Dear Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Community,

It is with great enthusiasm, anticipation and appreciation that I write to the NSA community. I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next head of school of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. As I often say to prospective parents and students when looking at school options, when the fit is right everything else falls in place. This same philosophy holds true for adults and careers. In my case, I feel incredibly fortunate to have found NSA, a community I am excited to lead, guide and, most importantly, learn from in the years to come.

Both my wife, Kristin, and I would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Head of School Search Committee, the entire NSA Board of Trustees and Southern Teachers Agency. Special thanks to Ashton Lewis for his thoughtful leadership during the search process. The Search Committee's stewardship and care for the NSA community were palpable throughout each experience. The committee embodied the ethos of the NSA Board of Trustees, past, present and future, along with the entire NSA community. Their questions during the interview process spoke to a community with a deep passion and care for academic excellence fueled by the desire to make sure every NSA community member’s voice was heard. Congratulations on all your hard work, and thank you for selecting me to join such an amazing community.

During my day-and-a-half visit to NSA, I kept asking and trying to figure out the recipe for the “NSA secret sauce.” I wanted to understand, “How and why does NSA have so many passionate educators and Board members who are also alumni?” The answer revealed itself constantly throughout the day. The main ingredient of NSA’s secret sauce lies in its extraordinary faculty, who engage, inspire and empower NSA students of all ages to lead lives of meaning and purpose. For many NSA graduates, that purpose and meaning is found in returning to their alma mater to share the gifts given to them by their teachers. This is a rare phenomenon and magic very few schools can claim to have! And, it is one that I very much look forward to becoming part of.

As NSA looks to its future, I want to recognize the brilliant work and stewardship of Debbie Russell. NSA’s future is bright because of Debbie and her administrative team's leadership. I have the unique privilege of knowing Debbie as a fellow head of school in Hampton Roads and member of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). Since I arrived in Hampton Roads in July of 2018, I have watched Debbie shepherd the NSA community through a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic. Her leadership, along with the support of an incredible administrative team (who I cannot wait to work with), has allowed NSA to not only survive during the pandemic but thrive despite it.

Finally, I want to extend my overwhelming gratitude and appreciation to the NSA students, parents and alumni. Your passionate and caring voices resonated with both Kristin and me during our time on campus and throughout the interview process. As I’ve become familiar with the Tidewater region, there is one widely held truth about NSA repeated over and over, “Those are the nicest students. What an amazing community!” I often like to say that apples fall right beside trees, not far from them. Congratulations NSA parents, your children are proud reflections of you and are strong ambassadors of the NSA community. Kristin and I look forward to joining your ranks as our son, Greer, will look to finish his junior and senior years at NSA.

I wish the entire NSA community a wonderful school year. I look forward to joining you in July, and again, thank you for allowing me the honor and privilege to be your next head of school.

All the best,

Mike Barclay

Dear NSA Community,

We are making wonderful progress in our head of school search. To review, the Search Committee assessed the pool of candidates identified by our search consultants at Southern Teachers. The Committee then conducted video interviews with eight of the top candidates and narrowed the pool to five who participated in closed-door, in-person interviews in Suffolk. After careful consideration, we have invited two finalists and their spouses for a two-day visit to tour the campuses and meet with members of the NSA community. The dates of their visits are as follows:

• Candidate 1: August 28–29
• Candidate 2: August 30–31

Each of the candidates is currently a leader at another school. Though the key people at their schools know they are visiting our community, we need to provide them with some level of confidentiality, which is why we are not naming the candidates at this point. Their campus visits, however, will be public.

Representative groups from the administration, faculty, parents and students will meet with the finalists. After meeting with the candidates, we will solicit their feedback through a survey. The Search Committee will incorporate their comments and impressions in its deliberations when it selects a finalist to recommend to the Board of Trustees.

All of our efforts since Debbie’s announcement back in January have led to this, and we cannot wait to show our community to these impressive prospective leaders.

Sincerely,

W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Dear NSA Community,

As we move closer to the new school year, we wanted to provide an update on the search for our next head of school. Our consultants received applications and inquiries from approximately 50 candidates. Committee members reviewed the files of over 30 qualified applicants. This pool represents candidates from three countries, 13 states and one territory and is a mix of current heads of schools and rising stars from some of the best independent schools in the country and the world.  

Eight semifinalists spent time with the Search Committee by Zoom and answered a series of structured interview questions related to the goals and objectives for our next head of school. Additionally, the Search Committee discussed the reference work completed by our consultants and the information they gleaned from their own interactions with the candidates. After many valuable deliberations and discussions, we have narrowed the list to five candidates, who will visit Suffolk and meet with the Search Committee in person.

