Leadership Team

List of 10 members.

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  Jacqui Byrne 

  Founder

  908-274-1005

  Bio

  Jacqui Byrne has a knack for seeing the brilliance others miss. As the visionary behind FlexSchool, she built a place where gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) students could thrive—quirks, challenges, and all. She didn’t set out to start a school; she set out to solve a problem. Too many gifted, complex learners were being overlooked, underestimated, or misunderstood, and that wasn’t something she was willing to accept. With an uncanny ability to see inside a student’s mind—how they think, process the world, and where they need support—Jacqui never asks, “Why can’t they do this?” Instead, she asks, “What haven’t we figured out yet?” And then, she gets to work.
  
  An award-winning educational leader, sought-after speaker, and passionate advocate, Jacqui presents at conferences, school districts, and education associations across the U.S. and internationally. She is the 2025 winner of the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children’s prestigious Developing Minds Award. She serves on the advisory board for the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education and holds a degree from Yale University. Before founding FlexSchool, she co-founded Ivy Ed, a respected college preparation firm. But above all, she is the parent of twice-exceptional kids herself. She knows firsthand what it means to fight for the right learning environment and what it feels like to watch a child struggle in either a gifted program or special education when they need both. That’s why she built FlexSchool—not just as an educator, but as a mom who refused to give up.
• 

  Laurie Berg 

  Head of School, Berkeley Heights

  908-274-1976
• 

  Sabreen Rasheed 

  Asst. Head of School, Berkeley Heights

  Bio

  Sabreen Rasheed, an accomplished educator of gifted and 2e students, holds a Master’s degree in Education Administration and Leadership from Seton Hall University. Sabreen joined FlexSchool as a teacher in 2019. She has taught many science classes, leading to the role of department chair. Her educational background has been instrumental in shaping her approach to leadership in developing strategies to create inclusive learning environments. She has a passion for education and years of experience working specifically with 2e students. As Assistant Head of School, Sabreen continues to advocate for her student's and teachers' needs, and make every student feel like they are in a supportive environment that promotes learning and inclusivity.
• 

  Triona Echevarria 

  Head of School, Bronxville

  914-704-3334

  Bio

  Triona Echevarria is an accomplished international educator and leader who operates with enthusiasm for a mission and commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences for all students and teachers. For the past decade, Triona worked at EF Academy, an independent international boarding school, where she cultivated a true passion for transformative and experiential approaches to teaching and learning. She served as Head of the English Department alongside teaching IB English Language and Literature, Film and Literature, and English Language Acquisition to an incredibly diverse group of high school students. 

  
  

  In her Teaching Philosophy, Triona states: "In our ever-changing world, I have learned that there is no idealized setting for learning anymore; education must become a complex system that adapts to best serve every child. Constant communication, compassion, and flexibility are integral to student engagement and learning. Students don’t care what you know until they know that you care. Building trusting, meaningful relationships, therefore, is at the core of everything I do."
• 

  Kristen O'Leary 

  Asst. Head of School and Learning Specialist, Bronxville

  914-704-3334

  Bio

  Kristen joins the Bronxville campus as the Assistant Head of School in the fall of 2022. Along with over 20 years of experience and training in the field of Special Education, Kristen holds an M.A. from the College of New Rochelle. Having completed extensive coursework in School Building and School District Leadership,  Kristen is passionate about continuing the mission of the FlexSchool and creating safe and effective learning spaces for students. 

   

  For the last seven years, Kristen has served as Principal at the John Cardinal O’Connor School in Irvington, a school for students who learn differently. She also has many years of experience as a teacher and administrator for TheraCare in New Rochelle and teaching at Andrus in Yonkers. 

