Letter from Board of Trustees Chair 3/7/18

It’s been several months since I’ve touched base with you regarding our Head of School transition. To be honest, that’s been quite intentional. After a busy fall, it seemed appropriate to “take a breather” and let our community settle back into the normal rhythms of school life. As you might suspect, though, there has been considerable activity behind the scenes and that’s what I’d like to update you on today.

Since last fall, Will and Chris have developed a strong working relationship, meeting monthly to delve into different aspects of Tenacre in a structured, comprehensive way. I’ve been meeting monthly with Will as well, using our time together to discuss Tenacre’s Board and its strategic priorities. Will also spent time on campus in mid-January with the entire faculty and senior administrative team. He approached these meetings as “listening sessions” by asking a series of open-ended questions (“what do you value most about Tenacre?,” “what are your hopes and dreams for the future?”). I had several staff members pull me aside afterwards to say how energized they were by the wonderfully rich dialogue and spirit of collaboration.

Perhaps most importantly, over these last few months, there’s been a tremendous feeling of excitement all around. Will can’t wait to join the Tenacre community – in fact, I think he’d say that having to sit tight until this summer is probably his biggest challenge right now! He’s especially eager to meet all of you and your children, who I’m sure will waste no time in showing him the ropes from a student perspective. Meanwhile, those of us who have already been interacting with Will continue to be thrilled by the prospect of his leadership. Chris will certainly be leaving behind a remarkable legacy, but Will is well poised to assume that mantle.

Before closing, I’d like to note that Will has two other invaluable resources at his disposal. He’s been working closely with Bob Henderson, one of our search consultants, and will continue to do so over the course of next year. Bob brings a wealth of expertise to this mentoring role after serving as Head of School at Nobles for 17 years. We also have an outstanding Transition Committee in place, co-chaired by Roger Forman and Stephanie Price. The Transition Committee represents a broad cross section of the Tenacre community; together with its “Welcoming Will” subcommittee, there are over 20 current and past parents, staff members and trustees involved. Roger and Stephanie will be following up in late March with more details about their activities.

Many thanks, as always, for your ongoing support as we both celebrate Chris this spring and welcome Will and his family into our community next fall. Here’s to a relaxing spring break, a joyful end to the school year, and the exciting new chapter that lies ahead!

Michele Norman
Chair, Board of Trustees