After these visits, which will happen soon, the Search Committee will deliberate and select a group of finalist candidates, who have the enthusiastic support of all members. We will invite these individuals to campus for two-day visits in the coming weeks. We are eager to show off our school by introducing these finalists to our community and letting them see who we are and how we live our mission. We will make details of the visits available soon, but rest assured that this final stage will be open to the NSA community, and we will ask for your input and feedback on each candidate.

The Committee is thrilled with the search process so far, and we are confident that the final step of bringing our best candidates to meet our community will, in the end, deliver a new leader who will do great things for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. 

Sincerely,

W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Dear NSA Community,

Although the school year has come to a close, the work to find our next head of school continues steadily throughout the summer. As you know, the Search Committee remains committed to finding the best possible person to become NSA’s next head of school and is encouraged by the strong group of candidates so far from which to choose. Our consultants at Southern Teachers interview and thoroughly vet all applicants to evaluate their specific competencies and to ensure they fit the requirements to succeed leading our school.

Alongside our consultants, the committee will review the candidate pool and begin preparations for conducting visits, interviews and reference checks. Through early interviews, both virtual and off-campus, the Search Committee will winnow the pool of candidates. This phase of the search is highly confidential in order to attract quality candidates who may not have publicly informed their current school of their plans to leave.

Once the finalists are chosen, candidates must inform their schools and the search will become transparent once again. We look forward to inviting the NSA community to participate in these later candidate visits and interviews early in the 2022-2023 school year.

The Search Committee is honored to be working on this very important undertaking and feels deeply the responsibility of finding the best head of school for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. Your continued interest and support are greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, 

W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Dear NSA Community,

We continue to make progress in the search for our next head of school.

The Search Committee, in partnership with Southern Teachers, crafted a Position Profile that summarizes Nansemond-Suffolk Academy and our community and outlines the goals and responsibilities for our next leader. The Position Profile is designed to ensure that our head of school leadership opportunity is presented and marketed effectively to the most qualified candidates. 

Though every search is unique, and these dates could change, we are anticipating the following timeline moving forward:  

• Spring: Advertise position and build candidate pool
• Summer: Search Committee interviews semifinalist candidates
• September: Finalist candidates visit campus
• Early October: Search Committee proposes leading candidate to Board of Trustees
• Late October: Board announces new head of school to school community
• July 1, 2023: New head of school officially begins 

While Southern Teachers will be using their extensive networks to build a candidate pool, we also welcome nominations from our school community. If you know of someone whom you believe would serve our school well based on the Position Profile, please contact me at hossearch@nsacademy.org so our consultants can follow up.

Thank you to everyone who participated in getting us to this point in the process. We will continue to update you as the search progresses.

Sincerely, 

W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Dear NSA Community,

In January, Debbie Russell announced that she will be stepping down as the head of school at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 academic year. We are extremely grateful for her unwavering dedication to the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy community and for her significant contributions during her tenure as head of school. The Board of Trustees has established a Head of School Search Committee charged with finding the best candidate to fulfill its responsibility to hire the next head of school. The following people have generously offered their time to serve on the committee:

• L. Taylor Harrell, Chair of the Board of Trustees
• W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
• Andrew L. Bolling ’92, Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair of the Board of Trustees
• Jennifer P. Bivins, Secretary of the Board of Trustees
• Howard “Dexter” Casterlow, Trustee
• G. Robert Aston Jr., Past Chair of the Board of Trustees

The first task of the Search Committee was to hire a professional search firm to assist us throughout the comprehensive process. After reviewing proposals and interviewing several firms, we selected Southern Teachers, a premier national recruiter for independent schools, because of its stellar reputation for understanding the unique culture of schools and producing high-quality candidates. The consultants from Southern Teachers are excited to move forward and will be on campus March 2–3 to conduct interviews with various constituent groups. The information gathered from these meetings as well as results from constituent surveys will be used to create a position profile, the document that will be used to market NSA and the head of school position. This profile will be disseminated nationally through advertising media, such as independent school associations, and the consultants’ networks. We have also created a Head of School Search page, www.nsacademy.org/about/hossearch, where the position profile will be posted, along with recent announcements and frequently asked questions. We will update this page as new information develops to keep you informed. 

Throughout the next few months, our consultants will be busy sourcing candidates. They will handle the receipt of resumes, will conduct phone interviews and will perform initial reference checks. We expect to have a strong pool of candidates from which to narrow down the semifinalists. Interviews with the semifinalists will be conducted during the summer, and the Search Committee will further narrow that group down to about three finalists, who will be brought to campus and will be interviewed by the Search Committee and various stakeholder groups in early fall.

