Head of School Search

May 29, 2026 Head of School Margaret L. Hazlett shared her decision to step down at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. July 1, 2026, Associate Upper School Head Reed W. Minor began serving as Interim Head of School, while the Board of Trustees conducts a comprehensive national and international search for Greenwich Academy’s next Head. Updates on the search will be posted here throughout the search process.

Head Search Community Survey

July Update: Search Committee & Firm

On July 22, 2026 the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of a Head of School Search Committee, as well as the engagement of leading executive search firm Spencer Stuart. At this time, Board Chair Alexandra Steel Scott ’00, P’34,’36 invited all members of the Greenwich Academy community to participate in a Head Search Survey.

August Update: Opportunity Statement & FAQ

On August 11, 2026 the Head of School Search Committee announced the parameters for the creation of a Head of School Opportunity Statement, which will be based in large part on community input collected via the Head Search Survey. Upon finalization, the Opportunity Statement will be shared with the wider GA community, posted on the Head of School Search page, and used for both recruitment and candidate evaluation. At this time, the Committee also posted a primer on the search process in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions document.

August 11, 2026 - Survey

August 11, 2026

Dear GA Community,

As we enter the final weeks of summer, the Head of School Search is off to a strong start thanks to the time and thoughtful engagement of our community. A particular thanks to everyone who has completed our Survey. For anyone who has not yet submitted, we would appreciate your response by August 15.

We will be using your input to create a Head of School Opportunity Statement that details the ideal experience, capabilities, and areas of focus for the next Head of School. Once finalized, that document will be shared with the wider GA community. It will also be available on the GA website, and used for both recruitment and candidate evaluation.

For those with questions about the search, we have added an FAQ section. You can visit this page at any time for information and updates on the search. If you wish to reach out to the committee, you can email GAHOS@spencerstuart.com.

Thank you, again, for your input and support of GA.

Wishing you a relaxing remainder of break,

Annie Day Thorp ’02, P’31,’33 & Trent Carmichael P’13,’15,’21,’38
Search Committee Co-Chairs

July 22, 2026 - Search Committee & Firm

July 22, 2026

Dear GA Community,

I hope you are having a wonderful summer. On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to share an update on the search for GA’s next Head of School, an undertaking that is especially meaningful as we approach GA’s Bicentennial and look ahead to the school’s next 200 years.

Head of School Search & Community Survey
As previously shared, the Board has established a search committee, co-chaired by trustees Annie Day Thorp ’02 P’31,’33 and Trent Carmichael P’13,’15,’21,’38, and charged it with conducting a comprehensive search. The full committee is now in place, and its members reflect the breadth of the GA community—current and past parents, alumnae, and faculty:

Annie Day Thorp ’02, P’31,’33 Committee Co-chair, Trustee
Trent Carmichael P’13,’15,’21,’38 Committee Co-chair, Trustee
Richard Chilton P’10,’14,’18, Ex Officio, GA Board Chair & Trustee 2003-2012
Mandell Crawley P’32, Trustee
Susan Bonney Doyle, MS Faculty 2002-2021, US Faculty 2021-Present
James Ho P’28,’31, Trustee
Parinaz Pahlavi P’25,’31, LS Faculty 2003-Present
Nicole Roberts P’32,’34, Trustee
Lauren Berkley Saunders ’92, P’22, Trustee 2013-2023, Chair 2022 Strategic Plan
Krissy Schmitz P’21,’26, Trustee, GAPA President 2019-2020
Alexandra Steel Scott ’00, P’34,’36, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Over the past few weeks, the co-chairs conducted a thorough process with leading search firms and the Board supports their recommendation: Spencer Stuart. We were impressed by the team’s thoughtful, detailed plan for the search, backed by relevant experience and deep familiarity with our school. Our work will be led by Mary Gorman and Michele Haertel P’01, GP’38,’39. As senior partners in Spencer Stuart’s education and social impact practice, Mary and Michele bring more than 15 years of experience leading head searches for independent schools nationally and abroad. Additionally, Michele’s long-standing connection to GA gives her a strong understanding of our community and culture.

Your input is critical to the success of the search, and we want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below and share your aspirations for GA, the qualities you would like to see in our next head, and the values that define the GA experience. The survey will stay open through the summer, although we would appreciate your response by August 15. As we return to school, the Spencer Stuart team will be visiting campus to meet with members of our community.

Head Search Survey
You can also reach out directly at any point. You are welcome to email the Committee with comments, questions, or candidate nominations. All communication to this inbox is confidential, and the Spencer Stuart team will monitor it regularly.

As the search continues we will post information and updates on this page. Thank you, as always, for your partnership, support, and commitment to our school and our girls. Enjoy the rest of the summer.

