New Head of School Search

About the Search

Earlier this fall, Marin Horizon announced that the 2025 calendar year will conclude Bill Perrine's tenure as Head of School. With this transition planned, the Board of Trustees has begun the search for a new Head of School expected to start in July 2026. The Board is committed to an open search process that reflects Marin Horizon’s mission and values, with community collaboration and open communication.

A Search Committee composed of current trustees and community members, including two faculty representatives, has been appointed to lead the process of identifying and evaluating candidates, and ultimately to recommend a new Head of School for approval by the Board. The Search Committee will be inviting input from all students, families, faculty, staff and alumni this Fall 2025.

Recognizing the invaluable perspective and essential feedback that faculty and staff bring to the process, the Search Committee is also forming a Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee composed of a diverse group of teachers and school leaders. This committee will advise the Search Committee at key points in the process.

The board has retained Resource Group 175 (RG175), a renowned national consulting firm specializing in independent school leadership transitions. Our consultants, Coreen Hester and Jeremy Moore, have extensive experience in K-8 Head of School searches, have a deep understanding of Marin Horizon's mission and values, and bring a network of national and international contacts throughout the educational community.

If community members would like to reach out to the Search Committee with questions or thoughts, please email us at searchcommittee@marinhorizon.org.

Position Statement

The next head of school at Marin Horizon will be a visionary and inclusive leader who believes in the power of whole child education and leads with clarity and heart.

View/Download the Position Statement.

Upcoming Community Meetings

Parents/Guardians, Alumni, Parents of Alumni, and Former Trustees:

To be scheduled with finalists.

Faculty and Staff

To be scheduled with finalists.

Community Updates

Survey & Update (December 4)

Search Committee Announcement (December 1)

Timeline

EARLY Fall 2025

Head of School departure announced
Search committee formed
Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee formed

Fall 2025

Community Meetings held for current parents/guardians, alumni, staff, former trustees, and students
Position Statement posted
Candidate communication and recruitment by RG175

Winter 2025/2026

Candidate application deadline, semifinalists selected
Semifinalist interviews by Search Committee and FSAC

LATE WINTER 2026

Finalists visit Marin Horizon for interviews and to meet the community (see "Upcoming Community Meetings")
Search Committee recommends candidate for Board of Trustees approval
New Head of School announced to the community

July 1, 2026

New Head of School begins tenure

Please note: The Search Committee understands that unanticipated issues may arise and is prepared to adjust the above timeline and process if necessary.

Committees & Consultants

Search Committee

The search committee will review candidate resumes, interview leading candidates, speak to references, select finalists, and recommend the next Head of School for the Board to hire, consistent with Marin Horizon's mission and values.

Members of the Search Committee:

Elisabeth Thurston Fraser - Committee Co-Chair, Trustee, Parent (Claire ‘23, Jack ‘25, and Lindy ‘28)
Kathryn Cahill Thompson - Committee Co-Chair, Trustee, Parent (Avery ‘26, Scotland ‘28, Cormac ‘31)
Peter E. Bryan - Board Chair, Parent (Eleanor ‘28)
Kristin Lunny - Former Community Association President, Parent (Shae ‘28, Quinn ‘33)
Julia Ripperton, Faculty Representative, Associate Director of Lower School
Nicole Rothschild, Faculty Representative, Middle School Science Teacher
Paul Vronsky - Trustee, Parent (Anastasia ‘34, Penelope ‘37)

searchcommittee@marinhorizon.org

FACULTY & STAFF ADVISORS

Feedback from our faculty and staff is essential to making the best and most informed choice for a new Head of School. As part of the search process, all faculty and staff will be invited to participate through surveys and on-campus listening sessions. In addition, the Search Committee is forming an advisory committee of the faculty and administrative staff in order to afford additional representation at key points in the process, and a unique perspective. The FSAC will provide important feedback throughout the process.

Additional details on the formation of this committee will be shared in the coming weeks.

