Head of School Search
About the Search
On April 9, 2025, Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill, Catherine M. Rose Head of School, announced her retirement from The Lamplighter School at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 school year. In a joint communication with Board Chair Margaret Johansen Hirsch '89, Dr. Hill shared her gratitude for the school community over the past 14 years, and her immense optimism for the future of The Lamplighter School. This page serves as a hub for information about the Head of School search process, with updates provided as new details emerge.
Announcement of Next Catherine M. Rose Head of School
On November 7, 2025, Board Chair Margaret Johansen Hirsch '89, and Search Committee Co-Chairs Thomas Morton and Liz Cullum Helfrich '90, announced Mr. Mike Johnson as Lamplighter's next Catherine M. Rose Head of School. Mr. Johnson’s exceptional alignment with the mission, vision, and values of our school make him the right person to build on the tremendous legacy of Dr. Joan Buchanan Hill and lead our school into the future. In accepting the position, Mr. Johnson stated, “For more than two decades, I have been lighting lamps in classrooms and communities, blending joyful curiosity with academic rigor and human connection. It’s truly the opportunity of a lifetime to lead a school as values-driven and student-forward as Lamplighter.” Mr. Johnson will officially begin his tenure in Summer 2026.
Search Committee
The Board of Trustees assembled a Search Committee whose members will worked closely with the consultants throughout this process. Members of the Search Committee are listed below and represent a wide variety of Lamplighter community members, including alumni, current and past parents, current and past trustees, life trustees, and members of the faculty.
Dave Beran, past Trustee, P ’20, ’22, ’25
Liz Cullum Helfrich ’90, Trustee, P ’18, ’21
Margaret Johansen Hirsch ’89, Chair, Board of Trustees, P ’23, ’26
Ham Lee, past Trustee, P ’20, ’22, ’26
Whitney Lewis, Trustee, P ’27, ’30
Jed Morse ’82, past Trustee, P ’19, ’22
Thomas Morton, Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, P ’21, ’22, ’25
Jake Peden, Kindergarten Teacher
Lakeshia Peters, Second Grade Teacher, P ’12
Alex Sharma, Life Trustee, P ’13
Search Consultants
The Lamplighter 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 brings 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. We are excited to have worked with Kim Peeples and Marsha Little as our consultants.
Communications
November 7, 2025: Announcement of Lamplighter's next Catherine M. Rose Head of School
September 19, 2025: Candidate review and finalist visits
July 15, 2025: Survey results, campus visit conversations, and Position Description
June 17, 2025: Search Firm & Search Committee announced
April 9, 2025: Dr. Hill's retirement announcement with letter from Board Chair Margaret Jonhansen Hirsch '89
Contact Information
Members of the Lamplighter community are welcome to share any additional thoughts and/or questions with the Search Committee. Please use the following email address to share a question or comment: headofschoolsearch@thelamplighterschool.org