DSG Storbeck 

Global Managing Partner and Education Practice Lead, February 2025 –   
Managing Director, July 2024 – February 2025 

DSG Storbeck, the Education Practice of DSG Global, excels in identifying new leadership for colleges, universities, independent and charter schools and education-related nonprofit organizations. As Practice Lead, I oversee a team of 68 professionals located across the United States, including 25 Managing Directors and Vice-Presidents who are direct reports, and also serve on the firm's Executive Committee. The Education Practice is responsible for approximately $20 million in annual revenue and conducts approximately 200 searches annually for a wide range of educational clients. In addition to managing the practice, I also directly lead search teams for Presidents, Heads of School, Deans and Vice-Presidents, and I consult with boards and educational leaders in areas such as executive coaching, performance evaluation, strategic planning and special initiatives.

The Calhoun School, New York, NY

Head of School, July 2017 – June 2024

A pioneering progressive preK-12 independent school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Calhoun is known for its open classroom architecture (“the school without walls”), innovative pedagogy and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. In 2022, Calhoun celebrated its 125th anniversary, and announced a merger with Metropolitan Montessori School intended to create a unique dual-track lower school, the first of its kind in the county. 

• Led school community through COVID-19 pandemic, including shift to remote learning in March 2020 and reopening for hybrid learning in October 2020. Managed all aspects of pandemic response, including academics, testing/screening framework, physical plant, vaccination and quarantine policy and outreach to employees and families.

• Completed inclusive and generative Strategic Planning process in 2018, leading to adoption of Calhoun 2025 Plan, with emphasis on student-centered rigor, experiential learning, and investment in plant and people.

• Conceived, negotiated and implemented merger with Metropolitan Montessori School (MMS), including consolidation of Lower School in MMS building, sale of former Lower School building, and creation of new dual-track (Montessori/Open Inquiry) program for grades N-3.

• Negotiated strategic partnership with the Corlears School, a N-5 progressive school in lower Manhattan.

• Managed redesign and renovation of high school teaching spaces in Summer 2022, creating modern classroom areas re-dedicated to the open architecture philosophy of the school.

• Led rebranding of the school, including overhaul of marketing materials, new logo and new website.

• Guided advancement and fundraising efforts, including successful conclusion of endowment campaign and approx. $2M in annual giving.

• Overhauled financial, student data and learning management systems, unified school-wide academic administration and introduced professional human resources function.

• Deepened school’s core commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, though creation of anti-racism Action Plan in 2020 and creation of one of the most diverse leadership teams among New York independent schools.

• Built community through regular newsletter for families, evening speaker series, Zoom and in-person coffees and Town Meetings.

• Directed overhaul of curriculum, academic calendar and daily schedule.

Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC

President, July 2012 – June 2017

Founded in 1894 as the Asheville Farm School, Warren Wilson College is the only national liberal arts college that fully integrates on-campus work and community service into its curriculum. In addition to its innovative experiential program, the College and its 850 students are known for their strong commitment to environmental sustainability, diversity and social justice. The college also features a top-ranked low-residency MFA Program for Writers and a summer-long Swannanoa Gathering of music and folk arts workshops. 

• Led research-driven Strategic Planning initiative in 2015-16 yielding renewed focus on increasing academic quality, emphasizing graduate outcomes, enhancing diversity, refreshing the campus and growing undergraduate enrollment.

• Created new advising model with emphasis on individualized academic and professional advising to blend strong curriculum planning with broad range of experiential opportunities. Supported program prioritization effort to consolidate departments and majors.

• Increased total giving 60% in first three years, including the College’s largest single gift from a living donor and a major foundation grant to expand studio crafts program. Completed fundraising and design work for Boon Hall - first new campus building in over a decade.

• Produced first true budget surplus for college in five years, and secured $16.4M in long-term financing from US Department of Agriculture to refinance College’s debt and address deferred maintenance.

• Restructured Accounting, Facilities, Human Resources, IT, Financial Aid, and Public Safety departments to modernize, improve services and increase efficiency while re-conceiving Work College model.

• Overhauled Admission and Financial Aid operations, unifying enrollment management functions including retention under single newly hired VP. Launched multi-year program to address declining enrollment and rising discount rates. Reversed five-year decline in net-tuition revenue per student in 2014.

• Managed rebranding effort, leading to refreshed logo and entirely new website.

• Led successful 10-year SACSCOC reaffirmation process.

• Introduced new consultative budget process to increase transparency, and refreshed shared governance structure to increase campus input in policy review and planning.

• Prioritized recruitment of people of color to faculty and staff positions, and created Diversity Fellows program as core of SACSCOC re-affirmation Quality Enhancement Plan.

• Worked with Board to create first-ever Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investment policy, including divestment from fossil fuels, with significant campus input and dialogue.