Alexandra Steel Scott ’00 P’34, ’36
Chair, Board of Trustees

Search Committee

Annie Day Thorp ’02, P’31,’33 Committee Co-chair, Trustee
Trent Carmichael P’13,’15,’21,’38 Committee Co-chair, Trustee
Richard Chilton P’10,’14,’18, Ex Officio, GA Board Chair & Trustee 2003-2012
Mandell Crawley P’32, Trustee
Susan Bonney Doyle, MS Faculty 2002-2021, US Faculty 2021-Present
James Ho P’28,’31, Trustee
Parinaz Pahlavi P’25,’31, LS Faculty 2003-Present
Nicole Roberts P’32,’34, Trustee
Lauren Berkley Saunders ’92, P’22, Trustee 2013-2023, Chair 2022 Strategic Plan
Krissy Schmitz P’21,’26, Trustee, GAPA President 2019-2020
Alexandra Steel Scott ’00, P’34,’36, Chair of the Board of Trustees

The Head of School Search Committee welcomes your continued engagement in this important process. Please feel free to contact the Spencer Stuart team: GAHOS@spencerstuart.com.

FAQ

What is the role of the Board of Trustees in the search?

A primary responsibility of the Board is the selection and support of Greenwich Academy’s Head of School. The Board has tasked a Search Committee, led by Trustees Annie Day Thorp ’02, P’31,’33, and Trent Carmichael P’13,’15,’21,’38, to conduct comprehensive and thoughtful process that yields strong results. The Board will operate in the best interests of the full GA community by ensuring that the Search Committee seeks input and perspectives from all stakeholders.

What is the role of the Search Committee?

The Search Committee’s charge is to lead a thoughtful, thorough, equitable process to attract, assess, and recruit our next Head of School. We expect the Search Committee to engage broadly with the school community and listen to a wide variety of views regarding GA, and the experiences, capabilities, and attributes needed in the next head, to develop and assess a slate of talented leaders. The Search Committee Co-Chairs will maintain regular communication with the GA community throughout the process, providing periodic updates while maintaining necessary candidate confidentiality. In our comprehensive process, there will likely be a few rounds of interviews to ensure that the Search Committee meets with a range of candidates via Zoom and in person. For the sake of equity and best practice, in the early stages of interviews all candidates will be asked the same set of questions, aligned with and informed by input from the GA community.

How were Search Committee members selected?

Search Committee members were selected by the Search Committee Co-Chairs and the Board Chair, and were approved by a vote of the Board of Trustees. Search Committee members share a deep appreciation for Greenwich Academy’s history and mission. They include individuals who offer a diverse set of experiences and points of view, as well as a strong commitment to, and involvement in, the school community. The committee is:

What is the role of Spencer Stuart?

Spencer Stuart, a highly regarded global search and leadership advisory firm with a strong practice in Education and Independent Schools, was selected to support the search. Working closely with the Search Committee, Spencer Stuart’s assigned team of consultants will gather input from the GA community; draft the position description; and conduct extensive outreach into the desired candidate pools, seeking to identify leaders whose experience, backgrounds, attributes, and characteristics align with GA’s aspirations for the next Head of School. The team from Spencer Stuart will support the Search Committee through the interview and recruitment process, ensuring that the candidates’ and committee’s needs for information, diligence, and confidentiality are met. Spencer Stuart will ensure that thorough referencing is conducted on all candidates under consideration.

How will input from members of the GA community be considered throughout this process?

The Search Committee is committed to incorporating all perspectives from the GA community throughout the search process. There are several avenues through which members of the GA community may share their perspective and advice directly with the Search Committee. First, in late July, all community members were invited to participate in an anonymous community-wide survey. Second, the team at Spencer Stuart will spend time on campus in early September gathering insight from many different groups within the GA community. Finally, community members are encouraged to email the confidential search mailbox (GAHOS@SpencerStuart.com) at any point throughout the search process. This mailbox can be used to submit advice to the search committee as well as to nominate individuals who you think would be a good fit to serve as the next Head of School.

What type of search process will be run?

Since GA’s last head of school search, the market for talent has become even more competitive with substantial turnover in heads of independent schools. Confidentiality is key to attracting the kind of leader that our community needs and wants. We plan to run a candidate-centric process, meaning that we will be as open as we can be while preserving candidate confidentiality so that we may develop the strongest pool of talent.

What is the scope of the Search?

The goal of the Search is to conduct a thorough review of top candidates with relevant experience, and we will look both domestically and internationally. The search process will be transparent as possible, with substantial opportunities for community updates and feedback. Confidentiality regarding individual candidates, however, remains a critical component for success.

What exactly is the Search Committee seeking in our next Head of School?

The Search Committee will use the community’s input to create and distribute a Head of School Opportunity Statement that details the ideal experiences and capabilities, as well as areas of focus for the next Head of School. Once this document has been finalized and approved, the Search Committee will share this document with the broader GA community. This will be a public-facing document used for both recruitment and candidate evaluation, so feel free to share the document with others in your network.