Bird's eye view of Maret and Washington monument

Head of School Search

With Head of School Dennis Bisgaard stepping down June 30, 2026, the Board of Trustees has appointed Sue Bosland to serve as interim head of school starting July 1, 2026 and launched a comprehensive search to find Maret's next long-term head of school

The Board is grateful to Dennis for leading Maret with vision and heart, and for helping the school create its most recent strategic plan, Advancing with Purpose (2025). In the months ahead, he will work closely with Sue Bosland to ensure a smooth leadership transition.

This webpage is dedicated to keeping the community up-to-date on the head of school search. Clear communication and community engagement are vital to the success of the search and Maret’s future. The Board welcomes community participation in this important process. Questions or Comments? Please contact the Head of School Search Committee.

Contact the Search Committee

PRE-SEARCH
Dec. 2025–Jan. 2026

Form HOS Search Committee
Select consultants
Engage community
Develop leadership profile

SEARCH
Spring–Summer 2026

Announce position
Recruit candidates
Select, interview, and reference semifinalists

SELECTION
Fall 2026

Host finalists on campus; Introduce them to the community
Gather community feedback and vet finalists
Board selects new head of school

TRANSITION
Winter–Summer 2027

New head and interim head prepare for transition
New head starts

Meet the Search Committee

McLean Quinn, Chair

Parent ’33 and ’35

READ BIO about McLean Quinn, Chair

Lisa Brown

Parent ’22 and ’27

READ BIO about Lisa Brown

Paige Hoffman

Alumna ’06

READ BIO about Paige Hoffman

Rick Juneja

Parent ’30 and ’33

READ BIO about Rick Juneja

Heidi Kong

Parent ’25 and ’27

READ BIO about Heidi Kong

Josh Lipshutz

Parent ’31, '33, and ’35

READ BIO about Josh Lipshutz

Vadim Nikitine

Parent ’26 and ’32

READ BIO about Vadim Nikitine

Head of School Search FAQ

Q: Why is Dennis leaving now?

With deep care for Maret, Dennis informed the Board that he will not renew his contract after the 2025-26 school year. In his letter to the community, Dennis explained that he is not currently in a position to make a long-term commitment to the school and to see our new strategic plan, Advancing with Purpose, through to completion. Therefore, he is stepping down to make room for the next leader who can. He is fully committed to a successful launch of the strategic plan this year and is fully invested in his other responsibilities through June of 2026.

Q: How can we learn more about next year’s interim head of school, Susan Bosland?

Q: Who is leading the search for the new head of school?

The Board of Trustees is responsible for hiring Maret’s next head of school. The seven trustees appointed to the Head of School Search Committee will lead the process and ultimately recommend a head of school candidate to the Board of Trustees. In addition, the Board will engage an experienced search firm to serve as a consultant to the Search Committee. The Search Committee will also seek feedback from the community at-large to shape the leadership profile for the position and to inform its recommendation.

Q: What is the role of the Search Committee?

The Search Committee is responsible for leading the search for Maret’s next head of school with guidance and support from our consultants.

In keeping with Maret’s core values, the Committee will ensure that the search process is thorough, fair, transparent, and inclusive. A key role of the Search Committee is to keep the Maret community informed and engaged throughout the search process while respecting the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.

The Search Committee will work with our consultants to develop a plan tailored for Maret that will include opportunities for community engagement. They will help develop the leadership profile, review candidate applications vetted by our search firm, and conduct interviews with semifinalists and finalists. Once the finalists have been identified, they will coordinate opportunities for the community to meet the leading candidates and then review feedback, references, and background checks before submitting a recommendation for the head of school to the Board of Trustees.

Q: How was the Search Committee selected?

The President of the Board appointed the Search Committee according to Maret’s bylaws and a Board resolution, and in consultation with the Board’s executive committee.

The Search Committee is composed of trustees who are also current parents, past parents, an educator, and an alum. They represent a diversity of perspectives, cover all divisions, and reflect the different ways our community experiences the school. They are also current on the new Strategic Plan, as well as all opportunities and challenges affecting the school, and therefore, have a unique understanding of the leadership needs of the institution.

Q: What is the role of the search firm?

The consultants serve as expert advisors throughout the process. They partner closely with the Search Committee to identify Maret’s leadership needs, clarify expectations for the role, plan the search process, and recruit highly qualified candidates. They support the Search Committee through the formal announcement of the new head of school and work with the Board and the new head to ensure a smooth transition.

