Lisa Yvette Waller '87

Professional Background

• I am currently head of school at the Berkeley Carroll School, a PreK-12 independent school in Brooklyn, N.Y.
• I was formerly assistant head of school and director of the high school (among other roles) during 24 years at the Dalton School in New York City.
• My current board service includes Oberlin College and Conservatory, the New York State Association of Independent Schools, the Guild of Independent Schools of New York, the Spence School, and the Go Project. Past service includes the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts SLT and the Duke University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Q&A

What elements of your personal and professional life would be helpful to you in your service as a trustee?

I believe that my 30-plus years of service as an educator, including decades of work in the independent secondary school sector, offer valuable insight into the experiences and expectations of students and families who look to Oberlin and its peers as they consider higher education. As a long-tenured administrator and now head of school, I am very familiar with best practices in shared governance and have devoted my career to facilitating collaboration among all constituencies—students, faculty, staff, administration, and parents—in demanding and innovative educational institutions. I am a good listener, communicator, and collaborator. Additionally, I am happily enmeshed in a supportive, multifaceted, and often hilarious web of Oberlin friends and family. Service on the board of trustees represents a significant commitment of time and effort.

What draws you to this service?

Oberlin is a remarkable institution that has positively changed the course of history and of my life. As an alum and educator, I have been honored to contribute to the fullest of my ability in support of the students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the Oberlin community. This work is an extension of my professional calling and is personally very meaningful to me as well.

What else do you want your fellow alumni to know about you?

I have been a proud member of the Oberlin College community since I arrived on campus in 1983. For more than a decade, I have sought to support this vibrant and inspiring institution through my service on both the President’s Advisory Council and the Board of Trustees. In this work, I have attempted to keep my eyes trained on Oberlin’s legacy and also focused on its future. It would be an honor to serve another term as an alumni-elected trustee.