Stevenson School in Pebble Beach and Carmel, California, announced Monday the appointment of Dr. Kevin M. Hicks, currently head of The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, as its next President and Head of School. Hicks will assume his new leadership role at Stevenson School—a well known independent boarding and day school on the Monterey Peninsula—in July 2015, succeeding Joe Wandke, one of the longest-serving heads of any independent school in America.
Dr. Hicks holds a BA in Religious Studies from Yale and a PhD in English from Princeton. He is an experienced English teacher, admissions officer, and lacrosse coach, who from 2005-2010 served as Dean of Berkeley College at Yale University, where he counseled hundreds of undergraduates and led the college to academic distinction, in part by instituting a unique advisory system.
In 2010 Hicks joined The Hotchkiss School, one of New England’s most well-respected independent boarding schools. As Associate Head of School, Dean of Faculty, and later Head of School at Hotchkiss, Hicks instituted new approaches to mentoring, revised the school’s strategic plan, and created a symposium on learner-centered teaching.
A Stevenson alumnus from the Class of 1985, Hicks attributes much of his educational and career success to his years at Stevenson. “Stevenson is where my academic curiosity developed and my intellectual boundaries expanded,” said Hicks. “Becoming president will be a true homecoming for me.” While a day student at Stevenson in the mid-80s, Hicks was class president for three years, editor of the Tusitala student newspaper, and an actor in many school plays.
Stevenson School first shared news of President Joe Wandke’s upcoming retirement in May 2014. During his 32-year presidency, Wandke transformed every aspect of Stevenson: He established the school’s coed boarding program, steadily developed its world-class campus, instituted a new and now widely accepted system of teacher compensation, and established and grew Stevenson’s lower school. Wandke also raised millions of dollars for various campus initiatives and increased the number of students and faculty by over 50%.
“Exciting times are ahead for Stevenson under the leadership of Kevin Hicks,” said Wandke. “I couldn’t be happier.”
The focused national search for Stevenson’s new president was an intensive year-long process that involved early sessions with faculty, alumni, and parents to set guidelines for the qualifications and experience the school would seek in a candidate. “Dr. Hicks has a clear vision for the future of independent schools,” said Mark Hornberger, chairman of the Stevenson School board of trustees, who led the search. “He sees in Stevenson the opportunity to accomplish this vision thoughtfully and purposefully over a period of years."
“Kevin is deeply committed to building upon Stevenson’s 62-year history,” added Hornberger. This summer, Hicks will relocate to Pebble Beach with his wife Cornelia and their three-year-old daughter Zuleika Alice, returning to the alma mater he considers his “home academic institution,” where his earliest mentors and friends helped shape his values and ideas.
For more information about Dr. Kevin Hicks and the presidential transition at Stevenson School, please go to: www.stevensonschool.org/kevinhicks.
About Stevenson School
Stevenson School, founded in 1952, is a progressive and independent college preparatory school of 740 students located in Pebble Beach and Carmel, California. Day students in grades PK-8 attend the Carmel Campus, and day and boarding students in grades 9-12 attend the Pebble Beach Campus. The school's mission is to prepare students for success in college and beyond, to foster their passion for learning and achievement, and to help them shape a joyful life. For more information, please visit www.stevensonschool.org.
