Glen Urquhart School’s board of trustees has unanimously approved the appointment of David Liebmann as the next head of school, effective July 1, 2016. Liebmann will succeed Raymond C. Nance, the interim head, who previously served as head of school for 15 years. Liebmann will become the seventh head of the K-8 independent school, which will celebrate its 40th year of operation next year.
Liebmann is starting his 26th year in education. Since 2009, he has been the assistant head of school at the Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts, where he oversees the PreK-9 academic program. Liebmann received his B.A., cum laude, from Middlebury College, as an Independent Scholar with an environmental focus. He also received his M.A. in American and British Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English in Middlebury, Vermont. Earlier in his career, Liebmann worked at independent schools in New York City, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta and began his career at Chewonki’s Maine Coast Semester as a teacher and admissions coordinator. He currently serves as a trustee of the Chewonki Foundation.
?The board’s unanimous decision followed an enthusiastic recommendation from the search committee, with input from the entire school community. The search committee consisted of: Bob Carroll (Chair), Clare Byrne, Karen Cady, Sydney Clarke, Christine Draper, Susan Tsao Esty, Carl Graves, Leslie Marchesseault, David Patch, Marnie Potish, Holly Shepherd, and Steve Todd. “Throughout the entire search process, David impressed us with his educational philosophy, interest in our interdisciplinary curriculum, and perspective on collaborative leadership,” said board of trustees president, Martha Burnham.?
Liebmann said, “The commitment to academic excellence, a track record of well-matched secondary school placement, and an impressive alumni body were all important reasons for my choice of Glen Urquhart School. Even more so, I was overwhelmed by the kindness, integrity, and joyful spark of the community. What Glen Urquhart has always believed about teaching and learning is being embraced by schools around the country: that children learn best in the context of the world around them, that children learn with both their heads and their hands, that learning becomes deep when children have room to explore and high expectations to guide them.”
Glen Urquhart looks forward to welcoming David Liebmann and his family to the North Shore and to the Glen Urquhart community.