Vince Durnan has been Director of University School of Nashville since 2000. A graduate of Williams College, where he was a Tyng Scholar, he also holds a Master in Education degree from Harvard and received his Ed.D. in Leadership Policy and Education from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University.  Before coming to USN, Dr. Durnan was Academic Dean at Suffield Academy, where he also taught history and economics. He has also been a history teacher and coach at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Kingswood-Oxford School, and Harvard-Westlake School. Dr. Durnan has both participated in and presented at the NAIS Institute for New Heads, and he contributed a chapter for the NAIS Head’s Handbook, published in 2011, and serves on the faculty for Vanderbilt’s program for independent school leadership. His primary research interest is independent school/university governance relationships. He recently completed visits to more than 30 schools nationwide to survey the educational reform landscape.

This academic year he has been busy keeping USN open in person, with all the challenges and rewards that go with that experience.

Lagra Newman is the Founder and Head of School of Purpose Preparatory Academy, one of the highest performing elementary schools in Tennessee. Purpose Prep, a public, non-selective charter school, educates children predominately within the North Nashville community and focuses on strong literacy acquisition. In 2017, Purpose Prep earned Reward status for being among the top 5% of schools in the state of Tennessee for academic performance. In 2018, Purpose Prep earned Reward School status for the second consecutive year. In her current work as the Head of School for Purpose Prep, Ms. Newman oversees the instructional, operational, and financial aspects of the school, bringing strong leadership to the educational reform movement in Tennessee. A staunch advocate for underserved communities, Ms. Newman is deeply committed to ensuring that all children have access to quality education. Lagra earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Spanish at Vanderbilt University, a Masters in Teaching at Loyola Marymount University, and a Masters in Education Leadership from Teachers College of Columbia University.