Monica Benton Palmer, Ed.D.
Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School has named Monica Benton Palmer, Ed.D., of Milton, Massachusetts, as Head of the Upper School, effective July 1, 2026.
Dr. Palmer joins Wyoming Seminary from Milton Academy and brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience in independent boarding and day school education. In her new role, she will oversee the Upper School’s academic programming, student life, faculty, and residential community on Wyoming Seminary’s Kingston campus.
“Dr. Palmer has a rare combination of academic leadership, faculty development expertise, extensive work in philanthropy, and a deep understanding of residential life in a boarding school environment,” said Wyoming Seminary President Martin J. Mooney. “We look forward to welcoming her to our campus.”
At Milton Academy, a K–12 boarding and day school serving more than 1,000 students, Dr. Palmer served as the Upper School Principal as well as Director of Special Philanthropic and Strategic Gifts.
As Principal, Dr. Palmer directed daily academic programming and student life, overseeing 715 students, 134 faculty, and a $17 million annual budget. As Director of Special Philanthropic and Strategic Gifts, cultivating major and planned gifts in support of the school’s strategic initiatives.
Prior to Milton, she spent five years as Dean of Faculty at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, Mass., where she led faculty hiring, evaluation, and professional development, and served as committee chair for the school’s NEASC accreditation process.
She was also Director of Fine and Performing Arts at Lake Forest Academy in Lake Forest, Illinois, and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at The Madeira School in McLean, Virginia.
Dr. Palmer has served as a trustee at the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE), The Fessenden School, and Brookwood School, among others, advising on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, financial planning, and school governance.
“I am honored to join Wyoming Seminary, a school with such a strong tradition of academic excellence and whole-student education,” said Dr. Palmer. “I am inspired by the warmth of the community and by Sem’s clear commitment to service, integrity, respect, responsibility, and a lifelong love of learning. My family and I are excited to become part of this remarkable school community,” said Dr. Palmer.
Dr. Palmer holds an Educational Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College Klingenstein Center Private School Leadership Program, and a Master of Fine Arts in Theater from Columbia University. She also earned her undergraduate degree in Dramatic Arts and Law & Society from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Palmer succeeds Rachel Bartron, whose 18 years of service to Wyoming Seminary - including five as Head of the Upper School - have left a lasting impact on the Sem community.