The ILI Faculty

Guides on Your Leadership Journey

Eric Osorio currently serves as the Head of the Upper School at Friends Seminary in New York City.

Eric Osorio

ILI Director

Eric Osorio currently serves as the Head of Upper School at Friends Seminary in New York City.

An independent school educator for almost 30 years, Eric Osorio began as an intern in the admission office at the Noble and Greenough School just outside of Boston. In his twelve-year tenure, Eric grew beyond the admissions office, taking on the role of expanding the diversity program at the school. Initially a minor role focused on student programming, Eric's work led to broader diversity efforts, including establishing strategic diversity goals, and in 2006, he was appointed the school's first Dean of Diversity Initiatives, a senior-level administrative position. After four years as Assistant Head of Upper School at Packer Collegiate Institute, Eric returned to the New England region in 2012 to oversee student life at Worcester Academy as the Dean of Students for the 6-12 school community. In 2015, Eric joined the Swift School in Atlanta, Georgia as Associate Head of School. After three wonderful years in Atlanta, Eric returned home to his beloved New York City.

Eric has presented his work and research at both regional and national conferences including NAIS Annual Conference and NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC). In 2007, he was honored to serve as one of the co-chairs of NAIS PoCC Local Planning Committee. Eric currently serves as one of two Co-Directors for the NYSAIS Emerging Leaders Institute (ELI). He is also a trustee of the Bronx Charter School for the Arts and is the Chair of the Program Committee.

Eric earned a B.A. from Tufts University, where he was a double major in Sociology and International Relations. He also holds an M.A. in Private School Leadership from Teachers College and was honored to receive a Joseph Klingenstein Fellowship. His research project was focused on diversity efforts in corporate America and the implications and lessons for independent schools. Eric is also a proud alumnus of Prep for Prep, an experience that continues to inform the work he does in independent schools. Eric resides in New York with his wife Roberta, ten-year-old twins Jasmine and Jordan, and his three-year-old son Eric, Jr.

Faculty: Clients

Noni Thomas López

ILI Founder

and Core Faculty

Noni Thomas López is currently the Head of School of the Gordon School in East Providence, RI. As of July 1, 2025 she will be the new Head of School at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, NY.

Before joining Gordon, Noni worked for twenty years as a teacher and administrator in independent schools in New York City. From 2014 to 2018, she was the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning at Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Previous to this appointment, Noni served as the Head of Middle School at the Nightingale-Bamford School and Middle School Director of the Calhoun School.

Noni serves on multiple national and regional boards, including the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE), the Headmistresses Association of the East, Community Preparatory School, Trinity Repertory Theater and Inspiring Minds, a not-for-profit organization that serves Providence elementary school students and families. In 2021, Noni joined Susan Yao, ILI alum Betty Noel and ILI core faculty member Will Gilyard to found the Institute for New Teachers of Color at Gordon School.

Noni has presented at multiple national and regional conferences and consulted at universities as well as public and private schools on curriculum, diversity, equity and inclusion, board governance, and organizational leadership. She also served as a script consultant with Sesame Workshop on issues of adolescent development and racial and social justice for the Emmy-award winning television show Ghost Writer, and with Sinking Ship Productions for the YouTube series Locked Down.

Noni holds a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her M.A. in Private School Leadership at Teachers College where she was awarded a Joseph Klingenstein Fellowship. In 2016, she completed a doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Noni is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and resides in East Providence, RI with her husband Rodney. She has two stepsons Rodney, Jr. (18) and Roman (17), and her son Novian Graves (30) holds a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, NC.

Faculty: Clients

Aléwa Cooper

Core Faculty

An independent school educator for 23 years, Aléwa Cooper was appointed Head of School of the Foote School in New Haven, CT in July 2020.

Previous to her appointment, Aléwa was the Head of Lower School Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT. Aléwa began her career in education at The Town School where she was an associate teacher and taught first and fourth grades. After leaving The Town School, she taught second grade at the Nightingale-Bamford School for twelve years. While at Nightingale, she took on several additional responsibilities which included serving as the Co-Chair of the Faculty and Staff Inclusivity Committee, Co-Director of the upper school club, C.A.F.E (Cultural Awareness for Everyone), Member of the Board of Trustee Community Life Task Force, Coordinator of Parents of Daughters of Color, and Lower School Diversity Coordinator. Aléwa was appointed as the Lower School Assistant Director at Trevor Day School in 2012, supporting first through fifth grades and responsible for oversight of grades three through five.

Aléwa has presented her work and research at national conferences including the NAIS Annual Conference and NAIS People of Color Conference (PoCC). Aléwa currently serves on the Board of Trustees of St. Luke’s School in the West Village and Horizons: Foote School. Aléwa led groups of high school students from across the nation in five-week study abroad programs for The Experiment in International Living to Brazil, Botswana, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Aléwa earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University. She also holds a Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Bank Street College of Education. Aléwa attended the Klingenstein Summer Institute for Early Career Teachers, NYSAIS Emerging Leaders Institute, and earned two certificates in Leading Change and Leading Schools: School Management and Leadership courses from Harvard Business School and Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has attended numerous workshops, conferences and institutes related to leadership, including the NAIS Summer Leadership Institute and the Head’s Network Women’s Leadership Seminar.

Aléwa enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her husband Markell Parker (ILI Class of 2013) as well as viewing dance performances and Broadway shows with friends.

Faculty: Clients

Adrienne Barr, Executive Director

New York Interschool Association/Faculty Diversity Search

Adrienne Barr joined Interschool after spending several years in leadership roles with the Parents’ Association at Trinity School in Manhattan. A former television news producer, Ms. Barr became active in educational and parenting issues while sending her own two children to Trinity. She also worked closely with students and their families while running ArtScenes, a theater and art summer camp she founded in 2008. As President of the Trinity PA, Adrienne was deeply involved with organizing and developing Parent Affinity Groups, and helping to foster more involvement and leadership roles for families of various racial, religious, ethnic and other identity backgrounds. She also helped create more programming and several film and lecture series to support these groups, and has been an active fund raiser and volunteer coordinator for the school’s many events.

Adrienne has a BA in Communications from Rutgers College, and a Creative Writing Certificate from the NYU School of Continuing Education, and is an award winning screenwriter and producer.

Brandie Clarke, Assistant Director

New York Interschool Association/Faculty Diversity Search

Brandie has been the Assistant Director of Interschool for over 30 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is responsible for the administrative operations for Interschool and the Faculty Diversity Search (FDS) and the recruitment and placement of associate teachers and head teachers in FDS member schools.

Prior to coming to the independent school community she worked for the NYC Department of Education’s Office of External Programs for six years where she worked with a team of twelve, developing several projects for the board such as Principal for a Day, Take Your Daughter to Work Day, and The NYC Mentoring Program.