Head of School Transition

MEET Ernie Levroney

We are excited to announce that Ernest Lee Levroney III will be the next Head of School at The Wesley School effective July 1, 2019.

Ernie's appointment by the Board of Trustees was the unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee and the final result of a lengthy and rigorous national recruitment effort aimed at finding a visionary leader for Wesley. The Board would like to thank the entire Wesley community for playing a critical role in this process through your participation and thoughtful input. We know that you will contribute to a smooth and successful transition for us all in the coming months.

The Search Committee found Ernie's values, abilities and skills to be closely aligned with the mission, culture and goals of The Wesley School. He has demonstrated experience and innovation in designing and implementing curricula that engage students through both traditional and experiential, project-based learning. He has shown the ability to recruit and develop faculty and to lead in a collaborative manner. He is authoritative in decision-making without being authoritarian. An inspirational team-builder, his leadership style is "come with me" rather than "do as I say."

We heard multiple examples from Ernie, and from those who have worked alongside him, of his approach to conflict-resolution: he brings people together by helping them to focus on their shared values, not their independent territories. He sees a school as a cohesive whole, where communication, energy, intellect and curriculum come together to create a rich soil in which children can grow both in academic learning and in character. His grounding as a teacher and his experience as an administrator will help to bridge these two constituencies at Wesley so they can improve their work as a team. His intelligence, entrepreneurial spirit and visionary mindset will infuse the school with inspiration and aspiration.

His extensive background in science and math will help our curriculum grow in all grades, but particularly in our Lower School, where the science program is still developing. Ernie has had recent success telling the story of a school and raising the funds to bring it to life. He will be a great asset to our Development team and our fundraising efforts.

Ernie is an active participant in the regional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professional development community and will encourage and lead continued growth in this area with our community. As a gay African American with a learning difference (dyslexia), he is the embodiment of Wesley's commitment to diversity and inclusion and is a role model for us all, especially our children.

The references we spoke to about Ernie came from all phases of his career in education and were uniformly supportive of his readiness to take on the role of Head of School at Wesley. He was described as having all of the qualities that a school looks for in a leader: a great teacher, a person of unquestioned integrity, equally admired by parents, students and colleagues, a man of science committed to lifelong learning and dedicated to personal and professional development, an engaged citizen and a devoted partner both in work and in life.

Ernie's personal warmth and enthusiasm for education are exceptional, even within a field of extraordinary candidates. In his interactions with the Search Committee throughout the interview process, during his visit to campus and in our surrounding social engagements, Ernie demonstrated an energy and passion for learning that was universally felt by everyone who met him, including students. This impression left us all feeling that we had found the right person to lead The Wesley School into the future, and we look forward to welcoming Ernie Levroney, along with his husband Fernando Robles, home to The Wesley School.

Statement from Ernie Levroney:

There are truly no words that can convey the depths of my gratitude to all of you for the warmth, honesty, and joy that you shared with me during my time on campus. Thank you all for making me feel welcomed. It is an honor to be asked to become a member of the Wesley family and I accept with joy, enthusiasm, and excitement. I look forward to our future conversations so that I can get to know each of you. Wesley is an amazing place where community, diversity, and academic rigor are valued and I cannot wait to have the opportunity to dive into the work and start our journey together.

As part of this work, after consulting with the Board of Trustees, I am planning to promote Joey Campanella to Associate Head of School effective July 1, 2019. The respect and loyalty Joey has earned at Wesley from students, faculty and parents are very well deserved. He will be a critical part of my administration as Head of Middle School and Associate Head of School. He will join Verena Denove as Associate Head of School and I am very excited to be working with these two great administrators at Wesley.

I look forward to meeting with you all at a reception to be scheduled soon. Until then, thank you to the Search Committee and the Board of Trustees for this incredible opportunity to join the Wesley Community as your next Head of School.

Gratefully,

Ernie