Friday, October 29, 2004

The Board of Trustees of Episcopal High School of Baton Rouge has hired Deborah Kay Betts as the college preparatory school’s head of school. Betts, who will assume her new duties on July 1, 2005, becomes only the third permanent head in the school’s history.

“We are confident that Kay will provide the leadership necessary to emphasize the school’s Episcopal identity,” said Richard Chauvin, chairman of the board of trustees. “She also embraces Episcopal’s deeply held ideas to ministering to the “whole person” and offering a premier educational experience for our talented and diverse community of learners.”

The school’s board of trustees began an extensive search process last fall, when Reverend Paul Hancock resigned. The board enlisted the help of Dr. Margaret Huling Bonz and Educational Directions Incorporated, a nationally respected search firm. Dozens of candidates were narrowed down to four finalists, who interviewed on campus with teachers, faculty and staff in October. Betts officially accepted the position this week.

“I found in the community at Episcopal a deep respect for the integrity of young people and a deep commitment to developing those young people into responsive and responsible adults. I look forward – with excitement – to helping an excellent school become even more engaged with its identity, an identity rooted in the principles of Episcopal schools nationwide.”

Kay comes to Episcopal by way of Marist School in Atlanta, where she has served as academic dean, teacher and coach since 1998. She is a graduate of Centre College of Kentucky and Bank Street College in New York, where she received her Master’s of Science in Educational Leadership. Her twenty-eight years in independent schools include nine years at St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Tennessee. She is an active communicant in the Episcopal Church.

“We were pleased at the number of incredibly qualified candidates who wanted to become a part of our Episcopal community,” said Lolly Martin, head of the search committee. “Kay simply stood out as the person who best matched our criteria for leadership, personality and faith. We can’t wait to get her on campus.”

Henry P. (“Peter”) Briggs, Jr., began serving an 18-month term as interim head since February of this year to help with long-range planning and prepare the school so that the new head can “hit the ground running.” Briggs has 35 years of experience leading eight excellent independent schools in six states, plus 10 years in admissions and other administration at Harvard College.

About Episcopal
Episcopal High School of Baton Rouge, owned and operated by the Diocese of the Episcopal Church of Louisiana, is the leading independent school in Baton Rouge. Located on a beautiful 50-acre campus in the southeastern section of the city, it was established in 1965 as a challenging college preparatory school. It now serves 1,020 students in grades PK-12. Episcopal is the only school in Baton Rouge affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools.