Interim Head of School

Toledo, Ohio, The Opportunity Maumee Valley Country Day School (the “School”) seeks an experienced, thoughtful, and mission-aligned leader to serve as Interim Head of School during an important period of transition. Maumee Valley's mission is to cultivate an inclusive community of intellectual excellence where learners creatively explore their passions and boldly in­­­­­­­­­­­­spire positive change in the world. Its educational vision -- Personal. Experiential. Global. -- and its guiding principle of freedom and responsibility provide an important foundation for the Interim Head's leadership and decision-making. The Interim Head will provide confident, mission-centered executive leadership while positioning Maumee Valley for a successful transition to its next permanent Head of School. The Interim Head will be expected to lead the School fully during the interim period, make timely and thoughtful decisions, sustain momentum in key areas, and preserve the innovative, exploratory spirit that has long distinguished a Maumee Valley education. The Interim Head will be entrusted with the full responsibilities and decision-making authority of the Head of School and will be expected to exercise that authority actively and responsibly throughout the appointment. The Interim Head will work in close partnership with the Board of Trustees, senior leadership team, faculty, and staff while remaining visible and accessible to students, families, alumni, donors, and the broader Maumee Valley community. Primary Priorities Provide Confident, Mission-Centered Leadership The Interim Head will serve as the School's chief executive and will be expected to establish clear priorities, provide consistent direction, and maintain institutional momentum throughout the transition.

Make timely decisions in the best interests of the School rather than deferring matters solely because permanent leadership is forthcoming. Address organizational issues and opportunities as they arise. Establish clear expectations and hold leaders and teams accountable for performance, collaboration, and results. Ensure that decisions remain grounded in Maumee Valley's mission, its commitment to intellectual excellence and inclusion, and its guiding principle of freedom and responsibility. Work appropriately with the Board on matters with significant long-term strategic implications.

The interim designation should not be interpreted as a holding period. The Interim Head is expected to lead with the authority of the Head of School while exercising sound judgment about decisions that could materially affect the School's long-term direction. Drive Enrollment and Retention Enrollment is a critical institutional priority and an essential component of Maumee Valley's long-term strength.

Provide visible leadership to enrollment management and student retention efforts. Partner with admissions, marketing, advancement, academic leadership, and other teams to support enrollment growth. Help ensure that Maumee Valley's educational value proposition - including its personal, experiential, and global approach to learning - is clear, compelling, and consistently communicated. Use enrollment, retention, and market data to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities. Engage with prospective and current families when Head-level involvement can strengthen relationships or support enrollment outcomes. Foster shared accountability for enrollment across the leadership team.

Maintain and Strengthen Academic Excellence The Interim Head will ensure that Maumee Valley continues to provide an outstanding educational experience consistent with its mission and its vision of learning that is personal, experiential, and global.

Support faculty and academic leaders in maintaining intellectual excellence and high standards for teaching and learning. Ensure that the academic program remains responsive to the evolving needs of students and families. Assess areas of the curriculum or student experience where thoughtful improvement may be warranted, while preserving opportunities for creativity, exploration, meaningful challenge, and learning by doing. Protect and strengthen the distinctive qualities of a Maumee Valley education, including personalized learning, experiential education, global perspective, and opportunities for students to discover and pursue their individual passions. Encourage appropriate innovation and continuous improvement. Make academic and programmatic decisions when action is in the best interests of students and the School.

Ensure Fiscal and Operational Responsibility The Interim Head will provide disciplined stewardship of the School's financial and operational resources while ensuring that financial considerations support the School's mission and educational priorities.

Work closely with the Board, Finance Committee, and administrative leadership to manage the School within established financial parameters. Maintain appropriate visibility into operating performance, enrollment-related revenue, expenses, cash management, and other key indicators. Evaluate major financial and operational decisions through the lens of both near-term needs and long-term institutional health. Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen operations, or enhance financial sustainability while protecting the quality of the student experience. Maintain appropriate oversight of school operations, risk management, compliance, student safety, and continuity of essential services. Provide the Board with timely and transparent information regarding significant financial and operational matters.

Lead the Organization and Strengthen the School Community The Interim Head will provide clear, visible, and engaged leadership across the School and will support a strong, accountable, and collaborative organization.

Provide direction to the senior leadership team while empowering leaders to fulfill their responsibilities. Support the retention, engagement, and effectiveness of strong faculty and staff. Monitor school climate and employee engagement, addressing emerging concerns that could affect morale, retention, or organizational effectiveness. Address performance, staffing, organizational, and personnel issues when necessary. Make appropriate hiring and organizational decisions when doing so is important to the School's effectiveness. Communicate candidly, consistently, and effectively with the School community. Foster an inclusive culture of trust, professionalism, collaboration, accountability, and respect - one that reflects Maumee Valley's commitment to both freedom and responsibility. Maintain strong relationships with students, families, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, donors, and community partners by listening actively and addressing concerns directly and constructively.

Position the School for a Successful Leadership Transition The Interim Head will serve as an effective bridge between the School's current chapter and its next permanent Head of School.

Work with the Board to establish a focused set of priorities and measures of success for the interim period. Identify institutional strengths that should be preserved and challenges or opportunities that warrant continued attention. Strengthen systems, leadership practices, and documentation where doing so will benefit the School beyond the interim period. Ensure that significant decisions and their rationale are appropriately documented. Prepare a comprehensive transition briefing for the incoming Head, including key decisions, open issues, financial and enrollment outlook, major commitments, risks, opportunities, and matters requiring follow-up. Support the permanent Head of School search as determined by the Board, recognizing that the Interim Head may also be considered as a candidate through the School's established search process and with appropriate safeguards to preserve the independence and confidentiality of that process. Leave the School with momentum, organizational clarity, and a strong foundation for permanent leadership.

