Jane L. Beyer Westerhold, Ed.D.

Dr. Jane L. Beyer Westerhold brings more than 45 years of educational leadership experience as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, superintendent, interim superintendent, and executive search consultant. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for building high-performing organizations focused on student success, operational excellence, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement. As Superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 62 in Des Plaines, Illinois, she successfully guided major initiatives involving early childhood education, facilities development, stakeholder engagement, and organizational improvement. Following her retirement from District 62, she served as Interim Superintendent in North Shore School District 112 and Deerfield Public Schools District 109 and continues to support school districts throughout the country as a Senior Associate with HYA.

Dr. Westerhold’s leadership philosophy is grounded in purposeful listening, collaborative problem-solving, transparency, and continuous improvement. She believes successful organizations are built through strong governance practices, meaningful stakeholder engagement, data-informed decision-making, and the development of leadership capacity at every level. Throughout her career, she has utilized strategic planning, community partnerships, leadership development, effective communication systems, and evidence-based improvement processes to achieve sustainable results for students and school communities. Her work has consistently focused on aligning organizational goals, resources, and people to create cultures of trust, accountability, and excellence.

As a leadership consultant, Dr. Westerhold specializes in superintendent and executive leadership searches, board-superintendent relations, governance, leadership coaching, and stakeholder engagement. Dr. Westerhold is known for her ability to deeply understand the unique culture, expectations, and aspirations of a district, ensuring that leadership candidates are not only highly qualified but also aligned with the community’s values and future goals. She has successfully facilitated leadership searches for districts of varying size and complexity, guiding boards through stakeholder engagement, candidate assessment, leadership profile development, and successful leadership transitions. Her ability to listen deeply, understand community priorities, and identify leaders who fit both the needs and culture of a district has made her a trusted advisor to boards of education across the Midwest and beyond.