NT promotes 2 administrators, hires another for 2025-26 school year

Adding to the growing list of administrative promotions and hires, New Trier approves three more contracts for next year

Isabella Castro, Lorelei Hansen, and William Karr
March 20, 2025

News

New Trier and X

Incoming Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chimille Tillery (left), incoming Associate Principal for Northfield Campus Dan Paustian (middle), and incoming Chief Human Relations Officer Dr. Nashwa Mekky

The New Trier High School Board of Education approved three administrative contracts for the 2025-2026 school year in February, adding to next year’s administrative shake-up that includes Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Peter Tragos becoming superintendent in July.

Two current administrators, Dr. Chimille Tillery and Dan Paustian, were promoted to assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and associate principal for the Northfield Campus, respectively. The board also named Dr. Nashwa Mekky as chief human resources officer.

Interviews for Tillery and Paustian’s current positions will begin in March, and their replacements will be announced in early spring, Associate Superintendent Dr. Christopher Johnson said via email.

For information on who these new leaders are and what they bring to the table, read below.

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

(New Trier)

Dr. Chimille Tillery

She has been director of curriculum and instruction at New Trier since 2018. Prior to that, she was an assistant principal at Wilmette Junior High School and taught at Homewood-Flossmoor High School (H-F) and in Chicago Public Schools (CPS).
Education

Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC); master’s degree in educational administration from Governors State University and in secondary education from DePaul University; doctoral degree in educational leadership from National Louis University.
Responsibilities

Many of Tillery’s new responsibilities fall in the domain of her current job, but her new job approaches them in a broader context.

“The assistant superintendent job description is definitely more high level, whereas when I’m doing things [in my current job] it might be even more specific,” Tillery said. “The assistant superintendent is still going to oversee all of testing, whereas in the director role, I’m working very closely with the testing manager.”

As assistant superintendent, Tillery will coordinate faculty development, lead committee work, oversee new course proposals, and, overall, develop and implement New Trier’s curriculum.
Goals

As students have become accustomed to New Trier’s informal motto, “Be Brave, Be Kind, Be Proud,” Tillery wants the same to be true for the Characteristics of a New Trier Graduate, which was implemented in the 2021-2022 school year, but is still largely unknown by the average Trevian.

“I would like for kids to know exactly what they are, and to know when you're in your classes, how what you're doing, how it directly correlates and aligns to certain characteristics of [a] New Trier graduate,” Tillery said.

On a more personal level, Tillery is a parent to two college graduates, leading her to believe she can balance work and life well. So, as she transitions into her new role, Tillery says that she is excited—and ready to be all in.

“I want to learn, and I want to do things right,” Tillery said. “I want to make sure that all of our students are getting everything that [they] need.”
Transition period plans

Tillery plans to ask questions and collaborate with her soon-to-be predecessor, Tragos.
Path to job in Education

Before heading into education, Tillery wanted to pursue a career in medicine as a pediatric endocrinologist. While studying for a biology degree at UIC, she often tutored her peers. She eventually fell in love with education after realizing the joy tutoring brought her.

When she taught science at CPS and H-F, she focused on biology and microbiology.

“It was just a direct passion, and I liked teaching [the life sciences] to kids because it was something they could relate to,” Tillery said.
From educator to administrator

After Tillery became H-F’s science department chair, she gained leadership experience, and administrators started to recognize her ambition and management skills. They encouraged her to pursue an administrative position; so, when an assistant principal position opened at WJHS, Tillery jumped at the opportunity.

“There have been people who were before me, and they saw something in me and encouraged me to trust the leadership that they felt they had seen and think that I was doing,” Tillery said.

From there, Tillery began realizing that she preferred working in a high school environment over a middle school one.

“High school is my niche,” Tillery said. “That’s where I belong.”
Connection to New Trier

As someone who worked at WJHS, a New Trier sender school, Tillery worked closely with New Trier even before she was director of curriculum and instruction.

“I’ve created lifelong friendships [at WJHS and at New Trier] as well, and so I really do love this community,” Tillery said. “I’m always speaking very highly of the community. So, I do credit District 39 for making me fall in love with the North Shore and the township.”

Associate Principal for Northfield Campus

(New Trier)

Dan Paustian

He has been assistant principal for the class of 2027 since 2023. Prior to that, he was the Social Work Department coordinator and adviser at Northfield.
Education

Bachelor’s degree and graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and master’s degree from Northeastern University.
Responsibilities

Paustian’s future responsibilities include working with different departments, overseeing support systems, scheduling, and registration, and supporting freshmen’s transition from middle to high school.
Goals

With the new, incoming administrative members, Paustian sees an opportunity for the administration to continue working towards their strategic plan goals. By doing so, the administration can provide every student with a positive educational experience.

