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Head of School Search

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
Search Committee Co-chair and Board Treasurer

Lair Kennedy
Search Committee Co-chair and Board Chair-Elect

Steve Baggot
Board Chair

Meredith Ficks
Trustee

Janet Hill
Director of Enrollment Management

Samir Kulkarni
Trustee

Susan Marrs
Assistant Head of School

Chuck Mingo
Trustee

Beth Schiff
Former Board Chair
 

Jen Stein
Former Board Chair
 

 

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:

JOHN FARBER

Tony Featherson

Rebecca Upham

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.

 

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.

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.

The Search Committee reviewed dossiers of potential candidates and narrowed the field to 10 semifinalists.

The Search Committee interviewed each candidate and narrowed the field to four finalists.

Finalists visited the campuses and met the Seven Hills community.

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