Head of School Search

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Dear Friends Academy,

It is with heartfelt gratitude and profound humility that I express how honored and inspired I am to lead and serve as Friends Academy’s 26th Head of School – a school that I love, with a mission that I believe in, and a community that my family and I are grateful to be a part of. Thank you to the Search Committee and the Board of Trustees for your faith and trust in me. In addition to my video message, I would like to share the following reflection.

Sitting in the Meeting House recently, savoring silence and surrounded by Lower School students, I contemplated our query that day: As trees, plants, and flowers bloom around us, in what ways have I noticed myself grow over the course of the year?

My mind wandered back to my journey to Friends Academy, remembering how the way opened. Inspired by the idea of letting one’s life speak, I remembered the feeling of hearing a calling to fulfill a mission guided by Quaker values to educate students to discover and develop the best of who they are and who they can become. Having witnessed what this actually looks like at Friends Academy over the course of the past year, my belief in this purpose has grown even deeper.

I have grown as a person through the relationships I have formed. In the spirit of Ubuntu, a theme that guided our opening days in Lower School, I am because we are. I am so grateful for the many meaningful and authentic relationships I have formed over the course of this past year, and for the blessing of our beautiful community. I see great strength in this.

As a leader, I have grown through the practice of deep listening grounded in the importance of being fully present—beginning and ending meetings in silence to consecrate moments and honor their full value. I have grown by learning that seeing the light in each individual means taking the time to understand who they are and learn where they come from. Seeing that light also means holding each other accountable. Every moment is a learning moment and life is an ongoing journey of continuing revelation.

The wooden benches creak around me. I am always in awe when I sit with the youngest among us in the Meeting House. I take my deep breath, straighten my spine, and settle in, marveling at how these children, so full of hope and promise, are learning to cherish stillness in their lives. What a gift we are giving them in this increasingly fast-moving, complex, and noisy world.

As I hear the tapping of heels against the baseboard from feet dangling just above the floor, I am reminded that as trees, plants, and flowers bloom around us, I have noticed myself grow in affirmation of my purpose to lead and serve others to be the best versions of themselves. I have devoted my entire life to the wellbeing of young people. We grow through what we go through, and in my own life, as I have traveled through valleys of adversity, I have always felt believed in by the people who have nurtured and supported me along the way. As a lifelong educator, I have witnessed no greater power than when a person feels and knows they are believed in. I seek to build community because I am the beneficiary of growing up in a community in which I felt cared for. I seek to live my life with integrity, because there is no other way. As I breathe in the 300-year-old air of the Matinecock Friends Meeting House, I feel the energy of the future sitting on the benches around me.

I live a grateful life. When I hear our students stand and share publicly who and what they are thankful for, those that help them be and become, my heart fills with goodness. I did not know that it was possible, but somehow over the course of this year, I have grown in gratitude.

At the beginning of our year, Head of School Paul Stellato declared that our theme for the year would be one of Empathy. Like glue binding our Quaker values, I have noticed myself grow in empathy for those around me. Being new to a community means hearing people’s stories and sharing one’s own. In this sacred exchange, we carry each other’s identities, which is the highest form of empathy. We all come from somewhere, have our histories, and our own beliefs. We all have our stories to tell. It is only if we have the courage to listen and actually devote time to caring about one another that we will be able to come together as one diverse and beautiful community in pursuit of a common goal: Ensuring that our children grow to be whole in mind, body, and spirit so they can lead lives of purpose and contribute positively to our world by embodying our Quaker values. I know that we can succeed in this moment, and that Friends Academy can exist as a beacon.

Over the course of the year, I have grown in joy. With every morning handshake, look in the eye, and smile, I see the light in those around me. During Peace Vigils and Community Group gatherings, moments of meaningful student interactions across all grade-levels that illustrate the power of growing up in an EC-Grade 12 learning environment, I have grown in joy. With meals shared and athletic contests watched, performances applauded, and pieces of art appreciated, I have noticed myself grow in joy. Through celebrations of learning, conversations with colleagues, and encounters with alumni who come home to Friends Academy, I have grown in joy. Schools are not about bricks and mortar – schools are about people in community, learning and living together every day, and they are meant to be joyful places.

