• Recruiting will take place in the fall.
• Interviewing will continue in the winter.
• The new Head of School is expected to be announced in the spring.

Dear ACS Community,

As we have shared with you all, Paul Druzinsky is stepping down as Head of School after the 21-22 school year. As we embark on this new year, we look forward to recognizing Paul for his leadership over the past seven years. The Board of Trustees understands that hiring the next Head to lead ACS for many years to come is our greatest responsibility. We are committed to a thorough and comprehensive process and a smooth transition over the coming year.
 

At the beginning of the summer, the Board began a nationwide search to find a premier search firm that best fits our school’s needs and culture. We are pleased to announce that Anne Coyle, as Lead Consultant, and her associate, Mary Catherine McLean, from Russell Reynolds Associates has been selected to assist the Board in the Head of School search.
 

The Search Committee will consist of nine Board members who are alumni, current parents, and alumni parents. There will also be two teachers representing both lower and middle schools. Prasad Veluchamy, parent to two ACS alumni, Vice-Chair of the Board, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee will chair the Search Committee.

Search Committee:
Prasad Veluchamy, Search Committee Chair
Sunshine Echevarria, ACS Group 1 Teacher
Jennifer Marvel-Gillono, ACS Middle School Social Studies Teacher
Brendan Sheehy, Board of Trustee Chair
Nancy Doris ‘91
John Harrast
Gerald Jablonski
Imran Qureshi
Jennifer Reenan
Julie Swinehart
Lisa Vaughan

The stakeholders of our community will play a crucial role in the search process. Anne and Mary Catherine will begin reaching out to parents, faculty, staff, and alumni to understand better the traits we seek in the next Head of School. They plan to schedule forums for you to share your opinions and provide input. We welcome your involvement in shaping the future of The Avery Coonley School.

Onward and Upward,
Brendan Sheehy
Chair, ACS Board of Trustees

Dear ACS Community,

We are pleased to invite you to participate in a stakeholder meeting with Anne Coyle, of Russell Reynolds, to discuss the Head of School Search.

These meetings are essential to ascertain the priorities for our community and to discuss the qualities we seek in our next leader. It is important to hear from a wide cross-section of our parents and we are requesting you to engage with our Search Consultants to register your input.

The virtual zoom calls will be confidential, and they will not be recorded. Our committee will work with the Consultants to learn of the findings and focus on the next steps of the process.

We look forward to your participation in this important conversation.

Thank you,

Sreeram Prasad Veluchamy,
Search Committee Chair

Dear ACS Community,

I write to update you on the search for our next Head of School. Anne Coyle and the team at Russell Reynolds have compiled the feedback received from the community survey regarding specific priorities for the position. Anne hosted numerous conversations with stakeholder groups to hear your thoughts about the qualities sought in our next Head. The community outreach efforts yielded valuable information and we thank you for your participation in the process.

Based on the community input, and on the deliberations of the Search Committee, we have created a detailed prospectus describing the position. A description of our school and the position is posted on the ACS website, and we will also be advertising this in professional venues to reach the broadest pool of potential candidates. 

The next phase of the search is proceeding apace, and our consultants are actively recruiting the best candidates for our school. We have created an email account to receive nominations, inquiries, and applications, and I encourage you to send your thoughts about the leadership transition to the Search Committee. The email address is AveryCoonley@russellreynolds.com.

We appreciate your support, and the trust placed by the Board in this Committee, as we move to the confidential phase of the search. I will update you as we have new developments to share. Thank you.

Sreeram Prasad Veluchamy,
Search Committee Chair

Dear ACS Community,

I would like to update you on our Head of School Search.

The Search Committee has had many productive meetings with our consultant Anne Coyle and her team at Russell Reynolds Associates. We are all very excited about the candidates and pleased with the feedback we have received from them about ACS and this opportunity.

As you know, we are currently conducting this search on a national, open, and inclusive basis, and we believe you will be happy to know that the Avery Coonley School and our Mission have resonated with highly qualified candidates from vast geographies, varied experiences and diverse backgrounds. This distinguished group of educators shares our enthusiasm about educating our children and are excited about the possibilities at ACS.

The Committee takes the confidence placed in us very seriously and I want to assure you that a commitment to educating gifted children, in an inclusive and nurturing community, is paramount in our deliberations.

I thank our community members who have reached out to me to offer valuable input, and those who have suggested candidates for consideration. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at pveluchamy@averycoonley.org or to Russell Reynolds Associates at AveryCoonley@russellreynolds.com, with questions.

I look forward to sharing more information as we move closer to identifying and welcoming our next Head of School.

Thank you,
Sreeram Prasad Veluchamy
Search Committee Chair