Head of School Search

In July 2025, Berkeley Preparatory School’s Board of Trustees announced the launch of a national search for its next Head of School. To lead this important process, the Board assembled a Head of School Search Committee and engaged the education recruitment firm Carney Sandoe & Associates (see more on both below).

The Board of Trustees is grateful to all who have offered their support and encouragement during this important moment in Berkeley’s history.

Berkeley’s Seventh Head of School

Berkeley Preparatory School’s Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Gus Whyte as the seventh Head of School. Gus will officially step into the role on July 1, 2026.

VIEW THE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Gus Whyte '99

Chad Harrod ’95 (Chair) Trustee, alumnus, and current parent

Kathleen Nestor (Vice Chair) Trustee, parent of an alumna, and current parent

Lee A. “Tripp” Crouch ’86 Trustee, alumnus, and parent of alumni

Anne Faber Trustee and current parent

Bob Gries Former Trustee and parent of an alumna

Fraser MacKechnie ’93 Chair of the Board of Trustees, alumnus, and current parent

Ami Patel Pagidipati ’02 Trustee, alumna, and current parent

Gala Wan Trustee and current parent

Adam Abelson ’11 Alumnus

Meai Chang Faculty, parent of an alumnus, and current parent

Carlo DiNota Faculty

Brett Divers ’85 Former Trustee (Chair), alumnus, and parent of alumni

Stephanie Estes Staff and parent of alumni

Dan Harari ’05 Alumnus and current parent

Lindsey Jackson Current parent and past faculty

Abbie King Staff and current parent

Libby Ridley Lifsey ’03 Alumna and current parent

Sydney Hughes Mattera ’11 Alumna and faculty

Dax Nelson ’96 Trustee, Alumni Executive Committee President, alumnus, and current parent

Melaney Amos O’Carroll ’84 Alumna, staff, and parent of alumni

Verla Strain Faculty and current parent

Berkeley Preparatory School retained Carney Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), an internationally recognized education search and recruitment, consulting, and coaching firm, to partner with us in the search for our next Head of School. CS&A brought deep knowledge of independent schools from over 45 years of experience guiding schools through their searches for exceptional heads of school, senior administrators, and faculty. Carney Sandoe is known for its highly personalized approach to understanding the particular strengths, needs, and cultures of schools and then supporting them through the identification, recruitment, and hiring of excellent leaders, whose skills and experiences align with the school’s needs.

Communications Archive

Berkeley’s Board of Trustees is dedicated to conducting a comprehensive and inclusive search—one that invites meaningful engagement. Below are links to messages that have been shared with the Berkeley community throughout this important process.

September 18, 2025: Fraser MacKechnie ’93, Chair of the Board of Trustees, emailed the Berkeley community to share that the search for the next Head of School is well underway and to introduce the Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, Trustee Chad Harrod ’95, as well as our partnership with Carney Sandoe & Associates, an education recruitment firm.

September 19, 2025: Chad Harrod ’95, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, emailed the Berkeley community to introduce Vice Chair Kathleen Nestor and the members of the Head of School Search Committee, invite Berkeley parents and employees to share feedback during a campus visit by our consultants from Carney Sandoe & Associates, and let the community know that a survey will also be sent in the near future to gather further insights. A link to this webpage and the associated email address was also included.

October 2, 2025: Chad Harrod ’95, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, emailed the Berkeley community to share a survey in order to gather feedback from key constituencies.

October 17, 2025: Chad Harrod ’95, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, emailed the Berkeley community to share the new Head of School Position Description and some of the most compelling and consistent themes that emerged from the survey results.

December 2, 2025: Chad Harrod ’95, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, emailed the Berkeley community to share that Carney Sandoe & Associates identified 75 potential candidates who might have an interest in the position and whose qualifications warranted further consideration. Carney then conducted interviews and reference checks, as well as consulted with colleagues to scale this group back to 14 candidates who were presented to the Search Committee for further consideration. The Search Committee has begun the process of vetting these candidates to further narrow the group.

January 8, 2026: Chad Harrod ’95, Chair of the Head of School Search Committee, announced that four candidates have been invited to participate in on-campus interviews in late January. He emailed Berkeley parents, faculty/staff, and the Alumni Executive Committee, inviting each of those groups to separate meetings, during which each constituency can get to know each candidate and promptly fill out a survey after each session.

February 18, 2026: Berkeley Preparatory School announced the appointment of Augustine “Gus” Whyte ’99 as the new Head of School, effective July 1, 2026.

A coed, independent, Episcopal day school in Tampa, Florida, educating students in pre-k through twelfth grade

Head of School Search

Berkeley Preparatory School's Head of School Search

Welcome, Augustine “Gus” Whyte ’99!

Head of School Search Committee

Head of School Search Advisory Committee

Carney Sandoe & Associates

Communications Archive