• Raised College profile in Asheville through establishment of downtown Global Impact Forum series (locally sponsored) featuring national journalists and diplomats, as well as other downtown programming in a new dedicated space.

Ford Foundation

Representative, New Delhi, 2008 – 2012

Responsible for programmatic and administrative leadership of the Foundation’s oldest and largest international office, building partnerships with government and civil society actors to advance the cause of social justice in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.  Specific responsibilities included the following:

• Developed and managed a $20 million (approx.) annual grants budget across fields including rural livelihoods, economic and social rights, sexual and reproductive health, arts, public media and higher education. Managed relationships with leaders of over 300 institutions driving innovation in civil society, government and academic sectors across all of India and South Asia.

• Directed and implemented a re-focusing of the office strategy and portfolio as part of a Foundation-wide strategic review in 2008-2009

• Managed the New Delhi office, including managing a multinational staff of 40 direct employees and 20 outsourced staff, preparing and implementing a $2.5 million administrative budget, overseeing all legal, human resource, financial and contractual matters;

• Administered the Foundation’s purpose-built campus in central New Delhi, now shared with the United Nations, including a renovation of main building to transform it into a hub for education and advocacy;

• Oversaw field building and grant making in the area of “Transparent, Effective and Accountable Government” in India (from November 2010), working with government and civil society to enable poor and marginalized communities to use the tools of Indian democracy to claim their rights and entitlements.  Also managed legacy grants in the areas of biodiversity, women’s rights, and international cooperation in South Asia;

• Represented the Foundation to grantees, international development partners, emerging Indian donors, local media, and the Indian government in all matters related to Foundation activities;

• Developed global Foundation grant making, impact evaluation and learning plans at the senior management level, in coordination with Foundation leadership and Trustees.

Representative, Moscow, Russia, 2002 - 2008

Responsible for programmatic and administrative leadership of the Foundation’s activities in the Russian Federation. (Note: The Foundation closed its Moscow office in 2009, in response to shifting political conditions.) 

• Developed, directed and managed a $10 million annual grants budget in multiple fields including human rights, higher education, environmental justice and contemporary arts, dance and architecture. The Ford Foundation was until 2009 the largest private international foundation operating in Russia;

• Managed the Moscow office, including supervising a multinational staff of 17 and having final authority in all legal, human resources, financial and contractual matters;

• Directed grant making and donor coordination in the area of HIV-AIDS and public health, where grantees successfully pressured the Russian government to extend anti-retroviral treatment to all citizens in need of it;

• Managed ongoing partnerships with legacy grantees in the area of higher education and scholarship, including two of Russia’s leading private post-graduate universities (co-founded with Ford support) and its leading social policy think tank;

• Established and supported the Russian Donor’s Forum, an association created to coordinate international donor activities and strengthen the nascent philanthropic sector in Russia;

• Represented the Foundation to grantees, the donor community, local media, the Russian government, the U.S. government and other constituencies in all matters related to Foundation activities, including successfully re-registering the Foundation in 2006 over the initial resistance of the Russian government;

• Participated in global Foundation operations at the senior management level.

Columbia University, New York, N.Y.

Assistant Professor of Political Science, 1993 – 1999

Associate Professor of Political Science, 1999 - 2002

Coordinator for Russian Studies, Harriman Institute 1994 – 2002

• Taught comparative politics, Russian politics, and the political economy of transitional states at the graduate and undergraduate level. 

• Conducted research on Russian politics and the development of center-regional relations in federal states, and presented that research at seminars and conferences.

• Developed Harriman Institute programming related to Russia —including seminars and conferences, curriculum development, and public outreach. Established partnerships between the Institute and other schools, departments and institutes at the University.  Assisted in Harriman fundraising.

• Active in policy making and governance of the Political Science Department and School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), including admissions, fellowships, faculty searches and other committee assignments. 

• Spoke frequently to business and policy audiences in New York and Washington and to national and international media outlets on contemporary Russian politics.

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Instructor, Department of Government, 1991 – 1993

Teaching Fellow, 1987-1990

Research Associate, Russian Research Center and Center for International Affairs, 1985-1993

Fellow, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, 1990-1992

Booz, Allen and Hamilton, Inc., Arlington, Va.

Associate, Space Systems Practice, 1983-85

Consultant to NASA on commercial utilization of orbital systems including Space Shuttle and Space Station.

• Helped NASA develop private sector partnerships to build support for launch systems and orbital platforms.

• Prepared business and marketing plans, promoted business-government cooperative ventures and expanded international collaboration through partnerships and counter-trade arrangements.

Barnard College, New York, New York

Trustee, 2014-2022
Chair, Compensation Committee and Member Executive Committee, 2017-2022

Barnard College is the liberal arts college for women affiliated with Columbia University. 

