Dear Friends,

On behalf of the George School Board of Trustees and the Search Committee, we are pleased to announce that Justin Brandon has been enthusiastically selected by the George School Board to serve as our tenth Head of School, beginning July 1, 2024.  

Justin’s selection follows a comprehensive and spirit-led process that began in Spring 2023. Finalists visited George School in mid-October and met with various constituents who provided valuable and thoughtful feedback to the Search Committee. The level of participation from our community in this process speaks to our collective commitment to George School; your input provided critical guidance to the Committee. Thank you.

Justin stood out from an impressive group of candidates as having the experience, skills, and qualities essential to lead our school into a successful next chapter. His personal and professional values clearly resonate with Quaker faith and practice. His commitment to building community, demonstrated collaborative and inclusive approach to decision-making, and ability to meaningfully connect with and unify others made him the clear choice to serve as George School’s tenth Head of School. 

Justin is a veteran independent school leader, currently Associate Head of School at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he also has served as Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs. He previously served as Head of Upper School at Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, Illinois and Director of Upper School at Moorestown Friends School in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Doreen Kelly, Head of Ravenscroft School, remarked, “Justin has done a remarkable job at Ravenscroft, and I have no doubt that he and his beautiful family will be a wonderful fit for George School. I have every confidence that, together, you will continue to lift up the important mission of developing citizen scholars as students continue to treasure learning.  Congratulations from all of us at Ravenscroft!”

Justin’s extensive experience in the work of independent schools—discerning and leading strategic initiatives, unifying school constituencies through change, attracting and retaining talented educational professionals—will serve him well in the opportunities that lay ahead for George School.

“I am honored and excited to be named the next Head of George School,” shared Justin. “My wife and I felt a strong sense of community as soon as we arrived on campus and throughout our visit. I appreciated the authentic conversations I had with students, faculty, staff, parents and caregivers, alumni, and members of the Board of Trustees. I look forward to continuing those conversations as I learn more about the history and traditions that make George School a very special community.” 

Justin holds a Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and African American Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Justin Brandon will be the first Black Head of School in George School’s history. We are thrilled that he has accepted the appointment and look forward to working with him to ensure a successful transition over the next several months.

This message, along with updates on Justin’s transition to George School in the coming months, can be found on the Head of School Search website.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Justin, his wife, Angela, and their daughter, Jozi to the George School community.

In friendship,

Linda Espenshade Heinemann P’01
Clerk, George School Board

The Head of School Search Committee is pleased to share that, after a search that yielded 73 applications from both domestic and international candidates, they have invited 3 finalists to visit campus between October 11-19, 2023.

Each candidate will spend three days on campus meeting with various members of the community, speaking at assembly, holding drop-in sessions for students, faculty and staff, and meeting virtually with parent and alumni groups.

We are grateful to all members of the Search Committee for the time, thought, and dedication they continue to put into their work. Further details on candidate visits, including some slight schedule modifications and times for drop-in sessions, will be shared early next week.

George School has embarked upon a search for a new Head of School, who will join the school community in July of 2024. The Board of Trustees has engaged Resource Group 175, LLC, and its consultants, John Green, Catherine Hunter, and Marcia Prewitt Spiller to assist in this process.

John, Catherine, and Marcia are interested in your opinions about the current state of the school, the challenges it faces, and the professional and personal qualities you feel are important for the next Head of School and invite you to complete this survey by the end of the day on Friday, June 16. All responses are confidential and if shared, it will be without any identifiable attribution.

Please refer to the Head of School Search page for comprehensive and current information about the search process.

Thank you for your help and participation.

In friendship,

John Gibb
Clerk, Head of School Search Committee
Trustee

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to share with you that the Search Committee has selected RG175 Search Consultants as a partner in the recruitment and hiring of George School’s tenth head of school. Led by the team of John Green, Catherine Hunter and Marcia Prewitt Spiller, RG175 is committed to understanding the unique mission of George School and identifying outstanding school leaders for our consideration.

In the coming weeks, RG175 will engage members of our community from all constituencies (faculty, staff, alumni, families and students) to gain a comprehensive understanding of our mission and values, our institutional priorities, and our school culture. The team will visit George School on Tuesday, May 23 so that they can experience campus in full swing before the school year ends. This visit will be the first in a series of conversations that the consultants will have with members of our community over the next few months.

Together with the Search Committee, they will develop an opportunity statement and will begin a comprehensive recruitment process through a broad network both within and outside of independent schools. The initial review and screening of candidates is a confidential process requiring considerable discretion. Once finalists are selected, constituents will once again be invited into the process to meet the candidates and provide feedback to the Search Committee.

We hope to invite finalists to campus once the school year is underway and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the next Head of School by late fall.

