Fay Announces the Appointment of Susanna Whitaker Waters as Fay’s Ninth Head of School

On October 2, Fay’s Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Susanna Whitaker Waters as Fay’s next Head of School, beginning July 2024. Susanna will be Fay’s ninth head of school and the first woman since Fay’s founder, Eliza B. Fay, to hold this position.

 

Susanna is currently Associate Head of School for Academic Affairs at Brooks School in North Andover. She joined Brooks in 2009, and over her 14 years there, she has served as a teacher, coach, advisor, residential life faculty member, history department chair, and Dean of Academic Affairs prior to her appointment as Associate Head of School in 2021. Susanna won an award for outstanding contributions to the school early on in her time at Brooks, and she later received an endowed faculty chair for excellence in teaching and leadership that was voted on by her colleagues.

 

During her time at Brooks, Susanna has focused on building collaboration across the academic and department chair teams; advancing competency-based education; prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the curriculum; and expanding the school’s elective offerings, signature programs, and computer science program. She also established Brooks’ annual All-Community Read and put into place the School’s Land Acknowledgement, Community Pledge, and Community Covenant. Prior to joining Brooks, she was a teacher and coach at Holderness School, and she began her career teaching seventh and eighth grade. Susanna holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor of arts degree from St. Lawrence University, in addition to a master’s degree in education in Private School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. A collegiate athlete, she was a two-time captain of St. Lawrence’s varsity lacrosse team and academic all-American.

 

Susanna graduated from The Park School and Concord Academy. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Park and was a trustee at The Village School, a private preschool in Boxford, MA. As a consultant for Phillips Academy Andover, she supported departmental and divisional leadership in developing learning competencies unique to their academic vision.

 

Susanna’s background as the daughter of an educator and her own experience in independent schools mean she is a passionate advocate for the benefits of an independent boarding education. She views the Kindergarten through Grade 9 age range as the key developmental period to make a lasting impact on students' lives.

 

As Fay Board President Ann Laquerre shared with faculty and staff earlier this fall, “Susanna has a strong understanding of life in a boarding school, and an open and authentic leader- ship style. In addition to demonstrating an impressive track record of achievement over her 14 years at Brooks School, she shares a strong alignment with Fay’s values and mission. She is passionate about the opportunities that a school with boarding can offer to both its day and boarding students. At Holderness and at Brooks, she has taken what she describes as an ‘all in’ approach and enjoys being part of strong school communities.”

 

Susanna brings to her new role at Fay a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging. She served as a longtime Diversity Leadership Council member at Brooks, working to foster a sense of community and belonging within faculty and students. And as a recipient of financial aid as a student at The Park School and Concord Academy, Susanna has personally experienced the transformative power of education and the role that philanthropy plays in broadening access. At Brooks, she worked with an alumnus to create the Davis Fellow Program, which supports early career educators from underrepresented backgrounds. Susanna has also served as the Fundraising Director at The Village School, and she currently serves as Co-Chair of the SPARK campaign for The Park School, leading a $40+ million fundraising campaign.

Susanna's appointment follows an international search. Ann Laquerre shared with faculty and staff that in a large pool of highly qualified candidates, Susanna truly stood out: “The Committee was impressed with Susanna’s expertise in curriculum development, her extensive experience working with students and families, her thoughtful reflections on the future direction of Fay, and her enthusiasm, energy, and warmth.”

 

Susanna is thrilled to join the Fay community, noting its “incredibly warm, vibrant and diverse community wholly dedicated to its mission that ‘nurtures each child’s potential through a broad, balanced and challenging program that establishes the foundation for a meaningful life.’” She adds, “It is abundantly clear to me that the faculty and staff are best in class, as the generations of Fay students I have been fortunate to teach at Brooks rave about their alma mater.”

 

Susanna is also excited to learn more about Fay’s community and program. She notes, “I am looking forward to getting to know students and families across all divisions. I want to jump in and embrace all aspects of campus life, from family-style meals, to color team competitions, to Fay’s signature programs like Vox Inventum and Creativity & Design.”

 

This fall, Susanna visited campus to meet with parents, students, and faculty and staff. Next summer, she will move on campus with her spouse, Willie Waters, who currently serves as Associate Director of Admission and Alumni Gifts Officer at Brooks, and their three children, Ainsley, age 10; Callum, age 6; and Camilla, age 2.