Rivers Board Appoints Ned Parsons New Head of School

The Board of Trustees met last evening to approve the appointment of Rivers’ new head of school.

“We are delighted to announce that the Trustees have appointed Edward (Ned) V. Parsons as The Rivers School’s eighth Head of School,” said Board President Clinton Harris and Search Committee Chair Deborah McAneny in a message this morning to the Rivers community.

Parsons is currently the Dean of Faculty at Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. He will assume his position on July 1, 2014, when Tom Olverson retires after 17 years as Head of School.

“Ned is both a great educator and the consummate independent school professional,” McAneny told faculty and staff at a meeting this morning. “The Board and the search committee were impressed by his broad range of administrative experience, his collaborative relationships with faculty, and most importantly, his strong commitment to students.”

Parsons joined Loomis Chaffee in 1994 as an English teacher and coach after three years at Salisbury School. He became dean of students in 1999 and transitioned to dean of faculty in 2007. During his tenure he also coached the girls’ varsity ice hockey team for 12 years and served as an admissions associate for three years.

“Ned is a thoughtful, creative, and engaging leader,” said McAneny. “He has overseen a number of initiatives including a campus-wide curriculum review, the creation of a teaching and learning center, and the establishment of vibrant interdisciplinary centers.”

Parsons has a B.A. in political science from Middlebury College (where he was also captain of the hockey team), a M.A. in English from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, and a Ed.M. in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was educated in the New Trier Township public schools north of Chicago, and attended a post-graduate year at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut.

“Ned embodies Rivers’ tradition of ‘Excellence with Humanity,’” said Harris and McAneny in their message to the community. “His focus is constantly on creating the best educational experience for students. He sees himself – and Rivers – as engaged in the exercise of creating whole people, who value arts and athletics, intellect and integrity, friendship and fairness.

“Ned thrives at the center of school life. He is warm and smart, thoughtful in detail while being expansive in imagination and vision. He is a careful listener who promotes ambition, innovation, and success among those around him. He cares about the whole community with an appealing and collaborative leadership style that promises to guide Rivers well.”

“The Rivers School is facing the future from a strong and confident position, having seen remarkable growth in its programs and facilities during Tom’s tenure,” concluded Harris and McAneny. “‘Excellence with Humanity’ is integral to who we are, and we are confident that that legacy will be well-stewarded by Ned Parsons.

“We wish to thank the faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and trustees who served on the Search Committee for their outstanding efforts to bring this search to a positive conclusion. Their diligent work, thoughtful deliberations, and significant time commitment are a testament to the quality of the search process. Please join us now in welcoming Ned, his wife Lisa, and their children Will (16) and Charlie (15) into the Rivers community.”