Jorge Nelson

Background

About Jorge Nelson

Jorge Nelson was born in Washington state, grew up in Nebraska and moved back to the Pacific Northwest to attend and graduate from The Evergreen State College as a certified K-8 teacher. He moved overseas to teach elementary, middle and high school students for four years at International School Bangkok and International School Islamabad before accepting his first leadership post as Assistant Director of the American School of Asuncion, Paraguay. For more than 3 decades he has been leading US-accredited schools in Mexico, Venezuela, Bali, Guam, South Korea, Austria, Myanmar, Indonesia, Washington State, Panama and Connecticut. He has eclectic and diverse experiences, leading day and boarding schools, traditional and progressive schools, national and international, as well as not-for-profit and for-profit schools. He truly has forged relationships with educational leaders around the world. Jorge has had experience as a founding board member for the Academy of International School Heads and as well as on the board for The International Educator. He has been a visiting committee member for numerous accreditation teams for both the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He is a published author, and keynote presenter/expert panelist in more than 22 international education conferences including the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas School, Korean Regional Council of Schools, Global Issues Network, CityTerm, Global Educational Supplies and Solutions, The British Council, The Constructivist Consortium, The Academy for International School Heads, Cisco’s Annual Education Leaders Forum, Microsoft Partners in Learning, and TEDIndia. Jorge has had the invaluable experience of being the Interim Head of School at Balboa Academy for two years during the pandemic. Upon returning to the US after contract completion in Panamá, Jorge was appointed Head of Oak Grove Montessori School in Connecticut, where he successfully stabilized a very dysfunctional situation. He recently moved home to Washington State and is now the Head of School at Tilden School in West Seattle. Jorge received his B.A. in Education from The Evergreen State College, Teaching and Principal Certifications from Washington State, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from Michigan State University and his Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Memphis.