EF Academy Pasadena: Meet our school leadership team

Read along to see who has joined our dynamic team at EF Academy in sunny California to help shape our curriculum and dedicate themselves to empowering the next generation of global changemakers. First up in this introductory series is our school leadership team!

Kim Stein – Deputy Head of School for Academics

Kim Stein is an entrepreneur and educator who started in the world of education by opening her own language learning school in Madrid, Spain. She has spent over 22 years working in academic settings, including 10 years running her own school in Spain and another 10 years in International Baccalaureate schools in the U.S. and Spain. She spent 7 years in various leadership roles at the EF Academy campus in New York as the school grew from 200 to 750 students. She worked as the Vice Principal at SEK International School in Madrid, Spain where she launched a successful nutrition research project with students to respond to one of the U.N. sustainable development goals. She is passionate about international education, science education and research, global leadership, and experiential learning. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville College and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Saint Joseph University in West Hartford, Connecticut. She is also a NEASC accreditation site visitor.

Annie Hall – Deputy Head of School for Student Services and Residential Life

Annie Hall has seventeen years of experience in the education sector across teaching, pastoral, admissions and leadership, in both state and private schools. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education in English. Originally from the U.K., Ms. Hall has taught English Language and Literature up to A-Level, as well as the Extended Project Qualification, and has held curriculum and pastoral leadership roles, including Senior Assistant Head Teacher at a large London school. As a Designated Safeguarding Officer, she has had experience in dealing with a broad range of issues around Child Protection and has extensive knowledge of how best to support young people. Since 2017, Ms. Hall has been working at EF Academy international campuses, where she has worked in leadership roles in student services, academic advising, admissions and residential life. Prior to joining the Senior Leadership Team at the Pasadena Campus, Ms. Hall Annie served in leadership roles at the EF Academy Torbay campus for many years, and was the Director of International Admissions for EF Academy since 2020, working closely with students, their families, and global admissions teams. In her role in Pasadena, she is committed to creating an inclusive, welcoming and caring campus community, that will ensure all students are able to flourish individually and grow as members of our global community.

Dan Denoncourt – Campus Director

Dan Denoncourt has 25 years of experience in the field of international education; ranging from international student advisement, study abroad counseling and language and communications training. For the last 16 years, Mr. Denoncourt held various roles within the EF Education First family of companies. He served as the Director of Operations for Hult International Business School’s Boston campus at an exciting time as Hult was expanding student enrollment, adding more academic programs and opening new campuses across the globe. While at Hult, he had the unique opportunity of assisting in the development of Hult’s Global Rotation Program and running a satellite campus in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Following Hult, Mr. Denoncourt joined EF’s Real Estate Division as a Project Director and got his first experience with EF Academy by running the real estate development of the current EF Academy New York campus. Just prior to joining EF Academy in August 2019, he ran the operations at EF’s North American Headquarters in Boston. In his spare time, you can find Mr. Denoncourt hiking in the San Gabriel mountains, relaxing at the beach, competing in a Spartan race, or teaching early morning fitness classes at a local Pasadena gym. He is always game for trying out one of the area’s many excellent restaurants with his wife Gwenn and daughters Zoë and Uma, so if you need a restaurant recommendation, he’s your guy. Mr. Denoncourt and his family can’t wait to open the doors for the first class of EF Academy students in August 2022.

Jim Sargent – Director of University and Academic Advising

Jim Sargent (he/him) is an educator dedicated to helping students critically engage the university admissions process while finding joy in their journeys through high school. In a career that spanned public policy, college admissions, and student counseling, Mr. Sargent has developed expertise in test-optional admissions, college rankings, and student engagement in the college search. He is an active member of the college admissions profession, including serving as the host committee co-chair for the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s 2021 national conference. Mr. Sargent is a proud first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in political science and communication studies from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, and a master’s degree in public policy with a concentration in education policy from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Away from work, he loves playing, listening to, and reading about music, as well as spending time with his wife Doreen and their two cats.