Asheville Hub Alliance, Asheville, NC

Board Member, 2013-2017

The Asheville Hub Alliance is an association of governmental and nonprofit leaders in Asheville devoted to civic dialogue and economic development. Co-chaired (with Buncombe County School Superintendent) task force on the role of education in regional development, as part of an Asheville 2020 initiative.

American Embassy School of New Delhi

President, Board of Governors (2011-12)

Secretary, Board of Governors (2010-11)

The AES Board of Governors is an elected volunteer body that manages the largest international K-12 school in India, with 1500 students, a faculty of approximately 150, an operating budget of approximately $30 million and a 12-acre campus in the diplomatic enclave of New Delhi. The Board President is the principal executive officer of the AES Association, which is the school’s governing body. 

Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Ph.D., Political Science, 1993

Kukin/Pew Scholar, Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, 1991-93

Fulbright-Hays Fellow, Moscow State University, 1990-91

Oxford University (Worcester College), England

B.A. (First Class), Politics and Economics, 1983

Marshall Scholar, 1981 Class

M.I.T., Cambridge, MA

S.B., Physics, 1981

Phi Beta Kappa

Karl Taylor Compton Prize, 1981

Book

Stealing the State: Control and Collapse in Soviet Institutions (Harvard University Press, 1998; paperback edition, 1999)

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Anatomy of a Merger: When Two Schools Become One, with Racheal Adriko, Independent School Magazine, Winter 2025 

“Work, Service, and the Liberal Arts: Campus and Community as Pedagogical Resources,” in Peter Marber and Daniel Araya, eds., The Evolution of Liberal Arts in the Global Age (Routledge, 2017)

“The Paranoid Style in Russian Politics,” in Eugene B. Rumer and Celeste A Wallander, eds., Russia Watch: Essays in Honor of George Kolt  (The CSIS Press, 2007)

“Federalism and Statebuilding: Post-Communist and Post-Colonial Perspectives,” in Andrew Reynolds, ed., The Architecture of Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2002).

“Federalization” (Co-authored with Kathryn Stoner-Weiss and Beth Mitchneck). in Blair A. Ruble, Jodi Koehn, and Nancy E. Popson, eds., Fragmented Space in the Russian Federation (Woodrow Wilson Center Press 2001)

“Russia between States and Markets: Transnational and Subnational Pressures in the Transition,” in Aseem Prakash and Jeffrey Hart, eds., Responding to Globalization (Routledge, 2000)

“Is the Center Too Strong or Too Weak in Russia?” in Valerie Sperling, ed., Building the Russian State (Westview Press, 2000)

“Russia’s ‘Transition’: Is Democracy Delayed Democracy Denied?” Social Research, 66:3 (Fall 1999)

“Russia Over the Edge,” East European Constitutional Review, 7:4 (Fall 1998)

“Gubernatorial Elections in Russia: 1996-1997” Post-Soviet Affairs 14:1 (1998)

“Center and Periphery in the Russian Federation,” in Barnett Rubin and Jack Snyder, ed., Organizing the Former Soviet Space: Origins of Political Order and Conflict (M.E. Sharpe, 1998)

“The Political Economy of Russian Federalism: A Framework for Analysis,” Problems of Post-Communism, 43:6 (Nov.-Dec. 1996)

“The Breakdown of Hierarchies in the Soviet Union and China: A Neo-Institutional Perspective,” World Politics, 48:2 (January 1996)

“Federal Bargaining in Russia,” East European Constitutional Review, 4:4 (Fall 1995). Reprinted in the Russian edition (no.4 1995/no.1 1996)

“Bargaining over Russian Federalism,” POLIS: Politicheskie issledovaniia (no.6, 1995; in Russian)

“The Roots and Consequences of the New ‘Fathers and Sons’ Problem,” Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniia, no. 6, 1992, pp. 54-63 (in Russian)

“Revolution, Reform and the Soviet Telephone System, 1917-1927,” Soviet Studies, 43:1, (1991)

Book Reviews

Belin and Orttung, The Russian Parliamentary Elections of 1995 and McFaul and Russia’s 1996 Presidential Election in American Political Science Review 92:3 (September 1998)

White et al., Developments in Russian Politics 4 in Europe-Asia Studies 50:5 (July 1998)

Ferejohn and Weingast, The New Federalism: Can the States Be Trusted? in Political Science Quarterly 113:3 (1998)

Other

"The Dubious Value of the Name Brand College," Unmastered Leadership Podcast, December 2020.

“The Putin Administration’s Policies toward the Non-Russian Regions of the Russian Federation,” testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 18 July 2001 (published).