Please refer to the Head of School Search page for comprehensive and current information about the search process. We will continue to keep you informed and aware of opportunities to engage in this work.

In friendship,

John Gibb, Clerk of Search Committee
Rebecca Boucher p’09 ’17, Assistant Clerk of Search Committee

Dear Faculty and Staff,

The selection and hiring of the Head of School is the most weighty responsibility of the George School Board. In light of Sam’s recent decision to complete his tenure at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, we have begun this work in earnest. Trustees, administrators, staff, and faculty came together to form a search committee who will carefully recruit and recommend a candidate to the Board. I am pleased to share with you the following members of our committee:

Clerk: John Gibb, Trustee

Assistant Clerk: Rebecca Boucher P ‘09 ‘17, Clerk of the Board

Committee members:

• Jō Adachi, Faculty
• Linda Espenshade Heinemann P’01, Former Faculty, Trustee
• Shantel Hubert, Faculty
• Kenny King ‘97, Trustee
• Elaine Lengle, Staff
• Rajeev Patel ‘99, Trustee
• Scott Spence, P’10, P’14, P’20, Associate Head of School

Our first task, already underway, will be to engage a search firm. We will update you once the firm has been selected and will continue to keep you updated and informed as our work progresses. Your input in this process is essential. We will be soliciting that input, with the help of the search firm, as we move forward. Please let me know if you have queries.

In friendship,

Rebecca

April 10, 2023

Dear George School Community,

As members of a strong Quaker educational community, we challenge ourselves to adapt to an evolving world. And when we adapt together in the spirit of continuing revelation, we can use that change to grow.

Sam Houser has informed the Board of Trustees and the school community that his eighth year as George School’s Head of School will be his last; he will complete his tenure in June of 2024. His news falls within the paradoxical word “bittersweet.”  We are saddened by his departure yet grateful for his work positioning the school for success over the last seven years. Sharing his decision with us now gives us the opportunity to plan for a fruitful year together.

None of us could know what we—and the world—would be asking of Sam when he arrived at George School in July of 2016. George School not only survived during his tenure; we have grown. Sam nurtured the creation, development and execution of an innovative new curriculum and schedule while simultaneously shepherding us through a global pandemic. We are grateful for his passion for education, his leadership, and his commitment to George School.

The Board is making plans to undertake a search for Sam’s successor. Maintaining our Quaker mission and ensuring a smooth transition are our top priorities. We have strong enrollment, an exceptional leadership team, outstanding faculty and staff, an engaged parent community, and a remarkable student body. George School is well positioned to attract highly qualified candidates capable of leading the school through its next chapter. We are in the process of selecting a search firm and forming a search committee to lead our community through this process. In the near future, we look forward to providing more details on this process and inviting your input.

While our world is continually changing, George School remains grounded in our mission and our identity. In the coming months, we look forward to welcoming our alumni back to campus and celebrating the Class of 2023. We are eager to continue our work on behalf of George School with Sam in the coming academic year. And we look forward to beginning George School’s next chapter with all of you.

In friendship,

Rebecca Boucher, P’09, ’17
Clerk of George School Board

Dear George School Community,

The ancient Greeks had a word and a concept, kairos, meaning “the right time,” divinely determined for a decision or change. Reflecting carefully over the past several months about my own future and that of George School, I have decided to complete my tenure as Head of School at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year, with time to deepen and extend the work we are doing together now and to prepare thoughtfully and thoroughly for the arrival of my successor.

Serving George School has been a tremendous honor and pleasure, and the people of George School are nothing short of inspiring. I am proud of this community and all we are accomplishing during my time here and no doubt will continue to accomplish next year. We have navigated a global pandemic, designed and launched a distinctive and bold academic schedule and curriculum, renewed our commitment to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, grown pride and competitiveness in our athletic programs, secured the future of our Children’s Center, and strengthened and rebuilt our community post-pandemic. We have done this while preserving access to George School for a strikingly diverse student community from around the country and around the world.

And now, George School is ready for a new chapter that builds on what we have done. I am confident that we have, together, prepared it to continue its strong trajectory as a leading global educational community grounded in the Quaker tradition. I’m certain that the school will engage in a thoughtful search process for my successor. And I’m sure that all of you will continue to move George School into the future while remaining firmly rooted in its mission.

The George School Board will lead the school in the search for the tenth Head of School and will be communicating details about the search process and ways that you can participate and provide input.

In the weeks to come, we will welcome our alumni back to campus for Alumni Weekend. We will successfully complete the first academic year of our new schedule and curriculum. And of course, we will honor, celebrate, and say farewell to the wonderful Class of 2023.

And then we will begin anew – together. I look forward to leading George School in the year ahead, welcoming the newly minted Class of 2027, and supporting all of you in the work you do for George School.

In friendship and with gratitude,

Sam Houser
Head of School