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http://www.ves.org | Virginia Episcopal School
Lynchburg, Virginia
has appointed
G. Thomas Battle, Jr.
as
Head of School | An alumnus and former trustee of Virginia Episcopal School, Tom Battle has held senior postings in wealth management for the past 15 years. He previously served as a faculty member and Director of Annual Giving of Virginia Episcopal School for six years. Mr. Battle holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Virginia.
The Organization
Located near the James River along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg, Virginia Episcopal School (VES) is a college preparatory, independent boarding and day school serving approximately 200 students in grades 9 through 12. VES was founded in 1916 by Reverend Robert Carter Jett, who had a dream of establishing a school for boys “that will draw out that which is noblest and finest." Inscribed over the chapel, which was built in 1919, are the words “Toward the Full Stature of Manhood,” a phrase that reflects the continuous striving expected from students and adults alike in all areas of life. This never-ending journey of growth has not only academic and physical components but also a very important spiritual dimension that includes the idea that, although human perfection may not be possible, people nonetheless have a responsibility to themselves and others to cultivate their abilities and, to the extent that they can, to use their gifts in the service of others. This philosophy permeates nearly every facet of life at VES and serves as a constant reminder of the ways in which the school shapes the lives of its constituents. The school is driven by its focus on student and faculty relationships as a vehicle for fostering the talents and gifts of each community member. Although VES has evolved and grown since its inception, including the introduction of coeducation in 1986, it remains a community focused on its founder’s century old growth within a supportive and affirming context.
VES lives out its mission TOWARD FULL STATURE, which reflects a commitment to rigorous academic training and vigorous individual attention in a spiritual and ethical environment. Indeed, when driving onto the campus, one first sees the chapel to the left, the gymnasium to the right, and the school’s first academic and residential building in the center—an image that symbolically captures the union between spiritual, physical, and intellectual development in a family-like setting that is the cornerstone of VES.
The student body of Virginia Episcopal School hails from more than 12 states and 8 countries, and two-thirds of students are fulltime or five-day boarders. A student-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 and an average class size of 12 students allow for a great deal of individual attention. Because 70 percent of the 38 faculty members live on campus with their families, teachers are an integral part of daily life, and students and teachers build friendships that extend beyond the classroom to such places as the dining hall, sports events, chapel, and school events. It is not unusual for teachers to cook for students in their homes or for students to baby-sit for children of faculty. Most important, faculty members become mentors and counselors to students. There is both an understood and articulated expectation at VES that everyone must give his or her best effort to every endeavor. Faculty members understand that growth must be nurtured rather than forced, and they are energized by the opportunity to facilitate students’ discovery and cultivation of their own unique strengths – TOWARD FULL STATURE.
VES provides a broad-based liberal arts curriculum with 76 courses, including 6 Honor and 18 Advanced Placement classes. With a dedicated lab for each area of inquiry, the science program employs a hands-on approach. History courses emphasize critical writing reflecting the mastery of both academic inquiry and historical narrative and fact. The English program involves exposure to classic and modern texts and encourages the development of critical thinking skills through robust class discussions and scholarly writing. Math courses include algebra, geometry, calculus and statistics, as well as electives for upperclassmen. Foreign language offerings include French, Spanish and Latin. Additional electives are available in the visual and performing arts, computer science, economics, public speaking and sports medicine. A Learning Resources Center assists students with study and organization strategies, and technology, including a wireless campus and wired dorms, supports the efforts of students and teachers alike.
Athletics are another pillar of VES and are a central mechanism by which students learn teamwork, self-discipline, concentration, and perseverance. Participation in athletics is required to ensure that students at VES have an opportunity to build their expectations and to grow in ways they never thought possible. Students play a sport for at least two terms, and many play for three. Among the school’s athletic offerings are lacrosse, basketball, football, golf, baseball, and volleyball, to name a few, and students enjoy competing in the League of Independent Schools, Blue Ridge Conference, Virginia Independent Conference and the Old Dominion Football Conference. The program is supported by state-of-the-art facilities, such as the new tri-level training facility with three separate workout areas; eight athletic fields and eight outdoor tennis courts; and the Van Every Center, a 30,000-square-foot field house that offers basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor track, a batting cage, and locker rooms. The school recently dedicated Pope Stadium, a new football, track and field facility. In addition, students have access to a Riding Center which includes a 10-stall barn, 75 acres of pastures and turn out, an all-weather footing show arena, trails and exercise fields.
