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March 18, 2022
To the Taft School Community:
Given the announcement of Willy and Pam’s retirement after the 2022-23 school year, I wanted to follow up with the Taft School community on the critical next steps toward finding a new Head of School for Taft.
Creation of a Search Committee (SC):
I have had several conversations with Willy, other members of the Board, and other school Board Chairs about the composition and size of the SC. My objective is to create a committee that properly represents the Taft community and its various constituencies, while at the same time creating a committee that is agile and efficient. I am pleased to report that Sarkis Izmirlian '90, P '20, '22, '24 and Kate Genung Taylor '94 have agreed to Co-Chair the SC. After much discussion, we have agreed that the SC will be comprised of Jon Albert '79, P '09, '11, Kingman Gordon '88, Ernest Kwarteng '98, Amanda McGovern '93, Tamara Sinclair '05, and Jo Ziesing '78, P '07, '09, '12. I express great gratitude to these Trustees for agreeing to lead and serve on this, the most important committee we have ever formed. The SC is charged with running a transparent and inclusive process to hire the next Head of School. Communications and confidentiality will have to be balanced, and I am confident the SC will act with the highest standards of care and conduct. I can assure you that the Board views the search decision as its most important responsibility as a fiduciary for the school community.
Search Firm Request for Proposal (RFP):
The first task of the SC will be to select a search firm consultant which will oversee the process and outreach for the new Head of School. The SC is already consulting with the National Association of Independent Schools, reviewing the search process and activity of other schools who have recently conducted searches, and speaking with Trustees at other schools who have recently completed searches. Obviously, Willy will be very helpful as well given his knowledge of other processes. The plan is for the SC to interview several firms and to select one this spring. Selecting the correct search firm consultant is critical to the success of the rest of the process, and I am confident the SC will find the right firm that will serve Taft well.
I can assure you that the Board understands the importance of our task at hand: to find the best possible Head of School to carry on the tremendous progress the school has made under Willy and Pam’s leadership. I will keep you informed as our process and decision making proceed.
Sincerely,
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