Blair Academy Appoints 16th Head of School

James P. Jenkins ’66

On behalf of Blair Academy’s Board of Trustees, I am very pleased to announce that Christopher M. Fortunato, JD, LCSW, has been appointed as Blair Academy’s next Head of School, effective July 1, 2013. With broad experience in educational and non-profit administration and leadership, Chris possesses an accomplished background and skill set that make him highly qualified to lead Blair into its next era of growth and progress. This appointment marks the conclusion of a months-long national search that brought several highly qualified candidates to campus.

Chris will join Blair from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass., where he currently serves as Dean of Students. He returned to Cambridge in 2010 after working at Providence College and the non-profit organization Newton Community Service Center (NCSC), Inc. A Harvard alumnus who earned an AB cum laude in government in 1994 and a JD cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1997, Chris also received a master's degree from Boston University Graduate School of Social Work in 2008.

In addition to his academic credentials, Chris is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience working with teenagers and young adults. Over the course of his career, he has remained committed to doing volunteer work with adolescents and serves as a member of the Newton Youth Commission, a teacher of experiential learning to high school students and an advisor to Harvard College undergraduates.

In his current position as Dean of Students at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Chris works with a graduate student population of more than 900, nearly half of whom come from outside the United States. In that role, he has gained experience in admissions, advancement, student affairs, academic advising, student leadership, international engagement and diversity programs. Along with fellow members of the senior leadership team, he developed the strategic vision for Kennedy School degree programs and student affairs, including crafting plans for a major financial aid fundraising campaign. 

Over the last few months, a number of Trustees, parents, faculty members, students and alumni have had the opportunity to meet Chris in person and learn firsthand about his experience as an educator and administrator. All of Blair’s constituencies were impressed by his professional accomplishments, his commitment to helping young students achieve success inside and outside of the classroom, and his genuine, caring personality. To learn more about Chris's professional experience and career, please click the "Chris Fortunato bio" tab above.

In accepting the position as Blair’s 16th Head of School, Chris remarked: “I am sincerely honored and humbled to become Blair’s 16th Head of School. I share the School’s deep commitment to building powerful relationships among students and faculty to further academic, athletic and artistic excellence. This commitment has been the driving force of my life’s work as an educational leader focused on encouraging students to love learning, to find purpose and to become persons of great intellect and character who will make a difference in the world. As I have learned more about Blair’s remarkable student-centered approach, its dedication to recruiting and supporting the best faculty and its strong commitment to build upon its already impressive achievements, I have grown certain that this is precisely the dynamic and caring community that I am passionate about embracing and leading for many years to come.”

Chris also acknowledged the very special 24-year legacy he follows and the successful tenure of Chan and Monie Hardwick in positioning Blair for this transition. We will be honoring the Hardwicks on Alumni Weekend, May 10 and 11, and at a special Saturday night dinner and celebration on May 11.

I would like to thank the members of the search committee, trustees, students, administration, faculty, parents and alumni who helped interview candidates over the course of the fall. The entire search process was successful due to the efforts of our partner in the search, Carney, Sandoe & Associates, and so many members of our community. We look forward to welcoming Chris and his wife, Erin, and their two young children, Matthew and Kate, to Blair Academy.

And many thanks to all of you for your continued support of our School.

Sincerely,

James P. Jenkins ’66 

Chris brings to Blair a multi-disciplinary array of professional skills and experiences that make him a promising educational leader with great depth and breadth of perspective about educational administration, teaching and institutional advancement.  

Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with faculty, students, board members, alumni and other institutional stakeholders to develop innovative curricula, programs and services that advance students’ personal, academic and professional growth, foster cultures of achievement and social responsibility, and create diverse and supportive learning environments.

Chris was raised in Freehold, N.J., and spent his undergraduate years in England at Oxford University and at Harvard College, from which he ultimately earned an AB in government in 1994. He immediately went on to law school at Harvard, graduating and passing the Massachusetts bar exam in 1997.  While a litigation associate at Sullivan & Worcester, LLP,  he provided pro bono educational advocacy for adolescents, also volunteering as a tutor and mentor to a diverse group of teens.

In 1999, he left the practice of law to design and direct adolescent services at the innovative, non-profit organization, NCSC, Inc., in Newton, Mass., where he developed academic, social, therapeutic and leadership programs for nearly a decade.

