Vice President, Admissions & Placement
James Aitken joined SEEDS in 2025 as Vice President, Admissions & Placement. Born on the campus of Brooks School (North Andover, MA) while his father was headmaster, James has been in the independent school world his entire life. After attending Middlesex School (Concord, MA) and Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO), he spent over 20 years as a teacher, coach, dorm parent and administrator in 3 independent schools.
For most of this time, James served as a Dean at Dwight-Englewood School (Englewood, NJ). In his time at Dwight-Englewood, he also served in several other roles including Athletic Coordinator and Elective Department Coordinator as well as supporting the Admissions office. James has built his career around creating cultures of belonging and joyful learning and believes strongly in the power of relationships and community.
Outside of his career within schools, James also started his own educational consulting business before joining a consulting group where he has experience helping families navigate the complex independent school and college application and admissions process. James is a music, sports and nature lover and an avid lifelong learner. In addition to his B.A. from Colorado College, James also holds a M.A. in Teaching and History from Simmons College (Boston, MA), an Ed. S. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO), and a Graduate Certificate in Athletic Administration from Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH). He is also certified by IECA as an Independent Educational Consultant and holds his ATD Instructional Design Certificate as well. James is a native of Cambridge, MA but now calls Morris County, NJ home where he lives with his wife and three children.