January 7, 2015

Dear Members of the HB Community,

As you know, Bill Christ will retire at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. Through three decades of visioning and hard work, Bill has transformed the Hathaway Brown community. The faculty here is engaged, the programs are deep and innovative, the students are bright, challenged and nurtured, and the alumnae feel a strong connection to our school.

Bill leaves Hathaway Brown poised to attract many strong candidates for the Head of School position. As we encourage every HB student to embrace change and to innovate, the school community at large will be doing the same.

As Chair of the Head Search Committee, I want to share an overview of what we have accomplished thus far and what will be happening in the future. Our committee is committed to transparency and inclusivity, and we hope you will engage in the process.

The Search Committee
The ultimate responsibility for hiring a new Head of School rests with the Board of Trustees. The Head Search Committee will present one recommendation to the entire Board for a formal vote. To aid in that effort, Board President Paul Matsen and I have assembled a group of Trustees, Life Trustees and other affiliates of the Board and of the school to be members of the Head Search Committee. These women and men have many ties to HB, and they will bring tremendous depth to our conversations over the coming months. A complete roster of committee members, along with some of their biographical information, may be found here. Soon we will add two elected members of the HB faculty to the committee as well. Their names will be shared as they become available. 

Our Search Partner
After evaluating the field of distinguished search firms, the HB Head Search Committee asked selected organizations to submit proposals in November. We ultimately invited six firms to visit Cleveland for interviews in early December. Without exception, the consultants relayed that HB is positioned to attract the very best candidates possible.

We have engaged Carney, Sandoe & Associates to be our search partner. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in recruiting heads at independent schools around the country. Their search process and style best fit our community, and we are delighted to be working with three of their outstanding consultants. Click here for additional background and contact information.

The School Assessment Visit
Carney, Sandoe & Associates representatives will visit HB this month to meet with faculty, parents, alumnae, and school administrators to develop a profile of the qualities, abilities, and expertise for the next Head of School. There will be various opportunities for you to learn about the search process and to share your input. A detailed schedule listing opportunities when you can meet directly with the consultants will be emailed to you soon. 

Community Survey
Following these meetings, in February we will email you a participation link for a confidential survey. We hope you will respond to the survey promptly so that your written input will further inform our thinking about the qualities and attributes of the next Head of School, as well as the priorities for the next stage of HB’s evolution.

Next Phase of the Process
The School Assessment Visit and Community Survey will help us prepare a Candidate Profile and an Opportunity Statement for prospective school heads. The Opportunity Statement will serve as one of many vehicles to publicize our search. During this phase of the process, Carney, Sandoe & Associates will actively publicize and recruit candidates for HB. We anticipate reviewing potential candidates during the spring and screening candidates during the summer. Finalist interviews would then happen during the early part of the 2015-2016 school year. We recognize that being flexible with our timing is essential to attract candidates, so we fully understand that this general time frame may shift.

Communications
On behalf of the Head Search Committee, I will endeavor to keep you updated by email as we are able. Respecting the confidentiality of the candidates is an important component of the search process, especially toward the later stages. We have established a special section of the website dedicated to the Head of School Search as well: www.hb.edu/HeadSearch. Please visit the pages there for helpful information and a roundup of communications materials.

In closing, I want to express that I am tremendously honored to serve HB as Chair of the Head Search Committee. It is an exciting time for Hathaway Brown as we begin the process of selecting the next Head of School. The Head Search Committee will strive to attract and identify a leader who will boldly carry the bright HB lamp of learning into the future.

I encourage you to email me hbutler@hb.edu at any time during this process with questions, comments, or concerns.

Best,

Helen Rankin Butler ‘87
Chair, Head of School Search Committee