Head of School Search

Head of School Search Committee

The Search Committee will manage the process of searching for a new Head of School.

The Board of Trustees holds ultimate responsibility for selecting the new Head of School, and to assist in this important task, we have appointed a search committee. This group is composed of board members, alumni, faculty and staff, and current and alumni parents, all of whom bring a deep understanding of TPS, as well as a wide range of perspectives and experiences.

While the committee will aim to keep the process transparent, they will also respect the confidentiality of all candidates throughout the search. The Search Committee is comprised of:

• Adam Douberly, P’28, P’30, Board Vice President, Search Committee Co-Chair, Trustee
• John Jackson, P’20, P’22, Search Committee Co-Chair, Trustee

• Michael Berman, Class of 1984, P’21, P’24, Former Trustee

• Chip Finney, P’24, P’29, Board Vice President, Trustee

• Maureen Glaccum, Retired Teacher, Pre-School Legend

• Zachary Klehr, Class of 1992, P’24, P’26, Board President, Trustee, ex-officio

• Daniel Mozes, Class of 2000, P’31, P’33, Trustee

• Melanie Pontz, P’26, P’29, Board Vice President, Former TPSA President, Trustee

• Carrie Siegel, P’32, TPSA President, Trustee

• Stasia Sumpaopol, P'31, P'33, P'34, TPS Faculty Member

This Search Committee's responsibilities include:

• Working closely with Carney Sandoe & Associates, the search consultant
• Guiding and approving the position description
• Conducting interviews and selecting the semi-finalists and finalists
• Overseeing the on-campus interviewing of finalists
• Conducting background checks
• Selecting and nominating the finalist for the full board to approve
• Preparing and executing the transition plan

Contact the Search Committee

Our Search Partners

After evaluating several search firms, the Board has selected Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh from Carney Sandoe & Associates to partner with us.

CS&A has a long-standing relationship with TPS, having assisted the school in recruiting key leadership team members in the past. They bring decades of experience in placing school leaders nationwide and have a deep understanding of our school’s culture and values.

• Darryl Ford served as Head of School at the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia from 2007 to 2023. Additionally, he has served on the boards of many educational organizations, including Villanova University for 10 years, where he helped to analyze DEIB on campus and implement university-wide changes. He understands the Philadelphia independent school landscape, the importance of DEIB, and school leadership.  
   

• Burke Zalosh joined CS&A in 1998 and has worked on more than 70 head of school and senior administrative searches, including PK-8 schools, around the country. Recent head of school searches include the Friends School of Baltimore and Montgomery School, not far outside of Philadelphia. Her extensive experience and expertise will be an excellent asset to our search. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is leading the search process?

The Head of School (HoS) Search Committee is responsible for selecting and hiring TPS’s next Head of School. Recognizing that selecting the school’s next leader is a critical task, the School Committee has engaged Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), a leading search firm that has conducted hundreds of global searches for independent schools, as consultants. Darryl and Burke bring a wealth of experience in executive searches and Friends school leadership. They will assist the Search Committee in managing the search process.

What is the role of the Search Committee?

The Search Committee directs the search process from start to finish. It coordinates input from TPS’s varied constituencies, works with CS&A to craft the position description, assesses candidates vetted by CS&A, conducts interviews with semifinalists and finalists, and presents a proposed candidate to the School Committee. Throughout, the Search Committee keeps the PFS community informed and engaged, while ensuring strict confidentiality in the candidate recruitment process. Members of the Search Committee are prohibited from discussing details of the search outside the committee.

What is the role of the consultants?

CS&A provides advice to the Search Committee concerning format, procedures, and best practices in the search process. Gathering input on TPS’s culture and needs from community interviews and a survey, they, working with the Search Committee, create and disseminate a Position Description. CS&A recruits candidates from their extensive independent school network and refers them to the Search Committee for review. Together with the Search Committee, they interview and check references of candidates under consideration. The consultants also facilitate feedback between the candidates and the Search Committee.