To achieve this, Paustian hopes to continue implementing the Characteristics of a New Trier Graduate and be responsive to new information, so he can provide students with more opportunities to better themselves. With these opportunities, students can grow, reflect upon themselves, and remain curious.
Transition period plans

Paustian’s main priority is focusing on his current job as assistant principal and helping foster a smooth transition for his replacement.

“One of the other pieces that’s helpful and nice about the transition for me is that I’m still at New Trier, I’m just a phone call away,” Paustian said. “So that person [his successor], I would hope and would want [them] to reach out if and when they have questions, I can certainly share my perspective about either a practice or a strategy.”

In addition, Paustian is conversing with his future Northfield colleagues about what their partnership will look like starting July 1.
Path to job in education

In middle and high school, Paustian’s teachers helped him foster a sense of curiosity and inspired him as a learner.

“As I reflect back on the totality of my experiences, a lot of [pursuing a career in education] had to do with teachers and educators, not only in the classroom, but advisors,” Paustian said. “Things like that had a really significant impact on how I viewed the world.”

While attending UW-Madison, Paustian reflected on himself and his experiences, and through coursework, he chose to pursue a career as a school social worker.

“Part of what I believe strongly in is the power of relationships and connection and belonging and really thinking about how are we creating spaces where people can show up authentically as themselves and contribute,” Paustian said
From social worker to administrator

Paustian said the transition from being a social worker to an administrator made his career more rewarding Additionally, he has utilized the relationship skills he developed as a social worker in his relationships with his administrative colleagues.

“It felt like a good match where some of those skills that I have in terms of learning, understanding, being present in the moment with somebody, whether that’s celebrating a success or working through a significant challenge has really helped me in this position, too,” Paustian said.
Connection to New Trier

Paustian grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, attended Wilmette Junior High School, and later graduated from New Trier in 2002. Through his time at New Trier, he developed his idea of an ideal educational experience.

“I didn’t have everything figured out in the moment, but I’m grateful for the academic support that I was able to receive and develop as a student,” Paustian said. “Some of the extracurricular opportunities like debate and chorus and cooking classes that turned into some lifelong passions, and I think that’s what an education should do is to help impart instruction and lessons but also curiosity to explore the world, each other, and learn. New Trier really grounded me in that way.”

Chief Human Relations Officer

(X)

Dr. Nashwa Mekky

She has been chief people, equity, culture, and ethics officer at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) since 2022. Prior to that, she was a school principal and associate principal and taught in CPS and Arlington Heights.
Education

Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Northeastern Illinois University; master’s degree in reading and literacy from Walden University and instructional leadership from Roosevelt University; doctoral degree in educational leadership from Western Illinois University.
Responsibilities

Create fair and equitable compensation and benefit packages, promote work-life balance, and cast a wide net to ensure the best applicants are applying to New Trier.
Goals

“I’m not looking to change everything over, but begin to learn and understand and ask questions and listen and see what are some opportunities that we can make a good thing even better,” Mekky said.

She also mentioned she wants to include students in the hiring process at New Trier, as they have a valuable perspective on educators. She brought that process to IMSA by having candidates teach a lesson, and students would say if they connected with the candidate, understood the lesson, and felt seen and heard.
Transition period plans

Mekky plans to get to know the current human resources director, Dr. Renee Zoladz, learn about the department’s history, and acquire institutional knowledge. She also wants to meet administrators, faculty and staff, parents, community members, and students.
Path to job in education

Mekky started in the investment pension industry but found it did not provide her a sense of purpose or personal satisfaction. She was then encouraged to pursue education on the advice of her mom’s friend, a teacher. “I did go into it, and I was hoping to like it,” Mekky said. “It was the best decision I have made in my life.”

“Getting to know them [students] as human beings, getting to know their ambitions, their goals, their passions, and working with students to help them feel a sense of accomplishment and success, it gave me incredible purpose,” Mekky said. “I loved being a teacher.”
From educator to administrator

Mekky said she was always innovative in the classroom as a way to excite students about learning.

“I was always the teacher who the principal would bring the visitors to observe a writing lesson or reading lesson because I was always trying different things in my classroom,” Mekky said, mentioning how she used technology, employed small groups, and included differentiated instruction.

Subsequently, she joined an aspiring administrators’ academy in Arlington Heights, which she enjoyed, but later thought she could have a greater impact on students as an administrator.

At the time, she had already delved into committee work focused on curriculum development and strategic planning.
Connection to New Trier

Mekky was born in Cairo, Egypt, and immigrated to Chicago at age 10. There, she went to Lane Tech High School. When she married, she moved to Northbrook, raising her four children, who all went to Glenbrook North High School. She said she has many friends and family members who are a part of the New Trier community.

Now, at IMSA, she seeks inspiration from excellent schools in the Chicagoland area, including New Trier.

“New Trier has really been on my radar as a wonderful community that is so student-focused and student-centered, and having high level of standards of excellence and making sure that they are really reaching each and every student in an intentional way,” Mekky said. “I respect that greatly.”

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