As I listen to the testament of students sharing their reflections of personal growth, I am affirmed that fulfilling our Quaker mission will make our world a better place. What a beautiful opportunity we have to build a shared vision for our future as we prepare to celebrate 150 years of Friends Academy.

Meeting for Worship nears its end and we pause for after-thoughts. I realize that all of my reflection on the query points to one central truth: over the course of this year, I have noticed myself grow in my capacity to love. With one last deep breath, I realize my love of Friends Academy has grown. This is how I meet this moment – inspired and prepared to lead our beloved school into the future. As is our custom, we close with a handshake and seal the bond of Meeting for Worship in connection with one another.

In peace,

Rik

Screenshot 2025-06-03 at 4.43.45 PM

We are excited to announce that the Board of Trustees has appointed Alfred (Rik) F. Dugan III as Friends Academy’s 26th Head of School, effective July 2026, upon Paul Stellato’s retirement. Rik has energized and inspired our community in his first year with us as Head of Lower School and upcoming Head of Middle School this coming July. He leads with warmth, builds deep connections, engages himself in all facets of school and student life, and authentically embodies and embraces the Quaker testimonies as the foundation of an excellent education and the development of students of great character. We are enthusiastic for him to now be able to formally expand his leadership remit to all divisions and aspects of FA.

As you will see from Rik’s accompanying letter and video, he is thrilled and deeply committed to lead Friends Academy through our 150th anniversary celebration and into our next chapter, working with our outstanding leadership team and group of colleagues. His appointment comes at the end of a process in which we saw strong engagement from across our community, including from many of you – colleagues, parents, alums, students – who have already had the chance to come to know Rik and expressed enthusiastic support for his candidacy. We are excited for you to carry forward that energy, and for those of you who have not yet gotten to know Rik, to experience what so many at FA already have. Rik’s door is open, and over the coming months, we look forward to introducing him more fully across the FA community.

ik joined us last year after a 9-year headship at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart (PASH), a K-8 boys school in Princeton, NJ. During his tenure, Rik was responsible for all aspects of the school’s operations as PASH graduated students, who year upon year went on to the best secondary and boarding schools across the Northeast, and have become thriving and conscientious young adults. Prior to his time at PASH, Rik was in leadership, admissions, and teaching roles at Far Hills Country Day School and the Delbarton School. Rik graduated with a B.A. in English from Williams College and holds an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Rik’s experience leading a diverse school built on faith-based principles makes him ideally suited for the headship at Friends Academy. Rik’s time at PASH also gave him experience navigating the challenges of independent school leadership in the modern environment. Backed by a committed Board of Trustees, a strong financial foundation, an energized community, and FA’s rich history, we are confident that our school is poised to thrive under Rik’s leadership and continue the strong upward trajectory that we have experienced in the last couple of years.

As Rik extends his role at FA, we are thrilled that his family will become a deeper part of our community. We welcome Rik’s wife Joanna, who is Director of Strategic Communications at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn; daughter Isabella, a Midshipman at the US Naval Academy; son Roderik, a recent graduate of The Lawrenceville School and incoming freshman at Williams College; and of course son Teddy, a valued member of our rising 7th grade class.

As we approach our 150th anniversary celebration, we can feel the momentum at Friends Academy – spirits are high, applications are up, arts and athletics successes abound, and academic outcomes are strong as outstanding college placements continue. We are energized for an optimistic, inspiring next chapter under Rik’s leadership and encourage everyone to take this opportunity to engage, invest in the future of FA, and spread the enthusiasm to grow our community even further. As we do that, the future of our school will have never been brighter.

Appreciation and remarks on our process

On behalf of our Board of Trustees, we appreciate the trust that you all have placed in our process these last several months. As you know, we have a recent comparison point from our last search process in 2022 – we were very pleased with the enhanced level of engagement, and the positive feedback on the state of the school that was expressed in this process. This positive energy strongly resonated with candidates, and as a result we had the chance to choose from an exceptionally strong pool of current heads, former heads, senior administrators – and of course a talented and experienced internal candidate.

