Clay Lilienstern

Head of School
Upper School Economics

Clay Lilienstern, USJ's Head of School, has a bachelor of arts degree in political science and history from the University of Alabama and a law degree from the University of Houston. He has master’s degrees in law from George Washington University, in business from the University of Houston, and theological studies from Southern Methodist University.

He has completed the Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads, a highly competitive and selective program sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools.

Clay practiced law in Houston for almost 30 years and even argued several cases before the U.S. Supreme Court before making a career change to become an educator. He had spent six years as chairman of the board of Annunciation Orthodox School in Houston. During that time, the school grew from a small parish school to more than 700 students.

“I became captivated with education and helping young people succeed,” he says. “As a parent, trustee, and volunteer, I came to respect how children’s lives are influenced by conscientious teachers in independent schools. Success can be measured in different ways for each student, whether that be in academics, athletics, the fine arts, or in other endeavors. It’s our job as educators to enable students to succeed and realize their potential.”

His first job as an educator was teaching AP U.S. History at Episcopal High School, a college preparatory, independent school in Houston with about 630 students in grades 9-12. Since then, he also has taught AP Government, AP Economics, and other economics and history courses at Episcopal High School. He was Assistant Head of School at Episcopal before coming to USJ at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year.

His wife, Rebecca, teaches history at USJ and is on the college advising staff. They have four grown children and four grandchildren.