District 219 named four assistant principals at Niles West High School for the 2025-26 school year. The Niles Township High School Board of Education approved the appointments at their April 7, 2025 meeting.

This school year, D219 began taking steps to transform its organizational structure to effectively use resources and best address the needs of students. This model aligns with student-centered goals that promote a positive learning environment and support data-driven outcomes. The D219 organizational chart for 2025-26 can be viewed on the district website.

The following assistant principals will begin their roles at Niles West on July 1, 2025.

Verneisha Gair


Verneisha Gair is a results-oriented educational leader with over a decade of experience advancing instructional excellence, organizational coherence, and equity-driven transformation in urban high schools. She currently serves as Assistant Principal at Jones College Prep, a top-performing selective enrollment school in Chicago Public Schools, where she leads complex schoolwide systems and cross-functional teams to ensure all students—especially those furthest from opportunity—have access to rigorous, supportive, and affirming learning environments.

Verneisha’s leadership is grounded in her expertise in Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), strategic planning, and talent development. At Jones, she designed and implemented a schoolwide MTSS infrastructure that significantly strengthened data-informed decision-making, intervention fidelity, and student outcomes. She also oversees student services—including counseling, programming, and social-emotional support—while managing teacher development for over 60 educators through coaching, professional learning systems, and performance evaluation.

Previously, Verneisha served as Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction in Thornton Fractional District 215, where she led the development of vertically aligned curriculum, innovative instructional practices, and system-wide data protocols. Her experience as a classroom teacher, professional development leader, and department chair anchors her belief that sustainable improvement is only possible when instructional excellence, relational trust, and collaborative leadership are in place.

Verneisha is completing her doctorate in Urban Education Leadership at the University of Illinois Chicago, where her research and capstone focus on how transformational leadership, adaptive change, and team learning can be used to disrupt inequity and build inclusive, high-performing school communities. Verneisha is excited to bring her systems thinking, and deep commitment to student success to the Niles West leadership team.

David Hawk

David Hawk is a proud Niles West alum (Class of 2003) and brings more than 15 years of experience in education to his role as Assistant Principal. He started his career as a K–8 Physical Education teacher before moving into administration, where he has held roles such as Assistant Principal, Associate Dean of Students, and Dean of Students.

David’s connection to Niles West runs deep. As someone who once walked the same halls as a student himself, David understands the power of feeling a true sense of belonging. He’s committed to helping students experience that same connection by focusing on rigorous academic instruction, social-emotional support, meaningful relationships, and extracurricular involvement.

David’s work is rooted in the belief that all students can learn and succeed when supported by a caring, accountable, and engaged school community. He’s excited to continue building those connections—with students, staff, and families—and to continue moving Niles West from “good” to “great.”

Outside of school, David is a proud father of two young daughters. He enjoys golf, fishing, and staying active through fitness.
 

Tanya Kennedy

Tanya Barnard Kennedy, Ed.S., is a compassionate and experienced educator committed to student achievement. She has held diverse leadership positions, including Assistant Principal, IEP Auditor for the Illinois State Board of Education, IEP Coordinator, Instructional Coach, and Special Education Teacher. Presently, as a Dean of Students at Niles West High School, Tanya is dedicated to cultivating an environment where students feel supported, motivated, and empowered.

Tanya is excited to continue working with the D219 community, keeping students' success at the heart of every decision. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family.

Andrew Sinclair


The 2025-2026 school year will mark Andy Sinclair’s 23rd year in public education, having served as a Teacher, Theatre Director, PAR (Peer Assistance and Review) Consulting Teacher, and as Director of Fine & Applied Arts. He is proud to have worked in D219 for the past 17 years.  

Before arriving at District 219, Andy taught Theatre, English and Communications at Maine East High School and Homewood Flossmoor High School. He is a graduate of Illinois State University with a Bachelor of Science in Acting and a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Education. He holds two Masters degrees: one from the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University (Master of Arts in Directing) and one from Concordia University (Master of Arts in Principal Preparation).  

In his free time, Andy enjoys traveling, theatre, film, trying new restaurants, and award shows. He is an accomplished actor and director, having directed over 90 theatre productions in the last two decades. During his tenure as Theatre Director at Niles West, Andy directed five productions that were chosen to perform at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.  He also led Niles West Theatre students to represent the American High School Theatre Festival at the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. His favorite roles are husband and dad.