Leadership

Head of School

With a wealth of private school experience, including six years as Head of School at Emerson School (a school in Ann Arbor, Michigan that during his tenure was for gifted and academically talented students in Preschool through 8th Grade) and nine years at Barnesville School of Arts & Sciences in Barnesville, Maryland, John Huber began his tenure as Head of School at Sycamore School on July 1, 2023 following the retirement of Diane Borgmann. A graduate of Cornell University with a Master's degree from Villanova University, Huber was a Latin teacher at Wyndcroft School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania until 2006, before becoming Academic Dean and then Assistant Head of School at Wyndcroft.

Associate Head of School, Director of Early Childhood and Lower School

Jennifer Williams is the Associate Head of School and Director of Early Childhood and Lower School at Sycamore. She earned her B.A. and Kindergarten Endorsement from Ball State University and her Gifted and Talented Endorsement from Indiana University. Jennifer taught kindergarten in Plainfield Community Schools before coming to teach kindergarten at Sycamore in 1993. In addition to teaching at Sycamore, Jennifer has been an active participant in curriculum development as well as the early childhood admissions and screening processes for many years. She previously chaired Sycamore's Equity and Justice Committee and now serves as a key member of the school's BRIDGE Committee that replaced it and that focuses on matters pertaining to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Jennifer is a member the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the Indiana Association for the Gifted (IAG), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC). She is married and has two children who are Sycamore graduates.

Director of Middle School

Katie Baker began as Director of Middle School in the 2021-22 school year. Baker, who has been at Sycamore School for more than 20 years as a teacher, had a desire to move into a leadership role. "There are many aspects of the Director of Middle School position that are invigorating to me," she says. "I’ve enjoyed big-picture and creative thinking that leads to idea generation and problem-solving, diving into curriculum across grade levels and subjects, working with gifted Middle School students in this capacity, and guiding the exceptional Middle School faculty.” Katie is married and has two children—one current student and one Sycamore graduate.

Director of the Center of Excellence in Gifted Education

Dr. Kristie Speirs Neumeister was named the school's inaugural Director of the Center of Excellence in Gifted Education, which she began in July of 2026. She oversees the school's Learning Resource Team and promotes giftedness both to our Sycamore community and in the larger community. She will ensure that Sycamore aligns programming and activities to the needs of gifted learners. Kristie is a nationally recognized educational leader with over 20 years of experience in gifted education, bringing deep expertise in the social and emotional needs of gifted children, twice-exceptional (2e) learners, and gifted program evaluation. She has both conducted and translated research into practice to strengthen gifted programming. Kristie was a professor at Ball State University from 2002 to 2026, where she served as Program Director for Indiana’s largest Gifted and Talented Licensure Program. She is the author of over 40 research publications, and has presented over 100 sessions at state, national, and international conferences on gifted education. Kristie serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Gifted Children (NAGC) and is the current Board President of the Indiana Association for the Gifted (IAG). She holds a B.A. in Psychology and English from Coe College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia, with a major in Gifted and Creative Education and certification in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Studies. Kristie is the parent of four Sycamore alumnae (Anya ‘16, Hailey ‘23, Ginny ‘23, and Avery ‘24), and she is a former trustee at Sycamore.

Director of Enrollment Management

As Director of Enrollment Management, Duane Emery works with prospective and current Sycamore families. He came to Sycamore after 21 years at Cathedral High School, where he was Vice President for Enrollment Management (15 years), Vice President for Advancement (three years), Director of College Advising (two years), and Director of Counseling (one year). He also has college admissions experience at DePauw University and the University of the South (Sewanee). During his enrollment tenure at Cathedral, Duane oversaw all aspects of recruitment of more than 300 new students annually, retention of students at a school of over 1,100, and a tuition assistance program with an annual budget of nearly $3 million that served over 500 students per year. He also served as a member of the school's senior leadership team. Duane earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Spanish from DePauw University and his Master's degree in Education Psychology, with a specialization in gifted and talented education, from Ball State University. Duane is married and has two adult children.

Chief Financial Officer

Patrick Juday, CPA, is the Chief Financial Officer at Sycamore. Patrick graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University in 1993 with a degree in accounting. Prior to arriving at Sycamore, Patrick served over a ten year period as Controller at The Orchard School and Director of Finance and Operations at Trader’s Point Christian Academy. Continuing education toward maintaining his CPA designation has been focused on non-profit finances. He is a member of the Indiana CPA Society and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Patrick is married and has one child.

Director of Advancement

Jim Wood became the Director of Advancement at Sycamore in April of 2023. Jim brings to Sycamore a deep and broad knowledge of fundraising in the not-for-profit sector, including in independent schools. Immediately prior to joining Sycamore, Jim was the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer at the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. He has also served as President and CEO of the Wishard Foundation, the Director of Institutional Advancement at the Indianapolis Zoo, and the Director of Institutional Advancement at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. Jim earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Radio, Television, and Film at Northwestern University. He earned his Master of Arts degree in Philanthropic Studies at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Jim has been active in the Indianapolis community and served as a board chair for several community not-for-profit organizations. Jim is married and has two adult children.

Director of Extended Programs

Melissa Branigan is the Director of Extended Programs at Sycamore, which encompasses anything that occurs outside the school day. Examples of extended programs include: middle school athletics, after-school activities, Quest (Sycamore’s before and after school care), Quest summer camps, and middle school clubs and competition teams such as Vex Robotics and Odyssey of the Mind. Melissa also coordinates the school's annual Girls' STEAM Conference for Middle School girls from around the state. Prior to taking this role, Melissa was a classroom teacher at Sycamore, teaching 4th grade for five years and 1st grade for ten years. She is married with two children—one who is a current Sycamore student, and one who is a Sycamore alumnus.

Leadership

JOHN HUBER

JENNIFER WILLIAMS

KATIE BAKER

DR. KRISTIE SPEIRS NEUMEISTER

DUANE EMERY

PATRICK JUDAY

JIM WOOD

PATRICK CAULEY

MELISSA BRANIGAN

MARIA FULTON