HoS 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.
Search Resources
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 Read
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,
Search 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.
