Welcome to Katie Titus, our next Head of School!
Photo by Jason Henry
Photo by Jason Henry
October 17, 2022
Dear Moses Brown community,
We are delighted to announce that Katie Titus has been selected by the Board of Trustees as our next Head of School, effective July 1, 2023. From a pool of three exceptional finalists, Katie was chosen for her vast educational experience, unique balance of humility and vision, and demonstrated ability to build consensus in diverse learning communities.
Currently the Interim Head of School at the prestigious Lick-Wilmerding High School, Katie previously served as head at Mercersburg Academy, Associate Head for School Life at St. George’s, and Director of College Counseling at Pingree School. She has a Master’s degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s from Middlebury College. At each of the posts in her 26-year career in education, Katie has been named a leader, a learner, and a listener, and her expertise ranges from strategic planning and curricular innovation to enrollment and fundraising. In short, she understands education, not just as it has been and where it is now, but how it needs to evolve to meet the global challenges our children will face in a rapidly changing world.
While she has national perspective, Katie’s roots are in Rhode Island, and she looks forward to returning with her husband, Stuart, and their daughters Natalie (age 20) and Samantha (age 17).
Our search began in April 2022 and was led by the Head of School Search Committee (clerked by Dawn Tripp P ’19 ’24), the Faculty/Staff Advisory Council (clerked by OJ Martí, head of lower school), and our partners at RG175, a nationally renowned search firm. These groups were guided not only by our Quaker values, but also by our Quaker process — we opted for an open search and were rewarded with impressive input from hundreds of community members. Using this and other feedback during their discernment, the Search Committee arrived at a clear sense of the meeting, and presented its recommendation to the Board.
While Katie will officially become Head on July 1, she will begin working immediately with the Board and current school leaders to ensure a smooth transition. We are planning for her to visit campus in the new year, when she’ll have a chance to meet more of you in person and begin getting to know our community. Katie writes, “I have long admired Moses Brown, with its rich history and Quaker values, but it was meeting people during my three-day visit to campus that made me most excited to join your amazing community. I look forward to partnering with all of you as we build a bold future for the school, and as we come together around our values and the core mission of developing the inner light of our students.”
We extend heartfelt thanks to the Search Committee, the Faculty/Staff Advisory Council, and the hundreds of you throughout the community whose participation ensured a thorough and thoughtful process. We are also extremely grateful to Ron Dalgliesh and Debbie Phipps for their accomplished leadership this year; their unrivaled passion and deep knowledge continue to be critical to MB’s strength, and we know Katie will be as glad as we are for their ongoing partnership next year and beyond.
Moses Brown is in a phenomenal position right now — healthy admissions, brilliant faculty and staff, supportive community — and we are thrilled about the future steps we’ll take together with Katie.
Sincerely,
Jane Ritson-Parsons P ’17 ’21
Reza Taleghani ’90 P ’21 ’23
Clerks of the Board of Trustees
Katie Titus is currently in San Francisco, serving as the Interim Head of the prestigious Lick-Wilmerding High School, where she is strategically guiding the school in a year of transition to their permanent Head. Previous to LWHS, Katie was Head of School at Mercersburg Academy, where she successfully oversaw initiatives that improved admissions standards and increased parent engagement at all levels. Working closely with the Board of Trustees and faculty, Katie led the school through strategic design efforts that resulted in forming the school’s core values, updating the mission statement, and identifying key strategic choices for the school’s future.
After graduating from Middlebury College, where she majored in mathematics and played four years of varsity basketball (two of them as captain, a 1000-point scorer), Katie spent 20 years as an educator at Pingree School and St. George’s School. While her affections and skills lie firmly and fully in the classroom, where she taught math, Katie embraced new and challenging responsibilities by becoming the Director of College Counseling at Pingree, Dean of Students, and Associate Head for School Life at St. George’s, and earning a Master’s degree at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Institute.
Katie’s teaching, counseling, and leadership are all anchored in authentic connections with students and unwavering commitment to belonging and inclusion within school communities. At Mercersburg, she established a “Courageous Conversations” initiative, striving to foster a healthy culture for difficult conversations at the school. As part of Mercersburg’s most recent accreditation cycle, she guided the school to focus their growth initiative on DEI education for adults, a project that will be shared with other schools in the Middle States Association.
As a relational leader who leads from truth and optimism, Katie’s own values of collaboration and deep commitment to her communities compel her toward the unique culture of Moses Brown. With Rhode Island roots and an abiding respect for Quaker values, Katie has immersed herself in understanding Friends’ decision-making process and thinking through the ways that Quaker values can be instilled developmentally over a child’s fifteen-year academic journey.
Katie’s many personal interests and experiences enhance her unique passion as an educator. From coaching champion varsity basketball teams at Pingree to being a self-described “super fan” for all school events, Katie enjoys being deeply engaged with her communities. Katie enjoys staying active, whether walking the family’s black Lab Ivy, gardening, or rollerblading. She’s an avowed podcast fanatic, continuing to learn through the experiences and stories of others. Katie and her partner Stuart are parents of Natalie, a junior in college, and Samantha, a senior in high school.
Click to read the press release
For press inquiries, please contact Frances Jackson, director of communications, at fjackson@mosesbrown.org.