Q: What aspects of the School do you find most attractive?
A: I love that Laguna Blanca is a small enough place that I will be able to know everyone. . .I believe the hallmark of any successful school is the quality of the relationships within the institution, and Laguna’s size provides the opportunity for all of us to build those relationships top to bottom. I love the energy and positive atmosphere . . . and I’m eager to build on that forward momentum.
Ultimately, what is most attractive about Laguna Blanca is the people in the community. I was so impressed with everyone I met and how passionate they were in their dedication to the School . . . I’m honored that I get to work with this group of people.
Q: What about the School might you want to change?
A: The most fundamental issue is the current enrollment level. I want to work with the entire school community to get Laguna Blanca back to enrollment figures closer to 400 students in the near future.
With those stronger numbers, that will give us the opportunity to provide more options for kids in the curriculum, in activities and in student support.
Tackling that challenge will allow us a great deal of flexibility going forward. My plan is to come in and listen and learn to see what we can do to make Laguna Blanca even greater in the years ahead.
Q: What would you say your greatest accomplishments were at Fort Worth Country Day School?
A: What I take most pride in is having helped some kids graduate from Country Day who might not have otherwise made it. I have loved calling those kids’ names at graduation each year, and we have a couple of students in that class whose success I am proud to have engineered in some way.
Q: What should Laguna Blanca know about the Hereford family?
A: My wife, Amanda Whalen, is a gifted teacher who has taught in lower, middle and upper schools in her career . . . She is also an absurdly talented athlete—she played softball at Texas A&M—and I’m hopeful she passed on her athletic genes to our boys, John and Joseph (who goes by Jojo). John is five and will be in the Lower School next year; Jojo is three and will be in preschool next fall. I have a third son, Scott (age 18), from my first marriage, who is a freshman at Rhodes College in Memphis. I’m sure that everyone on both campuses will get used to seeing John and Jojo running all over the place!
Q: What did you find helped raise school spirit at other schools?
A: Successful programs certainly help drive school spirit, but beyond that, what has worked at a couple of different schools is scheduling athletic contests right after school and holding a cookout or pizza dinner to encourage students and families to come cheer on our teams and enjoy a meal together. Free food is always a good draw!
A small school requires building up enthusiasm since the fan base is so small, so we hold K-12 pep rallies and other events so that Middle and Lower School families are encouraged to support the Upper School programs.
Q: Are you a sports fan? Who are your favorite teams?
A: I love watching sports—particularly high school sports—I coached basketball for a number of years. Outside of my school teams, I watch the NFL, NBA and professional tennis regularly. I’m a huge New Orleans Saints fan and, while I grew up as a fan of the Lakers, I’ve been drawn to Oklahoma City in recent years because I love watching Kevin Durant play.
