Head of School Search

Park Tudor's Next Head of School - Chris Front (September 30, 2022)

Dear Park Tudor School Community,

The Search Committee and Park Tudor Board of Directors are excited to announce Chris Front as Park Tudor’s next Head of School beginning July 1, 2023.

Chris is an exceptional educator with incredible leadership experience cultivated at a premiere midwestern independent school. Chris is currently Assistant Head of School at John Burroughs School in St. Louis. Burroughs is one of the top independent schools in the Midwest and has earned a stellar national reputation.

Says Chris:
"While I was originally drawn to this opportunity by Park Tudor’s impressive academic reputation, it was during my visit to campus earlier this month that I knew this was the school community I wanted to join and lead. As I met with teachers, parents, staff, trustees, and administrators, their passion for and commitment to Park Tudor was palpable. But it was my time with students—who spoke so enthusiastically about the deep and meaningful connections they have with their teachers, advisors, and coaches—that made clear to me that Park Tudor shares my deeply held belief that students grow intellectually and thrive personally when they feel known, supported, and valued. I am thrilled and honored to lead Park Tudor in its next chapter, as together we build upon its history of excellence."

Burroughs’ current Head of School attributes much of their success to his collaboration with Chris over the years. Throughout the interview process and in discussions with various references, Chris’s care for students, focus on academic excellence, intellect, empathy, and unique ability to lead came through loud and clear. Chris is a beloved educator and leader.

As Chris is completing his duties at Burroughs, we are also pleased to announce Andrea Hailey will lead the Head of School Transition Team to support Chris in his new role. Additionally, Andrea will update the community on opportunities to learn more about and engage with Chris as his start date approaches.

“As Vice President of the Board and leader of the Transition Team, I’m excited to work closely with Chris, whose leadership, experience, and students-first approach will unite all of us who are deeply invested in Park Tudor’s success," said Andrea. "I’m looking forward to welcoming him and continuing our important work of preparing our students to be lifelong learners.”

We are incredibly excited to welcome Chris Front as Park Tudor’s next Head of School.

Sincerely,

Cathy Ferree '82
President, Park Tudor Board of Directors

Aman Brar
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Park Tudor Head of School Search Update (August 9, 2022)

Dear Park Tudor Community,

As the new school year rapidly approaches, please find the following update on the committee's search for Park Tudor's next Head of School.

As an outcome of this summer's search and interview process with RG175, four finalist candidates have been selected. The candidates have extensive experience as educators and administrators in an independent school environment and represent a range of backgrounds and areas of expertise.

Each candidate will visit Park Tudor in the coming weeks, and there will be opportunities for faculty, parents, and alumni to meet them and provide feedback. More information - including candidate bios - will be forthcoming as we get closer to the visits. Out of respect for the candidates' confidentiality given their professional responsibilities at their current schools, we will not reveal their names until closer to each visit.

Please note the following dates:

Candidate Visit #1: August 31 - September 1
Candidate Visit #2: September 8 - September 9
Candidate Visit #3: September 15 - September 16
Candidate Visit #4: September 19 - September 20

We look forward to introducing our finalist candidates to the Park Tudor community and value your feedback. Thank you for your continued support of our school.

Regards,

Aman Brar
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Park Tudor Names Interim Head of School (March 18, 2022)

Dear Park Tudor Community,

We are excited to announce Dennis Bisgaard as Park Tudor’s Interim Head of School, beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023.

Dennis has over 30 years of experience as an independent school educator, and prior to his upcoming post at Park Tudor, he has led five institutions as Head of School. Most recently, Dennis has successfully led two independent schools through a transition period as Interim Head of School and is currently Interim Head of School for the Friends School of Baltimore.

Dennis, along with Monica (spouse) and his mother-in-law, will reside at the Head of School’s house. Dennis has sent a quick video as an opportunity to get to know him (see below). He will also visit Park Tudor in the coming months. We are confident Dennis will have a positive and lasting impact on the Park Tudor community, and we look forward to welcoming Dennis, Monica, and their family to Park Tudor School and Indianapolis.

On a related note, the Head of School Search Committee continues to advance the search led by our partners at RG175. RG175 is completing the discovery phase of the search which included campus visits, surveys, group meetings, and one-on-one sessions with various stakeholders of the school. RG175 is building a comprehensive talent pipeline during the early days of the search by leveraging their extensive network and experience in the independent school space. Soon, the position will be publicly posted through various talent boards relevant to independent schools. Importantly, we are on schedule to announce a permanent Head of School in October of this calendar year.

Thank you for your continued support of Park Tudor.

