Stella Heyliger-Mulatu, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

After a comprehensive search, Stephen Gaynor School will be welcoming Stella Heyliger-Mulatu as the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She will report to Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor and will be tasked with advancing Gaynor’s DEI initiatives to support students and families within the school and in the greater community.

Ms. Mulatu comes to Gaynor from The Town School where she most recently served as a first grade Co-Head Teacher. Ms. Mulatu also serves as an Area Captain for Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan’s District 9 City Council Office. Prior to working at Town, Ms. Mulatu taught first grade at The Children’s Storefront School in Harlem, NYC. She also served as Program Coordinator and Summer Camp Director for the Hawassa Children’s Project, an orphan-care center in Hawassa, Ethiopia, where she lived for almost two years. Ms. Mulatu holds a B.A. in Africana Studies from Vassar College and an M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood Special Education from Hunter College.

In her nine-year tenure at The Town School, Ms. Mulatu led, designed and advocated for DEI initiatives that aligned the school more closely with its mission, and enhanced the academic, social and emotional experience of its students, faculty and families. She used a critical DEI lens to examine and expand upon existing school programs, as well as spearheaded new initiatives, with the goal of affirming and celebrating the diverse identities that make up the school community. These programs and initiatives provided her the opportunity to collaborate closely with administrators, faculty, parents, caregivers, and students with the goal of fostering a more equitable and inclusive school community for all.

Ms. Mulatu was struck by the sense of community at Gaynor, and said, “When I walked into the Gaynor school building I immediately sensed the warmth, kindness, and openness of the school community. I also sensed a collective desire to take actionable steps towards achieving the school’s DEI goals. What inspires me most about working at Gaynor is collaborating with a community that is already so deeply rooted in the values of equity and inclusion, evidenced by how expertly the school serves its neurodiverse student population. Gaynor is ready to deepen its commitment to those values, and it is my honor to support that initiative.”

Dr. Gaynor said, “We are excited to welcome Ms. Mulatu into our community. We reviewed a strong pool of candidates and believe Stella has the skills, passion and drive to help lead Gaynor forward with our strategic DEI goals. Our community has worked openly and diligently to build a solid foundation for the successful addition of a Director of DEI. I am excited to have Stella joining our team to support our efforts in fostering students who are future global citizens.”

Rebecca Felt, Director of Intermediate Division

Rebecca Felt has been named the next Director of Intermediate Division, succeeding Michelle Fox. Ms. Felt has been at Gaynor since 2013, most recently as a Head Teacher in the Blue Cluster. She holds a BA in Public Policy from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and an M.S.Ed. in Childhood General/Special Education from Bank Street College of Education. In addition to her Head Teacher role, Ms. Felt has immersed herself in many areas at Gaynor. She was a member of the inaugural Senior Educator Cohort and currently serves as a mentor in the pilot mentor program. Most recently, she worked with Assistant Head of School Jill Thompson to design and implement the Executive Functioning After School Program. This experience built upon her interest in supporting students to develop greater metacognition about their learning process and learn strategies and habits to strengthen their skills.

The Director of Intermediate Division has the primary responsibility for students in the Silver and Green Clusters. The Intermediate Division serves as a bridge between the Lower and Upper Divisions, and children in this age group experience great changes academically, socially, emotionally and physically. The Director, along with the expert educators in the Intermediate Division, is responsible for helping students along the path to becoming teenagers and young adults, and collaborates with all Division Directors to ensure that there is coherent progression as students transition between divisions.

According to Ms. Felt, “After ten years in the classroom, I look forward to joining the Leadership Team as the Director of Intermediate Division. Having spent most of my career working with graduates at the end of their Gaynor journey, I am excited to work with students, educators, and families in the Intermediate Division. Students at this stage in their Gaynor career are becoming more independent and developing greater metacognitive skills. They are learning to advocate and navigate the world as young people. It is an exciting developmental stage for students and their families as they prepare for the Upper Division and the next steps in their education. I bring my knowledge of Gaynor student pathways to this role and am excited to serve as a bridge between the Lower and Upper Divisions.”

Head of School Dr. Scott Gaynor said, “It has been rewarding to see Rebecca grow as a teacher in the classroom while seeking opportunities to expand her leadership experiences at Gaynor. Rebecca exemplifies our academic focus on preparing students for their next school while supporting their social/emotional needs, and she brings with her a passion for our child-centered mission and the skill set to best lead our Intermediate Division.”