Head of School Search
Head of School Search
The Northwest School is searching for its next Head of School, who will assume the role in July 2027. This page is the community's base for the search: the place to find updates, ways to share your input, information about the leadership opportunity, and application details as the process moves forward.
Guided by Northwest's identity and mission, the Board of Trustees is committed to a careful, open and purposeful search. The process will respect the school's history and its strong sense of community while identifying the leader best prepared to lead Northwest forward.
Search Leadership
Board of Trustees
Appointing the next Head of School is the responsibility of Northwest's Board of Trustees. The Board is undertaking this work deliberately and thoughtfully, with the school's lasting strength and well-being as its focus.
Search Partners
To support the search, Northwest has retained IndySchool Consultancy, a national executive search firm. The ISC consultants will help lead community engagement, develop the leadership profile, recruit and screen candidates, facilitate interviews, coordinate finalist visits and plan for a smooth leadership transition.
Search Committee
Working alongside the Board and the consultants, the Search Committee will bring Northwest's perspective to every stage of the search. Its members will help gather input from across the community, review and interview candidates, and recommend a finalist to the Board of Trustees.
- Alison Suttles, Chair - NWS Trustee
- Frances Merenda - President, NWS Board of Trustees
- Erica Goldsmith - NWS Trustee
- Lisa Haselby - NWS Trustee
- Paula Smith - NWS Trustee
- Jan Lewis-Newby - NWS Trustee
- Madlen Caplow - NWS Trustee
We will keep this site current as the search progresses, so that Northwest families, faculty, staff, alumni and prospective candidates have a single, reliable source of information.
Head of School Search: The Process
Search Resources
Dear Northwest School Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am happy to share how we will search for The Northwest School's next head of school. Choosing a head is one of a board's most important responsibilities. We want every member of our community to understand the process and to know that your voice will shape it.
Thank You, Ray
First, we want to recognize Raymond Wilson. Ray has led Northwest with deep care for our students, faculty, and families, and his leadership has strengthened the school. We all look forward to supporting Ray through the year as he wraps up his tenure as our Head of School. We will have time to celebrate him properly. For now, we simply want to say thank you. This search begins from a position of strength because of what Ray has built.
Our Search Partner
To guide the search, the Board has engaged IndySchool Consultancy (ISC), a firm that helps independent schools find their leaders. Our search will be led by two ISC senior consultants, Tim Viands and Brad Bates. Both bring long experience in independent schools, including years of school leadership, and a thoughtful, community-centered approach to search.
- Community survey: The search will begin with listening. Every member of our community is invited to complete this confidential online survey by October 31. We hope to hear from as many of you as possible. Your answers will help define the qualities and experience we seek in our next head, and they will shape the profile that introduces Northwest to candidates.
- Campus visits, November 9-10: Tim and Brad meet with students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and trustees. They look forward to learning about Northwest's culture, its values, and what makes this community distinctive. Details about meeting times will follow soon.
We are confident that The Northwest School will attract an excellent pool of candidates. Our mission, our people, and the strong foundation Ray Wilson has laid make this an exceptional opportunity. Our goal is to find a leader who will honor that work and build on it.
Stay Up to Date
We will keep you informed at each stage of the search. At any time, you can find related updates and details on this Head of School Search webpage. Current families and school faculty can also find the same information on this Head of School Transition Blackbaud resource tile.
Thank you for your trust, your engagement, and your care for this school.
With gratitude,
Contact us: searchcommittee@northwestschool.org
Dear Northwest Community,
As announced last month, The Northwest School will be conducting a search for a new Head of School in upcoming months.
Select Northwest Trustees have already been appointed to participate on the search committee, and I am honored to serve as Search Committee Chair.
Over upcoming weeks and months, I will be providing regular updates on our progress and when we have relevant details to share, including: identifying a firm to recruit candidates, details about the search process and timeline, opportunities for various community stakeholders to provide input, and more.
How to find details and updates about the committee's work:
- There is a new Head of School Transition resource tile on Blackbaud that will contain updates, resources, and timeline details, and more.
- There will be a new standing section in the weekly House News bulletin (beginning this Thursday, October 22) dedicated to the ongoing search. This will be updated as and when relevant details are available to share with the broader community.
You are welcome to reach out to me and search committee by email. Please expect up to 72 hours for a response.
On behalf of the rest of the search committee, thank you for your support in this important work.
Sincerely,
Read letters from Head of School Ray Wilson and Board President Frances Merenda announcing the upcoming leadership transition and sharing details about the search for Northwest's next Head of School.
Click Here to ReadSearch Timeline
Northwest plans to announce its next Head of School in February 2027, well ahead of the July 2027 start. This measured pace allows for a thorough national search and leaves several months for a well-supported leadership transition.
Community Input
Hearing from our community is essential to this search. We invite parents, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees and friends of Northwest to take part. What we learn through the survey and other conversations will inform the leadership profile for the next Head of School and give the Committee a clear set of priorities for evaluating candidates.
Ways to take part
- Join a focus group or listening session as dates are announced
- Share structured feedback on finalists later in the process
Confidentiality
An effective search depends on both genuine community involvement and careful protection of candidate confidentiality. Many of the strongest candidates currently hold leadership roles at other schools. Honoring their privacy helps Northwest attract an exceptional pool and preserves the integrity of the search. We ask that community members not reach out to candidates directly and that any candidate information be kept confidential and shared only through the established search process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Interested candidates should apply through IndySchool Consultancy. We ask that candidates not contact The Northwest School directly about the position.
Northwest's Board of Trustees will appoint the next Head of School.
Search news, key resources and updates will be posted here and shared through Northwest's regular school communications.
Yes. Input begins with the community survey and will continue through listening sessions and feedback opportunities as the search unfolds.
The next Head of School is expected to begin in July 2027.
Contact
Questions about the search may be sent to the IndySchool Consultancy team:
- Tim Viands | tim@indyschoolconsultancy.com
- Brad Bates | brad@indyschoolconsultancy.com
Candidates are asked to direct all inquiries to the search team rather than contacting The Northwest School directly.
