The MRH Administrative Council manages and supervises the school district. The Council consists of a 17-member administrative team including five Central Office administrators, four principals, one assistant principal, three deans of students, one director of student services, one director of alternative services, one director of technology, and one the Special School District coordinator. Administrative Council meets monthly to discuss district goals, progress, and achievement.




Superintendent
Linda Henke, PhD

Linda Henke joined MRH in July 2000. She has served as teacher, curriculum coordinator, director, and principal. Linda was assistant superintendent in the Clayton School District for ten years before coming to MRH as superintendent. She has a PhD from University of Iowa, was recognized by University of Iowa for outstanding research, and received one of six excellence in scholarship awards from the American Association of School Administrators in 1990. Linda has published several articles, chapters, and one book. Her work was most recently highlighted by Panasonic Foundation and by Peter Senge in his book Schools that Learn. Linda has one son named Andrew who recently graduated from John Carroll University.


Assistant Superintendent
Karen Hall

Karen Hall began serving as MRH's assistant superintendent in July 2008. She came from the Pattonville School District, where she served as the principal of Willow Brook Elementary. Previous to that, she worked as an elementary school assistant principal in both the Pattonville and Ritenour School Districts and as a teacher in the Kirkwood School District. Hall is currently pursuing her doctorate of educational leadership. She has a master’s degree in educational administration from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in education from Fontbonne College. She and her husband have one son.

Chief Financial Officer
Kay Lesley, CPA

Kay Lesley joined MRH in 2003. She has a bachelor's of science degree in business administration specializing in accounting from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a master's in business administration degree from Lindenwood College. She has a Certified Public Accountant certificate and served at Parkway School District as supervisor of finance prior to joining MRH. She is a member of the Missouri Association of School Business Officials and the Association of School Business Officials International.


Director of Buildings and Grounds
Beth Rowland

Beth Rowland is in her 25th year with the District and her 12th year as Buildings and Grounds Director. She is supervisor of the custodian and maintenance staff, the grounds and gardens crews, and student transportation services. She is also responsible for overseeing all construction and renovation projects within the district. Beth is a member of the Greater St. Louis Area Plant Manager Association and served as their treasurer from three years. Beth has been married for 30 years and has two sons.


Director of Communications
Tom Wickersham

Tom Wickersham joined MRH in 2009. His background is in communications and marketing in non-profits focusing on informal education. Prior to MRH he worked in the marketing department of COCA (Center of Creative Arts) in University City, and before that he helmed the communications department at Explorit Science Center in Davis, CA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in art from Grinnell College. He and his wife live in Richmond Heights.




Principal, Early Childhood Center
Cyndi Hebenstreit, PhD

Cynthia Hebenstreit is principal at MRH Early Childhood Center, as well as serving as administrator for the preK-5 inquiry curriculum. She received her doctorate at Saint Louis University in the department of educational leadership and higher education, her master of arts degree in early childhood education at Maryville University and her bachelor's degree and teaching certifications from Saint Louis University. She resides in west Belleville, Illinois with her family.


Principal, MRH Elementary School
Tony Arnold, EdD

Tony Arnold has over 10 years of education experience including teaching kindergarten and elementary classes. Prior to joining MRH Elementary, Tony served as Administrative Intern/Assistant Principal at Spoede Elementary in the Ladue School District. He also has extensive experience with the Reggio Emilia approach, and is a strong advocate for inquiry based learning. Tony holds an Ed.D. and an M.A. in educational administration from Lindenwood University, and a B.S. in education from McKendree University. Tony grew up in Illinois, but has been a resident of St. Louis since 1999.


Assistant Principal, MRH Elementary School
Katie Rengel

Katie Rengel came to MRH in 2008 from the Pattonville School District, where she served as a third grade teacher. She also previously taught in the Winfield and Hazelwood School Districts. She holds a master’s in education from Truman State University and a master’s in educational leadership from Maryville University.


Principal, MRH Middle School
Robert Dillon, EdD

Prior to becoming the MRH Middle School principal, Bob Dillon spent 10 years as an assistant principal in the Kirkwood and Fort Zumwalt School Districts. As a teacher, he worked with high school students in the areas of communication arts and journalism. He earned his masters and doctorate degrees from Saint Louis University, and has a bachelor of arts in communication from Drury University. Bob and his wife Sandy live in Richmond Heights and have two daughters that attend MRH Early Childhood Center.

Dean of Students, MRH Middle School
Thomas Kulla-Abbott

Thomas Kulla-Abbott joined the MRH staff in 1997. His background includes experiences as a compliance officer, assistant football coach at Wichita State University, an independent business owner, and a corporate trainer. Tom holds a doctorate in education with an emphasis in education leadership from Maryville University. His wife Dr. Therese Kulla-Abbott is an educational technology specialist in the Pattonville School District.

Principal, MRH High School
Kevin Grawer

Kevin Grawer joins MRH from Hancock Elementary, where he has served as the assistant principal since 2005. He also has ten years experience teaching high school Spanish, and coaching basketball and baseball. Kevin holds an M.A. in teaching from Webster University and he has his Missouri Principal’s Certificate for K-12 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Kevin and his wife Allegra have three kids.


Dean of Students, MRH High School
Jayne Jackson

Jayne Jackson began teaching at MRH in 1990. Since then, Jayne taught freshman English and journalism, served as newspaper and yearbook advisor, and coached volleyball. During her time her, she has also served as the athletics director. Jayne has a bachelor's degree from Indiana University and master's degree from Saint Louis University.


Dean of Students, MRH High School
Michael Maclin

Mike Maclin returns to his role as dean of students after serving as interim principal at MRH Middle School. He has previously served as counselor/instructor at the MRH New Vision Center. Prior to coming to MRH, he served as a guidance counselor in the Hazelwood School District and as a teacher assistant in the Parkway School District. He has a master's of science in school guidance and counseling and a bachelor's of science in communication from Missouri Baptist University. He is currently pursuing his degree in educational administration.


Director of Student Services
Vince Estrada

Vince Estrada has been director of student services since 2001, after working as the MRH social worker for six years. Vince holds a bachelor's from Marquette University and a master's in education from Harvard University. He and his wife, Christy, have three children.


Director of Alternative Services & Educational Equity
David Harris

David Harris joined MRH in 2002. Previously he worked as the coordinator of the transfer program and special projects for the Parkway School District. As the director of educational equity, he facilitates social justice training for district personnel. During his time at MRH, he served as head football coach for the MRH Blue Devils for six years. David holds a bachelor's and master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He and his wife, Hilary, have a son and daughter.


Special School District - Special Education Administrator
Catina Lyles

Catina Lyles joined MRH in July 2008. She previously served as an SSD administrator in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. In addition to supervising the staff of SSD teachers, social workers, and therapists, she focuses on helping students with special needs achieve success in the classroom and beyond. She has an Ed.S. in educational leadership from Saint Louis University and is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership at Saint Louis University.