Dear Friends,

By now, you have received Tom Gibian's heartfelt letter announcing his planned retirement as our Head of School after the 2019-2020 school year. To a person, the members of the Board of Trustees of our School, past and present, have been inspired by Tom's leadership and his belief that the world is made better because of Sandy Spring Friends School, his dedication to the sustainability of the School and our Quaker values, and his love of this special place. As our broader community reflects on the impact Tom's leadership has had on Sandy Spring Friends School during the past nine years, the Board of Trustees will continue to work with Tom to fulfill the School's mission, while anticipating a leadership change.

It is the duty of the Board of Trustees to find a qualified successor as Head of School. We have commenced that process by appointing a Search Committee that has already begun its work. The Clerk of the Committee is our current Assistant Board Clerk, Hamid Faruqee. The Committee also includes experienced Trustees Barbara Andrews, Katherine Barry, Toni Evans, Daryl Gincherman, Ralph Portee, and myself. Our Immediate Past Board Clerk, Jodi Leeser, has also graciously agreed to serve with us, and each of the School's three divisions is represented by faculty Committee members Linda Garrettson, Aimee Farley, and Eduardo Polón.

To assist the Search Committee, we have retained Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, a leading consulting search firm that specializes in education executive searches. The Storbeck team will be led by Sherry Coleman, who has extensive experience in Quaker School executive searches. Additionally, the Committee anticipates assembling a Search Advisory Group that will include representatives of the entire Sandy Spring Friends School community to help inform the search process.

The Search Committee will solicit the input of students, parents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, administrators, the Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, and the Baltimore Yearly Meeting regarding the qualifications and qualities that are important in our next Head of School. Meetings on campus with members of our community will commence on April 25-26 as part of a "listening tour" that will also help inform the development of the Head of School profile. In addition, an online survey link will be available. We want everyone's input, and we welcome your perspective.

The Board of Trustees is well aware that there is no greater responsibility than its obligation to select a Head of School who will continue Tom's tradition of excellence, and under whose leadership Sandy Spring Friends School will continue to thrive, moving forward. Thank you in advance for your help, for which we are grateful.

Warmly,

Kip Imlay '71
Clerk, Sandy Spring Friends School Board of Trustees