Pomfret is delighted to announce that Dr. Kamaya Prince Thompson has joined Pomfret as our Interim Dean of Community and Belonging.

The open position attracted a tremendous pool of highly qualified candidates for this important role. Throughout the process, Dr. Prince Thompson distinguished herself with the breadth of her experience, the depth of her understanding of independent schools, and, most importantly, her belief that strong communities are built through relationships, trust, shared purpose, and a genuine sense of belonging.

Dr. Prince Thompson brings more than twenty years of experience in teaching, academic leadership, organizational culture, and community building. Most recently, she taught in the Upper School History Department at Columbus Academy. Before that, she was Assistant Head of School at Columbus School for Girls, where she helped lead a school community of more than 500 students and 150 faculty and staff members, overseeing academic, operational, and student-support teams and partnering closely with the head of school and board of trustees.

Earlier in her career, she served as Head of Upper School at Brooklyn Friends School, where she led the school through a period of institutional transition while promoting a culture of inclusion and belonging. She also served as Dean of DEIJ for Faculty Growth and Curriculum at Hawken School and as a teacher, dean, and SEED coordinator at Georgetown Day School.

In addition to her work in schools, she is the founder and executive director of Culture Classroom, a nonprofit organization focused on cultural competence, global citizenship, leadership development, and organizational culture.

She recently earned her Ph.D. in English from St. John’s University, where her doctoral research explored human flourishing and identity development in independent schools. She also holds a master’s degree in international and cross-cultural communication from American University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Skidmore College.

Dr. Prince Thompson’s title is Dean of Community and Belonging, rather than Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This change reflects an evolution in how Pomfret thinks about this important work on the Hilltop. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion remains strong, AND we believe the idea of community and belonging more fully expresses the outcome we are seeking: a school where every student and adult feels known, valued, connected, and able to contribute fully to the life of the community. It also reinforces the idea that creating such a culture is not the responsibility of one office or one person. It belongs to all of us.

Dr. Prince Thompson will be ably assisted in this work by Nicole “Nico” Jo, who will serve as Assistant Dean of DEI and Community Belonging, and Sarah Gawronski, Associate Director of College Counseling. Together, along with the rest of their colleagues, they will help ensure that this work remains deeply connected to the everyday student and employee experience at Pomfret.

She will also become a full member of our residential community, living on campus with her husband and their three daughters.

“I am thrilled to join a community that is thinking so intentionally about what it means for people not simply to be included, but to truly belong,” she said. “From my first conversations with members of the Pomfret community, I was struck by the warmth, curiosity, and sense of possibility here. My family and I are excited to make the Hilltop our home and to become part of the life of the School.”

"I could not be more excited to welcome Dr. Prince Thompson and her family to Pomfret. Her experience as a teacher, administrator, community builder, and parent gives her an unusually broad perspective," shared Head of School Heather Willis Daly. "I am confident she will be an important partner as we continue working to make Pomfret an even stronger, more connected community."

Read More Stories