Q: What is the role of the Board?

Q: How will the community be informed about the progress of the search?

Q: Will the head of school transition impact the implementation of Maret’s new strategic plan?

Q: Will the head of school search impact my child’s experience at Maret?

No. Our faculty and administrators remain committed to fulfilling Maret’s mission and providing students with an excellent educational experience that will serve them well long after they leave our campus. Head of School Dennis Bisgaard is fully engaged in leading Maret through the end of the 2025-2026 school year. Sue Bosland will become interim head of school July 1, 2026 in preparation for the new long-term head who will start the following summer. Both Dennis and Sue have the full support of the Board as they lead the school through the transition.

Q: How can the Maret community participate in the search for Maret’s new Head of School?

Before the search for Maret’s new head of school can begin, the Search Committee and consultants will conduct a robust community engagement process with Maret’s faculty, student, parent, and alumni stakeholders. Community outreach during this Pre-Search stage will be critical to shaping the leadership profile for the head of school position at Maret

This leadership profile will be based on an honest assessment of the school’s current strengths and challenges and a thoughtful analysis of the leadership attributes and qualifications needed to implement Maret’s strategic plan and guide the school into the future.

The Pre-Search process will launch in the winter of 2026. Further stakeholder engagement will come once finalist candidates have been selected in the fall of 2026.

Q: Who do I contact if I have questions or comments?

Letters to the Community

December 12, 2025 — Head of School Search Committee Update

This Communication in Brief:

The Board has appointed a Head of School Search Committee composed of seven current trustees to lead an open, inclusive, and thorough search for Maret’s next long-term head of school.
The Search Committee will select a consultant in January to guide the process, which will be tailored to Maret’s needs and reflect both best practices and lessons learned from Maret’s last search.
Before the search begins, the Committee will engage with faculty, student, parent, and alumni stakeholders to gather broad feedback on Maret’s needs and the leadership attributes and characteristics that will guide the candidate selection process.
This Pre-Search stage will begin this winter. The webpage devoted to Maret's head of school search is live and will provide regular updates on the search process in the year ahead.

Dear Maret Community,

It is an exciting time of year at Maret. Seniors are just beginning to hear back on college admissions, our talented musicians are filling campus with music during winter concerts, and the entire community eagerly anticipates time with family and friends over the upcoming break. Before the year winds down, the Board would like to share its first update on the search process for Maret’s next long-term head of school.

In the weeks since Dennis shared news of his departure and the Board announced Sue Bosland as interim head of school beginning July 1, 2026, we have formed the Head of School Search Committee, begun to vet experienced consultants to guide us in the search process, and created a webpage to keep you informed about our progress.

We have also started planning opportunities for the community to meet Sue Bosland in January; more details about those events are coming soon.

The Search Committee
The Board has selected a Search Committee composed of seven current trustees to lead an open, inclusive, and thorough search process. The Committee’s membership reflects the diversity and values of the Maret community and includes current parents, past parents, an educator, and an alum.

The Committee is responsible for running a process grounded in Maret’s mission and core values and informed by Maret’s current needs and future aspirations. Ultimately, the Search Committee will be responsible for making a head of school recommendation to the Board. The members are:

McLean Quinn, Parent ’35, ’33, Chair
Lisa Brown, Parent ’27, ’22
Paige Hoffman, Alum ’06
Rick Juneja, Parent ’33, ’30
Heidi Kong, Parent ’27, ’25
Joshua Lipshutz, Parent ’35, ’33, ’31
Vadim Nikitine, Parent ’32, ’26

Read Committee member bios here.

The Role of the Search Firm
One of the Committee’s first tasks is to hire a consulting firm to expertly guide us through our search. The selection process is already underway, and we expect to announce the firm in January. Once retained, the consultants will:

Guide a community engagement process to hear directly from faculty, students, parents, and alumni
Define Maret’s leadership needs and vision
Tailor the search plan for our school
Recruit candidates
Manage logistics
Advise the committee, Board, and school leadership throughout the decision-making, hiring, and transition phases

Establishing a clear vision of Maret’s needs will be critical to crafting a leadership profile that attracts the right head of school candidates. This work will involve broad engagement with the Maret community, honest assessment of the school’s current strengths and challenges, and thoughtful analysis of the leadership attributes and qualifications needed to implement the strategic plan and guide Maret into the future. This Pre-Search process will begin this winter.

