The Board of Directors of Landmark Christian School is currently engaged in an active search for Landmark's new Head of School. The Board has appointed a seven member committee that has engaged the services of Christian Schools International to assist with the search. Please visit this site frequently for current information.
The application process is open and has been in the candidate generation mode since early September.
Mr. Koops has run ads in several trade and Christian periodicals. Additionally, Mr. Koops made a visit to
Landmark on October 4 and visited with key leadership and faculty to get a better feel for Landmark as
he prepares to interact with candidates.
At this time 22 candidates have expressed interest in LCS and have either submitted a letter of interest,
an application, or a resume. The majority of applicants have come through CSI and Barry Koops'
colleagues working their professional contacts. Mr. Koops continues to gather cover letters, resumes,
and applications from those who are seriously considering LCS. November is expected to be a time of
screening and paring down to a handful of candidates and conducting candidate interviews.
September, 2011
The search committee spent several weeks working with the consultant to create a Position Profile of
Landmark Christian School. This document is to be the key marketing piece provided to prospective
candidates to showcase LCS and its communities and to communicate the board's qualifications for a
Head of School. Mr. Koops opened the application process and began calling his network of educators
to solicit interest in LCS
July and August, 2011
A contract for professional services was consummated in early July with Mr. Barry Koops of Christian
Schools International to perform our search. A host of materials was forwarded to Mr. Koops so that
he could familiarize himself with the school's mission, vision, culture, and SACS accreditation to better
prepare him to present the school to candidates. Most school personnel are away from their offices
for much of July and busy with the start of school in August. For that reason, most search firms begin
contacting candidates in September. Landmark followed this same timeline. July and August were
spent generating the material necessary to create the Position Profile.
May and June, 2011
A list of one dozen search firms specializing in private school leadership searches was pared down to
a half dozen well-qualified firms. Each of these firms was given the opportunity to pitch the search
committee on their qualifications. The committee rigorously developed its selection criteria for a firm.
Of particular interest to the search committee was how well each of the firms grasped the special
Christian environment that is Landmark and how well they could sell that culture and environment to
candidates. The committee met on several evenings and conducted in-person or telecasted interviews.
Each interview lasted about an hour followed by a scoring of the firm's performance according to a pre-
constructed list of desirable criteria.
April, 2011
The search committee of the Landmark Christian School was chartered by the board and began work.
The board selected a mixture of board members and LCS educational leaders to serve. Those selected
were: Ed Bonn, committee chairman, Dr. Philip Swords, board chairman, Jay Knight, board chairman
elect, Dr. Bryan Geerlings, board member, Lydia Glaize, Landmark staff, Kelli Penn, Landmark staff, Mr.
Lenn Chandler, LCS parent, and LCS Advancement Committee member. A timeline for recruitment was
developed and the process explained in full.
March, 2011
The LCS Board of Directors held its annual board retreat. External guidance was provided to frame
the importance of the search. Effort was made to understand the search process, learn how best to
select and utilize a search firm, develop search committee composition, create a prospective calendar,
etc. The board members present identified specific individuals they desired to serve on the search
committee and authorized the process to solicit those selected
Announcement of Interim Head of School March 28, 2011
Dear Landmark Parents:
On March 3, 2011, we announced that Ms. Leanne Messer had accepted the role of Interim
Head of School which will be effective upon Mr. Skinner's departure on June 1. We also
announced that the Board was working on the search process for our next head of school.
Since our last communication, we have made tangible progress toward that objective. On
March 19, the Board met and accomplished the following important milestones:
Defined, agreed upon, and launched the formal search process, based upon the most
recent research and a proven recruiting methodology
Engaged a search firm for the purpose of identifying and locating the best candidates
Began work on a comprehensive communication plan to keep all key stakeholders
informed in a complete and timely manner as our search process progresses
Formed a diverse search committee, fully vetted by the Board that represents the key
stakeholders of our school. The Selection committee members are as follows:
The Board is committed to prayerfully following God's will for our school in selecting the right
leader to successfully lead Landmark Christian School into the future. If you have questions
about the search process, please feel free to contact Search Committee Chairman Ed Bonn or
any board member.
Respectfully,
Dr. Philip Swords
Chairman, Board of Directors
Landmark Christian School
Board Letter of Support February 1, 2011
Dear Landmark Family,
As most of you know, Mr. Skinner has accepted the headmaster position at Hilton Head
Christian Academy and will conclude his headmaster duties at Landmark at the end
of this school year. Mr. Skinner has committed to "finish strong," and we the Board of
Directors look forward to working with him to accomplish that goal. All aspects of our
school's operations will remain the same, and our families' and students' experience will
not be adversely affected as a result of this organizational change. We have in place an
outstanding executive staff, perhaps the finest in the school's history, who will continue
the excellent work of managing the school's operations. That executive staff includes
our principals, our Business Manager, our Admissions Director, and our Director of
Advancement.
This past Sunday, the full Board of Directors met with Headmaster Skinner and the
executive staff members and accomplished the following:
We prayed and sought God's continued blessing upon Landmark in the coming
months as we progress through our headmaster transition plan. We praised the Lord
for His favor, and we prayed together for our students, faculty and staff, finances, and
for uncompromising unity as we move ahead.
We reaffirmed the Board of Directors' full engagement and commitment to the
school's executive staff. We addressed questions and concerns and emerged from the
meeting with a renewed sense of purpose and direction, one that will maintain stability
throughout this leadership transition and continue the momentum that Landmark has
enjoyed in recent years.
Tomorrow, February 2, the Board Executive Committee and Mr. Skinner will meet to
begin planning and taking initial steps for our headmaster search. This will involve
compiling a comprehensive position profile and outlining the full search process. Soon
thereafter, the full board will meet to solidify the plan and begin that search. We will
also discuss the merits of a possible interim headmaster strategy should we deem it
to be in the best interest of Landmark. In either case, rest assured the quality of the
school's leadership will be maintained at the same excellent level.
We will keep you informed as we move forward. Thank you for your continued support
and prayer.
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors
Landmark Christian School
Letter from Matt Skinner January 27, 2011
Dear Landmark Faculty and Staff:
It seems like yesterday that I received the phone call with the news that I had
been given the honor and privilege of serving Landmark Christian School as its
Headmaster. That phone call was the first step in what has become an incredible
journey of growth and learning, both for the school and for me personally. The
memories that my family and I have created over the years will remain with us for
the rest of our lives.
The God we serve is a God of action, and He is continually moving in the hearts of
His people to stir inside of them a passion for following Him wherever that may
lead. I find myself at that point today in my walk with Him.
It is with mixed emotions that I announce to you that I have notified the Board of
Directors of my resignation as of the end of this school year. My family and I have
been diligently praying for God to reveal our next steps to us, and we are confident
He has done so. I have been blessed with an opportunity to another school as its
Headmaster, and God has provided overwhelming confirmation that this is His will
for me and for my family.
I am excited about where God is leading me, and I am also excited about where
God is going to take Landmark Christian School. I know the Board will prayerfully
seek the Lord in this decision, and that He will provide the perfect person to lead
Landmark to the next level. I am honored to have been a part of all God has done at
Landmark these last eight years. We have enjoyed many victories together. I look
forward to enjoying these last few months of my time here and am committed to
finishing strong as we continue to seek to prepare every student to impact the world
for Jesus Christ.
