Ned Parsons Our Community Reflects

Ned is the consummate educator and leader. Throughout his successful tenure at Rivers, he has given 100 percent of himself, always keeping our school’s mission in mind when making important and difficult decisions.

Student-centered, cerebral, collaborative, thoughtful, kind, calm, and selfless, Ned has an ear for the nuances of people’s positions and can see—and understand (not always the same thing)—the different sides of an issue.

I will miss his guidance, quick wit, enthusiasm, and the genuine respect he offered everyone he encountered within our community.

—Jim Long P’19, ’21, Assistant Head of School

I first met Ned as a fellow hockey parent, cheering as our boys competed for the Red Wings. I soon learned that Ned, as head of school, would use that same passion for competition to raise the game for Rivers across the board. He brought a clear vision for transforming the campus—from moving the football field to building a state-ofthe-art science and visual arts center to upgrading the Middle School to building a boardwalk to Nonesuch. Ned’s persistence and leadership will benefit Rivers for generations to come.

—Jonathan Paul P’17, ’19

Nine Transformative Years: A Timeline

Ned’s guiding vision during Covid was to ensure that the student experience was the best it could be—including being at school whenever possible— while balancing faculty and staff well-being. While the first spring of Covid required all schools to operate remotely, Ned sought the advice of outside consultants during that spring and summer to be prepared for both the best- and worst-case scenarios, and anything in between. He followed their advice, formed the necessary committees, and found the resources to allow us to be on campus. He carried the strain of balancing his vision of holding school in person with the ever-changing health and safety guidelines. Managing this tension required constant vigilance and adaptation, and Ned did this tirelessly. Ned’s efforts resulted in Rivers doing excellent work under difficult circumstances.

—Leslie Fraser P’10, ’14, Math Department Faculty Member, Former Upper School Dean of Faculty

The job of head of school has become more complex, demanding, and thankless over the past three decades. In that context, I appreciate the sensitivity and reflection that have marked Ned’s work. He brought a contemplative, mindful approach to his decision-making and never lost sight of our core values or his own principles.

Ned’s most obvious and visible legacy is The Revers Center. That project took the campus to a whole new level of design and shifted its epicenter forever. But many of us will also always remember the image of Ned, standing delighted outside the construction site fencing, hovering over his baby as it came to fruition. He knew how great it was going to be. And he was right.

—Meghan

9/2015

10/2018

10/2019

New athletics complex is unveiled at Homecoming weekend.

Working with Ned was a pleasure because he was always thoughtful about understanding how the Rivers community felt. He wanted everyone to know and feel they belonged and that Rivers was their school. Ned is a genuine person who truly loves Rivers, connects with the students, and believes in the faculty. Rivers was never a job to Ned, but a home. —Louise Cummings ’98, Trustee

Ned’s impact on Rivers is impossible to ignore. His efforts transformed our campus and pushed our community toward a deeper, more inclusive understanding of how we live our mission of Excellence with Humanity. Most notably, Ned has led with an unwavering desire to do what is right. Defined by ever-present goodness, he has pushed our community to act with similar kindness. His support as a colleague, mentor, and friend has helped the college office tremendously over the years, and he will be sorely missed.

—David

Lyons

Rivers has been extremely fortunate to have Ned’s leadership. Anyone in the head-of-school-search business will tell you that the hardest headship is one following a long-serving, successful head. Ned not only pulled that off, he led the school to even greater success— with strategic and campus master planning and implementation, record advancement numbers, record admissions numbers, and new program design and implementation.

Ned’s leadership during Covid bears mentioning, too. Ned reopened Rivers before most school leaders were ready to assume that risk. Ned’s leadership— working countless hours, on nights and weekends—through that incredibly difficult period allowed Rivers to deliver on our mission in the most challenging circumstances. On a personal note, I will miss Ned. As a member of the board, I have found him a pleasure to work with—calm and collaborative, with a constant focus on our mission.

—Alan D. Rose, Jr. ’87, President, Board of Trustees

Rivers has been a comfortable place for our family, and that comes from Ned’s leadership. There is nothing ostentatious about Ned, and his personality is reflected in Rivers. I remember attending a prospectivestudents’ night with our older son. When Ned was speaking, this 12-year-old leaned over to me and said, “I like what this guy is saying.” That sealed it for our family.

I always enjoyed the fact that when I asked Ned a question, I always got a direct answer. He didn’t always like my question, and I didn’t always like his answer, but there was mutual respect for the difficulty of a head’s job.

Before we set out to raise the capital for the renovation of the Middle School, it was Ned who told me that he really wanted that renovation to take place. To paraphrase, he said he felt he owed it to the Middle School faculty and staff to get that done. He felt they had waited in line and that he owed them for their patience and commitment. I invoked his passion for the project often when helping with that fundraise. I hope that people know the project would not have been undertaken or funded without Ned’s passion for his Middle School team.

—John Foley P’22, ’25, Trustee

3/2020

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rivers Remote is launched. Faculty, staff, and administrators pull together to create a seamless online learning experience

1/2021

The school celebrates the life of beloved faculty member Dan McCartney and announces the McCartney Scholars initiative, a program of distinction in math studies.

2021

9/2020 Rivers reopens for in-person school, with extensive Covid protocols in place.

With the reopening of Haynes, renovations to the academic quad and Middle School spaces

2022 2023

6/2023

Head of School Ned Parsons completes his nine-year tenure at Rivers, having presided over a period of unprecedented transformation and growth at the school.