Process Overview and Timeline
The 18 months between the launch of our head of school search and our target start date of summer 2027 is an ideal time frame to conduct a comprehensive search. While our consultant will help us craft a process that best fits Maret’s unique needs, most head of school searches follow a similar trajectory. We expect our process to follow the general path outlined below:

Pre-Search (Winter 2026)
Form Search Committee
Select consultant
Engage community
Develop leadership profile

Search (Spring – Summer 2026)
Announce position
Recruit candidates
Select, interview, and reference semifinalists

Selection (Fall 2026)
Host finalists on campus; introduce them to the community
Gather community feedback; vet finalists
Board selects new head of school

Transition (Winter – Summer 2027)
New head and interim head prepare for transition
New head starts

The Search Committee and the Board have and will reflect deeply on the last search — what went well, what did not, and what we will do differently this time. We are eager to begin our work with our consultants, and we look forward to sharing more about how you can participate in the months to come.

In the meantime, we have created a page on the Maret website that shares current information about our search and answers to FAQs. You will be able to return to the page throughout the process for more information and updates. Opportunities to share questions and feedback will also be made available on this page.

We look forward to finding the next exceptional leader to carry our wonderful school forward and to continue our legacy of providing a transformative education that builds a better world, one student at a time.

On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the Search Committee, we thank you for your engagement and support, and we hope you have a wonderful winter break.

Sincerely,

Leigh Comas, P ’28, ’21, ’15
President, Board of Trustees

McLean Quinn, P ’35, ’33
Trustee and Chair, Head of School Search Committee

November 17, 2025 — A Letter from Leigh Comas, Board President

Dear Maret Community,

Dennis recently informed the Board of Trustees of his decision not to renew his contract with Maret, making the 2025-26 school year his last as Maret’s head of school. As you read in Dennis’s letter, this was a difficult decision for him. Since he arrived in 2023, Dennis has led Maret with clear eyes and a steady hand. As he has guided us through the transition from a long-time head of school, he has honored Maret’s past and many strengths while helping us see new, exciting possibilities for our school.

While this is not yet goodbye, I want to take this moment, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, to extend our deepest thanks to Dennis for his forward-thinking stewardship of Maret during this important time in the school’s history.

Under Dennis’s leadership, Maret articulated its first formal vision statement and a new educational philosophy, both of which bring greater clarity to the unique value of a Maret education. The school also embarked on a community-wide strategic planning process that culminated in our recently unveiled plan, Advancing with Purpose. This plan’s vision and goals will serve as the school’s roadmap for the next five years.

In addition, Dennis welcomed external experts to complete a comprehensive review of the K–12 humanities and world languages curricula, which provided our teachers with invaluable insights for enhancing our already strong programs. This year, a similar review is underway for the science, math, and technology programs. The school will also complete an in-depth self-study in preparation for reaccreditation by the Association of Independent Maryland and DC Schools (AIMS).

Maret’s facilities have transformed during Dennis’s tenure. The permanent acquisition and completion of Barrett Fields, our five-acre athletic facility, is a milestone for the school. Our fully renovated theater, the new outdoor gathering spaces, and the colorful stairwells in the upper school all demonstrate Dennis’s care for the learning environment here at 3000 Cathedral Avenue.

From his earliest days at Maret, Dennis has embraced our community and modeled kindness, compassion, and generosity of spirit. Amidst the political, economic, technological, and social changes we are now experiencing, he has encouraged us to extend grace to one another, seek common purpose, and grow closer as a community.

In the months ahead, Dennis will prioritize the roll-out of our long-term strategic plan. Key initiatives for this year include the portrait of a graduate, work towards a 15-year comprehensive campus plan, and the creation of a strategic plan project management system. He and key administrators will also focus on filling the open faculty positions with strong, experienced candidates who reflect the school’s mission and values, including our steadfast commitment to equity and inclusion. Dennis is fully invested in this work, and the Board and I look forward to continuing our partnership with him.

Hiring the head of school is a fundamental responsibility of the Board. We are keenly aware of the mobility of heads of school, particularly in our region, so we are always ready. There is a clear process, and it has already begun.

The first step the Board has taken is to appoint Sue Bosland to serve as Maret’s interim head of school for the 2026-2027 school year, beginning July 1, 2026. This will give the Board the time it needs to lead a comprehensive national search for Maret’s next long-standing head of school.

