From the Board of Trustees – June 2023

Dear parents, alumni and friends of Riley:

As we all move from the school year into the summer, I wanted to report on the initial progress of our search for Riley’s next Head of School. The Search Committee has been formed and contains a good mix of current and prior Board members and educators. As co-chairs, Christine Chamberlain and Chrisso Rheault share a deep affection for Riley, in Christine’s case dating back to her time as Board Chair and helping with Becky’s transition as Head. Board member, current parent and alumnus Bill Kinnane ‘92 understands institutional transitions. Mel MacKay comes to the committee after serving as Head of School at John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor for 15 years until his retirement in 2021. I have been involved at Riley from its inception first as a teacher and now honored to serve as Board Chair.

The Search Committee has retained Chris Williamson to support our process. Some of you will remember Chris from his work with us on strategic planning in the winter of the 2019- 2020 school year. Chris has already met at some length with us and with Becky and will be meeting with faculty toward the end of June. We will hold a similar session in late June for parents, alumni and friends of Riley to assure that we have input from a wide group of interested stakeholders. Chris will facilitate that, and you will hear from him about possible dates. 

After collecting the information, we will be posting the position opening early in July. Once that happens, you can expect a period of quiet while the committee evaluates and interviews potential candidates. That work needs to be confidential to be respectful of all the candidates. When the committee is ready, finalists will be announced publicly and invited for two-three day campus visits, likely in mid-winter 2024. In addition to touring campus, visiting classrooms, and meeting with faculty, students and Becky, each candidate will also have time set aside to meet with parents and the wider community. In addition to gathering feedback from participants about the candidates, Search Committee members will observe many of these interactions. The Search Committee will then make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which will make the decision.

Chris was a teacher and administrator for 45 years, almost all in independent schools, including roles as Director of College Counseling, Director of Admission and Development, and 23 years as the Head of School at day schools, first at Wardlaw+Hartridge (a PK – 12 school in NJ) for eleven years, then at Applewild (a PS – 9 school in MA) for twelve years. He and his wife Peggy have been coming to their home in Spruce Head since 1978. After retiring, Chris has worked as an educational consultant and serves as Treasurer of the Board of the Jackson Memorial Library in St. George and as the Chair of the docent volunteers at the Farnsworth Art Museum.

We look forward to your input into this process. Certainly, if you have suggestions for candidates, please contact Chris at search@rileyschool.org. Use the subject head Riley.

Sincerely,

Whitney Wing Oppersdorff

Board Chair