Meet Greenwich Schools Communications Director Sasha Houlihan

Meet Greenwich Schools newly appointed director of communications, Sasha Houlihan, a product of Greenwich Schools herself. Houlihan, who was Sasha Campbell before she married her Bryan Houlihan. At GHS she was a member of the GHS Swim Team and says her teammates remain her closest friends.

This week Houlihan settled in to her office, formerly that of Kim Eves.

She said her first week was a whirlwind of meeting principals and department staff just in time for the start of the school year. The first day of school for all students is Aug 29.

Houlihan said she jumped at the chance to apply for the job of communications director at Greenwich Schools because her ties to the town remain strong.

She lives in Old Greenwich with her husband Bryan and their Beagle named Cooper. Bryan works for his family commercial real estate business Houlihan-Parnes out of Westchester.

Houlihan said her parents still live in their original house in the North Mianus area.

In fact, she recalls her years at North Mianus School which she attended along with her three sisters. Susanne Holloman was the principal at the time, and Sasha’s mother was on the PTA.

Then, at Eastern Middle School, Ben Davenport was principal and during her time at Greenwich High School Alan Capasso was headmaster.

“I don’t think I ever overlapped with Ralph Mayo before now,” she said of the former EMS principal who is now headmaster at GHS.

Houlihan has two older twin sisters who graduated GHS in 2003 and another sister who is two years younger who finished GHS in 2009. One twin was on the swim team and the other was a diver. Her younger sister played soccer. These days one twin is a teacher, and the other is at Deloit in human resources. Her younger sister is in Florida starting nursing school.

Houlihan’s career in communications began at Emerald Expositions, a trade show management company, where she worked right out of college. She said she did marketing and events there for three years and then moved to GE Capital where she worked for two years in communications for their Treasury department.

“It was very internal focused,” she said. “It focused on corporate communications to Capital employees within the treasury function,” she said. After two years in that position she went to GE Corporate in New York City.

Houlihan said that although she is not from an education background she believes communications skills are transferable. “It’s all about knowing your audience,” she said. “I loved GE and I worked with a great team of people and leadership, but I was really interested in this role when it popped up – for education. I consider myself a lifelong student.”

“When I got this job the first person who reached out to me was Karen Boyer, my US History teacher at GHS,” she said. “She was so happy for me.”

“I told Dr. Jones during my interview that I thought the high school has so many great electives,” she said. “I took fashion for three years. I fully know how to work a sewing machine.”

“As a product of Greenwich Schools I see firsthand how much teachers and administrators, parents and coaches care about the students,” she said. “I was really excited to apply to this role. And thrilled to get it.”