Toya West will join Blake as the founding director of the Early Learning Center (ELC) this July 2022. Over the next school year, she will get to know the Blake community and work closely with faculty to help prepare for the ELC opening and Lower School unification in fall 2023.

"I am incredibly honored and inspired to serve as Blake's founding director of the Early Learning Center," West says. "There is so much excitement in the Blake community for the ELC, and I am deeply committed to the school's mission and values. I look forward to leading, learning and listening, as I get to know Blake students, families and colleagues in the coming year."

West currently serves as director of early learning at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In this role, she leads the early childhood academic program; collaborates with teachers to create learning experiences based on the Reggio Emilia approach; hires expert, diverse teaching staff; and helms the center’s daily operations. She has more than 18 years of experience in education, specializing in early childhood development and the Reggio Emilia approach. With roles in independent, international, day and boarding schools, West has taught in and led early childhood programs in Thailand, Spain, Ecuador, South Korea and the United States.

West holds a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education with a concentration in reading education from Valdosta State University in Georgia as well as a Master of Science in educational administration from the University of Kansas.