A number of additional extracurricular activities enrich campus life at VES. At any given time, many students participate in the performing arts, such as the Glee Club, vocal ensemble, instrumental ensemble, and one theatrical production per season. Drawing, painting, and sculpting classes are also available in the fine arts. Student government and community service projects foster a sense of civic responsibility and the ethic of giving back to the school and local communities that have supported them. Today, community service has become a way of life at VES. Beyond the typical academic, arts, and athletic schedules are a number of special activities that bring students together on weekends and holidays, such as movie nights, trips to the local mall, skiing, college football games, the opera, and trips to exciting locations like New York City, Washington DC, Guadeloupe, Costa Rica, Spain and Italy.
The rich Episcopal heritage of VES remains an integral part of its daily life nearly 100 years after its founding, and the school places great emphasis on the spiritual and moral growth of the student. Students, faculty and administration attend a required chapel service each Wednesday morning and meet in the chapel daily for a morning devotional and assembly. In accordance with the school’s tradition of inclusion, students, faculty, and staff hold a variety of personal faiths.
It is said that honor is the glue that holds Virginia Episcopal School together. The school’s honor pledge, which is identical to the honor code that followers of Thomas Jefferson established for the University of Virginia, is posted in each classroom, and there is a sense of trust among students, faculty and administration. The process calls for a student elected and run honor committee.
The ultimate goal of Virginia Episcopal School lies in bringing out “that which is noblest and finest,” yet to the extent that measurable outcomes such as college placements are indicative of success, VES graduates perform exceptionally well. The college counselors work diligently with students to match them with the appropriate universities and liberal arts colleges across the country. Recent graduates attend the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Yale, Wake Forest, Boston College, Georgetown, the University of Virginia, Smith College, Davidson College, Cornell, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emory, Duke, Princeton, Hampden-Sydney and the University of Richmond.
With an annual budget of approximately $7 million and an endowment of $10 million, VES is financially healthy, notwithstanding the pressure due to recent economic uncertainty. The most recent capital campaign, which concluded in 2002, raised $17 million for faculty compensation, campus renovations, student scholarships, and technology. The school aims to launch its next significant capital campaign once the economy stabilizes, and priorities will include endowment, faculty compensation and new construction. VES has also recently conducted a large-scale marketing study to understand better how it is perceived among the Lynchburg community, alumni, parents and others connected to the school. It will use the findings to continue to strengthen its standing among these constituencies and to reinforce its place as an organization that is vital not only to Lynchburg but also to the entire region.
The Opportunity
After 12 years as Head of Virginia Episcopal School, Dr. Phillip Hadley plans to return to California at the end of the 2010 school year. Since his arrival, he has built upon the strengths and traditions of VES by enhancing faculty compensation, improving and upgrading the facilities, adding new and challenging courses to the curriculum, and increasing the awareness and participation of VES alumni in the life of the school. VES has launched a search for his successor, who will support and enhance academic, athletic, spiritual, and other offerings while also continuing to promote a sense of close-knit community at the school and nurturing relationships with alumni and other community members beyond VES. This individual will also lead the school in the development of a new strategic plan to address the challenges and opportunities of the future, some of which include:
Executing the upcoming capital campaign and subsequent building projects.
Attracting the best teachers and administrators from across the nation by developing sound compensation practices.
Building and strengthening ties among VES constituents.
Articulating and marketing the value of a VES education to current and prospective families.
Continuing to enrich all academic and extracurricular programs.
Developing strategic ways to continue and expand the school’s long-standing commitment to diversity, which dates back to its integration in 1967.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Head of School will have overall responsibility for the continued success of Virginia Episcopal School. He or she will be a visible role model who is emblematic of and embodies the school’s mission and who continues to build upon the heritage and the achievements of the past in preparing VES for the future. Specific duties will include the following:
Upholding the mission of VES and strengthening its culture of high expectations and continuous growth within a nurturing environment.