The Interim Head should be thoughtful about major commitments that could unnecessarily limit the flexibility of the next permanent Head. At the same time, the future transition should not become a reason to avoid decisions that are important to Maumee Valley's students, employees, families, or institutional health. Leadership Approach Maumee Valley seeks a leader who can quickly understand the institution, establish clear priorities, exercise sound judgment, and move the School forward while honoring its tradition of excellence, innovation, exploration, and trailblazing educational leadership. Effective transitional leadership requires both decisiveness and perspective: the confidence to act when action is warranted, the wisdom to understand the longer-term implications of important decisions, and the ability to distinguish between preserving flexibility for the next Head and unnecessarily postponing needed action. Maumee Valley seeks stability without complacency, continuity without stagnation, and progress without unnecessary disruption. Desired Experience and Qualifications

Significant senior leadership experience in an independent school or comparable educational organization. Prior experience as a Head of School, Interim Head of School, Assistant or Associate Head, senior administrator, or comparable executive leader. Demonstrated ability to lead effectively through organizational change or transition. Demonstrated ability to lead effectively through complex or sensitive situations, including crisis management, high-stakes communications, or significant challenges. Experience with enrollment management, admissions, retention, institutional growth, or related initiatives. Strong understanding of curriculum, teaching and learning, and the academic priorities of an independent school. Financial and operational acumen, including experience with budgets, resource allocation, risk management, and financial decision-making. Strong executive judgment and a demonstrated willingness to make difficult decisions when needed. Experience developing, supporting, and holding senior leaders accountable. Experience managing sensitive personnel matters and organizational change. Excellent communication and relationship-building skills. Ability to establish credibility quickly with faculty, staff, families, students, trustees, donors, and other constituencies. Understanding of effective independent-school governance and the appropriate relationship between the Head of School and Board of Trustees. Demonstrated ability to embrace and advance Maumee Valley's mission, guiding principles, personal, experiential, and global educational vision.

Personal Characteristics Maumee Valley seeks an Interim Head who is:

Mission-driven, student-centered, and committed to an inclusive community of intellectual excellence. Confident, decisive, and thoughtful. Approachable, visible, and engaged. A careful listener and clear communicator. Calm and steady in periods of uncertainty. Collaborative without avoiding accountability. Financially responsible and operationally astute. Able to build trust across differing perspectives. Objective and capable of exercising independent institutional judgment. Focused on institutional success rather than personal legacy. Committed to leaving Maumee Valley stronger and well positioned for its next permanent Head.

Indicators of a Successful Interim Period At the conclusion of the Interim Head's tenure, success should be reflected in the following outcomes:

The School has experienced stable, confident, and forward-looking leadership throughout the transition. Important decisions have been made thoughtfully and in a timely manner, with meaningful institutional momentum maintained. Enrollment and retention have received sustained leadership attention, with progress against established priorities. The quality and continuity of the academic program have been maintained or strengthened, with Maumee Valley's personal, experiential, and global approach to learning clearly reflected in programmatic decisions. The School has maintained strong financial discipline and sound operational oversight. The senior leadership team is functioning effectively, with clear roles, expectations, and accountability. Important personnel and organizational matters have been addressed rather than unnecessarily deferred. Students, families, faculty, staff, trustees, donors, and other key constituencies have experienced visible, accessible, and transparent leadership. The incoming Head receives a clear and useful transition briefing and inherits a School with momentum, organizational clarity, and flexibility to shape the next chapter. Appropriate progress has been demonstrated against Board-approved interim priorities and goals.

Governance and Reporting The Interim Head of School reports to the Maumee Valley Country Day School Board of Trustees and will work closely with the Board Chair and appropriate Board committees throughout the interim appointment. At the outset of the appointment, the Board and Interim Head will establish a focused set of priorities and measures of success for the interim period. Regular communication between the Interim Head and Board leadership will support effective governance while respecting the Interim Head's authority to manage and lead the School. The Board's role will remain one of governance and oversight; the Interim Head will support the Board in maintaining effective governance practices, ensuring appropriate distinction between governance and management responsibilities. The Interim Head will be empowered to make and implement operational, academic, financial, personnel, and administrative decisions within the authority of the Head of School. Term The Interim Head’s appointment will begin July 1, 2027, and is expected to continue through the successful transition to the next permanent Head of School. Although the appointment is anticipated to cover the 2027–2028 school year, its duration may be extended if needed to complete the permanent search and ensure an orderly leadership transition. The individual appointed as Interim Head may also be considered for the permanent Head of School position through the School’s established search process. Application Process Qualified internal and external candidates who wish to be considered for the Interim Head of School position are invited to submit the following materials:

A letter of interest explaining why they wish to serve as Interim Head and identifying the priorities they would address during the interim period; A current résumé or curriculum vitae; A brief statement describing their leadership philosophy and approach to guiding a school through transition; and The names and contact information of three professional references, including at least one individual who has directly observed their senior leadership.

Candidates are encouraged to keep their materials concise and to include specific examples demonstrating readiness to lead through transition, make complex decisions, sustain institutional momentum, and build trust across the School community. Please submit all materials to hossearch@mvcds.org by October 19, 2026. Maumee Valley Country Day School is committed to conducting an inclusive and equitable process. Internal and external candidates will be evaluated according to the same established qualifications and selection criteria.