Faculty and Staff Directory

The La Jolla Country Day School faculty, administration and staff are strong, diverse and talented individuals who have been drawn together for a common purpose. Ours is a vibrant community with an exciting charge—to create a stronger, better place where our children and those of future generations can grow to become excellent individuals, citizens and adventurers of the world.

Below is a list of the administration, staff and faculty. To locate a member, click on the drop-down menus below to search by division, department or last name. Faculty and staff bios are also available below.

Faculty/Staff Directory

  • Photo of Liesl Hansen
    Liesl Hansen
    Educator, MS Band
    (858) 453-3440 x306
    Bio
     
    “Music is an essential part of our humanity. I inspire greatness every day by exposing middle school students to the hard work, dedication and teamwork it takes to make that music happen. These remarkable students will go on to become even more remarkable adults, and my hope is that wherever life takes them, they are able to look for and appreciate the culture and beauty around them.”
    Liesl Hansen is the Middle School band director at La Jolla Country Day School and takes students from producing their very first notes in fifth grade to being ready to join the Upper School program when they are finished in eighth. Ms. Hansen has been the director since 2007 and has watched the program grow to be an integral part of the culture, not only of the Middle School but of the community as a whole.
    Ms. Hansen began her training when she was in fifth grade, when she chose to play the French horn, and music has been a part of her life ever since. She received her bachelor’s in music education from Michigan State University, where she was a member of the Spartan Marching Band for five years. She also spent a semester studying horn performance abroad in Vienna, Austria, and had the honor of studying with Wolfgang Tömbeck, principal horn soloist for the Vienna Philharmonic.
    Ms. Hansen performs with various community ensembles, is an avid member of Hornswoggle, an all-French-horn ensemble, and is also a member of the orchestra for San Diego Musical Theater.

    Ms. Hansen enjoys spending her free time with her husband and two young sons, Legos and parks being some of their favorite activities to share.
  • Photo of Stephanie Heinrich
    Stephanie Heinrich
    Educator, MS Science Grade 5; Team Leader Grade 5
    (858) 453-3440 x239
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by creating a safe environment where students can challenge themselves, both in academics and athletics. In a world where solutions often create additional obstacles, I empower students to collaborate and develop ideas that will provide scientific solutions for real-world problems on a global scale.”
    In her first year, Stephanie Heinrich brought new opportunities to our Middle School community by starting a marine biology elective. She hopes to engage students through local marine life and by connecting them with marine scientists. As a science teacher, Ms. Heinrich believes that by educating our students about Earth, we can initiate the change that is needed to conserve global habitats.

    Ms. Heinrich’s career began at the University of California, San Diego, where she double majored in psychology and ecology, behavior and evolution while playing on the intercollegiate water polo team. She competed professionally in Australia before returning to San Diego in 2011 to begin her coaching career with La Jolla Country Day School. Ms. Heinrich coached the varsity women’s water polo team for three years at LJCDS while working at SeaWorld San Diego as a scuba diver before transitioning to a research associate position with SKS Ocular, a biotech start-up, until February 2014.
    Before returning to LJCDS in August 2015, Ms. Heinrich taught English in South Korea for one year, and that is where she developed her enthusiasm for teaching. Ms. Heinrich is currently working on her Master of Science in science education through Montana State University and spends her summers completing field courses in Montana.
    Ms. Heinrich is an avid traveler and a scuba diving instructor. She loves being outdoors, especially in or near the ocean, paddle boarding and snowboarding.

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-heinrich-7b43144b
  • Photo of Nate Heppner
    Nate Heppner
    Educator, MS English Grade 8; Coach - Swim and Dive
    (858) 453-3440 x227
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness for a better world by enveloping our students in literature and writing, which allows them to confront their own humanity, the humanity of others or, more likely, both at once. The ultimate purpose of eighth-grade English is to offer a variety of paths that converge on the road of life, by which students might exit the school year as more complete versions of themselves.”

    Nate Heppner grew up in Palmer, Alaska. He is a 1998 graduate of Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash. He taught for two years in Portland, Ore., and one year at Crawford High School before coming to La Jolla Country Day School. He could hardly believe his luck to arrive at a school where the curriculum includes “Ender’s Game,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Romeo and Juliet,” plus trips to Catalina Island and Sequoia National Park.

    Mr. Heppner has been teaching Middle School English and coaching the Upper School swim team at LJCDS since the 2002–2003 school year. In addition, he teaches public speaking as a first-trimester elective for seventh- and eighth-graders.
  • Photo of David Hill
    David Hill Ph.D.
    Educator, MS Math
    (858) 453-3440 x235
    Bio
     
    “I inspire greatness by focusing daily on developing character, helping connect to real-life applications and math-forward situations, and cultivating confidence and enthusiasm for math learning.”
    Dave Hill’s desire to challenge students with mathematical thinking and to apply their learning to everyday life stems from using math extensively in his career before teaching in schools. He conducted academic research in infectious diseases (primarily pediatric HIV). He served in local government public health roles (communicable disease epidemiology and health policy) before he discovered the wonderful world of middle school math and science.  
    Dr. Hill studied as an undergrad at Stanford and earned a master’s degree from Emory and a doctorate from Stanford Medical School. Before joining LJCDS in 2024, he taught at Crossroads Arts & Sciences in Los Angeles, Menlo School in the San Francisco Bay area, and Graland Country Day School in Denver. 
    As a parent to Mason, Walker, and Avery, Dr. Hill values LJCDS’ focus on the inherent worth of every human and a welcoming and diverse community. He’s thrilled to be back by the ocean following a 6-year stint near his native Boulder, Colorado mountains.
 

Faculty and Staff Spotlights

La Jolla Country Day School

9490 Genesee Avenue
La Jolla, CA 92037
858-453-3440

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