Matt Bolton Named Head of school-Elect
|
|
Dr. Matthew J. Bolton has been named the next Seven Hills Head of School, effective July 1, 2024 following the retirement of current Head of School Chris Garten. Bolton is currently the Head of Upper School and will continue in his role for the 2023-24 school year. The Search Committee made the recommendation to the Board of Trustees in May 2023 after an exhaustive global search process working with RG175, a leading search firm for school heads and administrators, during which Board Chair Steve Baggott said, in a letter to the community, that Bolton emerged as the clear choice. Bolton joined Seven Hills as the Head of Upper School in 2014. Under his leadership, the division has seen an expansion of STEM offerings, the introduction of the May Term program, and a series of Civic Engagement Seminars. Bolton has worked with teachers and department chairs to establish more than 20 new courses, including engineering, entrepreneurship, and a Chinese language sequence. Additionally, during his tenure, a learning support department has been established and SHARP (Seven Hills Academic Readiness Program) was founded. Bolton has played an important role in many school-wide initiatives, from enriching and aligning the curriculum to developing more robust programs to foster students’ social-emotional wellness. He has been deeply involved in several board-level projects, including the drafting of an updated mission statement and a Commitment of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the development of a new strategic plan, a major rebranding and marketing campaign, a series of building projects, and the Build.Connect.Inspire capital campaign. Prior to coming to Seven Hills, Bolton served in various roles at Loyola School in New York City. Over the course of 15 years, he was an English teacher, the dean of students, and the dean of academics. He has a B.A. in English from Binghamton University, a Ph.D. and M.Phil. in English from The City University of New York, and two M.S.Ed. degrees from Fordham University, in English Education and Educational Administration and Supervision. Click here to read the announcement letter from Board Chair Steve Baggott. |
|
Search Updates
Stay up-to-date with the search for our new Head of School with these messages to the community:
May 8, 2023: Head of School-Elect Announcement Letter from Steve Baggott, Board Chair
Jan. 31, 2023: Letter from Search Co-chairs Providing Update
Jan. 24, 2023: Results from the Head of School Search Survey
Sept. 23, 2022: Letter from Search Co-chairs Regarding Survey
Sept. 14, 2022: Letter from Search Co-chairs Angie Apple and Lair Kennedy
Sept. 13, 2022: Letter from Steve Baggott, Board Chair
Sept. 13, 2022: Letter from Chris Garten, Head of School
Head of School Search Committee
|
Angie Apple
|
Lair Kennedy
|
Steve Baggot
|
|
Meredith Ficks
|
Janet Hill
|
Samir Kulkarni
|
|
Susan Marrs
|
Chuck Mingo
|
Beth Schiff
|
|
|
Jen Stein
|
|
Search Consultants
Seven Hills School has partnered with RG 175 in our Head of School search. RG 175 is the premier placement firm serving independent schools around the world since 2002. They are committed to highly personalized leadership and governance consulting to schools, based on the values of integrity, inclusivity, knowledge, and flexibility. To reach our search consultants, please email John Farber at jfarber@rg175.com, Tony Featherston at tfeatherston@rg175.com, and Rebecca Upham at rebecca.upham@rg175.com. You can also find out more about them by clicking below:
Position Statement
|
|
RG175 produced a Position Statement based on the feedback from their campus visits and community survey. RG175 will use the Position Statement to actively recruit candidates. Click here to view the Position Statement. |
Survey & RG175 Visit — September 2022
The Search Committee set up an online survey to allow our full community the opportunity to be involved in this search. Everyone was encouraged to participate and provide their unique perspective on what traits matter most in our next leader. Additionally, RG175 visited Seven Hills in late September to meet in small groups with every member of faculty, staff, and administration as well as some parents and students. The information gathered was carefully considered in framing what we are looking for in our next Head of School. Click here for an overview of the response data.
Position Statement and Candidate Recruitment — October 2022-January 2023
RG175 produced a Position Statement based on the feedback from their campus visit and community survey. RG175 used the Position Statement to actively recruit candidates. Click here to view the Position Statement.
Semifinalist Selection — February 2023
The Search Committee reviewed dossiers of potential candidates and narrowed the field to 10 semifinalists.
Finalist Selection — March 2023
The Search Committee interviewed each candidate and narrowed the field to four finalists.
Finalist Visit — April 2023
Finalists visited the campuses and met the Seven Hills community.
New Head Selection — May 2023
The Search Committee recommended its selection to the Board of Trustees for final decision and announcement.
News Coverage
May 9, 2023: “Seven Hills names Matthew Bolton head of school” – Cincinnati Business Courier
May 8, 2023: Seven Hills Press Release
Sept. 14, 2022: “Seven Hills launches global search for new head of school as Chris Garten plans to retire” – Cincinnati Enquirer
Sept. 14, 2022: “Seven Hills School chief Chris Garten to exit; search underway for replacement” – Cincinnati Business Courier
Sept. 14, 2022: Seven Hills Press Release
