About
Welcome the Padilla Family
Head of School Search | November Update
Dear CCES Community,
I hope everyone has returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday refueled and refreshed after time with family and friends. Before the break, I referenced in my letter regarding Dr. Leonard Kupersmith’s retirement that it is my intention to communicate with you often about the search for our next Head of School, and today will be the inaugural communication.
While the primary role of the Board of Trustees is to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the school, our most important responsibility is the hiring of the school’s head who oversees the day-to-day operations of the school. As I lead this process as your Board Chair, I pledge that the Search Committee will be thoughtful, measured, and judicious as we seek our next school leader. It is an honor for each of us to serve the CCES community during such an important juncture in the life of the school, and it is our promise to be as transparent as possible throughout this process. We welcome your input during this process as well. Logistically, all information shared about the search will have a home on our website and can be found there in case you miss a communication or would like to return to it for reference. Today, I hope to lay out the process and set expectations.
For those of you newer to the school, a bit of history first. Leonard was promoted to the title of Headmaster at CCES in 2008 under Dr. Lee Cox who moved to the title of President. When Lee retired in 2010, Leonard remained as Headmaster and became the sole leader of the school. The last time the Board of Trustees undertook a full-blown, nationwide search process was in 1997 with the appointment of Ellen Moceri (Dr. Cox was hired through a targeted search and Dr. Kupersmith was an internal candidate and the obvious successor). Since that time the city of Greenville has experienced a Renaissance, all school grades moved onto the Cavalier Drive campus, CCES became an independent school, many campus improvements were constructed with new buildings and athletic facilities, and the country weathered the Great Recession. It’s safe to say the landscape of a search for a Head of School for CCES in Greenville, South Carolina has significantly changed since 1997.
Knowing these facts and with Leonard generously sharing his intention with the Board so far in advance, this fall the Board commissioned an ad-hoc committee called the Transition Planning Committee to explore various search models and search firms, ultimately hiring a firm to assist in the search process. The committee began by speaking with an expert in the field to understand the various process models and learn what to expect from a search firm. Next, we solicited proposals from top firms around the country, interviewed them in person, and performed appropriate due-diligence. Through this process the Transition Planning Committee learned a great deal about head searches, various search models, and the ins and outs of every firm we interviewed. The committee felt Spencer Stuart would serve our community and the Search Committee best, producing the highest caliber candidate pool for consideration. Our consultants with Spencer Stuart are Chuck Jordan and Meaghan Becker.
Perhaps the most eye-opening part of the process was talking with newly appointed heads of school and other Search Committee chairs to learn about their experiences during the process. Through this due-diligence the committee amassed an abundance of knowledge about how various search models work, which type yields the best candidate pools, and what type of search model the top candidates are most comfortable with in today’s independent school environment. We learned the head search process differs greatly from that of a search for an Assistant Head or Division Director, and a candidate-centric model has been used with great effectiveness recently by our peer schools in the region (e.g. in Asheville, Atlanta, and Charlotte) as well as many in our INDEX group of like-sized independent schools. In today’s school search world, the best candidates place high value on their confidentiality; therefore, the process most often used is considered candidate-centric. The few schools we spoke to who chose another model all recognized they were losing highly qualified candidates for consideration from the outset because the search was not candidate-centric.
We discovered the vast majority of high-performing candidates place such a priority on their confidentiality that they will not agree to enter a search if their candidacy is publicized at any stage. While finalists disclose their candidacy to their direct supervisors, the candidate’s effectiveness at his or her current school can be compromised if teachers, staff, parents and students were to also learn that their head or another key administrator is involved in a search. The same is true for internal candidates who would not wish to jeopardize or undermine their current posting. Spencer Stuart is well-known for producing quality candidates who were not actively pursuing other opportunities prior to receiving a call and are very happy in their current positions. The candidate-centric approach respects the confidentiality of all candidates and will ensure that the highest caliber candidate pool is available for the Search Committee’s consideration. The Transition Planning Committee agreed that producing the best possible candidate pool from which to choose our next head is top priority and believes Spencer Stuart will deliver on this priority using the candidate-centric model.
With the candidate-centric model, community input is key to a successful search. Spencer Stuart will spend two days on campus in early January 2019 meeting with a wide variety of constituents including parents, trustees, alumni, faculty and staff, administrators, students, and other stakeholders in our community. During these meetings the consultants will share information about the search, but their primary goal will be to learn about CCES, gather information about short and long-term priorities, and hear what qualities our community believes the next Head of School should possess. We will also have a “town hall” style meeting where any community members are welcome to come learn and ask questions about the search process. In addition, we will offer an online survey so that all stakeholders can offer similar input about our school’s next leader if they are unable to attend over the two-day period or would like to do so anonymously. These conversations and data gathering will inform the position specification which will be sent to possible candidates.
