August 23, 2016 Dear Greenhill Community, On August 22, 2016, Head of School Scott Griggs reported to the Board of Trustees his decision to bring his tenure to a close at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Scott assumed the role of Head of School in 2000, and by his anticipated departure date, will have served Greenhill for eighteen years – the second-longest serving Head of School after Bernard Fulton, Greenhill’s founder. Today’s Greenhill School is a testament to Scott’s vision, leadership and, yes, tenacity. His enduring contributions include the execution of two successful capital campaigns, which in the aggregate raised $80 million, exponential endowment growth to $50 million, and sixteen consecutive budget surpluses. This financial stability, in turn, has given us the unprecedented ability to allocate resources towards fulfillment of our mission and needs of our faculty and students, allowing us to create new programs, develop innovative curricula, and expand and build new facilities. Perhaps most impressively, Scott delivered these achievements while nurturing – and greatly enhancing – the “intangibles” that make Greenhill such a unique place for our students, faculty and staff, and alumni. They include, among many others, the creation of our core principles of Honor, Respect, and Compassion, a doubling of the number of students and faculty of color, and significant enhancement of our student support services with strong emphasis on social and emotional learning. These programs give dimension to Greenhill’s core belief that there is no “typical” student; rather, our campus is filled with talented and passionate individuals who bring their unique gifts and experiences to bear on all they do. Balancing this individualized approach with the needs of our community – as Scott has so successfully done – is perhaps his greatest legacy. As we look to the future, the greatest tribute we can pay to Scott is to secure a future that is worthy of his remarkable tenure. And, with Scott agreeing to remain for another two years, we are very confident that we’ll have the time and resources to do so. As a first step, Board Chair-Elect Bruce Sostek and Lifetime Trustee and Former Board Chair Rusty Jaggers have agreed to serve as chairs of a search committee which will undertake a thoughtful and comprehensive search for Scott’s replacement. I know that Bruce and Rusty look forward to an active and engaged process and to keeping the Greenhill community informed as the search progresses. As someone who has experienced Greenhill on virtually every level – Student, Alumnus, Parent, Trustee – my affection for Greenhill is boundless. It is matched by my abiding respect for all Scott has done to make Greenhill what it is today, and my profound gratitude for having the privilege of working so closely with him these last several years. On behalf of my fellow Trustees, we extend Scott a heartfelt thanks and nothing but the absolute best for the future. With gratitude,
William E. Rose ’85 Chair, Board of Trustees
August 23, 2016 Dear Greenhill Community, For the past sixteen years, I have had the distinct privilege and honor of leading Greenhill, a singularly inspiring experience made possible by the entire community - students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, and friends. Together, we have accomplished a great deal and advanced the mission of the School in remarkable ways. This includes the opening of the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center and exceeding the goal of our Building Community Campaign, details of which we will be sharing very soon. With these accomplishments in mind and with new initiatives on the horizon, it is time to plan for the next chapter in Greenhill’s future. Therefore, I have decided that the 2017-2018 school year will mark the end of my tenure as Head of School. Since I started my tenure in 2000, we have seen great leaps in academic programs and achievement, two successful capital campaigns, fabulous additions to the campus, new faculty initiatives, and growing national recognition for Greenhill’s program, culture, and distinctiveness, among many others. I was taught long ago by my parents to, “always leave a place better than you found it.” I believe strongly that, on all measures, Greenhill is in an exemplary position and is poised for even greater success moving forward. I am proud of what we have achieved together and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with an exceptional faculty who have always put the needs of our students first. I’m also thankful for the wonderful Greenhill community, including the fact that my son, Nate ’09, is an alumnus, and feel a debt of gratitude for all of the support you have provided over the years. I have received tremendous counsel and guidance from eight different Board Chairs who have given tirelessly of their time and talent solely for Greenhill’s benefit. While this announcement far precedes my departure date, the Board and I believe that attracting new leadership worthy of the school requires time and deliberation – important work that is now underway. And, thankfully, there is no need to rush. The School has never been stronger. We live our mission every day, in ways large and small. Our campus is warm, diverse, and inclusive. Our students and faculty continue to thrive. As I look past 2018, I am excited to take some time to explore new opportunities in supporting and serving independent schools. Between now and then, however, it will be ‘business as usual’ at Greenhill, and I intend to complete my tenure with enthusiasm, dedication, and attention – as I have done since I started in 2000. On another level, I know that this year marks the transition to a new era for Greenhill. This awareness fills me with a profound sense of gratitude for the entire Greenhill community, appreciation for the opportunities I’ve been given, and boundless optimism for the future of this great institution. Sincerely,
Scott A. Griggs, Head of School
Greenhill Board of Trustees
Officers William E. Rose ’85, Chair Waverly Ware Wilson ’86, Assistant Chair/Secretary Roy S. Kim ’88, Finance Chair/Treasurer Bruce Sostek, Chair Elect
Trustees Debbie Andres Stephen L. Arata Leslie Benners Yasmin Bhatia Albertina M. Cisneros Christopher I. Clark ’89 Manisha Desai Koshi Dhingra, Ed.D. Angela Adkins Downes ’87 Tom Dunning Aaron Enrico Gary Fernandes Holland P. Gary ’93 Beth Gold David Greenstone Scott A. Griggs, Head of School David Haemisegger Jay Henry
Joan Hill, Ed.D. Maria-Cristina Jaramillo Rabbi Nancy Kasten Leslie Krakow Peter Andrew Kraus Lester Levy, Jr. ’79 E. Pierce Marshall, Jr. ’86 Manju Menon Terry Oxford Guillermo Perales Tracy Rathbun Ashley Scheer Patricia Smith Bharti Subramania, Ph.D. Michael Waldman ’98 Clifford Weiner Neena Wiora Jeff Zlotky
Former Board Chairs Electing to Serve Ex-Officio Sally R. Estes, Trustee since 1976 Irwin Grossman, Trustee since 1973 Michael J. Halloran, Trustee since 2002 Rusty Jaggers, Trustee since 1994 David L. Johnson, ’67, Trustee since 1987 H. Ronald Nash, Trustee since 1987
Lifetime Trustees Daniel T. Phillips Molly Fulton Seeligson ’60 Rusty Jaggers