Participating in fundraising, including cultivating and soliciting major donors during the forthcoming capital campaign, by “telling the story” of VES as part of a comprehensive development effort aimed at securing resources for the school’s sustenance and growth.
Serving as an active spokesperson for VES among school constituents, such as alumni and parents, and within both Lynchburg and the broader region in order to build important ties with the community and to increase awareness of the school’s accomplishments and value.
Hiring, mentoring, and retaining experienced and knowledgeable faculty and staff members who value a holistic approach to education and who are committed to the school’s mission and philosophy.
Guiding educational policy and continuing to evaluate VES’ academic, arts, athletic, and extracurricular offerings in order to maintain the school’s high level of excellence.
Managing the school on a daily basis by empowering faculty and staff through delegation of responsibility and authority while retaining ultimate accountability.
Working closely with the Board of Directors in determining the strategic direction of the school and ensuring that VES remains fiscally strong through careful budgeting and sound financial management.
Candidate Qualities
Leadership
An individual who leads by force of intellect and personality, rather than by virtue of office, and who is looked to by all for advice and counsel.
One who sets high expectations for himself or herself and others, and whose personally high academic, physical, and spiritual standards inspire people to reach their full potential.
A manager who solicits and genuinely values input from various quarters in the spirit of collaboration, yet also remains comfortable making decisions.
An optimistic leader who empowers, energizes, and motivates others through his or her own passion for the school and hard work on its behalf, and who is able to bring others along in pursuit of shared goals.
Experience
Experience as a senior administrator, preferably at the high school level, of an academically rigorous independent school that emphasizes academic achievement as well as personal development.
Background communicating in a variety of ways to a number of diverse groups, serving as a spokesperson in the local community, and establishing and sustaining strong relationships both within and beyond a school.
A track record of involvement in the areas of strategic planning, fundraising, fiscal management, curriculum innovation, and recruiting, hiring, and retaining talented faculty and staff.
An understanding of the management and operations of a boarding program, its importance to the overall culture of a school, and the challenges that such programs face.
Skills and Knowledge
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to speak in a compelling manner on behalf of an organization and to generate in others excitement about the school.
Experience in cultivating and soliciting donors in annual, capital and planned giving fundraising.
A keen ability to cultivate relationships and build community within and among the various stakeholders in order to increase their desire to support the school.
Talented in assessing an already-strong program, discovering areas for improvement, and creating and implementing plans to reach goals.
Skilled in identifying, recruiting, retaining, and mentoring talented faculty and staff members who will create a positive, challenging, and safe environment in which students will grow and learn.
Knowledgeable of strategies to maintain and increase both student and faculty and staff diversity.
Familiar with current issues pertaining to boarding and day schools.
Aware of the dynamics of complex organizations and talented in managing the totality of a school while respecting differences among individuals and constituents.
Adept dealing with differences of opinion in a fair, patient, and open manner by promoting open dialogue.
Personal Attributes
A person of unquestioned honesty and integrity who serves as a role model for the entire school community.
A leader who projects a compelling presence that inspires and stimulates others to become involved and to work toward a common goal.
An open and empathetic individual who by virtue of his or her personality encourages others to do their best and rejoices in their successes.
Comfortable living in a community setting, on campus, with families and children of all ages.
A thoughtful and tactful person who is a good listener with common sense and a good sense of humor.
A patient, disciplined, and unflappable individual who brings understanding and perspective to bear on difficult issues while exhibiting grace under pressure.
An educator who genuinely enjoys young people and is vitally concerned with their academic and character development.
An energetic, outgoing, and warm “people person” who is able to move comfortably in social settings and to forge strong personal relationships.
A confident individual who is genuine and displays a sense of humility.
A person with a firm sense of character who is also respectful of differences among individuals and constituents.
One who recognizes the value of a diverse learning environment and is energized by the prospect of growing the level of diversity at VES.
Sincere, straightforward, and objective. Other Considerations
Compensation: Competitive among comparable schools.
Travel: Moderate.
Education: Master’s Degree required.
Candidates May Now Be:
A head of school in a similar, high quality institution.
Assistant or associate head of school with responsibilities comparable to those required of this position.
A division head or other senior administrator with a track record of building within his or her division and of taking on increasing responsibility.
| | Updated: Jul 23, 2010 |
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