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Spring Message From The Board Of Trustees Chair

Cary Weekes
May 1, 2019



Dear CCES Community,

I trust each of you are well and enjoying the beautiful weather.  It’s the perfect time of year--post pollen and pre-intense heat so I hope you’re each able to get outside and enjoy it.

First, I am pleased to report the search process continues to progress in many positive ways.  We remain in the critical time frame for confidentiality; so, unfortunately there is not much specific information I can share in this report.  Though I will say that the Search Committee is very pleased with the level of service provided by our consultants at Spencer Stuart. Through their methodology we are getting to know each candidate deeply and in ways we had not expected, which is immensely helpful as we consider the needs of and the best fit for CCES going forward.  While our conversations continue, the Search Committee remains on track for an early summer announcement of our next Head of School.

Since we are winding down to the end of the school year and the month of “May-hem” is here, I thought I would use this month’s message to connect with you on the efforts of the Board during the 2018-2019 school year, especially since there’s not much meat to the Head Search update.

As you heard from me earlier this year, the Board’s main duties are to set the strategic direction of the school and ensure financial stability of the organization.  The biggest strategic initiative this year, and perhaps the most important function of any school’s Board of Trustees, is the Search for a new Head of School. While naturally much of our time has focused on our search, we haven’t let anything else go by the wayside and have been quite busy.

The Finance Committee recommends a preliminary budget for the following school year every January and this year was no different.  That effort allows the Board to debate and approve tuition increases as well as ask tactical questions about allocations. This committee also looks at any proposed plant improvement projects, recommending which the board should undertake.  This summer, with assistance from the Fund-a-Need Auction at the Crafted event, many security upgrades will be installed as well as the resurfacing of the track and tennis courts, among a few smaller projects as well. Trustee Jim Hendrix chaired the committee this year with diligence and dedication and Assistant Head of Finance and Operations, Doug Qualls, remains a steady and even hand on the school’s finances.

I’d like to use my platform to brag on Mr. Qualls for a moment if you will indulge me.  The Board has a significant working relationship with him throughout the year whether it concerns budget, plant improvements, school benchmarking exercises, or otherwise.  Through this relationship, we have seen his hard work and dedication to what’s best for CCES. In preparation for the Head of School search, our consultants looked through our website and requested information about the financial health of the school so that they can paint an accurate picture of the state of CCES when they speak with candidates.  Our search consultants are some of the best in the nation, if not the very best. They have worked with many elite boarding schools as well as other top tier independent schools in large markets. The consultants shared with us that the preparation and dissemination of our financials are the most transparent and well organized of any of the schools they have worked with, including those elite ones.  They were also impressed by the financial health of CCES: no debt, healthy maintenance and operating reserves, healthy enrollment and a balanced budget. This compliment by the search consultants is because of the excellent and exemplary financial management and leadership of Mr. Qualls and his entire team. While he may not have the most forward facing position in the school and some of you may not know him well, his value to the CCES community is immeasurable and should not be taken for granted.  So please, the next time you see him, thank him for all he does to keep CCES on the path to excellence everyday.

The Advancement Committee is helmed by Trustee Ike Poplin with school leadership from Jamie Inman, the Assistant Head for Advancement.  The central goal of the committee this year was to be more strategic in its interactions and develop people and process. Auxiliary organizations like Arts Guild, Booster Club, Alumni Association, and Board of Visitors continue to refine and enhance their efforts in support of the full CCES community through advocacy, volunteerism, and financial support.  

Some major highlights come with news of successful fundraising efforts.  The Cavalier Fund had a record year surpassing $850,000 through the dedication of its volunteers and staff leadership of Tiffany Massey.  The team accomplished the goal in record time and with a renewed spirit thanks to the volunteerism of Chairs Katie & Rob Howell as well as Headmaster’s Club Chairs Jacob & Elizabeth Mann.  The Board-charged endowment effort is also underway with nearly $2.9 million committed to the Phase 1 goal of $4.5M. The initiative is lead by a committee of Dr. Leonard Kupersmith, Mrs. Lanny Webster, Mr. William Crawford, Mr. Shane Taylor, Mrs. Eva Fox, Mrs. Jamie Inman, and me.  If you’re interested in learning more about the CCES endowment and why it’s so critical to the long term sustainability of the school, you can read more about it on the new Endowment section of the website or reach out to Ms. Inman or me directly.

