Dr. Sheila Culbert’s 16 year role as the Head of School comes to an end. The question still stands: who will replace her as the Head of School?

The search for a Head of School began during the 2022 school year. In February of this year, the Board of Trustees tasked a new Search Committee and private company Isaacson, Miller to search for suitable candidates for the position.

In early September, the search committee completed interviews with a diverse pool of semi-finalist candidates. With dedicated work and careful consideration, the committee and Isaacson, Miller have narrowed the candidates down to finalists.

“The caliber of candidates was so outstanding that the process of narrowing to finalists proved difficult, but after a robust and deliberative process we have arrived at a slate of finalist candidates,” Board of Trustees Chair Duncan Maclean said.

Prior to the interviews, a survey this summer was posted for students, faculty, and staff to share what they believe are the most important qualities for a new Head of School. This survey proved to be vital in assisting the search committee to find a suitable candidate for Loomis.

“Thoughtful comments in listening sessions and in the online survey were instrumental in shaping the themes of the position profile and the rubric we used to evaluate candidates,” Mr. Maclean said.

As for students, many believe fostering a diverse and inclusive environment is a crucial aspect that they believe the new Head of School should further within the Loomis community. “I think that everybody’s perspective is equally as important. The community should endeavor to put emphasis on diversity and understanding the perspective of minorities,” Aster Conway-Reppert ’26 said.

“We look forward to respectfully introducing the candidates to Loomis Chaffee and sharing our excitement about the school with them,” Mr. Maclean said. As the search for the head of school continues, the Loomis community looks forward to what the next step of the process beholds.