Year in Review, Fall: Search for Exeter’s Fifteenth Principal Begins

On July 1, 2014, Principal Tom Hassan declared his intention to retire at the end of the 2014-15 school year. In order to find PEA’s 15th principal, the Academy's trustees established the Principal Search Committee a week after Hassan’s announcement, composed of four faculty members and nine trustees and staff. Before deciding who to appoint, the committee embarked on a lengthy process to evaluate and interview their chosen candidates. In compiling a list of candidates, the committee took a number of measures in order to find the best principal for Exeter. Faculty, staff, students, parents and alumni participated in open forums to discuss the qualities valued in a principal, so that the committee could gain input and advice in their search. With an open email address that community members could use to share their thoughts, individuals who could not participate in the forums could still express their opinion. In gaining feedback from every facet of the Exeter community, the results were not entirely unified. There were many factors advocated for, including those of commitment, enthusiasm, charisma, high visibility, promotion of Exeter’s core values, value of intellect and receptivity. The committee hired an executive search consulting firm, Spencer Stuart, to help with the process. Spencer Stuart assembled a candidate pool containing nominated individuals and individuals they believed matched with the input received. The committee evaluated the members and narrowed the pool down to a shorter list that the principal would be chosen from. Although community members could provide opinions on what they wanted in a principal, the list of finalists remained confidential.