“Constitution Watch—Russia,” Review of constitutional and political developments in Russia. Quarterly contribution to the East European Constitutional Review, Winter 1998 to 2002

“The New Federal Structure: More Centralized, or More of the Same?” Program on New Approaches to Russian Security (PONARS), Policy Memo No. 161, October 2000

“Putin and the Provinces,” Program on New Approaches to Russian Security (PONARS), Policy Memo No. 115, April 2000

“Methods of Central Control Over Russia’s Provinces and Prospects for the Future,” Program on New Approaches to Russian Security (PONARS), Policy Memo No. 97, November 1999

“Russia’s Assets Had Already Been Looted,” Journal of Commerce, 19 October 1999, p. 6.

“U.S. Influence Over Pseudo-Democracies Pales,” New York Newsday, 6 Feb. 1994, pp. 29-30

“Does the Komsomol Have a Future?” Radio Liberty Report on the USSR, 21 Sept. 1990, pp. 9-13

“Russia” and other post-Soviet states articles for World Book Year Book, 1994-2001

Conference and Workshop Organization

Workshop Organizer, "Anatomy of a School Merger," National Association of Independent Schools Annual Meeting, St. Louis, 2024 (Feb)

Division Chair, Communist and Post-Communist Politics Section, American Political Science Association Annual Meetings, Boston, 2002

Co-Organizer, “Geographies of Russia’s Transition: Questions of Place, Space, and Scale” One-Day conference co-sponsored by Harriman Institute and American Association of Geographers, New York, February 2001

Organizer and Chair, Harriman Institute Seminar Series on “State and Nation in the Post-Soviet World,” Columbia University, Jan-May 2001.

Organizer and Chair, Harriman-Saltzman Seminar on Contemporary Russian Politics and Economics, Harriman Institute, Columbia University, 1998-99.

Co-Organizer (with Prof. Kathryn Stoner-Weiss), Conference on “Hyper-Federalism: Russia’s Decentralization in Comparative Perspective,” Princeton University, February 9-10, 1996 (supported by grants from SSRC, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Macarthur Foundation, Princeton University, Harriman Institute)

Organizer, Harriman-SSRC Workshop on "Choice-Theoretic and Other Approaches to Studying Federalism and Regionalism in Multi-Ethnic Societies," Columbia Univ., February 1996

Organizer and Chair, Roundtables on the Russian Parliamentary Elections, Harriman Institute, Columbia University, November-December 1995

Other Activities

Presentations and Guest Lectures: Extensive. Furnished on Request

Media Appearances: Guest on Charlie Rose, PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer, CNN, CNBC, National Public Radio, WNYC (New York), Worldview (WBEZ, Chicago), Voice of America, and others

Panel Chair and/or Discussant: APSA Annual Meetings (1993-2001); AAASS Annual Meetings (1993, 1996, 1998); Midwest Political Science Association Meetings (1998); Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) Annual Convention (1998-2001); Public Choice Meetings (1997); etc.

Reviewer: APSR, Comparative Politics, World Politics, Political Studies Quarterly, Social Research, Slavic Review, Foreign Affairs, International Security, Security Dialogue, National Science Foundation, United States Institute for Peace, Macarthur Foundation, Woodrow Wilson Center Press, Princeton University Press, Cambridge University Press, NYU Press, and others.

Accreditation Service: Visiting Committee Member and Chair, New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), Southern Association of College and Schools - Committee on Colleges (SACSCOC). 

Memberships: Council on Foreign Relations (Full Member)

Board Membership (see also Service above): Executive Committee Member, North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (2015-2017); Member (ex-officio) Board of Trustees, National Foundation for India (2009-2012); Member, Board of Trustees, Moscow Institute for Law and Public Policy (2001- 2002).

Languages: English (native), Russian (fluent), French (limited), Hindi (elementary).

Courses Taught—Calhoun School

“American Political System” (elective on American Politics for high school juniors/seniors)

Courses Taught—Warren Wilson College

“Democracy” (Undergraduate seminar)

Courses Taught—Columbia

“Contemporary Civilization” (Columbia College 2-semester core course)

“Senior Seminar in Comparative Politics: The Politics of Economic Reform”

“Russian Politics” (Intro Undergraduate Lecture Course)

“Post-Soviet States and Markets” (MIA/Advanced Undergrad Lecture Course)

“Comparative Politics Field Survey” (Introductory Ph.D. Level; co-taught)

“Comparing Institutions” (Ph.D. Level Colloquium)

“Making Markets” (Ph.D. Level Colloquium)

“Territorial Politics” (Ph.D. Level Colloquium)

Graduate Advising—Columbia

Sponsor or co-sponsor of ten dissertations completed 1994-2002

Photography

Birding (especially Bird Photography)

Travel

Crosswords