The Willow School Administrative Staff

Kate Burke Walsh – Head of School

Kate Burke Walsh comes to The Willow School from the Washington D.C. area with over 28 years of experience in teaching, school administration, leadership, curriculum development, teacher education and financial management and development.  Her most recent position includes serving as Chief Administrative Officer at the French International School, Lycee Rochambeau in Bethesda, MD. Between 1995 and 2004, Ms. Walsh led international initiatives, first with Children's Resources International and later with Georgetown University's Child and Human Development Center, to design, develop, implement, and manage democratic teaching practices in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.  Prior to that, Ms Walsh served as Assistant Head of School at Beauvoir School, the Elementary School of the National Cathedral in Washington DC.  Ms.Walsh completed her undergraduate studies at The American University in Washington, D.C. and got her masters in Early Childhood Education in Maryland,  from Antioch University.  She has three grown daughters living in the Washington DC area.

Michael Kris – Assistant Head of School and Director of the Middle School

Dr. Michael Kris is a veteran of K-8 schools. Prior to his appointment at Willow, he was a teacher, Director of Teacher Development, and Grade Level Coordinator at The Far Hills Country Day School in Far Hills, New Jersey. In addition, Dr. Kris has taught at The Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter School in Franklin, Massachusetts, The Dutchess Day School in Millbrook, New York, and The Pike School in Andover, Massachusetts. He received a B.A. in English with Honors from Macalester College, an M.A. in Education from Lesley University, and an M.A. in Educational Administration with emphasis in Private School Leadership, an Ed.M, and an Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. In addition to his administrative responsibilities, Michael will also teach 7th grade Language Arts.

Mark Biedron – Director of Advancement and External Affairs

Mark is a co-founder of The Willow School and formerly served as treasurer on the Board of Trustees.  He began his career in 1975 after he joined a family business, Con-Lux Coatings, Inc., an environmental and heavy duty manufacturer of low VOC paints and coatings.  After he sold the company to Sherwin Williams in 1995, he founded Solid Wood Construction, LLC, a general contracting company specializing in green construction and historic renovation using salvaged and recycled materials.  Solid Wood Construction was the general contractor for both of Willow’s LEED certified classroom buildings.  As founder of Sustainable Growth Technologies, a green building and design company, Mark continues to play an active role in efforts to help businesses, educational institutions, and individuals design and implement strategies that reflect the principles of sustainability and place using integrated processes.  Mark earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Vermont. In addition, he attended graduate school at the University of Colorado where he studied business administration.  Mark has three children who currently attend The Willow School.

Linda Niedzwiecki – Director of Business and Finance

Linda brings to The Willow School over thirty-five years of office administration experience. A native of New Jersey, Linda worked for Spector Freight Systems in Edison for ten years, after which she began working at Con-Lux Coatings Inc. She spent a total of eighteen years with Con-Lux in office management and executive secretarial positions. Linda lives in Holland Township with her husband, Joseph.

Annette Worthington – Director of Admissions

Annette Worthington is a graduate of Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she received a B.A. in psychology and of Montclair State University with an M.A. in Educational Psychology and a Certification as Teacher of the Handicapped. She has served as the President of the Parents’ Association at both The Peck School in Morristown, New Jersey and Kent Place School in Summit, New Jersey. Annette has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Peck and Kent Place as well as The Junior League of Morristown. In addition, she has been actively involved as a volunteer at the Children’s Center for Therapy and Learning, at Colgate University, and Yale University. A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Annette lives in New Vernon with her husband, John, and their four daughters.

Dorian von Aulock - Director of Human Resources

Dorian is a graduate of the University of Colorado where she received a BA in psychology with a minor in women’s studies.  After moving to New Jersey in 1989, she began working with developmentally disabled adults at Arc, Morris Chapter.  Her responsibilities at Arc included human resources, policy and procedural development, and program administration.  Dorian lives in Long Valley with her husband and two daughters.

Susie Delaporte – Administrative Assistant

Susie received her degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, majoring in history with a minor in English.  She was previously employed as a paralegal at both a litigation securities firm and at Merrill Lynch in NYC.  Susie has been a substitute teacher at The Peck School as well as a teacher’s aide at The Children’s Corner in Liberty Corner.  She and her three children reside in Peapack.