Ms. Jennifer Karlen Elliott, the Assistant Head of School for Residential Life and Dean of Students at Phillips Academy Andover, has been appointed as Choate’s first Head of Student and Academic Life, a new position designed to be a surrogate Head of School when Dr. Alex Curtis, Choate’s Head of School, is away from campus.
Ms. Elliott was chosen after an eight-month search. At Andover, she has taught history and social science and coached squash. Previously, she worked at the Stevenson School and the Westminster School.
As Choate’s Head of Student and Academic Life, she will work closely with Dr. Curtis but will be able to make decisions about the School’s budget and other functions without consulting him. The Dean of Faculty, the Dean of Equity and Inclusion, the Dean of College Counseling, and the Dean of Students will all report directly to Ms. Elliott.
The search process for the position began last spring with the organization of a search committee. The committee consisted of Dr. Curtis, members of the Board of Trustees, Dean of Students Mr. Mike Velez ’00, Dean of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers, and HPRSS Teacher Ms. Tiffany Rivera. Additionally, the School partnered with the consulting firm Storbeck Search.
By the end of the spring term of 2020, the Search Committee whittled its pool of candidates to a smaller group that Storbeck further vetted over the summer. This pool included a diverse group of candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and interests. By the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year, the pool had been further reduced to a group of semi-finalists who each participated in a series of Zoom sessions. That group was narrowed to three finalists who visited campus in October. Ms. Elliott was unanimously recommended by the Board of Trustees.
Ms. Elliott first became interested in Choate after getting to know Mr. Velez and former Dean of Students Mr. James Stanley during occasional meetings with other boarding school deans.“It’s been awesome to learn about Choate’s community and Choate’s values and see the different ways that the work we’re doing overlaps,” she said.
Mr. Raynard Kington, Andover’s Head of School, said that Ms. Elliott is “energetic, thoughtful, and committed.” He continued, “She is very devoted to students and ensuring that students’ experiences are at the center of everything.”
Mr. Velez said, “She had an excellent track record of being a person who puts the needs of the community before any individual ones. I think she is someone who is aligned with our mission and values as a person, and I think that that is really important when you look at positions of leadership at a school. You want somebody who shares the values and visions of the School, not only professionally but also personally.”
Upon reading her responses in her application, Dr. Curtis shared similar sentiments regarding her Choate-like spirit. “There’s a great combination in her personality that came across — an enthusiasm that shines through,” he said. “She reflected in the material I saw that she had listened very well to other people and … [taken action] based on both her experience and also the input from others.”
Dr. Myers was interested in Ms. Elliott because of her “deep understanding and love and appreciation for the boarding school environment and teenagers.” She added, “Any school of our caliber has to be wary of some well-intentioned applicants who might, however, not really like kids all that much. [Ms. Elliott] wants this job for the right reasons.”
Ms. Elliott will formally begin her new position on July 1, 2022. She most looks forward to continuing “to talk to as many kids, colleagues, parents, and alumni to get a sense of what Choate wants to do, and what feels most core or special to Choate’s identity.” Ms. Elliott said she thinks of herself as a learner and aims to expand her skillset and gain valuable experience while at Choate. “There’s a part of me that just feels really excited to be in that stage of intense learning for a stretch,” she said. More importantly, she is eager to devote her energy and time to developing and maintaining initiatives at Choate, and hopes for the community to dream big.
