Nicole McDermott (she/her) is an independent school leader, educator, facilitator, and certified leadership coach with 20+ years of experience. She values choosing courage over comfort, leading with transparency and vulnerability, building connection, attending to the details, and showing up with curiosity. For eighteen years, she led an award-winning Northern Virginia independent school (Pinecrest School, PK-6, 2005 – 2023) and brings this experience and her values and skills to Educational Directions to meet schools where they are, assisting and empowering them to reach their next level.

Nicole holds a B.S. in elementary education (with a minor in English/journalism) from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and a M.Ed. in education leadership from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Nicole was trained by Dr. Brené Brown as a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator and has held this credential with pride since 2019, facilitating curriculum based on Brené Brown’s work, research, and best-selling book. Nicole completed an accredited coach training program at George Mason University and is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Professional at the ACC level. Additionally, Nicole is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, trained to help individuals and teams grow from and set goals around their CliftonStrengths assessments; a Certified Practitioner of the EQ-i 2.0 + EQ 360 emotional intelligence assessment tools; and a Certified Grief Educator trained by David Kessler. These designations support Nicole’s ability to identify well-qualified, mission-aligned, and emotionally intelligent school leaders. Additionally, through her own practice, Quality Matters, she co-creates transformative spaces to encourage professional and personal growth through executive coaching, leadership consulting, facilitating, and more with her clients.

Nicole’s approach is grounded in mutual trust, integrity, the importance of continuous growth and improvement, and the idea that we can hold two – or more! – truths at once.

A longtime and life member of Kiwanis International (beginning first with Key Club in high school), Nicole is a volunteer in her community and has worked with and managed volunteer teams delivering leadership content to teenagers. She is directly responsible for the logistics of an annual educational conference serving hundreds of high school students and their faculty advisors, and she has been a mentor and advisor to high school students serving in district leadership roles since 2003.

Nicole meditates every day, considers herself an emergent runner, donates blood regularly (O+), and listens to podcasts and audiobooks at 2x speed. In addition to volunteering, she spends her free time reading, walking, traveling, being near the water whenever possible, seeing musicals, staying connected with people she loves, and supporting causes that are important to her.

While Nicole grew up in Massachusetts, she has lived outside of Washington D.C., in Northern Virginia, for more than 20 years. With gratitude and awareness, Nicole acknowledges that she currently lives on the land of the Piscataway people; Nicole is committed to showing up as a learner and listener in the equity and inclusion space.