Kristen Smidy

Associate Director for Accreditation and School Improvement
NEASC Commission on Public Schools

+1 781-425-7718  |  ksmidy@neasc.org  |  LinkedIn

As Associate Director, Kristen helps guide member schools and districts through the NEASC Accreditation process and serves as a partner to drive transformative learning and growth. 

Kristen joined NEASC in the fall of 2025 after almost five years as superintendent for the Gateway Regional School District in Huntington, Massachusetts. She previously served as the principal of Hampshire Regional High School in Westhampton, MA, and began her career as a 6th and 7th grade social studies teacher at Duggan Middle School in Springfield.  She holds a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in School Leadership from Boston University and bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

With nearly 20 years in public education, Kristen brings a passion for instructional leadership, curriculum design, and rural advocacy. She has been an active voice in statewide policy, serving on the Legislative Committee of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the Connecticut Valley Superintendent Roundtable Executive Board, and the Massachusetts Inclusive Higher Education Task Force, and was appointed to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in Massachusetts in September of 2025. 

Kristen believes in building systems that honor the expertise of educators and help students thrive in communities large and small across Massachusetts.