10 January 2020
Dear Members of the MKA Community,
I hope everyone has returned from winter break refreshed by quality time with family and friends.
I write to let you know that in December, Tom Nammack informed the Board of Trustees that the 2020-21 school year will be his last as our Headmaster. Having served since 2005, Mr. Nammack is the only Headmaster that our present students, and many of our current parents, have ever known. There will be many opportunities between now and June 2021 to recognize and celebrate Tom's contributions to MKA, but please allow me to begin such acknowledgement with this letter.
Tom has been an exemplary steward of our mission. Through his leadership the culture of our school is one of joy – with a fully engaged community that cares about, and is dedicated, to one another. He has created an environment that fosters the deep and genuine connection between our faculty and our students. He has led with integrity, compassion, and empathy. Moreover, any discussion of his tenure would not be complete without reference to his support and implementation of a multicultural curriculum, his focus on the social and emotional well-being of our students, and his effectuation of our current Strategic Plan. Tom has encouraged the expansion of our global experiences program, concentrated on the professional growth of our faculty, and he has completed, with great success, MKA's largest ever capital campaign. These achievements are products of his courage and his vision.
On a personal note, I am grateful to Tom for the commitment and guidance he has given to the Board, to prior Board presidents, and to me. Between now and June of 2021, I know that he will continue to work tirelessly and enthusiastically on behalf of our students, faculty, administration, and staff, as well as the broader MKA community.
In announcing his plans now, Tom has given the Board ample opportunity to conduct a thoughtful and thorough search for his successor. We are forming a Search Committee which will be led by me. The Search Committee will report to the full Board and will be assisted by Spencer Stuart, an experienced and highly regarded search firm. We expect to select our next Head of School in the fall of 2020, which will allow for an effective and positive transition for this individual to work closely with Tom throughout the 2020-21 school year in order to assume full responsibility on July 1, 2021. We are committed to being as communicative and transparent with you as possible within the confines of what is a highly confidential search process, and I am grateful for your support and understanding in this regard.
The transition from a long-serving head to a new school leader is necessarily a period of reflection, and our search will be informed by the input from all members of the MKA community. The process the Board has established is deliberate and was developed with much thought and care. The search is an opportunity for us to broadly consider who we are as a school today, and to be aspirational about our future and the implementation of MKA's Strategic Plan. We will focus on MKA's deeply rooted strengths, proud traditions, and on educational goals to prepare our children for the future.
Our Mission Statement, rewritten under Tom's leadership, reflects our priorities. We believe in a diverse and inclusive community. We believe in purposeful engagement and the transformative power of education. And most of all, we believe in a strong, vibrant, and innovative school community. We seek to guide our students on their journeys to becoming ethical individuals, critical thinkers, honorable leaders and responsible citizens of the world, who act with conscience and compassion.
That is MKA at its best, and that is the school we will continue to be.
The Board of Trustees and I look forward to working with the entire community in the months to come. I know you will join me in thanking Tom for his tireless leadership and dedication to our valued community. At this time, I would also like to thank Zandi, Marion '10, and Travers '11, for the many sacrifices they have made which have benefitted Montclair Kimberley Academy. Kathleen M. Logan
Tom Nammack's letter follows: Dear Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of my decision to step down from my role at MKA at the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year. While 2020-21 will be my final year at MKA, I will carry with me for all of my days a profound interest, deep affection, and high regard for this exceptional school and community. A confluence of factors led me to this decision – all of them positive and forward thinking – simply put, this is the right time to begin a significant transition for me and my family, and for MKA.
Thanks to the commitment, hard work, and clarity of purpose of colleagues, students, parents, Trustees, and many alumni/ae, MKA is a high functioning, joyful, and healthy school. I am profoundly grateful for my time here as a parent, colleague, and Headmaster. The privilege of leading MKA has put me alongside students and adults of admirable character and firm resolve to influence, support, and witness the process of human development in thousands of lives.
MKA has evolved through judicious innovation informed by the Mission Statement. The Strategic Plan now underway is the latest engine of inspiration and change in the school's history. A combination of enduring values matched with a capacity and appetite for reinvention has powered MKA forward for over 130 years, and I am confident that this school and our community will continue to thrive.
I am focused on the important work that needs to be advanced and completed during the next eighteen months and that includes supporting the Board and the next Head of School to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. I will also be sure to thank all of you for the friendships, support, and professional relationships that I treasure. In this letter and at this time, I want to express my gratitude to Board of Trustees' Presidents, Newton Schott, Alice Hirsh, Michael Johnson, and Kate Logan, with and for whom I have worked and shared in days of great joy and challenge, and in accomplishments that will endure for generations to come.
On behalf of Zandi, Marion '10, and Travers '11, I send you our deep appreciation for the wonderful opportunities, lifelong friendships, and genuine and abundant kindnesses that the MKA community has given to us.
With great respect and affection, Thomas W. Nammack Headmaster Montclair Kimberley Academy 201 Valley Road • Montclair, NJ 07042 • 973-746-9800. |