From this point, Spencer Stuart and the Search Committee are tasked with identifying and evaluating candidates. While the Board is responsible for the ultimate decision-making in the search process, the opinions and insights of the faculty and staff are critical to the process. The Search Committee will appoint a Faculty & Staff Advisory Committee to act in a consultative role to the Search Committee and they will also meet with the candidates. The Search Committee hopes to begin interviewing semi-finalists in the spring. After those interviews, the committee will then continue to narrow the field, bringing candidates and their families to visit the school, Greenville, and meet with others as appropriate. The Search Committee will make a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees, then the Board will vote on the appointment of the proposed candidate as Head of School. The Board hopes to announce the next Head of School in early Summer. The new head will then have the 2019-2020 school year to visit and meet the CCES community when possible as well as assist in the transition from their current position before they take the reins on July 1, 2020.
The Search Committee was ratified by the Board on November 15 and adheres to the Bylaws’ rules on members. Our Bylaws state the committee must include the Board Chair and the Rector and Vestry Representative of Christ Episcopal Church and may only include members of the Board of Trustees. To that end, the Board unanimously and enthusiastically approved the members of the Search Committee: Cary Weekes (Chair), Dr. Rev. Harrison McLeod (Rector), Betty Teague (Vestry Representative), Jim Hendrix, Katie Howell, Rev. Sean Dogan, and Hon. Marvin Quattlebaum. Each of these Trustees exhibit the depth of character and impeccable judgement necessary when evaluating candidates. I am confident they will represent the Board and the entire CCES community in exemplary fashion as we search for our next Head of School.
As we move forward, if you feel you know someone who would make an excellent candidate for our next Head of School, please send your nomination or recommendation directly to Spencer Stuart (CCESHOS@spencerstuart.com). And if you have questions regarding the search, you can reach the Search Committee as well (headsearch@cces.org).
The next step will be the information gathering and community input stage, which will take place on January 9 and 10, and I will be in touch with more details soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the various school gatherings planned as we move into the festive Christmas season at CCES.
Warmest Regards,
Cary H. Weekes
Back
I hope everyone has returned from a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday refueled and refreshed after time with family and friends. Before the break, I referenced in my letter regarding Dr. Leonard Kupersmith’s retirement that it is my intention to communicate with you often about the search for our next Head of School, and today will be the inaugural communication.
While the primary role of the Board of Trustees is to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the school, our most important responsibility is the hiring of the school’s head who oversees the day-to-day operations of the school. As I lead this process as your Board Chair, I pledge that the Search Committee will be thoughtful, measured, and judicious as we seek our next school leader. It is an honor for each of us to serve the CCES community during such an important juncture in the life of the school, and it is our promise to be as transparent as possible throughout this process. We welcome your input during this process as well. Logistically, all information shared about the search will have a home on our website and can be found there in case you miss a communication or would like to return to it for reference. Today, I hope to lay out the process and set expectations.
For those of you newer to the school, a bit of history first. Leonard was promoted to the title of Headmaster at CCES in 2008 under Dr. Lee Cox who moved to the title of President. When Lee retired in 2010, Leonard remained as Headmaster and became the sole leader of the school. The last time the Board of Trustees undertook a full-blown, nationwide search process was in 1997 with the appointment of Ellen Moceri (Dr. Cox was hired through a targeted search and Dr. Kupersmith was an internal candidate and the obvious successor). Since that time the city of Greenville has experienced a Renaissance, all school grades moved onto the Cavalier Drive campus, CCES became an independent school, many campus improvements were constructed with new buildings and athletic facilities, and the country weathered the Great Recession. It’s safe to say the landscape of a search for a Head of School for CCES in Greenville, South Carolina has significantly changed since 1997.
Knowing these facts and with Leonard generously sharing his intention with the Board so far in advance, this fall the Board commissioned an ad-hoc committee called the Transition Planning Committee to explore various search models and search firms, ultimately hiring a firm to assist in the search process. The committee began by speaking with an expert in the field to understand the various process models and learn what to expect from a search firm. Next, we solicited proposals from top firms around the country, interviewed them in person, and performed appropriate due-diligence. Through this process the Transition Planning Committee learned a great deal about head searches, various search models, and the ins and outs of every firm we interviewed. The committee felt Spencer Stuart would serve our community and the Search Committee best, producing the highest caliber candidate pool for consideration. Our consultants with Spencer Stuart are Chuck Jordan and Meaghan Becker.
