Head of School Transition

April 19, 2013

Dear Members of the Hilltopper Community,

I have my computer open to the Duluth news and am reading about the latest spring storms, yet neither the stalled traffic on the lake nor record-setting snow totals can dampen my family’s spirits as we plan our first journey to the Northland. We will travel to Duluth in two weeks -- my children are counting the days -- and I will be proud and pleased to show them our new school and our new community.

For the last nine years, I have worked in admissions preaching “fit” to families as they searched for the right educational experience. Last November, I began reading about the Marshall School and immediately sensed that fit for me. At that time I wrote to the search committee to express these simple sentiments:

What draws me to Marshall is the stated desire to embrace “innovative programming” while continuing to emphasize core values, such as compassion and integrity. At independent schools, our task is not simply to introduce more information to our students; it is to ask them to use this information for the greater good. It would be an honor to serve as the Head of School at an institution determined to move forward in a responsible way.

Since then, during my school visits and intervening conversations, I have done my best to learn as much as I could about our wonderful school, and all that I have learned reaffirms that initial notion: Marshall is the right school for me. Rooted in tradition yet eager to embrace its future, Marshall is a school with a sense of self, a sense of purpose, and a sense of place. I chose Marshall because of its mission, and my intention is to enhance our commitment to that mission while embracing the best of the educational reform movement, so that our school may continue to serve the greater Duluth community.

Along with my wife, Dana, and our children Matthew (14) and Caitlin (11), we look forward to meeting many of you during our trip in early May or after we move to Duluth in mid-June. In the meantime, I will continue to follow with pride the success of all of the Hilltoppers as they represent us well in academic competitions, athletic events, artistic endeavors and community service activities.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the Marshall community.

Sincerely,

Kevin Breen

Search Information

December 11, 2012

Dear members of the Hilltopper community,

The Board of Trustees at Marshall School is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Breen as the next head of school, effective July 1, 2013.

Kevin is the Associate Head of School for External Relations and Director of Enrollment at the University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Prior to his five years of service at ULS, Kevin worked for 14 years at the Brooks School in North Andover, Massachusetts. During his time at Brooks, Kevin taught English, chaired the English department, and was the director of admissions and financial aid.

The search committee saw very quickly that Kevin is an outstanding fit for Marshall. He will bring a wealth of experiences to Duluth, and he is well positioned to execute current initiatives and lead us into an even more exciting future.

Kevin was appointed at the conclusion of an extensive national search process, which attracted many highly qualified candidates. During the search, Kevin displayed many of the positive characteristics cited by his references: tremendous energy, strong communication skills, thoughtful reflection, and a great passion for working with students.

“I was initially drawn to the Marshall School because of its unsurpassed ability to balance academic excellence with a commitment to core values such as integrity and compassion,” Kevin said. “When my wife and I visited, the people we met made us more certain that we had found a very special place. I am honored to join this warm and welcoming community and eager to lead the institution forward while retaining all that is right about its mission.”

Kevin graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in American Studies. He has a master’s degree in writing from DePaul University. Kevin has a variety of interests outside of school, and fulfilled a life-long dream when he completed the Boston Marathon. He will join the Marshall community with his wife Dana and his two children, Caitlin (10) and Matt (13).

The school would like to thank the numerous individuals who participated in the search process, and in particular the search committee comprised of trustees, administration, and faculty. The open and inclusive process will help set Kevin on a strong path of leadership for Marshall in the coming years. 

We invite you to offer a warm welcome to Kevin and his family as they relocate to Duluth this July.

Sincerely,

Deb Amberg
Board President and Search Committee Chair

The Search Committee
Jim Jarocki  
Michelle Buria  
Fred Shusterich  
Todd Campbell  
Mary Morehouse  
Dave Gunnarson  
Doug Lewis 
Kristina Fryberger D’Allaird  
Brian Murphy  
Lori Durant  
Krysta Maas  
Karen Snyder

November 19, 2012

The Marshall Head of School Search Committee has been busy throughout the fall recruiting the next great Head of Marshall School.  We’ve received wonderful support from throughout the Marshall community.  

We introduced two finalist candidates a few weeks ago.  We extended an offer to one of those candidates and determined that the other candidate was not the right fit for the school.  After several discussions with the top candidate, it was determined that becoming the Head of Marshall was not the right fit for him and his family.  

We are looking for an outstanding leader, and the Search Committee continues its efforts to find this individual. We have identified additional candidates who we are getting to know better, and we anticipate scheduling campus visits after Thanksgiving.  We realize this has been a long and arduous process, and appreciate your commitment and support. 

October 17, 2012

The Search Committee is pleased to report that the search has been narrowed down to two very qualified finalists for the Head of School position at Marshall.

To recap the process thus far, after reviewing over 60 applications, the committee did preliminary interviews with 15 candidates via Skype. Of the 15 candidates, four semi-finalists were invited to campus for a full day of meetings with faculty and staff, representatives from the student body and parent body, and the Board of Trustees. 

We have identified two finalists who will visit our campus beginning next Monday, October 22. All parents are invited to meet and greet the finalists at an open parent reception on Monday, October 22 and Friday, October 26 from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. each day. Each candidate will give a brief introduction and parents will have the opportunity to ask them questions during the reception. 

September 21, 2012

August 6, 2012

The Marshall HOS Search Committee shares an update with the community and a survey link from consultant Jim Maggart: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MarshallHOS

July 27, 2012

Marshall School has retained Jim Maggart of Educators' Collaborative to assist with the search. Interested candidates can click here for more information about how to apply. Jim can be reached at: jmaggart@educatorscollaborative.com. Interested individuals should email Jim Maggart for a complete position description. 

July 12, 2012

Jim Jarocki shares information regarding Head of School Michael Ehrhardt in a letter to the Marshall community. Read his letter here.  

Read Dr. Ehrhardt's Letter to the Board of Trustees