Graphic by Sesame Gaetsaloe/The Choate News
With the announcement of Associate Head of School Ms. Kathleen Wallace’s retirement, Choate has created a new role, the Head of Student and Academic Life, to replace the Associate Head of School position.
The Head of Student and Academic Life will form a bridge between the administration and students. “Administrators will have the autonomy that we have always had and at the same time have a direct point of contact who is going to be given the agency to make decisions for the best interest of the School,” said Dean of Students Mr. Mike Velez ’00.
The primary role of the new position will be to work with the Dean of Students, the Dean of Faculty, the Director of Equity and Inclusion, and the Director of College Counseling, while Head of School Dr. Alex Curtis connects with outside groups such as parents, alumni, and trustees. One of the future Head of Student and Academic Life’s main goals will be to increase the speed with which the School responds to campus issues, particularly when Dr. Curtis is traveling.
The search for candidates to fill the new position has already begun. A search committee composed of Dr. Curtis, Mr. Velez, Director of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers, and HPRSS teacher Ms. Tiffany Rivera, as well as members of the Board of Trustees, will meet prior to spring break. Two weeks ago, faculty and staff were given the opportunity to share feedback on the new position and the search process with Dr. Curtis.
The committee will work with an outside executive search firm, Storbeck Search. “Storbeck does a lot of the digging, recruiting, and outreach to a number of different places to help find the candidate you want,” said Dr. Myers.
The administration chose Storbeck Search for its reputation for identifying a diverse pool of candidates in their searches. “They have a proven track record if you look at the statistical analysis of the number of BIPOC candidates that they put forward and their hiring percentages,” said Mr. Velez. Together, Storbeck and the search committee will write a job description and identify viable candidates.
“I’m hoping we find someone who has commitment to the same values we’ve established as an institution. Someone [who], when going through the process, develops a level of love and appreciation for the School and is ready to work to make positive change,” said Mr. Velez. “They’re coming into the role on the front end of a strategic plan, so hopefully they will bring an open-mindedness to the role and offer support in a way that will enhance the overall experience of students, faculty, and staff.”
Dr. Myers added, “You have to have someone with quality leadership skills and a confidence in decision making. You want someone who has trust in themself and values collaboration, who is a strong leader but also a flexible leader.”
Because the search for Head of Student and Academic Life will not conclude until the fall of 2021, Dean of Faculty Ms. Katie Levesque will serve as the interim Head of Student and Academic Life for the next school year. An interim Dean of Faculty to temporarily replace Ms. Levesque has not yet been named.
“I’m excited to learn some new things, do some new things, and continue to contribute to Choate,” said Ms. Levesque.
Ms. Levesque does not yet have specific goals for next year. She said, “We are in a strategic planning process, and I will be taking direction from the strategic priorities that the School has set.”
