Message from Head of School Search Committee

Dear Members of the Harding Community:
 
As you know, on September 12, Dave Skeen announced his decision to step down as Head of School at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. As Co-Chairs of the Search Committee tasked by the Board of Trustees with identifying Dave’s successor, we would like to extend our sincere gratitude to him for what will be seven years of superb leadership. It is a remarkable tenure, one that we will have the opportunity to celebrate over the months ahead. For now, though, we would like to share with you the details of the search process we have put in place that will lead to the appointment of the 8th Head of Harding Academy.
 
Harding’s esteemed reputation in the independent school community, as well as its history, culture, and financial stability, will allow us to conduct a search that we are confident will attract a pool of outstanding candidates. Our search process will be transparent, thorough, and inclusive, and we will ensure that the entire Harding community has the opportunity to share thoughts and ideas along the way.
 
The search committee reflects a broad spectrum of the Harding community, including seven board members who are also Harding parents, alumni and/or parents of alumni and two faculty members. The search committee members are:
 
Merrie Clark Alexander 
Braden Bell (Assistant Middle School Director, Theater & Choral Director)
Jessica Martin Darden ‘96
Melissa Frist
Ben Heavrin
Jeff Moats ‘94
Whit Moloney
Katy Stumpf (first grade teacher)
Meredith Mallard Thompson ‘94 (President, Board of Trustees)
 
It will be the responsibility of the committee to screen and evaluate candidates and make a recommendation to the full Board of Trustees, which will make the final decision on the next Head of School. Our current expectation is that this process will lead to an announcement of our new Head in the spring of 2023, though we will be prepared to accelerate our timetable if necessary.
 
The Board has spent the past few weeks interviewing several highly-qualified search consultants, ultimately retaining Carney, Sandoe & Associates to partner with us in the search process. Carney Sandoe is recognized both nationally and internationally as a leader in recruiting heads and other senior administrators for independent schools. We are extremely fortunate that we will be represented by senior search consultants Marguerite Lloyd, who assisted Harding in its last Head of School search, and Ben Bolté, who has over 30 years of experience at Carney Sandoe. In Marguerite and Ben, and their Carney Sandoe colleagues, we have a team that has extensive experience in head searches, including for other leading independent schools in Nashville. 
 
Marguerite and Ben will be visiting Harding on Tuesday, October 11 and Wednesday, October 12. During these two days, parents, students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees will have the opportunity to share their perspectives about Harding and their desired qualities in a new Head. These conversations will allow Marguerite and Ben to develop a compelling school profile and a job description that reflects what we want and need in a leader.  Times when parents, alumni and faculty and staff can meet with Marguerite and Ben will be distributed within the next several days.  
 
In addition, you will shortly be invited via email to complete a Head of School Survey, which will allow you directly and anonymously to express your views on issues relevant to Harding and what we should be seeking in the next Head.
 
Finally, we have launched a section on Harding’s website dedicated to the search process: www.hardingacademy.org/community/head-of-school-search. There, you will find search-related communications and schedules, as well as an upcoming Q & A section which we hope you will find helpful. We will update this page regularly as new information becomes available.
 
We hope this communication provides a useful outline of the process we will follow. If you have any questions or views, please feel free to contact us at headsearch@hardingacademy.us. We are committed to appointing as our new Head of School an individual who embraces Harding’s mission and values and who has a demonstrated record as an outstanding leader.
 
Sincerely,

Meredith Mallard Thompson 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee
President, Board of Trustees

Jeff Moats 
Co-Chair, Head of School Search Committee
Trustee
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