Head of School Chris Garten Announces Retirement
Chris Garten, Head of The Seven Hills School, has announced his intent to retire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year, after serving 15 years as Head of School and 46 years in education.
“On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I want to thank Chris for his tireless work leading this outstanding institution. From opening doors in the morning car line to ably navigating the uncharted waters of a pandemic, Chris’s love for the Seven Hills community is profound,” Board of Trustees Chair Steve Baggott said.
Baggott thanked Garten for his “energetic and visionary leadership.” Under Garten’s guidance, Seven Hills built $45 million worth of new facilities, increased enrollment to the highest in school history, gained solid financial footing, spearheaded programmatic enhancements, progressed in faculty compensation, and diversified the student body.
Partnering with consulting firm Resource Group 175, Seven Hills is conducting a global search for the new Head of School with the intention of making a selection by the end of the current school year. Baggott is grateful to have Garten’s continued leadership during the process to ensure a smooth transition.
“I am enormously proud of how the school has evolved over the last 13 years. With the guidance and support of the Board of Trustees and of Seven Hills’ superb administrators, faculty, and staff, the school has launched a host of innovative programs to prepare our students, even more fully, for lives of meaning and purpose,” Garten said.
Garten’s last year with Seven Hills, the 2023-24 school year, will be the 50th anniversary of the merger that created the modern era of The Seven Hills School.
“What a joy it will be to celebrate all that has been accomplished,” Garten said.
For more information on the search for a new Head of School click here.