Dear Brandon Hall Community,
The Board of Trustees is excited to share that Ms. Zoe Hauser, a lifelong educator, will bring her deep leadership experience and impressive passion for teaching and learning to the Brandon Hall community as our interim head of school for the 2022-23 school year.
For nearly four decades, Ms. Hauser has dedicated her life to education. Throughout her career serving a handful of independent and international schools, she is renowned for her energy, strong work ethic, passion for transformative educational practices, and collaborative team building. Zoe has increased school enrollments, strengthened professional development, and advanced initiatives to expand visibility, mission, and community. She is a proven leader in many ways. The Board of Trustees and those who participated in Ms. Hauser’s interviews were impressed not only by the depth of her knowledge and expertise on effective school leadership, but also by her warmth, energy and authenticity. Her ability to assess and analyze the challenges ahead, communicate clearly, and establish connections with Brandon Hall community members quickly emerged over the course of the selection process, as did her ability to adapt to the ever-changing educational landscape before us all. Ms. Hauser earned the Board of Trustees’ and the Brandon Hall community’s unanimous endorsement.
A graduate of King Alfred’s College (Southampton University) in the United Kingdom with a Master of Arts in Education from New York University, Ms. Hauser gained valuable experience as a classroom teacher, director of admissions and development, and then as a head of school. Zoe guided the growth and development of a small progressive, independent school of 132 students into an internationally diverse student body of 380 students as Head of School for Stevens Cooperative School (NJ) for 16 years. After enjoying a successful headship at Stevens, Ms. Hauser decided to seek opportunities in school leadership on the international front. Zoe served as Middle School Principal at the International School of Myanmar, in Yangon, Myanmar and then moved on to Mumbai, India where she served the Somani International School as Primary School Principal for the last 6 years finishing her tenure in July 2021. It is exciting to think about all the ways in which Zoe’s breadth of school leadership experiences will benefit our educational community.
Zoe, who once thought retirement was a good idea, found herself yearning to get back into school leadership and making a difference in the industry she so passionately enjoys. Zoe sees Brandon Hall as a warm and caring community committed to transformational teaching and learning. She was impressed by both the beauty of our campus and the enthusiasm of our students, teachers and staff. Zoe is very much looking forward to meeting all of you and welcoming you to campus for the upcoming school year.
While Ms. Hauser’s tenure will officially begin in July, Zoe plans to start her work as Interim in the intervening months and will be in close communication with the Board, and the leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank the Interim Head of School Search Committee and the faculty, staff, and leadership team who met with Ms. Hauser. The input, ideas, questions, and feedback via participation in the survey were invaluable, demonstrating strong consensus for a leader who will take our School forward.
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Zoe Hauser to Brandon Hall School. She will be a wonderful asset to our school and will no doubt make a meaningful, positive impact during her time with us.
Thank you for your support. We are grateful for your allowing us to serve and educate your children.
Karen White
Board Chair, Board of Trustees