In 2008, Chris sought to expand his portfolio of academic administration and student affairs expertise, first accepting an appointment as Dean of Students at Providence College, where he served as acting vice-president for student affairs and dean of students. In these roles, he supported 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students, overseeing counseling, residential life, student health, security, emergency management and career development programs.

As Dean of Students at the Harvard Kennedy School, Chris’s role is attracting and supporting a rich mosaic of the best and brightest aspiring public leaders from every corner of the globe. “Over the years, it has become my professional and personal mission to lead a school community whose shared vision is to provide students with the rigorous knowledge and methodologies they need to effectively relate to real people, challenges and opportunities on campus, in the surrounding community and on a global stage,” he explained. “As a father of two young children, I intensely feel the privilege and responsibility of training and shaping those who will lead our global society in the public sphere, business, science, the arts and beyond.”

Ms. Anne E. Cramer ’75 earned her bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College in 1979 in geography/urban studies and her JD at the University of Wisconsin in 1982. She is currently Board member and Shareholder of Primmer, Piper, Eggleston & Cramer, PC., in Burlington, Vt., where she practices health law and employment law. Recognized in the Best Lawyers in America for over 20 years, she is listed as a New England Super Lawyer. Ms. Cramer served on the Blair Board of Trustees from 1992 to 1998 and was reelected in 1999. She has been a member of the Nominating, Executive and Covenant Committees, has chaired the Governance Committee since 2004 and was elected Secretary to the Board in 2006. Ms. Cramer was Blair’s Alumnus of the Year in 1998.

Mrs. Honora Grose resides in Greenwich, Conn., with her husband, Madison, and their son, Jordan, a member of Blair's class of 2012. She received a BS in architecture in 1979 from Catholic University and an MBA in 1984 from Fordham University. Currently a trustee of Fordham, Mrs. Grose has served on several boards, and she worked as a construction manager for a large commercial real estate company. Mr. and Mrs. Grose were co-chairs of the Blair Parent Fund Group and ex-officio members of the Board of Trustees from 2010-12. During  their tenure, both Mr. and Mrs. Grose were members of the Advancement and the Education and School Life Committees. Mrs. Grose also served on the Buildings and Grounds Committee.

Mr. James P. Jenkins ’66, Chairman of the Blair Board of Trustees, is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in English and an MBA in finance. He is managing director of Global Infrastructure Partners in New York City, where he resides with his wife, Nevitt, and their two children. Elected to the Board in 1992, Mr. Jenkins served on the Executive and Investment Committees, chaired the Budget Committee and served as Vice Chairman of Operations and Treasurer. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 2006 following in the footsteps of his father, George P. Jenkins ’32, who served as Chairman from 1978-86. Mr. Jenkins received the Citation of Merit, Blair’s highest honor, in 2004.

Mr. Douglas W. Kimmelman graduated from Stanford University in 1982 with a BA in economics and from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1984 with an MBA. Mr. Kimmelman and his wife, Carol, reside in Bernardsville, N.J., and are the parents of three Blair students: Annie ’12, Robert ’13 and Tommy ’15. He is the senior partner of Energy Capital Partners in Short Hills, N.J., and San Diego, Calif., a private equity firm dedicated to investing in North America’s energy infrastructure. Prior to founding Energy Capital in 2005, Mr. Kimmelman was a partner with Goldman Sachs, having spent 22 years at the firm. He was chairman of the board of trustees of the Far Hills Country Day School for seven years and currently serves on the energy advisory committee at Stanford University. Mr. Kimmelman was elected to the Blair Board of Trustees in January 2011 and serves on the Buildings and Grounds Committee and the Investment Committee.

Mr. Dominick J. Romano ’74 attended Fairleigh Dickinson University. He and his wife, Cathy, reside in Andover Township, N.J., and have three children, Martine ’04, Arielle ’07 and Drew ’10. Mr. Romano is vice president and COO of RoNetco Supermarkets, Inc., a family-owned business which operates seven ShopRite supermarkets in northwest NJ and employs 1400 associates. He also serves as board secretary for the Wakefern Food Corporation, the wholesale merchandising and distribution arm for nearly 300 supermarkets. An active force in many significant community and non-profit organizations, he served on the board of Hilltop Country Day School for 15 years, 10 of which as president, and on the board of Centenary College in Hackettstown, N.J. Mr. Romano was elected to the Blair Board of Trustees in 2002, has chaired the Budget Committee since 2006 and serves on the Buildings and Grounds and Executive Committees. He was elected Vice Chairman of the Board in 2011. Mr. Romano was awarded the Citation of Merit, the School’s highest honor, in 2009.

