Message from Board of Trustees concerning Dave Skeen’s resignation

On Friday afternoon, Head of School Dave Skeen shared with the Board of Trustees his intention to accept a new role as Head of School at Spartanburg Day School (a K–12 independent school) in South Carolina for the 2023–2024 school year. While we are saddened to see the Skeen family move on, we are proud of the work Dave has accomplished during his time here and are grateful for the strong position in which he leaves Harding Academy. 

Over the past seven years, Dave has successfully led the school through a strategic planning process, culminating with the Embracing the Future Strategic Plan; navigated the school through the trials of the pandemic; and effectively raised over $12 million for the Foundations for the Future capital campaign. Most importantly, Dave has shared his enthusiasm and passion for our mission and the students we serve. Over the course of his time at Harding, he has built a powerful leadership team as well as a robust group of educators who are, and will continue to be, the backbone of our school. We thank Dave for his service and dedication to Harding Academy. 

The Board of Trustees is beginning the process of appointing Dave's successor through the creation of a committee that will lead a national search. In the coming weeks and months, expect to hear regular updates regarding the search process, and please feel free to reach out to me at any time if you have questions.

Change is never easy, but it also presents opportunities. As we look ahead to the next 50 years, Harding is in an excellent position to capitalize on its strengths and take its mission of teaching students to think critically and independently even further.  

As a Board, we are incredibly proud of who we are as a learning community and who we are becoming collectively. Harding is the school it is today because of its exceptional community of faculty, staff, alumni, parents and students. It is this distinction that will lead us to continued success in the future.

We have an exciting year ahead, and we look forward to working alongside Dave to help continue the tradition of excellence for Harding Academy.