Kate Saunders has officially been named Head of School, removing the “Interim” tag from her title. After stepping into the interim role in July, Saunders and the Board of Trustees have worked in lockstep on a successful opening of the 2021-22 school year and to align the vision and goals for the future. Saunders is Tilton’s 28th—and first female—Head of School in its 176-year history.
“We are excited to build and maintain momentum with a core leadership team who deeply loves Tilton,” says Saunders. “We are a place that matters—the world needs schools like Tilton that deeply commit to and believe in the potential of young people. New projects and initiatives during this beautiful fall have given us cause for excitement and have strengthened the future of our home on the Hill. Forever Tilton True!”
After coming to an agreement with the Board on her new permanent role, Saunders announced the news to all faculty and staff in a recent meeting. The success of her first 100 days as Interim Head of School highlighted her natural fit in this role, in this time, at Tilton. In addition to continuing work on four major capital projects—thanks to generous support from multiple alumni and families—her theme for the year, “the people make the place,” has generated a renewed focus on the foundational characteristics of the Tilton community.
Now in her 15th year at Tilton, Saunders possesses a deep knowledge of all facets of life at the school, including enrollment, dorm life, curriculum and design, and much more. She is the mother of two Tilton alumni, Isaiah ’17 and Mackenzie ’21, both of whom grew up living on the Hill.
Saunders is a graduate of Tabor Academy and went on to earn a bachelor’s from Lynchburg College with a double major in French and Theatre Design Technology. In addition to her leadership experience at Tilton, she is also an educational leader on both a local and national level, having worked with organizations like The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) and the Independent Schools of Northern New England (ISANNE).