Dear Beaver Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is our great pleasure to announce that this morning we voted unanimously to name Kim Samson as Beaver Country Day School’s next Head of School, starting in the 2020-21 school year. She will succeed Peter Hutton in July 2020, following the conclusion of Peter's remarkable 28-year tenure as Head of School.

Kim's appointment as our next Head of School represents the culmination of a comprehensive and collaborative national search process. Thanks to the hard work, long hours, and dedication of the Search Committee, as well as the thoughtful feedback from a broad representation of our community—parents, faculty, administrators, students, staff, and alumni—we were able to identify the community’s aspirations for our future and what we are seeking in the next Head of School.

We are delighted to have found that person in Kim to keep Beaver on its exciting trajectory. Kim will bring 35 years of experience as a teacher, leader, and innovator in education. More specifically, her work as the Assistant Head and Director of the Upper School for eight years at Hawken School in Cleveland, Ohio prepares her to lead a school as distinctive as Beaver. An innovator who knows how to develop ideas and put them into action and a developer of people, Kim has been leading the charge to make school relevant and impactful for students and teachers. She is devoted to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and serving the needs of a diverse student body. Most of all, she gets students! Kim is known for her close and intentional relationships with kids, faculty, staff, and parents.

Returning to her New England roots, Kim and her wife, Folly, will be moving into the house on Woodland Road with their puppy, Riley, and are thrilled to be closer to family, including their two daughters. An active skier, hiker, and swimmer, Kim will be right at home.

In talking with Kim about this next step, she shared, "This opportunity to lead Beaver and its terrific community of curious and fearless students, teachers, and administrators is just too good to pass up. Under Peter's guidance, they have already done such great work in expanding the nature of school; I hope to continue that work and also to help position Beaver even more at the forefront of the conversation about redefining school."

We are in the process of finalizing the transition plan. Kim will be back to campus a number of times over the course of this year, and will be working closely with Peter throughout to ensure a smooth and successful transition in July. 

Please join us in welcoming Kim Samson as Beaver's next Head of School. We have so much to celebrate in the next year ahead!

Warm regards,