Welcome to the Head of School Search Information Page
On May 30, 2024, the LILA Board of Trustees initiated a comprehensive search for the next permanent Head of School. Through our selection of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CSA), a globally renowned search firm with deep expertise in recruiting school leaders, we look forward to updating the community on the search efforts.
The Search Process
Our search will be guided by principles of confidentiality, equity, and thorough diligence. All candidates, whether internal or external, will be considered through a rigorous and unbiased process, ensuring that we identify the individual best suited to lead LILA in the fall of 2026 and beyond. Our selection process will be carried out to ensure equal opportunity for all candidates to demonstrate their qualifications to demonstrate their qualifications and ability to lead our school into the future. All candidates will remain confidential until they reach the finalist stage. This safeguards the integrity of the process and respects the privacy of all applicants.
We deeply value the input of our community, and we believe that your voices are essential in identifying the qualities that our next Head of School should embody. During various stages, there will be opportunities for you to participate with your priorities and thoughts. Thank you to everyone who already participated in the community survey which was initiated in September. We were thrilled to see such high participation to help guide these efforts.
Timeline
The search process is designed to be thorough, with a final decision expected by Spring 2025.
Meet the Search Committee
To ensure that we uphold the highest standards throughout the search, a Search Committee has been established. This committee will work closely and meet weekly with Cathy Shelburne, Deb Welch and Art Charles from CSA, who will provide guidance and expertise at every stage.
The members of the Search Committee include:
- Reena Patel, MBA PhD, Search Committee Chair & Parent of 4th and 6th graders
- Jean-Luc De Fanti, MBA, Board Chair and former parent of LILA student
- Chantal Morgan D’Apuzzo, PhD, JD, Board Vice-Chair and Parent of a 6th grader
- Ani B. Packard, EdM, Board Secretary and Parent of 3rd and 6th graders
- Sharyn Kerr, PhD, MBA, Board Trustee and former parent of a LILA student
- Santosh Kookal, MBA, Board Trustee and Parent of an 11th grader and recent graduate
- Minh Le, SM (MSc), Board Trustee and Parent of 5th grade twins.
Click here to learn more about the LILA Board of Trustees.
Thank you for your continued support as we move forward together.
Past Communications
Dear LILA community,
With the 2024-2025 school year in full swing, we’d like to remind our community that we have partnered with Carney Sandoe to assist with our search for our next head of school. As an initial, and vital, first step in the process, we’d like to ask our community to complete a brief online survey. This survey will assist us in gathering valuable feedback from our community and we thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey; it should not take more than 10-15 minutes.
The recent campus visit by Cathy Shelburne and Deb Welch has already ensured us of a comprehensive, inclusive, and diverse set of views about the school which we will use in further refining our criteria in the selection process for our next head. We are asking school employees, parents, trustees, and alumni/ae for their candid feedback using this method. All responses are both confidential and anonymous and go directly to our consultants who will consolidate the feedback and use it to ensure we have considered all points of view from our key constituents. The results will be very useful and will remain confidential.
In addition to this survey, community members will have an opportunity to meet and provide feedback regarding the finalists who visit the LILA campuses later in the process.
As mentioned previously, the survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete and will remain open until the end of the day, Tuesday, September 24. At the end, you will also have an opportunity to nominate any internal or external educators you may know who might be a good candidate for this opportunity. The Search Committee is deeply grateful for your participation in this process and we will keep you apprised over the coming months related to important process milestones via email communication and website updates. Please use this link to complete the survey.
Best wishes and thank you,
Reena Patel
LILA Trustee & Parent
Chair, Head of School Search Committee
Dear LILA Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to express my gratitude to all of you. We have had many challenges this year, but our community has persevered and grown stronger. Before we congratulate and bid adieu to the class of 2024, I wanted to send a brief update on recent and important developments.
On Thursday, May 30, the LILA Board of Trustees retained the search firm Carney Sandoe & Associates (“CSA”) to conduct the search for a permanent Head of School. Since 1977, CSA has been one of the leading global firms in the recruitment of Heads of Schools and other senior administrative staff and faculty. Their global reach and understanding of the French American and International school landscapes were determining factors in their selection. Based on consultation with them, our Interim Head of School, and the Board, the timing of the search has been revised with a goal of mid-2026 to onboard a new permanent Head of School at LILA for the 2026-27 academic year. Anneli Harvey will serve as Interim Head of School until that time. Anneli has hit the ground running since her appointment on Monday, May 6, and she has the Board’s full support.
Separately the Board has retained Mission & Data, a renowned consulting firm specializing in independent school operations and governance, to make a comprehensive assessment of operational effectiveness and the relationship between the Board, the Head of School, and the School’s Leadership Team. Combining this study with the findings of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Audit performed by Dr. V. Wise, will give us a solid foundation t position LILA on a trajectory of growth and improvement. A summary of both reports will be shared with the whole LILA community in the upcoming months. Implementation of the recommendations will be rolled out starting in the new academic year.
The Board of Trustees and I would like to thank you for your ongoing support and for your demonstrated dedication to making LILA the very special school that it is. We wish you all a restful and productive summer break.
Best regards,
Jean-Luc De Fanti
Board Chair
FAQ
The Search Committee leads the process of identifying and recommending a candidate to LILA’s Board of Trustees, which holds the ultimate responsibility for selecting the Head of School.
The Board of Trustees carried out extensive research on national search firms, reviewing proposals and conducting interviews. After careful consideration and reference checks, the Board chose Carney Sandoe and Associates, a firm that specializes in recruiting heads and senior leaders for independent schools.
CS&A will advise the Search Committee on the logistics, procedures, and best practices of the search. They will also handle candidate interviews, reference checks, and provide overall support throughout the interview phase. Additionally, the firm will offer transition assistance to the newly appointed Head of School during their first year in the role.
The search for LILA’s next Head of School is comprehensive, considering candidates from around the world, with an emphasis on recruiting individuals who may not be actively pursuing a new position. Confidentiality will be maintained for all candidates until the finalist stage to protect their current positions.
Both internal and external candidates are encouraged to apply for the Head of School role. The confidentiality of internal candidates will be treated with the same importance as that of external candidates. The Search Committee is committed to ensuring that all candidates are evaluated on an equal footing, with the final selection made after a thorough assessment of all applicants.
Candidates will be assessed based on the skills and qualities identified by the community through surveys and listening sessions. With guidance from the consultants, the Search Committee will carefully review the candidate pool, narrowing it down to semi-finalists for confidential interviews and, ultimately, a group of finalists.
As the only employee directly hired by the Board, selecting a new Head of School is one of the Board’s key responsibilities. The Board approved the selection of the search firm and appointed the Search Committee to conduct a comprehensive search. The Search Committee will keep the Board informed throughout the process, and, when the time comes, the Board will review the Committee’s recommendations, make a formal decision, and manage the negotiation of employment terms before officially appointing the new Head of School.
The new Head of School is expected to start in July, 2026. It is likely that the selected candidate will need time to relocate or make other necessary arrangements, which is why the Head-Elect will be chosen well in advance. While the Head-Elect may visit LILA during the 2025-2026 school year, it is likely they will still have professional commitments elsewhere leading up to their official start date.
We deeply value the input of our community, and we believe that your voices are essential in identifying the qualities that our next Head of School should embody. During various stages, as with the community survey, there will be opportunities for you to participate with your priorities and thoughts.
The results from the survey were used to develop the position description available here.