I am pleased to announce that Mark Hansen will be the next Head of Lower School at Columbus Academy.
After an extensive national and international search, Mark emerged as an exceptional candidate. In addition to his current role as Primary School Principal at Copenhagen International School in Denmark, he has led elementary schools in Lithuania, Germany and Wisconsin as well as Sewickley Academy, a very strong PreK-12 independent day school near Pittsburgh.
Resumes are important, but Mark's visit to our campus last week proved that his experience and love of children were deeply ingrained in his approach to teaching and learning in school. This is clearly a pattern for him, as his former Head of School endorsed Mark by saying: "Mark is ready to run a school himself, but the Head who hires him as a division head will be getting one of the finest educators I had the privilege to work with during my career."
Mark earned his Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa and his Master of Arts in Elementary Administration from California State University, Northridge. His experience has involved working in independent, international and public schools, and he has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels in the U.S., Japan and The Netherlands.
This July, we will welcome Mark, his wife Debra and their three children. In the meantime, please join me in thanking Kay Mason for her steady hand as Lower School Head. She will transition to her new role as Director of Internships and Community Outreach at the conclusion of this school year.
My best,
Head of School
