The Maret School Board of Trustees announced today that Dennis Bisgaard will be Maret’s next Head of School beginning July 1, 2023. His appointment follows a national search for a successor to Head of School Marjo Talbott, who will be retiring June 30, 2023 after 29 years of extraordinary service to the school.

“Dennis is a lifelong educator, a nationally respected leader in independent schools, and a builder of strong educational communities,” said President of the Board Ian Cameron in a letter to the community. “He also understands Maret’s history and values and is eager to build on the School’s strengths as we extend our leadership in teaching and learning.”

Currently the Interim Head at Baltimore Friends School, Mr. Bisgaard has served as a head of school for the last sixteen years. Twelve of those years were spent at Kingswood Oxford School in Connecticut where he developed new facilities, expanded fundraising, broadened the curriculum, and created exciting new opportunities for teaching and learning across disciplines.

A nationally recognized leader in equity and inclusion, Mr. Bisgaard established the Kingswood-Oxford Leadership Institute for Educators of Color to help develop future independent school leaders. He also served on the National Association of Independent Schools Board of Trustees and was Chair of its Equity and Justice Committee.

As an Interim Head of School, Dennis has provided a steadying hand to schools navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Immersing himself in each community, he has listened carefully, identified strategic goals, and developed structural changes to help the schools continue to thrive.

Dennis has been a teacher, a coach, a dean of faculty, a director of diversity, a freshman class dean, and a middle school head. He has worked in a variety of independent school settings, here and abroad, including elementary and PreK–12 schools. He is a deeply experienced mission-driven educator who understands that schools must innovate if they are to prepare students for the future.

“We are so excited to welcome Dennis Bisgaard as the next head of Maret,” said Search Committee Member Michael Kirschbaum ’94, P’27 ’29 ’32. “Dennis brings decades of experience as an accomplished educator, leader, and community builder. From those who have worked with him, we heard a common theme: he is a special leader that draws the best from those around him. We look forward to adding Dennis’s many talents to the Maret community.”

In a note earlier today, Mr. Bisgaard wrote, “What an incredible privilege and honor to be named Maret’s next Head of School. I truly look forward to the opportunity of becoming part of the Maret legacy. In the year ahead, I know there will be many opportunities to build and deepen my partnership with the Board and Marjo, to learn from and absorb important aspects of my new community, and to watch actively from the sidelines before we begin our journey together, starting in July 2023.”

About the Search

Dennis’s appointment is the result of a six-month, open search led by an eight-member Search Committee of the Board. With the assistance of nationally recognized consultants at RG175, the Committee developed a position statement that they then used to assess candidates and narrow the pool to three finalists. Those finalists came to Maret’s campus for two-and-a-half days of interviews and meetings with members of the Search Committee, other Board members, faculty, students, alumni, and parents and guardians. All members of the community were invited to complete a survey to share their reflections on the candidates and that input was carefully considered by the Search Committee. Upon the recommendation of the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dennis Bisgaard as Maret’s next head of school.

To learn more about Mr. Bisgaard, read a letter from Board leaders, and hear from Search Committee members, visit our Head of School announcement webpage.