   

  As a leader in the field, Kristen’s main mission is to continue to make students feel heard, accomplished, and accepted. The well-being of the students is kept at the center of all of her decision-making. Kristen believes that true learning can only occur when instruction is experiential and meaningful. She is excited to join the team at FlexSchool which provides a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for students. 
• 

  Lynne Henwood 

  Head of School, Cloud Campus

  914-704-3337

  Bio

  Lynne Henwood has dedicated her career to advocating for gifted and twice-exceptional learners. She served as President of the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC) from 2018-2022 and remains an active part of the Board as Immediate Past President.  She also serves on the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Advisory Committee (SGTEAC) for the New Jersey Department of Education. Previously, she was a gifted teacher and program coordinator for Washington Township Schools in Morris County, NJ. She has presented at several conferences (NAGC, SENG, NJAGC, ASPEN, Rutgers Gifted Education Conference) and has been a panelist on the MindMatters Roundtable and the G Word Panel Discussion.
  
  Lynne earned a B. A. in Psychology from Dickinson College, a Gifted Education Certificate from Rutgers University, and an M. A. in Educational Psychology from the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education (Concentration: Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent Development). In 2018, Lynne was named New Jersey's Gifted Teacher of the Year and is the 2019 Mensa Foundation's Gifted Education Fellowship Award winner. Most recently, Lynne was awarded the NAGC 2020 Master’s & Specialist Award, and her NJAGC Advocacy Team won the NAGC 2020 David W. Belin Advocacy Award.
  
  As a parent of four uniquely gifted children, Lynne understands that all children need to feel valued, accepted, and respected.
• 

  Melissa Essman 

  Director of Admissions

  Bio

  New Jersey born and raised, Melissa joined the FlexSchool team as the Director of Admissions in 2025. With over a decade in admissions and enrollment, Melissa enjoys working with new and prospective students looking to join the school and find success in the community. She enjoys watching students grow and progress over the years, and is passionate about making educational experiences positive for students and parents/guardians. She has supported families in the enrollment process at the secondary and post-secondary levels. She believes that every student has the potential to thrive in school when in the right place. 

  
  

  Melissa earned her Bachelor's degree in Communications from Quinnipiac University and is a self-described accidental (but passionate) enrollment professional. 

  
  

  Outside of school, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and puppy. She is an avid reader, home cook, and music lover.
• 

  Susan Hemingway 

  Director of Technology

  203-628-4018

  Bio

  Susan comes to FlexSchool from private IT consulting where her 30 year career included systems analysis, programming, project management and running customer service at a software start-up, heading marketing for a health care consultancy and finally going out on her own. The common thread in her career has been bridging the gap between creative types and deadlines. She brings that skill set to FlexSchool as Director of Technology. Susan has a degree in French Language from Oberlin College and is the parent of a 2e daughter.
• 

  Robin Ruff 

  Director of Finance and HR

  908-274-1990

  Bio

  Robin joined FlexSchool in 2018 on the Finance team and is now the Director of Finance and HR. She holds her MBA in Accounting from Pace University and has over 20 years of experience working across a variety of industries including public accounting, marketing and digital design, financial services, non-profit and art brokering. Robin has worked for multimillion-dollar organizations as well as early start-up companies, and she thrives on the challenges that come with each. She loves to dive into new things, implement systems and improve processes.

  
  

  Before Robin began her finance career, she worked for several years in an after-school program and has always had a passion for working and engaging with children. Robin's favorite role outside of FlexSchool is being "Mommy" to her two young children.
• 

  Kristin Taveira 

  Director of Communications & Marketing

  908-274-1973

  Bio

  Kristin joined FlexSchool in 2019 and is now our Director of Marketing and Communiations. Prior to joining FlexSchool, Kristin spent 25 years as a media professional, including management roles in editorial, design and production departments. Kristin chose to make the shift to full-time educator after spending five years coaching middle and high school students in STEM competitions, channeling her journalism experience into teaching research, writing and presentation skills, as well as science concepts, introductory robotics and more. Driven by the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to shine, Kristin worked with her students to start a free STEM enrichment program at a nonprofit after-school program for children in underserved communities – a project that won the Youth Service America Grant in 2017. In addition to working with students of diverse backgrounds, abilities, talents and challenges in her years as a STEM coach, Kristin is also a parent of gifted and 2e kids.