Head of School Search

Dear Members of the Westminster School Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Timothy Quinn ’96, P’29 as Westminster School’s 10th Head of School, effective July 1, 2027. Following the recommendation of the Head of School Search Committee, the Board voted unanimously to appoint Tim, concluding a thoughtful and comprehensive six-month national search that included extensive campus conversations, significant engagement with the broader Westminster community, and consideration of a deep and impressive pool of candidates.

Tim is a highly accomplished school leader whose relationship with Westminster spans more than three decades as a student, alumnus, faculty member, and parent. When he assumes the role next July, he will become the first Westminster alumnus to serve as Head of School. Throughout the search process, Tim distinguished himself through his warmth and clarity; his commitment to students and faculty; his understanding of the deeply relational nature of boarding school; and his ability to appreciate Westminster’s traditions while thinking ambitiously about the school’s future.

Currently chief academic officer and dean of faculty at Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut, Tim is a member of the school’s executive leadership team. He oversees the academic program, college counseling, and faculty while helping shape institutional strategy across the school. Tim has led a significant evolution of the school’s academic program while remaining closely connected to students as a teacher of English and philosophy, advisor, coach, and active member of the residential community.

His connection to Westminster began when he arrived on Williams Hill as a Third Former in the Class of 1996. A four-year member of the hockey and lacrosse programs, he played varsity hockey for Tom Earl P’93, ’98, ’03, ’06, GP’24, ’25 and varsity lacrosse for Dennis Daly P’01, ’04, helping Westminster capture a Western New England lacrosse championship during his Sixth Form year. He also served on Student Council, was a corridor prefect in Andrews House, and was editor-in-chief of the yearbook. After Westminster, Tim earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Amherst College, where he played varsity ice hockey and served as team captain; a master’s degree in education from Harvard University; and a doctorate in educational and organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

A decade after graduating, Tim returned to Westminster as a member of the faculty, serving from 2006–2012 with responsibilities spanning the classroom, athletics, and residential life. He taught English and Moral Philosophy and worked alongside his mentor, Todd Eckerson P’09, ’11, ’17, ’21, during the early years of the Crossroads Cooperative Learning Program (CCLP), a precursor to the Westminster Crossroads Learning Program and part of the foundation for what would later become Horizons at Westminster. As an assistant coach for boys’ varsity hockey, Tim helped lead Westminster to the 2010 Flood-Marr Championship and the 2011 Earl-Martin New England Large School Championship. He also coached lacrosse and served in residential life, including as a dormitory head in Andrews House, returning to the same hall where he had lived as a student. During this period, Tim served as the first director of the Westminster Teaching Initiative, which continues today as a forum for faculty conversations about teaching and learning.

We are deeply grateful to the members of the Search Committee and the many faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni who engaged in the process and shared their perspectives. The significant interest in the role from educational leaders across the country is a testament to Westminster’s hard-earned reputation for excellence and its compelling mission and motto of Grit & Grace. The work of the Search Committee, our partners at RG175, and the broader Westminster community helped us identify a leader with the vision, character, and passion to lead Westminster forward. The committee saw in Tim a compelling combination of exceptional academic leadership and a deep, personal love for Westminster. His more than three-decade relationship with the school gives him a clear understanding of what makes Westminster distinctive, while his extensive leadership experience and forward-looking perspective position him well to lead Westminster into its next chapter.

Westminster approaches this transition from a position of considerable strength and momentum. Our mission, values, and Strategic Plan provide a strong foundation for the future, and we are tremendously grateful for Elaine White’s leadership and all that Westminster will continue to accomplish during her final year as Head of School. Today, Westminster is distinguished by an exceptional faculty and staff, a deeply relational community, a rigorous and evolving academic program, and an enduring commitment to helping students become people of character, resilience, and purpose.

Tim and his family are already closely connected to Westminster. He and his wife, Sarah, director of admission at Miss Porter’s and a former Westminster faculty member, live on the Porter’s campus with their children, Connor ’29 and Annie (MPS ’30). We look forward to welcoming the Quinn family back to Williams Hill and to providing opportunities for members of the Westminster community to get to know Tim more fully in the months ahead.

Please join us in congratulating Tim and welcoming him and his family home to Westminster.