Consensus-driven decision-making is paramount at a Quaker school, and we are proud of our Quaker process during this search. Our Committee sourced a comprehensive set of feedback from resume reviews, group interviews, 1:1 conversations, community feedback, and references. We entered our semifinal and finalist phases with different individual views or expectations on how the process might turn out. And through much constructive debate and discernment, consensus on the right outcome became clear. We are confident that Rik’s emergence from a strong process and highly competitive pool will only strengthen the early days of his headship.

We will have the benefit of a full-year transition process with Rik on campus, working in close partnership with Paul and the rest of the Friends Academy leadership team. One early order of business will be to identify the next Head(s) of Lower and Middle School for the 2026-27 school year. Paul and Rik will quickly get underway on this task and provide more information on that process, and other elements of the transition, in the weeks and months ahead.

Finally, we will close with a number of thanks. A process like this requires the very hard work and engagement of many across the community. We would like to recognize in particular:

Paul Stellato, whose leadership has helped build and sustain the positive momentum that benefited our search, and who of course brought Rik to FA last year. We are looking forward to a number of important accomplishments that lie ahead in the remainder of Paul’s tenure.
The FA Colleague Advisory Board, co-clerked by Deidre Cooper and Daniel Mendel. Their input on our interview process, and engagement with and feedback on our finalist candidates were hugely valuable to our process.
The many parents, colleagues, and administrative team members who participated in our finalist rounds, as well as students who led tours and had lunch discussions with each of our candidates. The level of engagement in this process was strong and each candidate noted the warmth and energy they felt from our community.
Lauren Shalit and Andrea Miller, who put extraordinary effort into the complicated logistics of finalist visits and Trustee discussions, and into a thorough and transparent communications plan.
Our consultants at Carney, Sandoe & Associates – Mark Davis, Willy MacMullen, and Scott Nelson – who sourced a very strong pool of candidates and provided valuable counsel on navigating a search involving internal and external candidates.
And finally, our Search Committee colleagues – Jeff Daniels, Tim Dooley, Tom Gibian, and Jen Tytel. We are proud of the work we did together to forge consensus through debate, devoting dozens of hours in dedication to the future of an institution we love.

Please join us in congratulating Rik on this appointment, (re-)welcoming Rik, Joanna, Isa, Roddy, and Teddy to our community, and celebrating all that lies ahead for Friends Academy.

Wishing everyone a great end to the school year and a happy summer.

Sincerely,

Frank Ingrassia
President, Board of Trustees and member of Search Committee

Roseann Martin
Trustee and Co-Clerk of Search Committee

Steve Witthuhn
Trustee and Co-Clerk of Search Committee

Who led the search process?

The Board of Trustees was responsible for hiring Friends Academy’s next Head of School – this is the single most important role of a school board. To lead the process, the FA Board selected a Search Committee comprised of Trustees. Roseann Martin (Parent ’23, ’25, '29) and Steve Witthuhn (Alum ’01, Parent ’31, ’35) will clerk the committee, whose full membership can be found below. The Search Committee partnered with Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), a dedicated independent school search consulting firm, to drive the process and recommended a candidate to the Board. The full Board was ultimately responsible for approving the appointment of Friends Academy's next Head of School.

Search Committee

Roseann Martin, Clerk
Friends Academy Trustee
Friends Academy Parent, P'23, '25, '29

Stephen Witthuhn, Clerk
Friends Academy Trustee
Friends Academy Parent, P'31, '35
Class of 2001

Frank Ingrassia
Friends Academy Board President
Friends Academy Grandparent ’32, ’34, ’36
Friends Academy Alumni Parent, P'03, '03, '12, '14, '16, '19, '21

Jeff Daniels
Friends Academy Trustee
Friends Academy Parent, P'16, '20, '23
Class of 1990

Tim Dooley
Friends Academy Trustee
Friends Academy Parent, P'32, '32, '34
Class of 2002

Tom Gibian
Friends Academy Trustee
Former Head, Sandy Spring School Member, Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting

Jennifer Tytel
Friends Academy Trustee
Friends Academy Parent, P'34, '38
Class of 2005

What were the goals of the search process?

