Dear Lamplighter Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the search committee, we are thrilled to announce that Mr. Mike Johnson will be Lamplighter’s next Catherine M. Rose Head of School. Mr. Johnson’s exceptional alignment with the mission, vision, and values of our school make him the right person to build on the tremendous legacy of Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill and lead our school into the future. In accepting the position, Mr. Johnson stated, “For more than two decades, I have been lighting lamps in classrooms and communities, blending joyful curiosity with academic rigor and human connection. It’s truly the opportunity of a lifetime to lead a school as values-driven and student-forward as Lamplighter.”  

Mr. Johnson joins us from Corbett Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida, where he has served as Associate Head of School and Principal for the past nine years. At Corbett, he focused on creating a learning environment where kids can be “curious, confident, and full of joy.” In his role as Associate Head, Mr. Johnson developed deep experience with curriculum development and implementation, social-emotional learning, and all aspects of school operations. Prior to his time at Corbett, Mr. Johnson served for a decade as a Lower School science teacher, STEM Coordinator, and Project Lead the Way Facilitator at Fairview South School in Illinois. In this role, Mr. Johnson relished bringing the excitement of project-based learning to students from kindergarten through fourth grade. A lifelong learner, Mr. Johnson has a bachelor’s degree in audio and electrical engineering, master’s degrees in educational leadership and teaching, and will receive his PhD in Quality Leadership in the spring of 2026. 

Mr. Johnson’s school leadership has also focused on creating conditions where teachers feel fully supported. At Corbett, Mr. Johnson helped redesign the School’s pedagogical and cultural framework to give teachers a common language through the MORE Model. His partnership with Yale’s Center for Emotional Intelligence led to a wellness curriculum that is grounded in teacher well-being. Not content with pursuing his doctoral degree at Mid Sweden University on his own, Mr. Johnson convinced a cohort of teachers from Corbett Prep to join him, while also developing university partnerships closer to home. He believes that opening new pathways for faculty development leads to the best outcomes for students. 

Mr. Johnson is married to Sarah Johnson, a learning specialist and middle school English teacher. They have two children: Jasper, who is currently in fourth grade, and Sailor, who is currently in second grade. Mr. Johnson grew up in Scotland and came to the United States as an eighteen-year-old to work at Camp Wigwam, where he spent nearly 20 summers overseeing hiring, training, programming, operations, and parent communication. His love of outdoor learning fits perfectly with Lamplighter’s philosophy of incorporating our natural environment and playground into our approach to education.

This wonderful outcome would not have been possible without the dedicated members of the search committee: Dave Beran, Ham Lee, Whitney Fogle Lewis, Jed Morse ’82, Jake Peden, Lakeshia Peters, and Alex Sharma. They served in true Lamplighter spirit, giving generously of their time and talents over the past several months. Since the announcement of Dr. Hill’s retirement in the spring, the committee has worked closely with our consultants at Carney, Sandoe & Associates to ensure a thorough, inclusive process. We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in the Lamplighter community who took the time to meet the candidates and provide feedback during the search process.

As we move forward, Dr. Hill and Mr. Johnson will work together towards a seamless transition, building upon Lamplighter’s long tradition of excellence. Mr. Johnson said it best when he noted that he would be honored to “carry forward Lamplighter’s distinctive traditions while embracing the innovations that will shape its future.”

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Mike Johnson and his family to Lamplighter!  

In Lamplighter Spirit,



Margaret Johansen Hirsch ’89

Chair, Board of Trustees

Thomas Morton

Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, Co- Chair of the Search Committee

Liz Cullum Helfrich ’90

Co-Chair of the Search Committee