Dear Friends of Shalhevet,
On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Nathan O. Reynolds as Interim Head of School, effective July 1, 2010.
Mr. Reynolds is an extraordinarily bright and visionary educator who is no stranger to Shalhevet. He provided consulting services to Dr. Friedman when Shalhevet was founded in 1992. As a consultant he helped establish the General Studies curriculum, hire the original faculty and recruit the first student body. When Shalhevet was up and running, Mr. Reynolds retired and moved to New Mexico. He returned in 1997 as General Studies Principal, retired in 2000 and in 2002 returned to Shalhevet to teach English and work on several projects that needed attention. Throughout his tenure he was instrumental in hiring key faculty and administration, as well as overseeing the acquisition and development of our current campus. He developed an excellent working relationship with the Board, and in fact was in large part responsible for defining the intersecting roles of the Board with the Head of School, Rosh Yeshiva, and Principal of General Studies.
Prior to his involvement with Shalhevet, he was widely admired and respected for his long and successful tenure as Headmaster of the Westlake School from 1966 to 1990. He was instrumental in re-establishing the Westlake School when it first became a non-profit corporation in 1966, and for reorganizing its administrative and educational infrastructure. He established a culture at the school in which the Trustees and community at large felt genuine ownership in the institution. He guided the school through a period of unparalleled growth and academic excellence, and ultimately the successful merger with the Harvard School.
With experienced leadership for the 2010-11 academic year solidified, the Head of School Search Committee will now focus on identifying the permanent Head of School to guide the next phase of growth at Shalhevet. The committee, under the leadership of its chair Marci Spitzer, is conducting a diligent, well-planned international search for qualified candidates, and is already involved in evaluating potential candidates. The most promising candidates will visit the Shalhevet campus for further interviews, as well as meetings with board members, teachers, administrators, students, and parents.
We feel truly blessed that Mr. Reynolds has accepted the position as interim Head of School, and look forward to welcoming him back to the campus. Please join us in welcoming him.
Sincerely,
Larry Gill Esther Feder
