Breadcrumb

Leadership & Strategic Priorities

Head of School Office

Welcome from the Head of School

Welcome to Lake Forest Academy!

LFA provides a well-rounded, student-centered education that extends beyond the classroom curriculum. We bring students and faculty from all over the nation and the world to engage in a culture of participation amidst the support of a caring community. 

Our students take part in athletics, the performing and visual arts, and service learning as they pursue enriching plans of study. The four pillars of our institutional mission - character, scholarship, citizenship, and responsibility - serve as a foundation for the development of our students into thoughtful, empathetic young adults.

I hope that you find the LFA website helpful in getting to know our community. Please feel free to contact members of any department for more information.

Best,
José De Jesús
Head of School

Head of School Office

José De Jesús

José De Jesús

Head of School, History and Social Science Faculty
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William Dolbee

William Dolbee

Associate Head of School, History & Social Science Faculty,, Ned and Lynn Jessen Chair in the Humanities
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Christopher Tennyson

Christopher Tennyson

Assistant Head of School, Dean of Students & Academic Affairs, Mathematics Faculty
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Sarah Hill

Sarah Hill

Senior Executive Assistant to the Head of School & Board of Trustees
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Board of Trustees

Board of Trustees

Mr. Todd E. Altounian ’86
Mr. Bruce W. Anderson ’70, LT ’13
Mrs. Sylvia Barros ’90
Mrs. Molly Pearson Campbell ’04
Mr. Patrick J. Carroll II ’87, LT ’12
Mr. Charles T. Cooper ’96, Treasurer
Mr. J. Patrick Corsiglia
Mr. Jim C. Cowart ’69, Vice Chair
Ms. Jessica P. Douglas ’96 (Harms), Secretary
Dr. Ahmed Farag
Mr. Gregory P. Glass
Mr. Haji L. Glover ’92
Mr. Duane C. Jackson ’01, Member at Large
Mr. Ned Jessen, LT ’08
Mr. Scott W. Kaeser ’96

Mr. Allan M. Kaplan ’72
Mr. Thomas B. Kelley ’65, LT ’14
Mr. Ted Kovas
Mr. Rumi Kuli ’93
Mr. John S. Marlatt ’65, Board Chair
Mr. Scott Meloun ’77
Ms. Bethann Moritz (Filip)
Ms. Katherine Gray Pollock ’70
Ms. Tatyana I. Pramatarova ’05
Ms. Emily Sammon ’91
Ms. Ramona Sequeira (Shaw)
Mr. Amish S. Shah ’92
Mrs. Marianne Silver, Member at Large
Mr. Xiong Yin

Strategic Plan 2018

LFA's Strategic Plan 2018 is made up of five core initiatives for the next three years. The school will develop specific action steps and tactics in order to achieve these strategic initiatives as well as monitor and measure progress on a regular basis.

1. Increased Endowment Growth

  • Increase the LFA Endowment, with a goal of $50 million by 2021, to improve the long-term financial strength of the school.
  • Generate a significant and sustained increase in major and planned gifts.
  • Identify and solicit donors to establish endowed support of Student Financial Aid, Faculty Chairs, and Speaker Funds.
  • Establish the goal that at least 25% of all monies raised each year is put into the endowment.

2. Enhanced Faculty & Staff Quality

  • Increase faculty and staff salaries and benefits over time to be commensurate with our place among the best independent boarding schools nationally.
  • Expand and improve faculty housing to support the attraction and retention of faculty and increase the number of teaching faculty living on campus.
  • Increase professional development opportunities.
  • Increase the number of Faculty Chairs to stimulate innovation and faculty development.

3. Mission-Driven School Leadership

  • Ensure the successful hiring and transition of a new Head of School who is committed to leading and advancing the school’s educational excellence, including the established focus on pluralism, a global educational experience, and a boarding school culture.
  • Enhance efforts to recruit, mentor, and retain faculty, staff, and trustees who advance the LFA mission and mirror the demographic diversity of the student body.
  • Examine the optimal size and composition of the student body, including a consideration of the benefits and costs of increasing the size of the school.
  • Broaden the access to an LFA education, thereby advancing equality of opportunity and the diversity and quality of the student body.

4. Creative, Innovative and Personalized Education

  • Strengthen the personalized educational experience of every student in order to prepare them for a successful college experience.
  • Develop and implement a vision for innovative education specifically through academic technology, collaborative teaching, and interdisciplinary programs.
  • Improve multicultural competencies and integrate and facilitate meaningful cross-cultural interactions in all areas of school life.
  • Strengthen LFA’s commitment to and leadership of “Educating Global Citizens.”

Communication of Vision and Content

  • Improve and expand the LFA website as well as other marketing and communication resources and materials, particularly for admissions, alumni relations, and athletics.
  • Strengthen LFA’s identity, presence, and leadership in the local community.
  • Increase and enhance LFA’s institutional identity in national and global markets.