The Board of Trustees of Northern Kentucky Montessori Academy (NKMA) announces the appointment of Lisa Dieso as the school’s new Head of School/Executive Director effective August 2021.
Dieso is NKMA’s current Director of Academics and the director of the Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education (GCCME).
Lisa Dieso
“Lisa Dieso is highly regarded within the Montessori Community and is uniquely qualified to assume the leadership position,” said NKMA Board of Trustees Chair, Attorney Rob Lewis.
The current NKMA Head of School, Julia Preziosi, will retire in late summer after a 30-plus year career in Montessori education. Preziosi took over NKMA in 2004 and made a significant impact upon the school by increasing enrollment by 90% and securing accreditation by the American Montessori Society. NKMA is the only school in Northern Kentucky to hold Montessori accreditation status.
“We will deeply miss our daily interaction with our leader, Julia Preziosi, but I am confident that because of the solid foundation she has built, NKMA will continue to thrive and grow,” said Lisa Dieso. “I am honored and proud to continue the legacy of excellence in Montessori education and look forward to providing an educational environment where every child will succeed.”
NKMA currently serves children ages two through twelve and has an enrollment of over 100. This year’s COVID-19 situation has forced the school to provide a hybrid education including virtual and classroom experiences; and to drop enrollment slightly to meet emergency standards that has permitted to school to remain open as an emergency childcare center.
The Board of Trustees is in the early stages of planning for the future which will include a new school facility.
Lisa Dieso resides in Union with her husband and two children. She holds a M.Ed in Montessori Education from Xavier University.
