Russell has decided to conclude his tenure as Head of School when his contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 school year.  As a result, he will remain in the Head of School role until June 30, 2026 and will continue to lead with dedication until his contract ends. A new head of school will start on July 1, 2026.

Russell informed the Board that, after 16 years of service to GDS, he will not seek to extend his contract beyond the 2025-26 school year. The Board of Trustees expressed their full support and deep gratitude for Russell’s leadership and commitment to GDS’s mission. As Russell mentioned in his letter to the community, Russell decided that, based on important family and professional transition milestones, it’s the right time for him to take time to travel with family, explore new professional areas of focus ,and create space for a new generation of leadership to continue to shepherd GDS’s mission and execute GDS’s strategic vision.

Russell’s tenure significantly exceeds the average for Heads of School in comparable institutions. A transition after such a remarkable period of service is a natural progression in the life cycle of leadership within schools like ours. Under Russell’s guidance, GDS has celebrated numerous milestones:

• Unification of our campus and the most substantial capital campaign in our history.
• Significant expansion of our financial aid budget to enhance accessibility.
• Development and implementation of two long-term comprehensive strategic plans.
• Substantial growth to our endowment, thereby lessening our dependence on tuition.
• Enhanced diversity among our students and faculty.
• Consistently high application and enrollment demand.

The Board of Trustees has selected a dedicated Search Committee to lead the search. GDS parents and board members Donald Saelinger and Otey Smith will serve as Co-Chairs of the Search Committee. The Search Committee has engaged Isaacson, Miller, a highly-respected national firm to help conduct the search. The IM team will be led by partners Katie Rockman and Andy Lee, and supported by Elizabeth Weithman, Gigi Mensah, and Maria Connor. 

One of the most important responsibilities of the Board is selecting and supporting the Head of School. The Search Committee is a committee established by the Board, and plays a pivotal role in conducting a comprehensive search for GDS’s next Head of School. This committee, advised by a professional search firm, will lead the efforts to identify top candidates by engaging with various GDS stakeholder advisory groups. The Search Committee will work closely with the search firm to craft a detailed job description, organize and conduct candidate interviews, and manage vetting and background checks. Additionally, the Search Committee is tasked with maintaining frequent and transparent engagement with our community, keeping them informed and involved throughout the search process, while also ensuring the confidentiality of all candidates.

The Search Committee will ultimately recommend a well-qualified finalist for the Board of Trustees’ approval, as the Board holds the ultimate responsibility and authority to appoint the new Head of School.

The Board of Trustees voted on a resolution to form the Search Committee and selected the co-chairs of the committee. The slate for the remainder of the committee will be proposed by the co-chairs and voted on by the Executive Committee of the Board. The Search Committee comprises current and former Trustees, ensuring an optimal blend of perspectives and experiences in the search process.

The process to determine the ideal characteristics for our next Head of School is inclusive and comprehensive. We are engaging the entire GDS community—parents, faculty, staff, students, and alumni—to gather a wide range of perspectives and insights. This feedback, along with our school's mission and strategic vision, will guide the Search Committee in developing a detailed position profile. The development process itself will offer a vital opportunity to hear from our community about the qualities and guiding principles we value in our next Head of School. The goal is to ensure that our new leader not only meets the professional qualifications but also aligns with the values and aspirations of our school community

Key guiding principles for our search include:

• Commitment to GDS’s unique and audacious mission;

• A legacy of educational excellence and innovation;

• Emphasis on student growth and success; and

• Transparent and meaningful community engagement

We are confident that we will identify and hire a Head of School that will embody each of these criteria, and we look forward to collaborating with the entire community to support the process.

Diversity is a priority in developing our candidate pool. To achieve this, we will be engaging a search firm with a strong track record of promoting diversity in its recruitment processes. We will also explicitly communicate our commitment to diversity and inclusion to the firm, setting clear expectations for the scope and nature of the search. Additionally, the Search Committee will work closely with the firm to actively seek out and encourage applications from a broad range of backgrounds, ensuring our candidates reflect the diversity we value at GDS.

As part of our search and eventual onboarding process of the new Head of School, we’re excited to engage with the various stakeholders that comprise the GDS community. Throughout the process, we’ll share opportunities for parents, faculty, staff, students, and alumni to be involved in the process including participating in a community survey, attending sessions to meet potential candidates, etc. We really value the input of our entire community, and we will be inviting thoughts and feedback throughout this process.

Transparency and keeping everyone informed along the way are key goals in our Head of School search process. Along with invitations for involvement, the Search Committee will share regular updates. We have launched a dedicated Head of School search webpage on the GDS website, which will be the go-to spot for all the latest news and updates about the search process. Regarding information about our finalists, we will respect their confidentiality while keeping the community informed as much as possible.

Absolutely. We strongly encourage internal candidates to apply. Once the position description is available, we invite all interested individuals from our community to consider this opportunity.

Russell has built a leadership team and institutional framework that is resilient. The Board of Trustees will continue to support Russell for the remainder of his tenure to preserve that resilience, including his succession planning and leadership team management. We will follow a proven and mission-aligned (i) search process to identify and select the right new Head of School, and (ii) Head of School transition processes to ensure the new HOS is effectively integrated into GDS.

Absolutely not. In fact, the Board views this transition period as an opportune moment. Our recently completed strategic vision and strong, galvanizing mission provide a clear roadmap and a solid foundation for the new Head of School. These strategic elements not only guide but also enhance the transition, ensuring continuity and stability in our leadership and across our community. This alignment assures us that the change in leadership will reinforce, rather than disrupt, our progress and goals.

We are committed to ensuring that the search for a new Head of School does not disrupt any student's educational experience at GDS. The process is designed to be seamless and managed by our dedicated Search Committee alongside the Board of Trustees, ensuring that our school’s daily operations and the vibrant learning environment your child enjoys continue without interruption. Our faculty and staff remain focused on providing all our students the highest quality education and support throughout this transition.