Head of School Search - Harpeth Hall School

When Head of School Jess Hill announced her retirement, the Harpeth Hall community shared in an outpouring of gratitude for her leadership. Even as we express our appreciation, we now turn to the future. Responsibility for selecting a new head of school rests with the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees. The board has formed a search committee and engaged the search firm Resource Group 175 (RG175) to guide and inform the work ahead.

Harpeth Hall is well-positioned to attract exceptional candidates from across the country. The school community will have multiple opportunities to provide input throughout the process, and the search committee will follow intentional steps in every phase of the head of school search — listening, analyzing, searching, interviewing, and, ultimately, introducing the next leader to the community. With the school’s enduring strengths and mission-driven purpose, the board is confident that the search will identify a leader who will build on the accomplishments of those who came before and carry Harpeth Hall successfully into its next chapter. The transition ahead will be thoughtful and purposeful.

Listening to Our Community

The successful fulfillment of the head of school search depends on the active engagement of our faculty, parents, alumnae, students, and school supporters. Members of our school community will be given the opportunity to participate in a strategic insights survey, listening sessions, and candidate meet-and-greets. Your insights will help shape the position description, highlight the qualities most needed in our next head of school, and ensure that the process and outcome reflect the values and aspirations of the Harpeth Hall community.

Listening Sessions and Community Survey

During RG175’s strategic analysis visit in January, members of our community participated in listening sessions and open meetings. The candid and warm discussions showed our community's love for Harpeth Hall, passion for our mission, and care for the future of our school. That same week, the school community responded to an online survey. The level of engagement was extraordinary. Every response was read and carefully considered to find common themes and priorities. Together, the voices of students, faculty, parents, alumnae, trustees, and other friends of Harpeth Hall provided a clear picture of who we are as a community and where we hope to go as a school.

The input directly shaped the position statement now being shared with prospective candidates. Our community priorities will continue to guide every step of this search. Thank you for your engagement. The voices of our community are shaping the future of Harpeth Hall in meaningful ways.

Search Committee

Chaired by Meredith McDonald Stewart ’96, the head of school search committee comprises current and honorary trustees, current and past parents, and alumnae from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. The search committee’s role is to review candidate resumes, interview leading candidates, speak to references, select finalists, and recommend the next head of school for the board to hire — all consistent with Harpeth Hall’s mission and values.

Head of School Search Committee
Meredith McDonald Stewart ’96, search committee chair and trustee
Harry Allen, trustee
Bahar Azhdari ’00, trustee
Nancy Graves Beveridge ’80 M.D., past board chair and honorary trustee
Varina Frazer Buntin ’61, honorary trustee
Trudy Ward Carpenter ’76, vice chair - board of trustees
Ben S. Gambill III, trustee
Noni Nielsen ’93, treasurer - board of trustees
Crissy Wieck ’96, chair and president - board of trustees

About the Search Firm

Harpeth Hall has partnered with Resource Group 175 (RG175), a nationally respected firm specializing in independent school leadership searches and supporting boards with governance, strategy, and planning. The RG175 group brings a depth of experience that strengthens the work of our search committee. During this process, Harpeth Hall will work with an experienced, three-person team whose collective expertise aligns with Harpeth Hall’s mission, vision, and strategic direction. Coreen Hester and Molly King are former heads of girls schools, and Marcia Prewitt Spiller is also a former head of school who previously served as chair of the board of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). We are grateful to have these women guiding and working alongside school leadership throughout the search process.

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position statement

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Head of school position

Timeline

This timeline reflects intentional steps in each phase of Harpeth Hall’s head of school search — listening, analyzing, searching, interviewing, and introducing our next head of school to the community before the end of the 2025-2026 school year. The timeframe serves as a guide, and dates may shift as the process unfolds. Our goal is to identify and hire an exceptional head of school, allowing the process — not the calendar — to guide us as we seek the very best leader for our school.

Dec. 10, 2025

Jan. 6-7, 2026

Survey: Harpeth Hall will email a survey to all members of our school community on Jan. 6. Responses will help the search committee write the position description, prioritize the personal and professional qualities needed in the next head of school, and guide the search for the best candidates to carry forward our mission, vision, and strategic priorities.
Campus visit: Consultants from RG175, our search firm, will visit campus Jan. 6-Jan. 7, to get to know the Harpeth Hall community. The consultants will meet with students, faculty, alumnae, parents, trustees, and other school supporters.

Mid-January 2026-March 2026

Position statement: After listening to our community and reading the community survey results carefully, our search firm consultants will distill the community’s insights to determine the skills, experience, and qualities that will best position our next head of school to lead Harpeth Hall. RG175 will create a position statement, seeking final approval from the search committee, and begin outreach and recruitment of qualified candidates through the search firm's broad network and targeted strategies.
Application period: RG175 will accept applications from January through March 2026. If you have a candidate to recommend or any thoughts you wish to share regarding the search, please complete the survey sent by email to our school community on Jan. 6, 2026.

April 2026

May 2026

June 2026-July 2027

July 1, 2027

Recent Communications

Dec. 10, 2025 - Retirement announcement from Head of School Jess Hill and message from Board Chair Crissy Wieck '96

Dec. 16, 2025 - Message from the Search Committee Chair Meredith McDonald Stewart '96 about search timeline and first steps

FAQs

What is the role of the head of school search committee?

The head of school search committee leads the search process from beginning to end. After engaging with and listening to the school community, the committee distills insights to define the personal and professional qualities identified as important in the next head of school.

With those criteria in place, the committee works in partnership with the search firm as the consultants craft the position statement and recruit exceptional educators and leaders whose experience aligns with the school’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.

Throughout the search, the committee keeps the community informed and engaged while respecting the confidentiality required during candidate recruitment. The committee reviews candidates vetted by the firm, interviews those whose experience and leadership most strongly reflect the criteria identified by the school community, and narrows the pool to select finalists to visit campus.

The Harpeth Hall community is then invited to meet and hear from each finalist and is asked to provide feedback to the search committee, ensuring the selection process is informed by the voices and perspectives of our school community. At the conclusion of the process, the search committee recommends one candidate to the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees for confirmation. Following confirmation, the committee supports a thoughtful leadership transition and integration into the school.

What is the role of the RG175 search firm consultants?

Harpeth Hall’s three consultants from Resource Group 175 (RG175) guide the search committee through each stage of the process, bringing expertise in search design, logistics, and best practices. In January 2026, the consultants will visit campus to deepen their understanding of Harpeth Hall and conduct conversations with members of the school community. These meetings will surface the school’s strengths, opportunities, and aspirations for the future.

Working closely with the search committee, the consultants translate Harpeth Hall’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities into a focused leadership profile and position description. The position statement serves as a critical recruiting tool for the consultants and the school and defines the professional experiences and personal qualities required to lead the school forward.

RG175 partners with the search committee to review candidates. The consultants develop tailored interview questions aligned to the leadership qualities identified through community input and help structure interviews, campus visits, and reference checks to support thoughtful decision-making. Throughout the search, RG175 updates the search committee regularly.

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