Kai Bynum: 109th Head of School

On behalf of the Committee of Trustees, it is my distinct pleasure to announce the appointment of Kai Bynum as the 109th Head of Hopkins School. Kai will succeed Barbara Riley, following her fifteen-year tenure of remarkable accomplishments, effective July 1, 2016.

This appointment is the result of a long, thoughtful, and rigorous search process. We are pleased to have an educator with Kai’s talent, integrity, leadership, and passion for teaching and learning join the Hopkins community. The Search Committee unanimously recommended him as the next Head of School. The Committee of Trustees unanimously approved his appointment.

Kai will join us from the Roxbury Latin School in Massachusetts, where he is currently the Director of Studies and Director of Academic and Strategic Initiatives. Reporting to the Headmaster, Kai leads all academic departments including the research, design, and implementation for the School’s curriculum development, for key elements of its strategic plan, and for a range of school-wide programs.

Under Kai’s leadership, Roxbury Latin has successfully launched an innovative STEM program, expanded its summer program, initiated a campus plan and athletic facilities project, and managed critical issues involving the academic life of the School.

During the search process, which attracted an exceptional number of impressive candidates from around the country, we were especially mindful of the many qualities that the Hopkins community indicated were essential for an effective Head of School.

The Search Committee and the Committee of Trustees learned that Kai possesses these qualities, most notably a passion for learning, a dedication to young people, an infectious curiosity, and a collaborative leadership style. He is innately collegial, possesses an extraordinary work ethic, and acts with deliberation and care.

Kai received a B.A. in History at the University of Washington and earned an M.L.A. in Literature at Harvard University, an Ed.M. at Columbia University’s Teachers College, and an Ed.D. at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his teaching career in public schools and has worked as an English teacher, an adviser, a coach, and a senior administrator at The Governor’s Academy and Belmont Hill School, both in Massachusetts.

Kai has an exemplary record of successfully leading initiatives in the areas of diversity, community outreach, student leadership, and alumni relations. The independent school community has recognized his strengths as a leader: Kai has served as a trustee for the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, the Glen Urquhart School in Massachusetts, and the Nashoba Brooks School in Massachusetts. He has also served on advisory councils on multiculturalism and diversity for the National Association of Independent Schools. He was a member of the committee of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges that reviewed Hopkins for reaccreditation in 2013. He joins our community knowing a good deal about the School.

Kai is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania on organizational challenges and maintains research interests in organizational theory, emotional intelligence, and spirituality and student wellness. He enjoys travel, outdoor recreation like fly-fishing, and reading poetry. Kai’s partner, Richard Iandoli, is a noted attorney specializing in U.S. immigration law in Boston.

Kai will be on campus September 11th and again on September 22nd to meet with members of the Hopkins community.

On behalf of the Committee of Trustees, I extend our gratitude to the Search Committee, especially to its Co-Chairs Pamela Paulmann and David Leffell, for their extraordinary service to Hopkins in conducting the search. I also thank members of the Hopkins community for sharing your visions and thoughts as an integral part of the process.

I am delighted that we have chosen – and been chosen by – such a sterling next Head of School. We have an exciting next chapter to look forward to with Kai Bynum as the School’s leader.

Sincerely,

Co-Chairs
Dr. David Leffell
Pamela C. Paulmann ’89

Alexander C. Banker
Vincent A. Calarco
Mark H. Lynch ’62 HGS
G. Kelly Martin
Stacey J. Perkins
Michael A. Thomas ’86

Richard A. Ferguson ’63 HGS
Lynn J. Quinn

Hopkins Welcomes Kai Bynum