On behalf of the Orinda Academy Board of Trustees, it is with great pleasure that we announce that Susan Eva Porter Ph.D. has been selected by the Board of Trustees to serve as Orinda Academy’s next Head of School. Sue comes to us from The Bay School of San Francisco, where she has served as Dean of Students. Previous to her experience at The Bay School of San Francisco, Sue worked as the Dean of Students at The Branson School in Ross, CA.
The appointment of Sue marks the end of a thorough search that began shortly after our founder Ron Graydon announced his retirement. The Search Committee was convened by the Orinda Academy Board of Trustees. After reviewing application materials from a large pool of interested parties, three finalists were invited to interview onsite at Orinda Academy. Those finalists met with various teachers, students, and parents. Everyone involved in the process was subsequently invited to provide feedback about the candidates, which information was carefully reviewed, discussed, and evaluated.
In Sue Porter, the Board believes that we have found a leader capable of growing our School through outreach and philanthropy, and of forging strong relationships with our broad Community. Those of you who have met with Sue know her to be a bright, thoughtful, and engaging leader with strong interpersonal skills. The Board is confident and enthusiastic about her commitment to honor our past and to move us forward in providing a progressive, personalized, and joyful education.
Sue’s appointment will officially begin July 1, 2018. We hope that you can join us beforehand in welcoming Sue at the Crab Feed on March 24th. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact Board Chair, Laura Cottril at laura@lauracphotography.com.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Sue to our Orinda Academy community!
Very truly yours,
Your Search Committee:
Jeffrey Pozzi, Trustee and Search committee chair
Laura Cottril, Board President
Steve Podell, Trustee and search committee member
Trustees:
Dave Richardson
Collin Pugh
Trudy Hsu
Lynette Lockett