Perhaps the most eye-opening part of the process was talking with newly appointed heads of school and other Search Committee chairs to learn about their experiences during the process. Through this due-diligence the committee amassed an abundance of knowledge about how various search models work, which type yields the best candidate pools, and what type of search model the top candidates are most comfortable with in today’s independent school environment. We learned the head search process differs greatly from that of a search for an Assistant Head or Division Director, and a candidate-centric model has been used with great effectiveness recently by our peer schools in the region (e.g. in Asheville, Atlanta, and Charlotte) as well as many in our INDEX group of like-sized independent schools. In today’s school search world, the best candidates place high value on their confidentiality; therefore, the process most often used is considered candidate-centric. The few schools we spoke to who chose another model all recognized they were losing highly qualified candidates for consideration from the outset because the search was not candidate-centric.
We discovered the vast majority of high-performing candidates place such a priority on their confidentiality that they will not agree to enter a search if their candidacy is publicized at any stage. While finalists disclose their candidacy to their direct supervisors, the candidate’s effectiveness at his or her current school can be compromised if teachers, staff, parents and students were to also learn that their head or another key administrator is involved in a search. The same is true for internal candidates who would not wish to jeopardize or undermine their current posting. Spencer Stuart is well-known for producing quality candidates who were not actively pursuing other opportunities prior to receiving a call and are very happy in their current positions. The candidate-centric approach respects the confidentiality of all candidates and will ensure that the highest caliber candidate pool is available for the Search Committee’s consideration. The Transition Planning Committee agreed that producing the best possible candidate pool from which to choose our next head is top priority and believes Spencer Stuart will deliver on this priority using the candidate-centric model.
With the candidate-centric model, community input is key to a successful search. Spencer Stuart will spend two days on campus in early January 2019 meeting with a wide variety of constituents including parents, trustees, alumni, faculty and staff, administrators, students, and other stakeholders in our community. During these meetings the consultants will share information about the search, but their primary goal will be to learn about CCES, gather information about short and long-term priorities, and hear what qualities our community believes the next Head of School should possess. We will also have a “town hall” style meeting where any community members are welcome to come learn and ask questions about the search process. In addition, we will offer an online survey so that all stakeholders can offer similar input about our school’s next leader if they are unable to attend over the two-day period or would like to do so anonymously. These conversations and data gathering will inform the position specification which will be sent to possible candidates.
From this point, Spencer Stuart and the Search Committee are tasked with identifying and evaluating candidates. While the Board is responsible for the ultimate decision-making in the search process, the opinions and insights of the faculty and staff are critical to the process. The Search Committee will appoint a Faculty & Staff Advisory Committee to act in a consultative role to the Search Committee and they will also meet with the candidates. The Search Committee hopes to begin interviewing semi-finalists in the spring. After those interviews, the committee will then continue to narrow the field, bringing candidates and their families to visit the school, Greenville, and meet with others as appropriate. The Search Committee will make a final recommendation to the Board of Trustees, then the Board will vote on the appointment of the proposed candidate as Head of School. The Board hopes to announce the next Head of School in early Summer. The new head will then have the 2019-2020 school year to visit and meet the CCES community when possible as well as assist in the transition from their current position before they take the reins on July 1, 2020.
The Search Committee was ratified by the Board on November 15 and adheres to the Bylaws’ rules on members. Our Bylaws state the committee must include the Board Chair and the Rector and Vestry Representative of Christ Episcopal Church and may only include members of the Board of Trustees. To that end, the Board unanimously and enthusiastically approved the members of the Search Committee: Cary Weekes (Chair), Dr. Rev. Harrison McLeod (Rector), Betty Teague (Vestry Representative), Jim Hendrix, Katie Howell, Rev. Sean Dogan, and Hon. Marvin Quattlebaum. Each of these Trustees exhibit the depth of character and impeccable judgement necessary when evaluating candidates. I am confident they will represent the Board and the entire CCES community in exemplary fashion as we search for our next Head of School.
As we move forward, if you feel you know someone who would make an excellent candidate for our next Head of School, please send your nomination or recommendation directly to Spencer Stuart (CCESHOS@spencerstuart.com). And if you have questions regarding the search, you can reach the Search Committee as well (headsearch@cces.org).
The next step will be the information gathering and community input stage, which will take place on January 9 and 10, and I will be in touch with more details soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the various school gatherings planned as we move into the festive Christmas season at CCES.
Warmest Regards,
Cary H. Weekes
Christ Church Episcopal School (“CCES”) admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at CCES. CCES does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, national or ethnic origin, creed, religion, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, scholarship or other programs, or athletic or other school-administered programs and activities.