Client Testimonials
“Dick was nothing short of phenomenal in assisting Denver Academy to identify, hire and transition its new Head of School. The challenges faced by our Board in replacing our founding Head of School formed nearly a “perfect storm” of actual and potential problems: the school’s deserved reputation as a center of excellence in teaching students with learning differences was widely perceived internally as being a result of a lack of outside influences, there were two popular internal candidates, and some extremely influential members of the school community opposed a Head change. The gravity of these challenges clearly limited our applicant pool. Dick immediately understood our dynamics and assisted me in creating a process that engaged the entire community, which was critical to our ability to obtain support. His sophisticated knowledge of the independent school Head search process combined with his network of Heads and school leaders provided us an excellent group of applicants, and his strong and steady input gave the Search Committee confidence in its process. The result was a wonderful new Head of School and a successful transition process assisted by Dick. I recommend Dick without equivocation.”
Philip E. Johnson, Board Chair and Search Committee Chair
Denver Academy: Denver, Colorado
“I kept the ‘First-100 Day Plan’ Dick helped us develop in my top drawer because I used it almost everyday during the summer and fall of my first year.”
Margot Durkin, Head of School
Browne Academy, Alexandria, Virginia
“Dick was very helpful in our search for a headmaster. His knowledge of the process and candidates was invaluable.”
Tina Trapnell, Chair, Search Committee
Congressional Schools of Virginia, Falls Church, Virginia
“On behalf of the entire Landon community, I wanted to thank Education Access Strategies and the Education Group for your great work in presenting Landon with the opportunity to meet and eventually retain Chris Robertson. I am convinced that he will be a great asset to the school for years to come and our gratitude for you both will endure for years to come. Thank you, also, for your helpful communication tips.”
David M. Armstrong,
Headmaster
Landon School
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees and staff of National Park Trust, we would like to thank you for your consulting services as we worked together to transition the organization from its former leadership by the Founder to its current leadership by an Executive Director.
“As we all know this was a very challenging process and your assistance was invaluable. In addition, thanks to your expertise and mentorship, NPT has assembled a stronger board with working committees and clear expectations of their roles within the organization.
“We also appreciate your work building a stronger staff and your advice as we established several of our programs including our exciting new Buddy Bison school pilot program.”
William Brownell, Chair
Grace Lee, Executive Director
National Park Trust
“Thank you for your stellar facilitation of our retreat. It was wonderful to see you apply your extensive skill set to engage, motivate, and inform our board members. I think the lessons learned will go a long way in shaping the work that we do this year.”
Paula J. Carreiro,
Head of School
Beauvoir,
The National Cathedral School
“Please accept my thanks for facilitating such a great session on Friday night. I think the discussion on good governance was great, we got what we needed out of the committee discussion, and the ‘strata” exercise was excellent. It was so great to have you in another board meeting. Let’s stay in touch.”
John Donoghue,
Chair
Beauvoir’s Board of Governors
“This is a belated thank you for your excellent work at the Severn Retreat. You were able to galvanize the board. Your background in the independent education arena and your knowledge about Severn gave us a good foundation. You are so articulate and knowledgeable and at the same time so able to integrate other ideas. Thanks for leading an exciting, highly relevant and provocative meeting. I look forward to working together again soon. ”
Pam Hoehn-Saric, Board Chair
Severn School, Annapolis, MD
“On behalf of the Chelsea Board I would like to thank you once again for a very productive day. I feel that we accomplished what we set out to do. You provided such a comfortable environment of inquiry. You're a good model for all of us. The retreat has put some good things in motion for us as a Board. I realize that sustaining that momentum is what I need to step up to. May I call on you to mentor me when need be? I look forward to your report and to continue working with you. Thank you for your wisdom."
Suzanne Frederick, Chair, Board of Governors
Chelsea School, Silver Spring, Maryland