The most significant goal was to identify a new Head of School for Friends Academy. We sought a leader who embraces our Quaker values and traditions; builds upon the investments made over the last several years in our program, and campus and reinforcing our community standards; and chart a bold path forward for future investment in Friends Academy.

Importantly, the search was an opportunity to engage the entire Friends Academy community as we seek a new leader. Our committee and consultants will meet with members from across our school community to shape the position description that will define what we are looking for in our next head of school. And we will aim to have a full year of transition between Paul Stellato and our new head of school in 2025-26, as we celebrate FA’s 150th anniversary and look forward to our school’s bright future.

What was the role of the Board?

The Board of Trustees has the full and final responsibility for selecting and hiring Friends Academy’s next Head of School. To facilitate the search process, the Board created a Search Committee that will drive the search process. The full Board will meet final candidates advanced by the Search Committee and, at the conclusion of the process, will name the new Head based on the Search Committee’s recommendation.

What was the role of the Search Firm?

The Search Firm directs the search from start to finish, working closely with our consultants to craft a position statement, interview a prioritized slate of candidates, and focus on the most promising finalist candidates. The Committee is charged to ensure that the process is transparent, thorough, and comprehensive. It will coordinate input and feedback from the school’s varied constituencies, and keep the community informed as the process evolves while maintaining the discretion and flexibility needed to maximize the quality of our candidate pool and ultimately recommend the best next head of school for FA.

Friends Academy worked with Carney Sandoe & Associates to help us find the perfect match for our school. Since 1977, Carney Sandoe has worked successfully with over 1,800 independent, private, boarding, and charter schools in 48 states and 32 countries to provide exceptional faculty recruitment, head of school search, and strategic consulting services.

The CS&A team, led by consultants Mark Davis, Scott Nelson and Willy MacMullen, worked with the Search Committee to identify Friends Academy’s next Head of School. Mark, Scott and Willy are all former heads of school at prestigious independent schools, and between them have more than seven decades of experience leading schools and recruiting new leaders.

Consultants:

Mark Davis
Senior Consultant, Former Head of School at St. Luke's School (CT)

Scott Nelson
Senior Consultant, Former Head of School at Rye Country Day School

Willy MacMullen
Senior Consultant, Former Head of School at The Taft School

What is the role of the current head?

Paul Stellato will continue his outstanding leadership of Friends Academy throughout the search process and after its completion, through the date of his departure in June 2026. While Paul will not formally be involved with the search process, he will meet personally with the consulting team to offer his perspectives on the future leadership needs of the school based upon his successful tenure at and deep understanding of Friends Academy, and his decades of experience in independent school leadership.

Most importantly, Paul and the Board of Trustees remain fully aligned and in close partnership on the direction of the school and eager to continue the strong momentum that has been built over Paul’s tenure. As FA will be Paul’s final stop before retirement, he will be able to focus all of his professional energy on completing his tenure at FA strongly. Paul and his team will remain fully responsible and empowered by the Board to implement the school’s operating plan through the time of his departure, as well as continue to make a range of investments to continue the school along its strategic path.

What was the role of FA community members?

The Search Committee is committed to an inclusive process that involves input and engagement from faculty, staff, administration, parents and alumni. FA colleagues will be engaged through interviews and open forums during the consultants’ initial site visit that will shape the position statement for the next Head of School. Parents will have an opportunity to learn about the process and provide thoughts to our Search Committee through a Zoom call during the site visit, and our consultants will meet with the Parent Council Executive Committee during their site visit. All constituents will have the opportunity to complete a survey to express their aspirations and expectations for our search, which will shape our position description.

Following the site visit, we will be forming a Colleagues Advisory Board to meet directly with the Search Committee and provide further input throughout the process. The Search Committee also welcomes outreach throughout the process from all constituents to members individually or collectively through the email address headsearch2025@fa.org.

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At Friends Academy, we achieve educational excellence by committing to the highest standard of learning and living.

Announcing
Friends Academy's
26th Head of School

On June 1, 2025, the Friends Academy Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Alfred (Rik) F. Dugan III as the 26th Head of School. Rik Dugan's tenure will begin in July 2026, upon current Head of School Paul Stellato's retirement.