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After many years of leadership and dedicated service as Head of The Key School, Marcella Yedid will retire at the end of this academic year. She will have served the School for sixteen years, making her the longest tenured Head of School Key has known.
Throughout her tenure, Marcella has met and exceeded the goals set forth by the Board of Trustees. As a result of her tireless work, Key’s program has continued to evolve while remaining true to the founding tenets of the School’s Mission. Informed by the latest developments in brain research, teachers continue to guide and inspire students daily while serving differentiated needs. Thoughtful use of technology in teaching and learning has expanded, and Marcella’s focus on global interconnectedness has enabled the School to further develop many aspects of its curriculum. With unprecedented support of professional development, Marcella has ensured that Key’s dedicated faculty continue to be Key’s greatest strength. And, its graduates continue to demonstrate a lifelong love of learning as thoughtful, self-assured and active citizens who go on to make significant contributions in both their fields of work and communities.
Securing Key’s financial future was a focal point for Marcella from the moment she became Head of School, and under her leadership our endowment has grown from $250,000 in 1999 to its current $9.1 million. The School weathered the financial downturn of 2008 thanks to her budgetary foresight in the preceding nine years. In addition, Key’s facilities have been significantly enhanced during her tenure with notable achievements including the addition of the Science and Library Center, Katharine Hall, Manse addition, and Key’s Greenhouse. Marcella also carefully oversaw the renovation of several iconic points on Key’s campus such as the Manse, Amphitheater, Barn, and Pre-School. Of course, the Key community cannot overlook her leadership during the successful acquisition of the magnificent 70-acre Fusco Athletic Park, which will free space on Key’s Hillsmere campus for additional enhancements. With eyes ever set on Key’s future, Marcella, in concert with the Board of Trustees, also has recently completed a new long-range strategic plan titled Key’s 2020 Vision that will guide the School for the next decade. Marcella leaves Key a strong legacy that will make a difference for generations of Obezags to come.
In September 2014, the Board of Trustees formally announced the establishment of The Marcella Yedid Endowment in support pf faculty and staff salaries, benefits and professional development. Several foundational donors including Key’s Parents’ Association made initial gifts to the fund and now the entire Key community has been invited to contribute with the hope that through her named endowed fund, Key’s general endowment will reach $10 million before her final day as Key’s Head of School on June 15, 2015.
A search committee for the new Head of School was established in December 2014 when Marcella made her formal declaration, with Board Vice President, Pam Williams serving as its chair. Trustees Mark Baganz, Marie Brockhurst, Troy Mayer ’06, Wendell Webster, Alanna Wright, Missy Attridge, and faculty members Jen Tonkin (Math Department Head) and Jane Zanger (Humanities Department Head) comprise the Committee.
Source: Key School
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