Members of the Faculty & Staff Advisory Committee: Coming soon

Search Consultants

Our two search consultants from the firm RG175 are Bay-Area based. They both have extensive experience in K-8 Head of School searches, worldwide educational contacts, and preexisting knowledge of Marin Horizon.

Coreen Hester (Read Bio)
Jeremy Moore (Read Bio)

FAQs

What are the roles of the Board of Trustees and the Search Committee?

The Board of Trustees holds the ultimate responsibility for selecting the next Marin Horizon Head of School; this is one of its most fundamental duties. The Board will contribute to shaping the desired candidate profile, meet with all finalists, and, based on the Search Committee’s recommendation, approve the appointment of the new Head of School.

To lead this process, the Board has established a Search Committee to manage the search on its behalf. The Committee will be led by two co-chairs: trustees Elisabeth Thurston Fraser and Kathryn Cahill Thompson. The committee is responsible for overseeing each phase of the process and will gather input from all constituents of the Marin Horizon community, including students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, former parents, and trustees. In partnership with our search consultants at RG175, the Committee will coordinate and execute the logistics of the entire search effort.

Both the Board and the Search Committee are dedicated to keeping the Marin Horizon community informed and engaged as the process unfolds.

What is the role of faculty and staff?

The Marin Horizon Board, the Search Committee, and our consultants are committed to an open search and value the perspectives and input of our faculty and staff. Two members of the Marin Horizon faculty have been selected by their peers to represent the faculty and staff on the Search Committee: Julia Ripperton and Nicole Rothschild.

Recognizing the invaluable perspective and essential feedback that faculty and staff bring to the process, broad faculty and staff input will be solicited through the process, with key opportunities including:

Participation in a community survey in Fall 2025
Opportunity to meet with and provide feedback on the three finalists in Winter 2026

In addition, all faculty and staff are encouraged to share their thoughts with the search consultants, Coreen Hester and Jeremy Moore, by emailing searchcommittee@marinhorizon.org.

Finally, the Search Committee will also form a Faculty and Staff Advisory Committee (FSAC). The FSAC will offer another opportunity to represent the faculty and staff perspective at key points in the process, helping ensure that the lived experience and perspectives of our educators and staff inform this important decision. Additional details on the formation of this committee will be shared in the coming weeks.

What is the role of current parents/guardians?

The Marin Horizon Board, the Search Committee, and our consultants are committed to an open search and value the perspectives and input of all members of the Marin Horizon community, including parents and guardians. Community input will be solicited through the process, with key opportunities including:

Participation in a community survey in Fall 2025
In-person meetings with RG175 in Fall 2025
Opportunity to meet with and provide feedback on the three finalists in Winter 2026

In addition, parents and guardians are encouraged to share their thoughts with the search consultants, Coreen Hester and Jeremy Moore, by emailing searchcommittee@marinhorizon.org.

Who are the search consultants and what is their role?

Marin Horizon School is partnering with the leading national executive search firm, RG175 and two of their Bay Area-based consultants, Coreen Hester and Jeremy Moore. Together with the Search Committee, they will be committed to a thoughtful, transparent, and inclusive process.

RG175 is providing advice to the Search Committee concerning format, logistics, procedure, and best practices throughout the search process. In particular, key roles include:

Providing advice regarding the search process and timeline
Preparing a Position Statement that summarizes the Marin Horizon Head of School opportunity and the qualities and characteristics of ideal candidates
Sourcing candidates nationally and internationally
Conducting reference checks
Supporting the Search Committee in evaluating candidates
Providing advice to ensure a successful transition

How will the community be informed regarding progress on the search?

The Search Committee is committed to an open and transparent search process. The Search Committee will keep the Marin Horizon community informed of our progress through announcements on ParentSquare, our school’s communication platform, and postings on the Marin Horizon Search webpage. The Search Committee will balance our commitment to make this process inclusive and transparent with the need to respect the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.