Meet Our Team
Get to know the EMA team members who help support higher education institutions with PROSPECT.
We're small. But we make a big impact on enrollment.
The Enrollment Management Association is a non-profit organization with over 50 team members. You might call us small, but our dynamic team is comprised of seasoned professionals, many of whom have more than 15 years of experience in the K–12 and higher education industries. It's know-how that enables us to make a big impact on our schools and applying families. Get to know those closely tied to PROSPECT below.
Meet Heather Hoerle
Heather Hoerle
As executive director of EMA for over a decade, Heather has transformed the organization from one primarily focused on standardized admission testing into an enrollment management powerhouse. Under her leadership, EMA has grown to offer a wealth of professional development opportunities, led by the industry’s largest enrollment conference, published ground-breaking research, and delivered a full suite of enrollment services to schools and families. Prior to EMA, Heather held leadership positions at The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) for 23 years.
The PROSPECT Account Team
Dr. Mary O’Connor
Mary has extensive experience working in international education at institutions in North America, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. Mary holds a postgraduate degree in International School Leadership, and prior to joining EMA she was the Director of External Relations at Cayman International School. She has also served as a board member of Trinity College Dublin as the elected president of the postgraduate student body. Mary began her career as a teacher at a private school in Bankok, Thailand.
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John Williamson
John has devoted his entire career to working on behalf of schools and students in the international enrollment management arena. He has spent decades researching new markets and making inroads into private schools across the globe. Before joining EMA, John directed enrollment and student affairs offices at universities and private boarding schools and has recruited in nearly one hundred countries.
The PROSPECT Administration Team
Sunaina Khanna
Backed by nearly fifteen years of project management experience at EMA, Sunaina Khanna leads the product vision for PROSPECT, the Standard Application Online (SAO), as well as various aspects of EMA’s web services ecosystem. Prior to joining EMA, she worked at Citibank, India, and Tata Retail Enterprises, also in India.
Jennifer O’Brien
Jennifer is responsible for EMA’s public relations and member marketing. She manages EMA’s PROSPECT presence at conferences. Prior to joining EMA, Jennifer led communications and marketing strategies, content, and campaigns for thought leadership, public relations, and executive initiatives at MetLife. She has also led marketing, public relations, and communications for MarchFIRST and the Minnesota High Tech Association.
Daren Worcester
A published author and digital marketing specialist with 20 years in the independent school industry, Daren Worcester joined EMA in 2020 to lead its family marketing program. He also runs EMA’s marketing initiatives for PROSPECT. Daren previously worked for 18 years combined with WhippleHill and Blackbaud, where he helped hundreds of schools throughout the website development process.