HMJDS Names New Head Of School

The Board of Trustees of the Amos & Celia Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School Heilicher is pleased to announce that Dr. Dan Ahlstrom has been hired as Head of School beginning July 1, 2022.

The Board’s unanimous decision to approve Ahlstrom’s hire was based on the strong recommendation of the Head of School Search Committee, co-chaired by Heilicher parents Michele Kaplan Clinard and Esther Goldberg-Davis. With the guidance of Independent Thinking consultant Jane Armstrong, the Search Committee vetted a number of applicants for the Head of School role, and Dr. Ahlstrom’s candidacy quickly rose to the top.

Ahlstrom comes to this role as a seasoned leader of independent schools, including Jewish day schools. He has served as a head of school since 2014. His first appointment as a head followed a four-year tenure as assistant head of school for Tucson Hebrew Academy, a K-8 community Jewish Day School in Tucson, Ariz.

Ahlstrom then became Head of School for Beth Yeshurun Day School (BYDS), an infant-Grade 5, community Jewish Day School in Houston. When Hurricane Harvey hit in August 2017, the BYDS campus was destroyed. Dr. Ahlstrom saw the school through a multi-million dollar campaign to rebuild the campus and established an endowment.

In 2020, Ahlstrom became Head of School for The Montessori School of San Antonio, rebuilding the school’s enrollment and program following the spring shut down of on-campus learning due to COVID.

Ahlstrom began his professional life as a Kindergarten teacher at a public school in Sacramento. He then joined the faculty at Sacramento Country Day School, an independent PK-12 school. During his time there, Ahlstrom served as the director of co-curriculum, a department head, and a music teacher.

Ahlstrom received his undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Music, from Case Western Reserve University. He earned a Master of Arts in Music from the University of Utah, and a Doctor of Education in Leadership, Policy, and Administration from Pepperdine University.

“After I met with Board members, clergy, donors, and faculty, and then was interviewed by the students themselves, I knew Heilicher was the right fit. I am grateful for the opportunity to be Heilicher’s next Head of School and look forward to getting to know everyone very soon,” said Ahlstrom. “When I read the ten core values, I knew Heilicher offered an educational experience that any parent would want for their child. The measure of a good school is that it educates. The measure of a great school is that it inspires. Heilicher has set a vision for its students that will inspire for a lifetime.”