Phil Gutierrez, as of July 1, 2026, is the Executive Director of the California Association of Independent Schools. From 2021 to 2026, he was the Head of School at Marin Primary & Middle School in Larkspur, CA and the Head of School at Mid-Peninsula High School in Menlo Park, CA from 2017 to 2021. Prior to headship, Phil worked at The Branson School in Ross, CA for 22 years, first as an English teacher and then in a variety of administrative roles, including class dean, Director of Admission, and Assistant Head of School for Advancement and External Affairs. Phil has served on a number of boards, including CATDC (where he served as board chair), CAIS, Live Oak School, and Mark Day School. He was also on the faculty of the NAIS School Leadership Institute in Washington DC from 2014 to 2025. Phil holds his B.A. in English, with a minor in Spanish, from U.C. Berkeley and his M.A. from Stanford. He and his wife, Robbie, are parents of two adult children. Phil loves to play the guitar, read, and entertain the family's black Labrador retriever.