Caroline Woodworth '05

In light of Mr. Widmer's decision to leave Deerfield in June of 2006, the search for a new head of school has begun. John Jeffry Louis, president of the board of trustees, leads the search committee. The committee includes trustees Lisa Cashin, Phil Greer, Randy Hack, Brian Rosborough, Wendy Strothman. Art History Teacher Lydia Hemphill and History department chair Conrad Pitcher, the two most recent additions, will serve as community representatives.

The committee's first assignment is to develop a "short list" of potential search consultants. Deerfield will enlist the help of an outside source, a search firm or individual search executive, hired to publicize the search. The firm's responsibility will be to create a specific job description. In this description, the school will consider new dimensions it wishes to add, what direction it would like to take, and of course, the qualities we admire in Mr. Widmer.

As the school community creates a description of our ideal candidate "Everybody has a voice," said secretary of the Academy Lee Wick said.

The firm will begin to advertise for the position once the committee finalizes these ideas. The firm will place advertisements in 2004-2005 such as The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Personal letters will supplement the public advertisements in order to reach specific individuals. This exploration will extend beyond the New England sphere, searching for a broad and diverse set of individuals to bring to campus.

Once the committee and the firm have found an ample number of candidates, they will begin to review the individual applications. An undisclosed number of finalists will be invited to visit campus.