Leadership and Strategic Plan

Current Head of School Elizabeth “Bessie” Cromwell Speers will finish her tenure at Tower Hill in June 2023 to become Head of School at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. Bessie joined Tower Hill as Head of School in July 2015, bringing nearly 25 years of experience in independent school education. Bessie’s leadership has been transformational for Tower Hill and ensured that the school is in an especially strong position.

 

Hallmarks of Bessie’s leadership have been her warmth, her ability to build a strong team, her commitment to students and teachers, and her dedication to the mission of Tower Hill. Bessie’s tenure has been nothing short of remarkable for Tower Hill. Her vision has lifted the school in so many ways and there has been a notable renaissance in the breadth of academics and in the school’s attention to inclusivity and diversity. Her commitments to the school’s strategic goals of supporting faculty, providing exhilarating learning opportunities to students and creating community have clearly set Tower Hill apart. She has made the school a better place, including realizing the school’s public purpose as a school of Wilmington and the world. 

 

During Bessie’s tenure, Tower Hill’s enrollment grew from 705 students to 825; the school’s endowment rose from $33,000,000 to over $57,000,000, the school’s financial aid budget increased 70%; and the school’s centennial campaign raised over $23,000,000 dollars, making it the most successful campaign in the school’s history. This campaign also resulted in the school gaining three new learning spaces: the Neela Patel Center for Innovation, Kullman Dining Commons and the Lower School Experiential Outdoor Classroom. Bessie has always noted that bricks and mortar projects are meant to serve people and make new programs and partnerships possible, and to this end, she has invited and welcomed many highly qualified teachers to Tower Hill. Her commitment to professional development saw the school make tremendous investments in supporting the continuing education of our beloved faculty. Her re-invigorated faculty appraisal process ensured our students were the beneficiaries of those investments. 

 

Over the past seven years, Bessie and her team have accomplished:

Bessie’s commitment to students has increased student voice, and her investments in overall student health and wellbeing have ensured students have the support they need to do their very best. Tower Hill is as rigorous a school as it ever was, and it is also a kinder and healthier place for kids and adults. Thanks to Bessie’s vision and the strength of her team, Tower Hill is poised to venture boldly into the future and continue on as one of the top day schools in the country. 

 

Tower Hill’s Board of Directors is actively working to select a search firm to assist with a Head of School search, and the school anticipates a strong pool of candidates and process that will enable it to name a new Head of School in 2023.