Kind Words
"I had worked with Martin before, so when I heard he was starting his own consultancy, I was excited to see if there were opportunities for us to work together again. He brings real expertise and a good sense of humor to every interaction, making the work fun. He listens closely, takes the complexity of running a school seriously, and shares his expert perspectives with a collaborative spirit. He was the much-needed sounding board to take rough ideas and refine them into something sharp and useful. You leave every conversation with Martin clearer than you started it."
— Juna Kim McDaid, Head of School, The San Francisco School
“Martin has a knack for listening carefully, asking great questions, and getting to the root of issues across school communities.
He’s an excellent communicator with a particular skill for tailoring messages to the constituents who will be receiving them.
On top of that, he is a creative problem-solver with a great sense of humor that makes the work fun.”
— Linda Hoopes, Head of School, Marin Primary & Middle School
“Martin was a key member of our school’s Leadership Team and helped shape the way we told our story. He connected well with colleagues, parents, and students.
Possessing a keen intellect, Martin is a terrific listener. He’s incredibly smart and also very funny. Working with him was a delight.”
— Phil Gutierrez, Executive Director, California Association of Independent Schools and former Head of School, Marin Primary & Middle School
“Martin's arrival at Kent in the pre-vaccine stage of COVID-19, and just a few months into a significant leadership transition, was remarkably smooth.
He took a steady, thoughtful approach to building the school's first centralized marketing and communications department that touched every part of Kent School while helping steer the school through the pandemic's uncertainty.
Martin patiently educated our professional community about the value of his team, connected parents and students to the school's founding values in action, refined the channels of communication between the school's leadership and its board, and told stories that affirmed the commitment of our alumni community.
Martin is a skilled communicator and strategist.”
— Mike Hirschfeld, Head of School, Kent School
“Martin’s marketing and communications abilities speak for themselves, but what really sets him apart is his good nature, flexibility, and how he taps into his experience to provide wise counsel about the full range of issues that can arise in schools.
Martin is great to work with because he balances a high level of professionalism and discretion with a sharp sense of humor and a desire to get the job done in the best possible way.”
— Brian Sullivan, Head of School, South Kent School
“I have witnessed Martin’s dedication, expertise, and thoughtfulness in complex and challenging circumstances.
He is a talented collaborator, an advocate for innovation, and a key player in overall institutional improvement.
Martin is equally adept at working with a team or on a self-directed initiative. He is known as a trusted colleague who is always willing to help solve a problem. He has a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of independent schools and their constituents. It should not go unstated that he is highly industrious and can be counted upon to do what it takes to get the project done right the first time.”
— Dr. Jon Herzenberg, Head of School, Waldorf School of the Peninsula
“Martin came to Kent School in 2020 to establish the first-ever marketing communications department. His blend of relationship building, strategic thinking, communications expertise, and wise team leadership helped Kent more deeply consider how to express its values, beliefs, virtues, and strategic vision to our global audience of families, students, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and supporters.
Martin ensured that Kent's investment in marketing communications yielded significant, measurable dividends.”
-Jeff Cataldo, Associate Head of School, CFO & COO, Kent School
“Martin is one of those rare communications professionals who combines big-picture thinking with thoughtful execution. He has an incredible ability to nurture an idea from its earliest spark into something meaningful and impactful.
I always appreciated not only his creativity and collaboration, but the way he challenged those around him to think differently and produce their very best work.”
— Jennifer Sells Johnson, Director of Advancement, Curtis School (Los Angeles)
“In his friendly, open manner, Martin wandered The Bush School’s pathways through the entire campus. By taking pictures, observing, and chatting with students, faculty, staff, and parents, he was able to engage with each constituent while piecing together the elements of our educational program into one message that truly highlighted our mission and foundational statements.
As an administrative colleague, I would like to highlight Martin’s forte in taking perspectives. He is quick to reference his data sources and then listen and acknowledge another’s point of view. He will then accurately summarize and embrace everyone’s concerns while moving forward in creating an elegant and efficient communications system for the betterment of our entire community.
His ability to make connections with all clientele is impressive: students, teachers, staff, and parents.
In addition, Martin knows how to be flexible and to delegate. He understands when and how to determine time and space in his work with teachers and colleagues. He works collaboratively and knows how to lead a team. He has been able to gently but firmly lead the way to new methodologies.”
— Elaine M. Aoki, Ph.D., former Lower School Director, The Bush School
“Martin is one of the most strategic and creative thinkers I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Always professional and calm under pressure, he instills confidence and a desire to do great work in everyone around him. He is a fantastic writer and extremely articulate.
Martin is a natural leader who brings an intelligent perspective to everything he does and can always be counted on to get the job done — and done extremely well. Put simply, any project that includes Martin is better for it. Plus, he has a great sense of humor and is a joy to work with!”
— Tricia Caparas, Art Director, University of San Diego
“In my 41 years of teaching at The Bush School, I saw the title and job description of Director of Communications emerge and change.
More than a handful have held this position, but none has defined the position and established the standard as Martin did.
From his first day on campus, Martin seemed to be everywhere. Armed with a title, he set out to find what made this place tick. He is one of the few non-faculty personnel who went into classrooms, who checked out the experiential programs at Bush, and who chatted with students and faculty.
Martin immersed himself in the life of the school—not second hand, but by getting into the nooks and crannies of this place.
Martin documented not only what was happening on campus, but also what makes this school special. While the story of the school was revealed through his work, Martin added more than ‘communications’ to this place. With his dry sense of humor, he tacitly reminded us to keep a more global perspective than this little community.
Martin did more than post the stories of the school. He contributed to these stories through his active participation in this place. We all have Martin stories.”
— Janice Osaka, former math teacher, The Bush School