the way that guiding experiences and thoughtful teachers can shape young people’s lives at just the right time.

Now in my 27th year in education, I’ve been a teacher in five different subject areas, an advisor, a three-season coach, and a theater director. The chance to move into senior administration seventeen years ago provided the opportunity to play a key role in shaping a school’s program, accentuating its core values while also seeking ways to bring new ideas forward.

The best parts of my day occur in seeing students discovering new knowledge, learning by doing, and working with their teachers through moments of both challenge and triumph. As we teach and learn together, I hope that we will grow in our understanding of one another as we speak with clarity and purpose while also listening with empathy and grace.

As I walk our beautiful campus and visit our learning spaces, I can’t help but notice how everyone – the board of trustees, the faculty and staff, our families and, of course, our students – contributes to the vibrant atmosphere here at Heronfield. It’s a privilege to lead this community as we truly explore the very best in middle school education.

Angela Closson, Vice Chair
Angela is the Vice President of Human Resources at Profile Bank and lives in Lee, NH.  She is the parent of one Heronfield alumna and she has volunteered as a coach for Girls on the Run, served as Girl Scout co-leader as well as a board member of the UNH Partnership Advisory Board, the Rochester ELO Program, and the Wolfeboro Area Children’s Center.

Diane Devine
Diane runs Devine Marketing Group, a strategic marketing consulting firm in Portsmouth, NH with a variety of clients including Fortune 100 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups. With over 30 years in strategic marketing including holding senior positions at the VP and SVP level, Diane has run multi-million- and billion-dollar brands for companies such as Kraft, General Foods, and Saatchi & Saatchi. She is also a senior lecturer at the University of New Hampshire, Peter T. Paul School of Business and Economics. Diane has an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business and lives in Portsmouth, NH with her husband.

Beth Finelli, Secretary
Beth lives in Portsmouth, NH.  She is a former teacher, coach, and wilderness survival educator for at-risk teens.  She has served on the board for The Acorn School, and the Seacoast Women’s Giving Circle.  She has two children, one is a current student at Heronfield and the other is an alumna.    

Peter Gilmore
Peter B. Gilmore was born and raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and attended local public schools.  He went on to study at the College of the Holy Cross earning his BA in History, and later graduated from Harvard University earning a Masters in Education with special emphasis in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy.  Over the years Peter has worked in many independent schools and in many capacities. These included traditional boarding and day, single sex and co-ed, religious and nonsectarian, as well as schools specializing in children with learning differences. He was Head of School at Vermont Commons School, and most recently Director of Seacoast Community School. He also served on the Boards of Directors for the Vermont Association of Independent Schools, and the Friends School of Portland.  He has worked in private business specializing in educational software, and has operated his own consulting firm as Gilmore Educational Consulting Services.

Molly Heaney
Molly lives in Rye, NH with her husband, Darby, and their two children, Lila and Henry.  Molly serves as a Director on the J.M. Huber board, an engineered material business that her great, great grandfather started in 1883.  Molly is a frequent speaker and panelist in family business forums, and she has presented at family business programs at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and Columbia Business School.

Colin Kelley
Colin is a financial advisor with Vigilant Wealth Management in Portsmouth, NH.  He and his wife, Karla, live in Hampton, NH with their son, Alex.  Colin is very active at the University of New Hampshire, serving on boards as well as teaching classes in the evening.

Joan Marchessault
Joan is the Founder and Principal of Strategic Leadership Group. She lives in New Castle, NH with her husband, Claude. She is past president of the board of both the NH Children’s Museum and the NH First Tee, as well as the Chancellor’s Advisory Board at UMass Lowell. Her grandson is a current Heronfield student.

Harper Marshall
Harper lives in Hampton Falls, NH, with his wife, Jodi, and their two daughters, Evelyn ‘24 and Piper ’27. Harper is a Partner at Peloton Advisory, an investment banking firm based in Portsmouth, NH.

Amy McLaughlin, Chair
Amy lives in Exeter, NH with her husband, Ben. She is a financial controller of two companies specializing in commercial HVAC sales and service that she and her husband started. Amy volunteers her additional time in the nonprofit sector including the Music Hall and Leadership NH. She is a parent of two Heronfield alumni.

Justin Merrill, Treasurer
Justin lives in Exeter, NH with his wife, Leah, and their daughter Catherine, a Heronfield alumna. Justin is Director of Investments at Phillips Exeter Academy. 

Andy Rourke
Andy and his wife, Ashleigh, live in Exeter, NH. Their three children have attended Heronfield (including a current 7th grader). Over his career, Andy has worked in finance and private equity investing, and is the founder of a consulting firm and a software company.