Regards,

Carlie Irsay-Gordon
Chair, Interim Head of School Search Committee

Aman Brar
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

A Message for the Park Tudor School Community from Interim Head of School, Dennis Bisgaard

Click Here to Read Dennis Bisgaard's Statement of Educational Leadership

Park Tudor Head of School Search Update (December 14, 2021)

Dear Park Tudor Community,

On behalf of the Park Tudor Head of School Search Committee, please find an update on our Head of School transition.

We have been focused on identifying and interviewing prospective Head of School search firms to assist us with the transition. It is essential we identify the right partner to help us find our next Head of School as the Search Committee stewards a robust, diverse, and disciplined process.

To that end, I am pleased to announce the Committee has selected RG175 to assist us in our Head of School transition. RG175 focuses exclusively on helping schools like Park Tudor find top talent nationwide for key leadership positions. In the last five years, 96% of Heads of School placed by RG175 remain in their position. In addition, they have committed to an inclusive search that aligns with our community values.

While the Search Committee has a deep desire for a permanent Head of School for the next school year, based on clear market feedback from RG175 and additional search firms, our transition plan will require an interim Head of School. At its last meeting, the Park Tudor Board of Directors approved our recommendation to proceed with identifying an interim Head of School while we search for our permanent Head. We have assembled a subcommittee of the Search Committee to focus on the search for an interim Head. Search Committee and Park Tudor Board members Carlie Irsay-Gordon (Interim Search Committee Chair), Justin Christian, Scott Moorehead, and Ersal Ozdemir will lead this process with RG175.

RG175 is committed to developing a strong partnership with our school. Tom Olverson will lead the RG175 team, with assistance from Arlyce Seibert and John Farber. All three of our consultants have extensive experience with successful Head of School searches and all spent many years working in independent schools in top leadership positions (including as Heads of School).

RG175 has already started the process of getting to know Park Tudor. Additionally, the team will be visiting Park Tudor soon after winter break to meet with representatives from our key constituencies, including students, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni. There will also be an opportunity for our community to provide insight to RG175 regarding Park Tudor via a survey to be conducted after the break; we hope you will participate.

We will continue to keep you updated as we achieve milestones regarding our Head of School search.

Sincerely,

Aman Brar
Chair, Park Tudor Head of School Search Committee

Park Tudor Head of School Search Committee (October 14, 2021)

Dear Park Tudor Community,

Recently I wrote to you that Gareth Vaughan, our Head of School, will be stepping down at the end of this school year. Since that communication, the Park Tudor Board of Directors has been working diligently to prepare a national search for our next Head of School. The Board understands that selecting the next Head of School is the most important job it has, and as such, the development of a thoughtful process is critical to attaining the best result. To this end, my first responsibility as Board President is to appoint a search committee.

I am pleased to share with you the members of the Park Tudor Head of School Search Committee. The members were chosen for their commitment to the mission, values, and tradition of excellence that have defined Park Tudor since 1902.

Park Tudor Head of School Search Committee

Aman Brar (Chair of the Search Committee): Aman is a member of the Board of Directors and a current parent. He is the former CEO of Jobvite, a recruiting software company.
Dr. Heather Carmody: Heather teaches Middle School math at Park Tudor and is a current parent.
Justin Christian: Justin is a member of the Board of Directors and a current parent. He is the CEO and Founder of BCforward, an IT consulting company.
Ben Evans: Ben is the incoming Chair of the Park Tudor Trust, an alumnus, and a current parent. He is the Founder and Chief Growth and Strategy Officer for Marathon Health.
Andrea Hailey: Andrea is a member of the Board of Directors and a Park Tudor alumna. She is the CEO of Vote.org, a non-profit specializing in non-partisan voting registration.
Lisa Hoskin: Lisa is the Park Tudor Parent Association Co-chair and a current parent.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon: Carlie is a member of the Board of Directors, a current parent, and an alumna of the school. She is Vice-chair/Owner of the Indianapolis Colts.
Dr. Scott McDougall: Scott is the Science Department Chair at Park Tudor and teaches Upper School science.
Scott Moorehead: Scott is a member of the Board of Directors and a current parent. He is the CEO and Owner of Round Room LLC and each of its entities: TCC, Wireless Zone, Redux, and Culture of Good.
Molly Murphy: Molly teaches Junior Kindergarten at Park Tudor and is a current parent.
Ersal Ozdemir: Ersal is a member of the Board of Directors and a current parent. He is the Founder and Chairman of Keystone Group, a real estate development company.

The first order of business for the Search Committee will be the selection of a search consulting firm, which will help the Committee establish a process, recruit candidates for its consideration, and provide counsel throughout the search process and leadership transition. The Committee will begin this work right away and anticipates selecting a firm by early November.

