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Horizons at NCCS Executive Director Announcement

Dear Horizons at NCCS Community, 
 

It is with great excitement that we announce Dr. Leanne Tormey will serve as the next Executive Director of Horizons at New Canaan Country School, effective December 2. Leanne was selected from an impressive pool of over 60 candidates following a comprehensive four-month effort led by our Search Committee and The Strategy Group, LLC. 

After thoughtful discernment and discussion, the Search Committee voted, unanimously and enthusiastically, to recommend Leanne to the Horizons Board of Directors and to the Horizons Committee of the NCCS Board. Essential to the decision was the input gathered from over 40 of our Horizons at NCCS stakeholders both at the early stage when we were shaping the candidate specification description, and when the three finalists were on campus. We thank you all for your thoughtful feedback and engagement during this process. 

Leanne is currently Chief Administrative Officer at the Connecticut Institute for Communities, Inc., a non-profit focused on improving the lives of others through education, healthcare, community, and housing services. She has devoted most of her professional career to working with children and families, having successfully led public and charter schools for over 20 years, and having served in positions of nonprofit leadership for close to a decade. Career highlights include being a lifelong educator – a teacher, director of curriculum, principal, and Superintendent of Schools in Stonington, Connecticut – before moving into the nonprofit space to implement programming, spearhead advocacy, and steward strategic systems thinking with the central mission of service to others. Leanne has first-hand experience with strategic planning, and has managed outstanding relationships with colleagues, board members, corporate leaders and event sponsors, and has a track record of successful fundraising for all of the organizations she has worked with.

In her application, Leanne wrote, “As a career educator, and former Superintendent of Schools in Connecticut, I pivoted to the nonprofit space nine years ago to broaden my experience while actively improving the lives of young people and the communities in which they live.” She went on to say, “Growth and development of collaborative teams is a hallmark of my work, and I thrive in environments that embody diversity of culture and thought.” All of Leanne’s references were outstanding and included descriptors of her such as: intentional, collaborative, thought leader, compassionate, personable and kind. 

Leanne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from The George Washington University, a Master of Science in Multicultural Education and a Master of Science in School District Administration from Iona University, and her EdD in Educational Leadership from the University of Connecticut. 

We want to once again thank our communities for their commitment to our beloved Horizons at NCCS program and ask for your continued support during this time of transition. A special note of thanks to Nehemie Moïse for her excellent leadership as Interim Executive Director these past four months. We are also particularly grateful to the members of our dedicated Search Committee for devoting significant time during the summer to participating in multiple rounds of interviews and carefully considering the excellent applicant pool. We are thrilled about the outcome and look forward to introducing Leanne to the Horizons at NCCS community in the near future. 

Sincerely,

Aaron Cooper, NCCS Head of School, Search Committee Co-Chair

Leigh Kennedy, Horizons at NCCS Board Chair, Search Committee Co-Chair

Search Committee:
Jennifer Barnard, Horizons at NCCS Board of Governors Co-Chair, Past Board Chair
Arlety Bowman, NCCS Board Trustee, Horizons Committee Chair
Roberto Nieves, Horizons at NCCS Board Member, Senior Program Director, Alum
Eve St. Surin, Horizons at NCCS Board Member, Alum
Tiffany Van Elslander, Horizons at NCCS Board Member, Past Board Chair

Read the announcement in Spanish 
HERE
Read the announcement in Haitian Creole HERE

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