Dear Menaul School Community,
I am writing today to introduce myself as Chair of the Search Committee to outline the process we intend to follow in the coming months for our Head of School/President search. Appointing the next Head of School is one of the primary tasks of the Board of Trustees. Especially given Lindsey’s long tenure and strong reputation in the independent school community, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough search to attract the best qualified person to succeed him. We are confident that the school’s mission, history, and reputation will attract a pool of exceptional candidates.
We have already begun the process of finding our next Head of Menaul. We interviewed several outstanding education search firms and have selected Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A) to work closely with the Board of Trustees and Menaul community in this important endeavor. Carney Sandoe has over 40 years of experience placing school leaders, administrators, and educators across the country and internationally, and they are well known as partners who tailor searches to the specific and unique missions and needs of each school with whom they work. We are fortunate to have experienced consultants, Allison Stiles and Mark Davis, as our search partners. If you would like more information on our consulting team, please see the links below:
We have already assembled a Head Search Committee composed of 10 members of the Menaul community. They are Brooke Baker, Bob Bellemare, Matthew Miller, Kim Sanchez, Tony Hale, John Sitler, Laura Hille, Hannah Scanlon, and Emily Thordahl. In just a few weeks you will have access to the website we have created for this search.
The Search Committee will work with CS&A throughout the summer and fall to evaluate candidates and make a final recommendation to the full Board of Trustees by the beginning of January, if not before. We are committed to a search process that is as inclusive as possible, and the entire Menaul community will have multiple opportunities to share their thoughts.
In the coming weeks, you will receive from CS&A an online Community Survey that we encourage you to respond to with careful reflection on your hopes for Menaul’s future and the important qualities necessary for Menaul’s next leader. Please take a few minutes to provide your input. In addition, Allison and Mark will spend two days at Menaul on September 12 & 13, during which they will meet with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to solicit input about this important leadership transition and to learn more about our school community. We plan to share the results of the input we receive — both through the development of a position description and an aggregation of common themes.
As the search progresses, it is our goal to be communicative and transparent throughout the process. The Community Survey, the consultants’ campus visit, and other forthcoming methods of outreach and engagement reflect our strong desire to make this process feel as inclusive and accessible as possible. At the same time, please know that we will also need to work confidentially with candidates to recruit and interview the most talented leaders in the country. Additionally, we have been advised by our consultants and others that we should maintain a nimble and fluid approach in this search, given the extremely competitive landscape of leadership recruitment.
We encourage you to suggest candidates you believe should be considered for Menaul’s next Head of School/President. The Community Survey offers an opportunity for you to suggest candidates, and in the coming weeks you may also submit names to headsearch@menaulschool.org, where the Search Committee also welcomes your feedback or questions about the search.
My family first came to Menaul School five years ago when my son entered 6th grade. I am a lifelong Presbyterian, and we attend First Presbyterian here in town. I was very excited at the prospect of Soren being able to attend Menaul with its long relationship in the Albuquerque community. I am currently serving as the Secretary of the Board of Trustees. I am honored to be leading the search community and I am very excited to see this next chapter for Menaul.
I am also deeply grateful to the Search Committee and the entire Menaul community for all your ongoing support and enthusiasm as we navigate this exciting transition. While we will miss Lindsay dearly and thank him for his 17 years of exceptional service, I hope you will join me as we embrace the next chapter of our beloved school.
With thanks and warmest regards,
Micaela Briggs