FVS Names Megan Harlan as Ninth Head of School

The FVS Board of Trustees is proud to announce that Megan Harlan has been appointed as our Ninth Head of School. After a comprehensive international search facilitated by Carney Sandoe & Associates and overseen by the Head of School Search Committee (led by Greg Osborne ’82), the Committee recommended and the Board unanimously approved Megan. She will begin her tenure at Fountain Valley School on July 1, 2022.

Megan comes to FVS with an extensive background in education. Following her time as a student at The Westminster School in Connecticut, Megan attended Middlebury College in Vermont, where she studied American Literature. She later attended Villanova in Pennsylvania, where she earned her M.S. in College Counseling. Post-grad, Megan’s career in education began at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Pennsylvania, where she traveled to Middle and High Schools in the area to teach workshops on watersheds, wetlands, and water quality. As she progressed through her career, Megan served as a Board Member for the Children’s Learning Center in Concord, New Hampshire, as the co-director for the Blackberry River Retreat for College Counselors, as a Massachusetts State Board Member for the ACT, and as a guidance counselor and the Director of College Counseling at several public and independent boarding and day schools. Most recently, Megan served as the Assistant Head of School at The Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts.

While Megan comes to Fountain Valley School with decades of experience working in education in public schools, day schools, and boarding schools, it was her background outside of education that made her stand out as an especially strong fit for FVS. Fountain Valley School’s mission is to provide a transformative curriculum in a supportive environment where students are challenged to think critically, become leaders, and live by our core values: Courage, Compassion, Curiosity, Self-Reliance, and Open-Mindedness. With her background as a certified wilderness firefighter, a NOLS Scholar in Kenya, a sheep farmer in Australia, a backcountry ranger for the National Forest Service in Montana, the Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Villanova, an avid outdoorswoman, a former Girl Scout Troup Leader, and a mother of three, Megan’s well-roundedness sets her apart as someone who exemplifies our core values.

Megan will be moving to campus with her husband, Geoff, who has also had a long career in education, most recently at Lawrence Academy. She is excited to hit the ground running and is already planning around her transition to FVS.

“Small boarding schools offer unique opportunities. At their best, they have the ability to teach equal parts skill, leadership, and character and can help students find their voice and tell their stories.”

During the interview process, Megan repeatedly discussed the partnership that is necessary between students, faculty, and staff to move a student’s education forward. This collaborative mindset was one of the key ideas that moved the search committee towards its decision in recommending Megan to our board, and we look forward to working with Megan to continue moving FVS forward towards our mission of transformative education.



We also wish to thank our entire community for your help and input during the search process. The Search Committee was in regular correspondence with the Board, faculty and staff, alumni, parents, and students throughout this process, and it was your investment in the advancement of our community that enabled us to conduct a thorough, timely, and ultimately successful search.

Thank you all, in advance, for welcoming Megan to The Fountain Valley School of Colorado. We are thrilled to welcome her and her family into this community.