Dear Friends,
As a follow-up to Kip Imlay's message of April 4, I would like to offer some further details about our executive search for the next Head of School.
After Tom notified us that he will retire following the 2019-20 school year, the SSFS Board of Trustees created a Search Committee to begin a year-long process to find the next Head of School—one who would build on Tom's tradition of excellence and successfully lead our special school in fulfilling its mission. It will be the responsibility of the Search Committee to find and recommend such a person to the Board for consideration and approval.
As Kip also mentioned, we decided to retain Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates (SPA), a highly reputable national search firm, to help us throughout this process. After reviewing several firms, we chose SPA because of their extensive networks and experience, including familiarity with Quaker schools, and their strong commitment to diversity. Sherry Coleman and her team bring great energy, enthusiasm, and thoughtfulness to their work.
Finally, let me say that the last key ingredient in our search process is you—our SSFS community, including our alumni from around the world.
There are many ways to get involved, and we need to hear from you! Below is a list of some early dates in the search process that provide opportunities to contribute:
- April 25-26: Site visit. SPA will be on campus for a "listening tour" with different constituent groups—including meeting with faculty, staff, students, administration, and PA representatives. This includes open forums inviting all faculty and staff, respectively. It is an opportunity to share your thoughts about the school, why we are attractive to prospective candidates, what you are hoping that the next Head of School will accomplish, and what type of leader would best serve SSFS.
- By May 1: Online survey. We will be sending out a community-wide survey to draw upon your feedback to develop the Head of School prospectus. This prospectus will be made available to potential candidates, including leaders from independent schools and other fields who can offer nominations.
- May 8: Search Advisory Group (nominations). If you or someone you know would like to serve as part of a consultative group, please send nominations by May 8 to Mary.Lawson@ssfs.org and Julie.Mendez@ssfs.org. The search advisory group will have an opportunity to present its thoughts on SSFS leadership needs and prospective candidates directly to the Search Committee, including meeting with finalists that we bring on campus near the end of the process.
On our search timeline, from May through the summer, we will be working with SPA to build a highly-qualified, diverse pool of candidates. Here, the Search Committee would welcome receiving your ideas for the next Head, including non-traditional candidates that we should consider. You can submit your suggestions directly to our designated inbox (please email ssfsheadofschool@storbecksearch.com). From summer into the fall, we will work to narrow the pool, through screening and off-site interviews, down to a set of finalists that we would bring onto campus to meet with different members of the school community. Until these later stages, please note that we will need to firmly respect confidentiality to avoid closing the door for some candidates. At the finish line, we expect the Board to reach its decision and make an announcement of the next Head of School in October or November 2019.
Throughout the search, I shall provide you with occasional updates on where we are in the process—so please stay tuned! In return, I hope you will share your thoughts with me or other committee members along the way when you feel moved to do so. As a community, let us look forward to a new chapter for SSFS, one that reaches for new heights, and let us work together to make it so.
Best,
Hamid Faruqee Clerk, Search Committee Assistant Clerk, Sandy Spring Friends School Board of Trustees |