ISS Leadership Search was honored to support the Director search for the Al Akhawayn School of Ifrane in Morocco. Congratulations to Dr. Mary K. Pilant for being offered and accepting the position beginning in August 2026! Dr. Pilant currently serves as the Deputy Principal – Whole School of the Diyar Private Academy – Dibba Boys’ Campus.
Dr. Pilant holds a Bachelors Degree in English from Northeastern State University, a M.S. in Adult Education: English / Language Arts from Northeastern State University, M.Ed. in Educational Administration / Leadership from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and Ed.D in Educational Leadership / Organizational Intelligence from Trevecca Nazarene University.
She has been Deputy Head of School, EAL Director, and Head of Faculty in the UAE, and as a Director of Special Education, Director of an Alternative High School, Head of English, and classroom teacher & university instructor in Oklahoma. Her path into developing people started in the Navy, where she trained instructors in EMT-P, ACLS, BLS, and operational health and safety. Everything she does comes back to students, and she pursues that through developing teachers: she was selected by the state superintendent as a Master Teacher and regional trainer in Oklahoma, and went on to train teachers and school leaders regionally and nationally across the UAE. School culture has been a constant focus, tested most directly when she led a school through pandemic-era online learning and, more recently, through an extended period of emergency distance learning during a regional conflict. In every setting, she has prioritized teachers for the impact they have in the classroom on student learning.
In this feature, read about Mary’s passion for education, commitment to fostering global citizenship, and how her diverse experiences – both personal and professional – shape her approach to education and leadership.
What drew you to pursue the world of education? And what drew you into international education specifically?
I came to education through the Navy. As an instructor-trainer for EMT-P, ACLS, BLS, and operational health and safety training, I spent years teaching people skills that mattered in high-stakes moments, and I learned how much I loved that work. When I left the Navy, I moved into English specifically, because there’s real power in understanding and using language well. It shapes how people think, advocate for themselves, and connect with each other, and I wanted to teach that. International education found me next, in the UAE, where I discovered a community of educators and families navigating multiple cultures and curricula at once. Fourteen years later, I’m still drawn to the same thing: schools where people from different backgrounds figure out how to learn and grow together.
Please tell us about your education philosophy and your leadership style. What can the Al Akhawayn School of Ifrane community expect?
Schools run on relationships, and relationships run on consistency between what a leader says and what a leader does. Everything starts with students: every decision, every system, every policy gets measured against what it does for students in classrooms. That means teachers are the most important people in any school because they are the ones in front of students every day, and my job as a leader is to provide the support, development, and resources that enable them to do their best work for students. I believe in clear systems paired with kindness and compassion in daily practice: people should know what’s expected of them and feel cared for. We are better together, and that is the kind of school I want to lead.
Congratulations on your upcoming role at the Al Akhawayn School of Ifrane! What are you excited about in this new role?
ASI is a rare opportunity: a strong PK-12 school with a genuinely unique partnership with Al Akhawayn University, and a faculty and staff who already have the skills and knowledge to carry the school forward. It’s a strong school, and my job is to make it stronger. Ifrane itself sealed it for me, a beautiful, close-knit community with a level of warmth I felt immediately during my visit. I’m looking forward to getting to know the students, staff, and families at ASI, and to becoming part of the Ifrane community.
What is an interesting fact or story about you that you would like to share?
During my time in the UAE, a student brought a baby baboon to school for National Day, my first experience with the scale and spirit of UAE national celebrations. Somehow I ended up as its primary supervisor for several hours while our admin team tracked down the parents. The same day also brought half a dozen falcons onto campus, so it was a memorable one even by National Day standards. Wildlife ownership rules in the UAE are far stricter now, so this is very much a story from another era. Fun fact I picked up: baboons don’t eat sunflower seed shells, they just toss them aside. I have photographic proof, and I will absolutely be bringing it up at every opportunity for the rest of my career.
Dr. Pilant’s ISS Testimonial
“ISS made this entire process feel manageable, even from across the world. I’d been receiving regular updates on open positions for a while, so when the ASI Director role came up, the process was already familiar and easy to step into. Arnie Bieber led my initial interview and discussion, and her thoroughness in that first conversation set the tone for everything that followed. From there, I was kept informed at every stage, every step toward the search committee interview was communicated clearly and on time, so I always knew where things stood. That kind of consistent communication makes a real difference when you’re navigating an international search. I’d recommend ISS to any educator considering a move, and to any school looking for a search partner who treats candidates with that level of care.”
Many thanks to Dr. Mary K. Pilant for sharing her insights, experiences, and vision for education. We wish her and the vibrant community at the Al Akhawayn School of Ifrane the best in this new chapter ahead!
If you’re interested in pursuing a school leadership position, please check out our current leadership searches or get in touch with the ISS Leadership Search Team.
