Administration Directory

Beverly Rase

Founder

Mrs. Beverly Rase (1928-2017) and her husband, University of Texas professor Howard Rase (1921-2014) opened the doors of Kirby Hall in 1976. A native of Fort Worth, Mrs. Rase graduated from Dana Hall Preparatory School and Wellesley College. A civic leader, she served as president of the Casis Elementary School PTA, secretary-treasurer of the Accreditation Commission Board of the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools, vice president of Laguna Gloria Art Museum, Inc., president of the Texas Fine Arts Association, program director of Austin Area Camp Fire, and many other community roles, including serving on the altar guild of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Her dedication to Kirby Hall School remained profound throughout her life, reflected in her leadership as chairman of the board for forty years. Her two children are Kirby Hall graduates and members of the Board of Directors.

Helen Roberts

Executive Director

Helen joined Kirby Hall in 1998 as part of the administrative staff. She developed a close working relationship with Head of School Beverly Rase, serving as her unfailing right hand. Helen worked diligently with faculty, parents, and students to ensure the mission of Kirby Hall continued. In 2014, when Mrs. Rase stepped down as head of school, it was only natural that the board of trustees appointed Helen as the new director.

Having originally started in 1991 as a Kirby Hall parent when her daughter Sasha entered kindergarten, Helen uniquely understands both the parent and student perspective. She gave generously of her time as a volunteer. In 1998, Helen was offered the position of Administrative Assistant at Kirby Hall. She gladly accepted and has successfully made the transition from mother of two to the adopted mother of hundreds through the years. Her own daughters went on to have very successful college careers, with Sasha entering the University of Texas at Austin with sophomore mid-year standing and Emily graduating Summa Cum Laude from Texas State University.

Helen was born and raised in New York City. Prior to entering education, she had a 19-year career with the Internal Revenue Service in the Treasury Department, including being a Security Analyst and Assistant Chief of the Publishing/Services in the Boston District Office.

Summer McInerney

Academic Dean and Special Project Coordinator

BS – Applied Learning and Development with a Concentration in Special Education, the University of Texas at Austin

Texas Lifetime Teaching Certification in Elementary Education, Grades 1-8

Texas Lifetime Teaching Certification in Special Education, Grades PK-12

M.Ed. – Instructional Leadership, Concordia University Texas, anticipated completion December 2020

Summer has been affiliated with Kirby Hall since 2007. She has served as a parent volunteer, a long-term substitute teacher, Primer teacher, fifth grade literature teacher, and second grade teacher. She is thrilled to be in a position to continue to contribute to the school in yet another capacity!

Summer grew up as the child of a career Air Force officer, and spent her childhood in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Montgomery, Alabama; and Dayton, Ohio. She graduated from high school in Colorado Springs, and chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin to be closer to her extended family. While attending UT, Summer was nominated for Student Teacher of the Year, and during her first year of teaching elementary school in the Austin Independent School District, she received a Teacher of the Year nomination. She has experience working with elementary and middle school students who have a wide range of abilities, and has participated in numerous professional development workshops in Gifted Education.

Outside of Kirby, Summer is an active volunteer in the community, serving as an officer on the board of a non-profit and chairing a mentorship program for area middle schoolers. She is a voracious reader and enjoys sewing, DIY projects, live music, watching ice hockey, and spending time with her spouse and their two children, both of whom began their educational journeys at Kirby Hall.

Emily Gonzales

Director of Admissions

B.A. Sociology – Texas State University

Emily joined Kirby Hall the second semester of the 2017-2018 school year. Being a student at Kirby Hall from Kindergarten and graduating in 2011, she is extremely familiar with what it means to be part of the Kirby Hall family. Emily graduated from Texas State University with the highest honors, Summa Cum Laude. Emily’s love for Kirby Hall has brought her back to be a part of the staff and help as Kirby Hall had helped her growing up.

Claire LaChance

Financial Officer, Librarian

MS in Systems Engineering – University of Pennsylvania

BS in Electrical Engineering – Worcester Polytechnic

Claire joined Kirby Hall in 2008. Originally from Massachusetts she earned a BS in Electrical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a MS in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent fifteen years working in engineering until she moved to Austin in 1994. After this distinguished engineering career, Claire trained in accounting, where her analytical and precise mathematical skills served her well.

Trish Duque

Administrative Assistant

Paralegal Studies – Dona Ana Community College

Trish joined Kirby Hall School in 2019, bringing energy and enthusiasm to everything she does. She comes with 19 years of office administration experience.
When not working, Trish enjoys traveling back to New Mexico to visit family. She has three grown children, Athena, Isaac, and Bailey who are her pride and joy. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the city with her boyfriend, Jeff. She also enjoys running, mountain biking, playing softball, and painting.

Javier Medina

Facilities Manager

Javier joined Kirby Hall in 2012 and has become a beloved member of the Kirby Hall family. He was born and raised in Cancun, Mexico, and spent the majority of his life there before moving to Austin eighteen years ago. Javier has two daughters, one son, and three grandsons. During his free time, he enjoys spending time with loved ones, cooking his specialty chile rellenos, and playing futbol with friends and family.