Meet our leadership team

Kara Locke is a Washington, D.C. native, school leader, and proud mother of three young children. She has over 20 years of experience working in schools, both elementary and secondary, as a classroom teacher and as a school leader. She began her career in education in an elementary school as a first-grade teacher, and later served as a high school English teacher in the Washington, D.C. private school sector. She earned her undergraduate degree in English with a concentration in secondary education from Rhodes College and pursued advanced studies in school administration and organizational leadership at Johns Hopkins University and later the University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she was selected for the New Leaders for New Schools fellowship in Washington, D.C., a pivotal moment that launched her journey from classroom teaching into school leadership, with a focus on turnaround work and school transformation. After eight years leading public schools in D.C., she moved to Miami, where she spent the next decade opening and leading a public, college-preparatory boarding school. After 18 years of charter school leadership, Kara returned to her independent school roots joining the Riviera Schools community as Executive Director in 2023. Among her accomplishments, she was named Teacher of the Year in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and has served as a keynote speaker at multiple conferences and high school commencement ceremonies. Dr. Locke is deeply committed to holistic education and believes that strong school culture, extracurricular experiences, athletics, and social skill development are powerful drivers of academic growth. Outside of school, she loves reading, exercise, the beach, and spending time outdoors with her family. 

Keith Crowley, our Director of Racquet Sports, brings a wealth of experience and passion to Riviera Tennis School. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Keith was a top junior player and a division-1 captain at the University of Miami. After pursuing a professional tennis career, where he reached a career-high ATP ranking of 272 and won 11 professional doubles titles, Keith has spent over 15 years coaching players at all levels. His coaching philosophy emphasizes teamwork, technique, and mental resilience, creating an inclusive, competitive environment for players to thrive.