On July 1, Neal Brown stepped into his role as Interim Head of School at Inly. We sat down with Neal to learn more about his family, hobbies, and what excites him about joining the Inly community.

Could you tell us about your family?

My wife, Laura Emmons, and I met when we were seniors at Brown University. She was a rower and I did my best to try to impress her with my limited athletic skills. Laura became a nurse-midwife in her early twenties and has delivered a large village worth of babies over her career. Over the past few years, she transitioned to becoming a lactation consultant. She travels across the greater DC area, helping parents and babies with breastfeeding and parenting. 

My son Evan will be 26 this month, and my daughter Lila is 23. They both attended Nashoba Brooks School in Concord, MA, when I was the assistant head of school, and then Green Acres School in North Bethesda, MD, when I was the head of school. Evan graduated from Bowdoin College in 2022 and works at a Washington think tank focused on international policy. He and I love to ski and hike together. Lila graduated last year from Tulane University and is working at a law firm in DC. She appreciates cities and politics, and she particularly enjoys doing pro bono work in her current job. Evan and Lila live about 3 blocks from one another in DC, while our home is about 10 miles away in suburban Maryland. 

My mother, Louise Brown, lives in Wayland, MA, the town where I grew up. Not having lived in MA since 2008, it’s wonderful to be able to see her regularly, as well as being able to see my sister and her extended family, cousins, and friends from Massachusetts, too. My mom was the director of the Wayland Town Library for many years and knows every person who ever graduated from Simmons College or lived in Wayland! I also have a younger brother who lives in Northern California. 

Do you have any pets?

Our dog Stanley, a cockapoo, passed away last August. We got him as a puppy when we moved from MA to MD. We have two 14-year-old tuxedo cat siblings, Sherlock and Watson. I have more photos of them on my phone than any other topic or person, embarrassingly. 

What do you love most about Inly so far?

I love the way kids seem so comfortable here, and I love the relationships that I see between children and staff/counselors. Students know that the adults here have their best interests at heart and respect them for who they are as people, not just as students. I also have enjoyed getting to know the teachers who have come in already to meet with me; they care deeply about Inly School and about the work we do here. I’ve also loved working closely with the administrators in my first few weeks on the job. Everyone has gone out of their way to support my transition, which I have greatly appreciated. 

What are you reading (or watching, or both!) this summer?

I tend to read history books. Most recently, I read John Meacham’s biography of Andrew Jackson, American Lion. I thought the parallels with some of the dynamics of leadership today were interesting. I just finished reading Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides, which is about James Cook’s third and final voyage. My great nephew Decky encouraged me to watch the Life on Our Planet series on Netflix, and Laura and I like comedies like Shrinking, sappy series like Parenthood and This is Us, and odd but not too violent shows like Bad Sisters. 

What are your favorite hobbies or activities? 

I love downhill skiing, but I don’t get to do it nearly as often as I would like. When Laura and I visited Andalucia last March, I snuck in a half-day in the Sierra Nevadas, the highlight of the trip for me, which says a lot. I also love to hike and have enjoyed discovering a few local spots. I also love to sing and play a bit of guitar, too. Living in DC also turned me into more of a news junkie, and so I keep up with The New York Times and listen to a few political podcasts when I have time. Finally, I’m a rabid Boston sports fan, so I love to watch Celtics games whenever I can. Both of my children and Laura have also become intense Boston fans. Laura and I also take dancing classes together, and I run and lift weights a bit just to try to keep young! 

What are your favorite spots on the South Shore?

I’ve only been here a few weeks, but I loved going to World’s End in Hingham, and I’ve taken a few walks recently at the nearby Norris Reservation and Wompatuck State Park. I also enjoy the nearby Audubon property on the North River, as well as walking around Scituate Harbor. I’m enjoying getting to know this beautiful area.