R.J. Hawley became Executive Director of both Brookewood School and The Avalon School in 2015. As a former Assistant Headmaster at both schools, he brings a deep knowledge of the schools and a broad range of administrative skills to the extensive business and planning responsibilities for both institutions. He also teaches one class each year.   R.J. came to Avalon in 2003, following two years at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) and prior to that he was a teacher and administrator at The Heights School in Potomac, MD for seven years. In addition to his duties as Executive Director, he teaches one to two courses each year. 
    During his 32 years in independent school education, he has taught journalism, ethics and a wide range of science and mathematics courses, and garnered extensive experience as a college counselor. 
    R.J. is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he studied biology and philosophy and began his intensive exploration of Aristotle’s Ethics, Poetics, Politics and Rhetoric. He completed his Master of Science in Educational Administration at Trinity Washington University in 2013. 
    He and his wife, Kristen have five children: Maggie (Brookewood ’19), Will (Avalon ’20), Alec (Avalon ’23), Clare (Brookewood ’24), and George (Avalon ’36).