Novato, Tamalpais high schools get new principals

Novato High School and Tamalpais High School have new principals for the 2023-24 school year.

Liz Seabury will take over the 1,475-student Novato campus on July 1. She is an administrator at the Tamalpais Union High School District.

The Novato Unified School District trustees unanimously appointed Seabury, who has 28 years of education experience, at their meeting on Tuesday. Seabury’s career has included nine years as principal at Archie Williams High School in San Anselmo, and she holds a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California.

Seabury will succeed Mark Brewer, who left the post earlier this year. Her starting salary will be $172,284.

The Novato district also announced the appointments of four other administrators.

Whitney McEachern, who has worked for the district since 2009, was named principal at San Jose Middle School. Her salary will be $150,264.

Joshua Braff, an associate superintendent at Sonoma Valley Unified School District, was named the Novato district’s chief financial officer. His salary will be $192,456.

Julie Synyard, a veteran education administrator, was named executive director of secondary education. Her salary will be $223,974.

Lauren Menchavez, whose career includes teaching and administrative posts, was named principal at Lynwood Elementary School, the district’s dual language immersion school. Menchavez’s salary will be $157,363.

At the Tamalpais Union High School District, Kimberly Clissold, a veteran Sonoma County educator, has been selected as principal of Tam High in Mill Valley. She will start at the 1,550-student campus on July 1.

Clissold, most recently the principal of Santa Rosa High School, will succeed J.C. Farr, who resigned earlier this year. Clissold’s salary was not available Wednesday because the trustees’ vote on her appointment is pending, according to district spokesperson Karmela Cleary.

Clissold, a native of Hawaii, was a varsity college volleyball player and was named to the NCAA Regional All-Academic First Team. She holds a doctorate in educational policy studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Clissold has lived and worked in the North Bay since 2012.

“Throughout her tenure in Sonoma County, Dr. Clissold has exhibited exceptional leadership skills and an ability to leverage adversity into opportunities to support, grow and guide her school community,” said Tara Taupier, superintendent of the Tamalpais district.

“She expertly navigated the challenges of the Sonoma Complex firestorms, lockdown situations, and the transition to virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Taupier said.