The search for a new Head of School offers a wonderful opportunity for our school to think about its future. The recent success of our capital campaign provides a solid foundation for launching a search. Ours is a powerful story, one that includes many successes and an unswerving commitment to excellence in education. The identification of our next great Head of School will contribute to this unfolding story of living our mission of preparing students to become balanced, confident, and resourceful lifelong learners.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Sincerely,
Cathy

Cathryn Ferree '82
President, Park Tudor Board of Directors

Announcement: Gareth Vaughan, Park Tudor Head of School (September 3, 2021)

Park Tudor Head of School Gareth Vaughan

Dear Park Tudor Community,

I am writing to share the news of my decision to retire as Head of Park Tudor School at the end of the current school year in June 2022. It has been an immense privilege to lead Park Tudor over the past five years and to be part of a renaissance in the life of this wonderful school.

During my tenure, my focus has been to ensure that we provide an outstanding college preparatory education, igniting curiosity in our students while also providing a safe and welcoming environment for all community members. With the support of an outstanding senior leadership team and a gifted and committed faculty and staff, we have successfully achieved the major goals of the 2020 Reimagined Strategic Plan. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our families and alumni, we are on the cusp of completing a highly successful capital campaign and will be turning our eyes toward determining the next phase of our ambitious campus master plan.

However, Heads of School are also leaders in an institutional cycle that revolves around accreditation, strategic planning, and development campaigns. Rather like the motion of the stars and planets, there are times when these factors come into alignment. This is such a time. The formulation of new strategic goals needs to be undertaken before the next cycle of accreditation begins in three years. As the school begins charting its future strategic direction it makes sense to pass the reins of leadership over to a new Head of School.

I would not have contemplated retirement if I did not believe the school was in an exceptionally strong position. We are weathering the trying times of COVID in excellent fashion. Enrollment has risen to 945 students, up from 872 only three years ago. We have raised $22 million for capital projects, a sum far greater than any previous campaign in the school’s history and we expect to add to that total. Our financial stability is unquestionably greater than it has been for some years with a healthy endowment, very little debt and a limited draw from the endowment that will continue to ensure our school’s financial health. Huge strides have been made in modernizing the campus facilities by expanding and enhancing Ayres Auditorium and opening the state-of-the-art Irsay Family Sports Center for Health and Wellness. All the while, our excellent faculty have continued guiding our students toward academic excellence, strong test scores and wonderful college placements. Most significantly, it has been my honor to work with an outstanding leadership team and exceptional educators whose dedication to Park Tudor’s mission, vision and values and to the stewardship of our community are evident in the work they do each day.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the Park Tudor community and am looking forward to a school year focused on continuing our upward trajectory and preparing for an exciting next chapter for Park Tudor.

With gratitude,

Gareth Vaughan
Head of School

Announcement: Cathy Ferree '82, Park Tudor Board of Directors President (September 3, 2021)

Dear Park Tudor Community,

Gareth Vaughan has shared with the Board of Directors his decision to retire as Head of Park Tudor at the conclusion of the 2021-2022 school year. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Gareth for his many contributions over the last five years and look forward to his continued leadership through June 2022, ensuring a smooth transition to his successor.

When the Board of Directors selected Gareth to become our next Head of School we were looking for a veteran leader with the experience and vision to lead the school through a critical strategic planning process and the most ambitious capital campaign that we had ever undertaken. Perhaps because he began his long career in independent schools as a teacher, Gareth has always kept students at the forefront of his vision. Inspired by Park Tudor’s mission to “create an inspiring college-preparatory learning environment, with exceptional educators and extraordinary opportunities,” Gareth quickly demonstrated that a key focus of his tenure would be to empower today’s learners for tomorrow’s world.

In just five years Gareth has helped the school achieve healthy enrollment and oversaw strategic planning and accreditation. He is also leading the school’s largest-ever capital campaign, raising $22 million to-date that will enable the school to build new, nationally recognized facilities. While this was more than enough to keep him busy, Gareth and his team successfully reimagined how to maintain the academic excellence that is a hallmark of a Park Tudor education, while establishing a new normal for day-to-day operations in the face of a global pandemic. His enduring commitment to our mission has served Park Tudor superbly in each of these endeavors.

The process for identifying Park Tudor’s next Head of School will be inclusive, thoughtful and thorough, informed by our mission, vision and values. We will conduct a national search for our next Head of School and my first task as Board president will be to identify and communicate the search process. You will hear more in the coming weeks, and we are committed to keeping the community updated throughout the process.

Together with the many trustees who have had the pleasure to serve with Gareth, I offer tremendous gratitude for his unwavering commitment, steadfast leadership and profound contributions to the school we all cherish. We thank you all in advance for your support as we embark on the search to identify Gareth’s successor and as we look forward to this exciting next chapter in the life of our school.

Sincerely,

Cathy Ferree
President, Park Tudor Board of Directors