Advisors to the Search Committee

Mr. James A. Frick is Blair Academy’s Chief Operating Officer in charge of finance, operations and external management, and he serves as Assistant Treasurer to the Board of Trustees. Appointed to Blair’s faculty in 1990, he earned both a BS in finance and an MBA from Lehigh University. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of three children; their son, Joseph, was a member of Blair’s class of 2012. 

Martin Miller joined Blair’s history department in 1980. In addition to teaching history and economic theory classes, he directs the Society of Skeptics program, serves as head cross country coach, edits the Blair Review and runs the Model United Nations Program. He completed his undergraduate work at Syracuse University in New York in 1966 and earned his PhD in comparative politics from the City University of New York (CUNY) in 1982. Before coming to Blair, he taught at Stockton State College in New Jersey and CUNY in New York. Marty lives on campus at Steckel House with his wife, Micheline, with whom he has two children: David ’88 and Colin ’00.

Mrs. Robin J. Scheman joined Blair’s faculty in 2011 to work with the Headmaster and strategic planning committee on special projects. She earned a BA from Union College in 1984 and an MA from Columbia University in 1988. With a background in human resource management and organizational psychology, as well as expertise in strategic business planning/management, training and executive coaching, Robin worked most recently at Lehman Brothers, serving as managing director and head of learning and talent management for the firm. She also held an executive position at Deutsche Bank and Bankers Trust Company. Robin and her husband, Sam Litvin, are the parents of Rebecca ’10 and Andrew ’14.

Blair’s Headmaster Announces Plan to Step Down July 1, 2013

On June 13, Headmaster Chan Hardwick announced that he and his wife, Monie, will leave Blair at the conclusion of the 2012-2013 school year after 24 years of service. The Hardwicks will work closely with the Trustees, faculty and students over the next year to make the transition to a new Headmaster effective and smooth.

“After an extraordinarily long and productive period of leadership, the Hardwicks feel that this is the right time for them personally to step down and the right time for a leadership transition at Blair, given the School’s current position of strength,” said James P. Jenkins ’66, Chairman of Blair’s Board of Trustees, in a letter to alumni, parents, faculty, students and friends. “It is, therefore, with great respect and appreciation for all he has given Blair, that the Board of Trustees and I must accept that next year will be Chan’s final year. While all of us will miss Chan and Monie—their energetic leadership as well as their deep commitment to the School—we knew that eventually this day would come; and so it has.”

Under the Hardwicks’ leadership, Blair Academy has progressed significantly since their arrival in 1989: the School’s emphasis on superior academic preparation has resulted in an outstanding college matriculation; the student body has increased from 365 to 450 and the quality and diversity of the student body is the strongest it has ever been; the School’s campus has expanded from 330 to 450 acres and its historic buildings now include Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts, Timken Library, Ann L. Siegel Hall, Hardwick Hall and new athletic facilities, as well as a beautiful pedestrian campus; Blair’s endowment has increased from $16 million to $70 million; and alumni and parent support has grown dramatically, with the Blair Fund raising more than $2.5 million each year.

“Blair is poised for a new decade of progress,” Chan said in a message to the Board of Trustees. “With our beautiful campus and new facilities adding to the School’s historic setting, Blair attracts diverse and talented applicants every year, as well as inspired educators. As for us, our professional and personal legacy will always be at Blair.”

While not officially retiring, the Hardwicks plan to travel and spend time at their home in South Carolina after leaving Blair. Looking forward, the Board of Trustees has formed a Search Committee to identify Blair’s next Head of School. Further details about the search and transition process will be posted online over the coming months, so please check the Blair website for updates.

Read the Headmaster's letter to Blair’s Board of Trustees.

Read the Chairman of the Board of Trustees’ letter to Blair alumni, parents, faculty, students and friends.