The Religious Life Committee was also quite busy this year rebooting itself under the school leadership of The Rev. Wallace Adams-Riley who is finishing out his first year as our Senior Chaplain.  The Board’s Vestry Representative always chairs this committee, which kicked off with Mrs. Betty Teague in the fall until Ms. Helen Wynkoop joined the Board in January as Mrs. Teague rolled off the Vestry.  This committee is tasked with keeping their fingers on the pulse of the religious life of the school and will also hear updates on Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan. This group will produce a Religious Life Handbook next fall that will explain each of the various events on campus throughout the year (think Chrismon service or All Saints Chapel) as well as outline the curriculum and what it means to be an Episcopal School.  The committee sees this as a valuable source for parents, prospective parents, and many others as well.

The Board’s Committee on Trustees is chaired by our outgoing Trustee Luanne Runge this year.  The committee began meeting in December to discuss new members to join July 1st, 2019. This year we have five spots available as Mr. Rodney Hinton, Dr. Veena Mathur O’Brien, Dr. Trip Renfro, Mrs. Luanne Runge, and Mrs. Shirley Roe Tuck are rolling off the board after years of engaged service to CCES.  Mr. Shane Taylor, our Immediate Past Chair, is also rolling off after what must be a record of 11 years of dedicated and indefatigable service to CCES. When the Board has an Immediate Past Chair for a year, the Board balloons to 20 members. So, when Mr. Taylor departs this summer, the Board will revert to the standard 19 members.

When looking for new members, the Committee on Trustees assesses candidates through a list of personal character traits required for service (e.g. ability to prioritize CCES’s best interests over his/her own) as well as careful analysis of skill sets needed at the Board level (e.g. a lawyer is rolling off and a need remains for a legal mind on the Board).  In addition to these qualities, it is important to note that the Board must always remain a majority of Episcopalians as we remain connected to Christ Church Episcopal. In our March meeting, the Board unanimously approved Mr. Jordan Lea, Mr. Raymond Levy, Mr. Mike McBride, Mr. Bill Pelham, and Mrs. Melissa Thomason for membership. The Board believes they will bring their own unique talents during an important transition period.

The Bylaws Committee was also hard at work this year, completing a major review and update for the first time since 2010.  This was a collaborative process between our Committee (chaired by Mr. Beattie Ashmore and includes the Hon. Marvin Quattlebaum, Mr. John Jennings, and me) and the Church’s team (The Rev. Dr. Harrison McLeod, Betty Teague, Ms. Helen Wynkoop, and Mr. Baker Wyche).  Many of the changes track language from the South Carolina Code of Laws to bring the amended Bylaws into conformity with existing statues to ensure they are as strong as possible. Another important update integrated our Episcopal Identity statement into the body of the Bylaws from an attachment and memorialized the uses for the Chapel of the Good Shepherd.  Other updates were more tactical in nature such as updating the titles of our Assistant Heads for Advancement and Finance and Operations to conform to the current organizational structure and a change in terms for incoming Trustees from two, 4-year terms to three, 3-year terms. As per our procedure, the Bylaws were passed unanimously by our Board of Trustees and sent to the Vestry of the Church for their final approval where they also passed unanimously.  Mr. Jennings and Mr. Wyche deserve special thanks as they handled the heavy lifting, though the smoothness of the process is attributable to the strength of the relationship between the Church and the School because of the continued collaboration between The Rev. Dr. McLeod and Dr. Kupersmith.

Perhaps the most exciting new initiative enacted by the Board this year is the ad-hoc Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, which Dr. Kupersmith recently announced alongside the appointment of Ms. Melanie Gordon as Diversity Coordinator.  Ms. Gordon will chair this effort in company with Trustee Rev. Sean Dogan, who will serve as the liaison to the Board. The Board unanimously voted to support this initiative as an official ad-hoc committee and looks forward to hearing more from this committee in the following months as they find ways to further our Episcopal Identity through these efforts.

Finally, the Strategic Plan remains a sharp focus for the Board.  It is very much an active plan being pursued constantly; a plan on a shelf would not satisfy this Board.  Dr. Kupersmith and others have shared some exciting progress to date (250 resilience lessons taught, an increase in the number of all school gatherings, hiring of an Upper School Counselor, a new internship program that will launch in the summer of 2020 for rising seniors, complete of a full curriculum map, and the introduction of the Lucy Calkins writing program), and the Board anxiously awaits what further progress will be made as we enter the third year of the Plan.  We aim to share quantifiable and measurable results of the Plan with the community as we continue progress.

As this communication will be my last about the Board for this school year (with the exception of a Head of School announcement), I would like to thank you all for making my first year as Chair of the CCES Board so wonderful.  I enjoy hearing from those near and far with their thoughts about the school, and I am looking forward to the next two years as we say our farewells to Dr. Kupersmith, transition to a new Head, and continue the push together for excellence in all things at CCES.

Warmest Regards,

Cary H. Weekes
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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.