We proudly concluded an $82.3 million campaign last year that brought extraordinary advancements in many areas – and we didn’t stop there. This summer, nearly two years after the opening of the Constance & Miguel Fernandez STEM Center and as builders put the finishing touches on the house at the center of the La Brisa property, Ransom Everglades accepted a leadership gift for a new humanities building (see page 57), unveiled a new senior leadership structure and, most importantly, attracted a trio of highly regarded administrators who have energized our campuses alongside accomplished leaders Rachel Rodriguez, Interim Head of School, and John A. King Jr., Associate Head of School.

David Clark ’86 arrived in July in the new position of Chief Operating Officer, leading the talent influx. He has spent three decades in independent schools, including eight years as Head of School (Boca Raton campus) at Pine Crest School. David, who was a star fullback at Dartmouth College and played briefly in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals before beginning his career in education, learned while following linemen and blockers that success is never really an individual accomplishment. David told us that when he looks around him at Ransom Everglades, he can’t help but assess the school’s prospects from that vantage point: he sees tremendous talent, potential and experience. He is thrilled to be back at RE, and grateful for the people put in place alongside him. Read more about him here.

 

Besides David, who is also serving as Interim Head of the Upper School, Jason Locke arrived as the inaugural Executive Director of College Counseling. Jason spent 23 years running – and reimagining – the admission office at Cornell University, and he has been tasked with bringing a similar transformation to RE’s college counseling office. Learn about Jason here.

 

On the Everglades Campus, new Head of the Middle School Eric Boberg brought considerable expertise in curriculum development and educational leadership, most recently serving as the Chief Academic Officer at The Episcopal School of Dallas. Read about Eric here.

 

All were welcomed by Rachel, well known by our families for her 14 years as middle school head, and John, who has been at Ransom Everglades for 23 years. Rachel returned to Ransom Everglades in June as Interim Head of School and has provided strong and spirited leadership as the board of trustees’ Head of School Search Committee seeks a permanent Head of School. (Find updates on the search at www.ransomeverglades.org/head-of-school-search.) John, who among his many responsibilities directs the school’s Holzman Center of Applied Ethics and the Dan Leslie Bowden Fellowships in the Humanities, is in many ways the backbone of the school’s leadership structure.

 

In the few months this new team has worked together, you can see the spirit of collaboration, and their teamwork and joint vision are inspiring. 

 

We look forward to watching the future unfold.

Follow the links to learn more about David, Jason and Eric.