The Tilton School Board of Trustees is excited to announce that Derek Krein will serve as its next Head of School.
With more than 30 years of experience, Krein brings a holistic understanding of independent school education and the opportunity it represents. He will join Tilton following more than a decade at Tabor Academy — a boarding and day school of more than 500 students in Marion, MA — where he has served as the school’s Dean of Faculty and Dean of Professional and Programmatic Growth in that time. A graduate of Kent School in Connecticut with advanced degrees from Connecticut College and Dartmouth College, Krein has administrative and faculty experience at institutions such as New Hampton School (New Hampton, NH), Stanwich School (Greenwich, CT), Kimball Union Academy (Meriden, NH), and Lawrence Academy (Groton, MA). He currently sits on the Board of Trustees at Indian Creek School (Crownsville, MD) — a coed, PreK-12 day school with 530 students — as a member of the Governance, Finance, and Advancement committees.
“Tilton School’s heritage and hopes are compelling,” says Krein, who traces his passion for education to his early childhood. “The school is an indispensable learning lab for building cultural competency, self-awareness and personal responsibility, and how to live in a diverse community with civility and empathic understanding.”
Krein’s appointment follows an extensive search in partnership with the national firm Educational Directions. The process included 250 individuals, over 60 direct inquiries, 38 follow-up discussions, and over two dozen qualified educational professionals applying for the position. After a series of semi-finalist and finalist interviews on campus, along with input from students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff, Krein stood out for his commitment to Tilton’s core values and his vision for driving programmatic innovation and excellence.
“Derek has been involved in all aspects of the boarding school world, from enrollment and retention, faculty recruitment, and professional development to stewarding prospective donors,” says John Shaughnessy, Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Head of School Search Committee. “He is perfectly situated to be our 29th Head of School. We are excited to bring Derek and Bobbi Krein to our campus to continue the momentum Tilton is building for the future.”
He and his wife Bobbi — a fellow educator and current Director of Institutional Enrollment Management at Moses Brown School (Providence, RI) — will live on campus in the Head of School House. Their shared belief in the value of boarding education stems from the experience of raising their own two children on school campuses. Their children, Lee, a second year student at Smith College, and Gunnar, a senior at Moses Brown, are looking forward to returning to their Northern New England roots. The Krein Family is rounded out by their two dogs, Bowie and Beans.
Throughout his career, Krein has built successful partnerships and programs with a focus on building schools to be both agile and future-facing. “Creating experiences that best prepare students to be life-ready is my purpose and our business,” he says. “There is no better learning venue available than the combination of a 24/7 residential community integrated with the real world around us.” Krein’s broad experience positions him to leverage Tilton’s unique location and approach to teaching and learning. As a leader in the industry, he has also worked on various initiatives for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) and is a contributor to the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.
Krein and outgoing Head of School Kate Saunders P’17, ’21 are equally committed in their work for a smooth transition, positioning Tilton to continue the progress of the last several years. More information about the transition and opportunities for engagement will be shared in the coming weeks and months, as the Tilton community prepares for this new chapter and the exciting opportunities ahead.
