Marjo Talbott has been a leader in American independent education for more than four decades. She has been blessed with an incredible array of mentors and has always tried to pay this gift forward. She is excited to work in partnership with SSL’s inspiring professionals. She believes deeply in the importance of institutional integrity, clarity of Mission, coherent governance, and building diverse teams with common purposes. To her work at SSL, Marjo brings her deep expertise in enrollment management, strategic planning, leadership transition, and the creation of new programs. She has learned how to navigate such wide-ranging crises as a devastating fire on campus and investigations into past faculty misconduct. Marjo understands the importance of always sustaining the essence of a school’s community while moving forward to address evolving challenges. She loves to find opportunities to coach and mentor other school leaders.

Marjo began her career in admissions at the The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY. She gained national exposure in 1979 upon moving to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) where, after a year, she became the Director of Boarding Schools (an NAIS affiliate) and the Director of Admissions Services. She ran workshops and co-authored publications (such as The Marketing Handbook and The Crisis Management Handbook) that served as resources for an entire generation of educators.

After earning her master’s in education from Harvard University in the mid-1980s, Marjo became Assistant Head at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (Cambridge, MA), where she also taught history, co-directed college counseling, and worked on strategic enrollment and development initiatives. In 1993, Maret School (Washington DC) named Marjo its Head of School; she retired from that position after 29 years in June of 2023.

Under Marjo’s leadership, Maret’s enrollment grew by 30%; the financial aid budget increased from 9% to 25 % of tuition income; capital improvements touched over 90% of Maret’s 7-acre urban campus—increasing the useable interior space by 50%; and the endowment soared from $250,000 to over $40,000,000 (with an additional $10M held as reserves). Enrollment of students of color rose from 13% to 52%, while the number of faculty of color rose to 40%. The school also embarked on three strategic plans tied closely to its Mission. In 2008, the Board approved a financial sustainability process that made it possible for Maret to offer its outstanding education at a tuition cost that is between 10%-20% below its local competitors.

Inspired by the school’s strategic goals, Marjo helped to spearhead a number of nationally renowned programs including:

• Horizons of Greater Washington (a tuition-free academic and enrichment program which serves over 400 public school students each summer);
• The Malone Schools Online Network (MSON), (which extends online courses to academically motivated students and includes more than 25 schools across the country); and
• The Center for Institutional Research at Independent Schools (CIRIS), (which provides resources and support for institutional research practitioners)

Marjo has served on numerous school boards including Norwood School in Bethesda, MD; Green Acres School in Rockville, MD; and Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT. She has been the president of various membership associations: Heads and Principals Association; The 1911 Group; Heads Collegiate Forum; and the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW). For a number of these institutions, she played an influential role in successful Executive Director searches.