Greenhill School Announces New Head of School

 

Lee brings an impressive background in independent school education to Greenhill. He attended the highly regarded Darlington School in Rome, Georgia, and received his B.A. in English with honors from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992. In 1997, Lee earned an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Georgia and did doctoral work in Social Foundations of Education at the University of Virginia. 

Search Committee Co-Chair’s Rusty Jaggers and Bruce Sostek stated, “While at Greenhill, Lee impressed those he met with his thoughtful and reflective answers to questions, his attentive listening to the comments of others, his view of learning as a lifelong collaborative process, and his ability to approach serious topics with respect and consideration for all, while maintaining a keen sense of humor along the way.  These characteristics and qualities, among others, were clearly evident to all who spent time with him during his visit.”  

Board Chair Will E. Rose ’85 added, “Lee has a distinguished background in teaching and a deep commitment to education. He is recognized as a person of integrity and is passionate about instilling in our children the joy of learning and a pursuit of excellence.  We are excited to have Lee as our next leader of Greenhill School.”

In accepting this appointment, Lee said, “From the outset, it was apparent that Greenhill is deeply committed to its mission and values, and I am incredibly honored to have been selected to be the next Head of School.  Spending time on campus, I was impressed by the talent and dedication of the faculty and administration and the genuine love and commitment every member of the community felt for what is obviously one of the premier schools in the nation.  As a life-long educator, my goal has been to serve as a Head of School in a community that is innovative and inspiring, and Greenhill is that and so much more.  My family and I are thrilled to be joining the Greenhill community and look forward to the challenge of leading Greenhill to even greater heights.”

 

Lee began his career as a teacher at Darlington School in 1993 and over the years has served in a variety of leadership positions, including admissions and student activities and as a Dean of Students, Coordinator of Faculty Recruitment, Upper School Director and Associate Head of School.  Lee has also stayed in the classroom, currently co-teaching a class at Durham Academy titled “The Mission-Driven Life” and has remained connected to students having taught English and coached boys’ and girls’ tennis at the varsity level.  He has experience in independent schools including, in addition to Durham Academy, Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut and Providence Day School in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

In each school community, Lee has made a tremendous impact through his dedication to improving the lives of students and faculty, playing important roles in curriculum development, diversity and inclusion, faculty evaluation and professional growth, strategic planning, and school accreditation. It is evident in each case that Lee has helped move the school forward in culture and curriculum, and that he remains on the forefront of innovation in the field of education.

We are also pleased to welcome to the school Lee’s wife Marianne and their three children, Eliza (8), Jane (10), and Ben (13). Marianne works in public health and prevention and currently serves as program director of Orange Partnership for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The children will enroll at Greenhill in grades 4, 6, and 9, and we are looking forward to them joining the Greenhill community.

While we welcome Lee and his family to our school, we also want to recognize how fortunate we are to continue to be the beneficiaries of the outstanding leadership of Scott Griggs during the upcoming 2017-18 school year.  We are grateful for Scott’s longstanding and continued commitment to Greenhill, and for his willingness to work closely with the Board, the administration, and Lee to guarantee a seamless transition for our community.  Thanks to Scott’s steadfast leadership over the past 17 years, we are able to offer Lee the opportunity to assume his new role from a position of great strength and positive momentum.

We also want to recognize those whose guidance and commitment to this process enabled us to identify and recruit the best possible candidate as Scott’s successor.  Lee’s appointment is the culmination of an extensive and thorough search which began last fall and included the consideration of a number of highly qualified candidates for the role. We extend our deep appreciation to the Search Committee: Yasmin Bhatia, Albertina Cisneros, Scott Cotton, Arun Dhingra, Holland Gary ’93, Peter Kraus, E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86, Susan Palmer, Michael Simpson, and Julie Weinberg. Their commitment to and enthusiasm for our school are compelling and contagious; we all owe them a debt of gratitude.  In addition, we thank the many members of our community – faculty, parents, and alumni -- who participated in this process. That involvement made a world of difference and was an outstanding testament to our strong and vibrant community. 

(View information on the search process.)

We look forward to welcoming the Harks to our Greenhill family, to perpetuating Bernard Fulton’s legacy and to embracing the exciting work still ahead as we continue to meet the needs of our students today, while also ensuring they will enter the world well prepared to serve and lead throughout their lives.