Sue’s deep experience with independent schools and her knowledge and love of Maret — sharpened and deepened over her five years of service as a Maret trustee — make her the right leader for this moment. Just a few years ago, she served as interim head of National Cathedral School. While there, she guided the school through the COVID pandemic, advanced the priorities of a newly approved strategic plan, and expanded the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) office and initiatives.

Prior to that, Sue served for 18 years as head of school at Kent Place School in New Jersey, where she launched signature programs in ethics, leadership, global learning, and economic and financial literacy. She also led the fundraising for two major capital campaigns and oversaw numerous campus improvement projects — including the construction of the new upper school, science wing, music wing, center for innovation, and turf athletic fields.

Sue is an accomplished leader known for her collaborative spirit, energy, and insight. I know that she will take good care of our entire community and help us meet our ambitious strategic goals. With Dennis at the helm through June, Sue on deck for July, and an experienced administrative leadership team, Maret is in very good hands. I will be in touch again after the break to provide more information about the head of school search process.

I am grateful to Dennis and his wife, Monica, for their shared devotion to the Maret community. Our school is strong, and the direction that we have set in Advancing with Purpose holds even greater promise. In the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I want to express my deep appreciation for the support of our dedicated and talented faculty, our generous and engaged families, and our eager and joyful students who are at the center of all that we do.

Sincerely,

Leigh Comas
President of the Board of Trustees

November 17, 2025 — Announcement from Dennis Bisgaard, Head of School

Dear Maret Community,

This is a bittersweet letter to write. After deep reflection, careful consideration, and conversations with Board of Trustees President Leigh Comas, I have decided not to renew my contract beyond the expiration of the 2025–2026 school year on June 30, 2026. This decision comes from a place of honesty, humility, and deep care for Maret and its future. Our wonderful school deserves a leader who can commit to the many years ahead that are needed to fully carry forward our shared vision and see our strategic plan through to its fullest fruition. Recognizing that I am not in a position to make that long-term commitment, I believe it is right — for Maret and our future students and families — to make space now for the next leader who can.

Please know that this decision does not in any way diminish my devotion to Maret. On the contrary, my deep care for this community and my belief in its potential have made this choice all the more poignant. I remain wholeheartedly committed to leading with steadiness, energy, and clarity of purpose for the remainder of this school year — and for the duration of my tenure. Every day, I will continue to give my very best to our students, our faculty, and our families.

Maret is a wonderful, joyful community — filled with extraordinary students and superb, gifted, and dedicated faculty, advisors, and coaches. It has been a privilege to serve alongside you. I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me, for the vibrancy and character of our students, and for the countless ways our faculty go above and beyond each day. I have also greatly valued my work with the Board of Trustees and my close partnership with Leigh Comas; their wisdom, generosity, and support have meant a great deal to me and to the school.

I am very proud of the progress we have made together in these past years. This fall has been especially meaningful. We celebrated our inaugural Homecoming on Barrett Fields — highlighted by victories in both football and soccer — and experienced, together, the joy of gathering as one community on our very own home field. The newly completed theater is another powerful, visible expression of our aspirations and will enrich teaching, learning, and the arts for years to come.

At the center of this momentum is our newly unveiled strategic plan, Advancing with Purpose. This five-year plan, with a ten-year impact, offers a thoughtful, ambitious, and mission-aligned roadmap for Maret’s future. The timing of this year’s reaccreditation self-study further sharpens and strengthens our work. We launch “year zero” of the strategic plan this year, engaging in careful, deliberate efforts as we refine timelines, sequencing, and how we measure and share our progress.

I believe deeply in the direction we have set together. My priority now is to ensure a strong foundation, a smooth path forward, and a healthy, vibrant school — so that the next leader can step in with confidence, inherit real momentum, and continue this important work without interruption. Monica and I have greatly enjoyed immersing ourselves in the Maret community and are grateful for the friendships and connections that will stay with us. We care deeply about Maret and look forward to watching Maret and the people who make it what it is flourish for years to come. For now, and for as long as I have the honor to serve as your head of school, I look forward to continuing my leadership with you — serving our students and community with passion, gratitude, stability, and unwavering dedication.

With appreciation and in partnership,

Dennis Bisgaard
Head of School

Core Values | Excellence & Creativity

In this section