The Search Committee's goal is to identify the new head of school and to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees in early October. We expect to make an announcement to the school community soon after, which will give the new head of school ample time to work closely with Debbie before the July 2023 transition.

This is a very exciting time in the life of our school, and we encourage you to follow our progress on the school’s website or to contact us with any questions at hossearch@nsacademy.org. Thank you in advance for your support and participation.

Sincerely,

W. Ashton Lewis Jr. ’90
Chair, Head of School Search Committee

Dear Saints Community,

On behalf of the NSA Board of Trustees, I would like to express our great appreciation and gratitude to Debbie Russell for her years of service and leadership at NSA. During her time as director of admissions and head of school, Debbie has demonstrated a passion for NSA and has shown a determination to make our school the very best that it could be. She accepted the position as head of school at a time when our community was still feeling the lingering effects of the Great Recession. Because of her leadership and positive attitude, NSA immediately began to experience a positive trend in enrollment that has continued to this day. During her tenure as head of school, NSA has enjoyed a 25% increase in enrollment. 

Our growth in enrollment has been vital to the continued success of NSA, but it is only one of her many accomplishments. Debbie moved NSA into the 21st century with the creation of the STEM Innovation Lab, which helps to better prepare our students for the jobs of the future. She also brought great focus to increasing the diversity of our student body. During her tenure, diversity increased from 15% to 25%, continuing a positive trend. She has also led the way in developing a strategy to help our school further improve in creating a more inclusive community. In addition, Debbie led the planning and opening of our Harbour View Campus, which has been a significant contributor to NSA’s continued prosperity. Her greatest accomplishment may have occurred over the past two years as she and her team navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic. Her leadership in the planning and implementation of our back-to-school strategy allowed our students to benefit from in-person learning last year, enabling them to grow academically, compete in athletics, participate in extracurricular activities and enjoy time with their friends, which has been so important to the continued growth and development of our students.

We look forward to Debbie’s continued leadership through the remainder of this school year and through the 2022-2023 academic year. We greatly appreciate her desire to help us transition to our next head of school to ensure a seamless transition, which is just another example of her passion and care for the NSA community. We wish Debbie all the best as she begins the next chapter of her life. Please join me in expressing our great appreciation to Debbie for all that she has meant to our school over the past decade.

The Board of Trustees will begin the search process for our next head of school and will seek to find a leader who will be the best fit for our school and who will continue to lead NSA as we build upon the positive momentum that Debbie has created. Thank you for your continued support as we begin a new chapter at NSA.

Sincerely,

Taylor Harrell
Chair, NSA Board of Trustees

Dear Saints Community,

When I started at NSA in 2011 as the director of admissions, it never occurred to me that one day I would become the head of school. Two years later, I was asked by faculty members and trustees to submit my resume for the position, and as the saying goes, “the rest was history.” It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve NSA as the head of school for the last eight and a half years. Together, we have weathered some of the most challenging times in the history of the school and are a much stronger community as a result. Despite the challenges, much has been accomplished over the last several years, and our school is a more dynamic academic institution today. Given our success, it is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you of my decision to step down as the head of school of Nansemond-Suffolk Academy at the conclusion of the 2022-2023 school year. While I will certainly miss the daily interactions with students, faculty and staff as well as the greater NSA community, I am looking forward to having more time to spend with my family as well as traveling.

The Board of Trustees will commence a search for the next head of school later this month. I will work in conjunction with the trustees to help ensure a seamless transition, and we will keep you updated on our progress throughout the year. Working collaboratively with the new head of school, I am confident that NSA will continue to progress and our students will continue to thrive. 

I would like to thank the faculty, staff and administrative team for their unwavering dedication and commitment to the students as well as for their courage to continue to teach and work in uncertain times. You all are truly the heart of NSA. Thank you also to the trustees, both past and current, for the ongoing support over the years and for having the confidence in me to lead NSA. 

I am extremely proud to have been a part of the growth and progress NSA has made during my tenure as head of school. Together, we have made significant improvements to programs, facilities and benefits for faculty and staff, but there is still much to be done. Please know that over the next year and a half, my focus will remain on continuing to improve the NSA experience, beginning with the release of our new strategic plan in the fall. The plan will serve as a guide for the next five years and will bridge my tenure with the new head of school, ensuring a seamless transition into the future. 

Thank you to the NSA community for your partnership, friendship and support over the last several years. I will always fondly remember my experience at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy and will cherish the relationships I established within the NSA community.

With Saints Pride,

Debbie Russell 
Head of School