Stewarding Our Mission

By Michael C. Wirtz, Head of School, Hackley School

I like to think I have the best view on campus. As I pause occasionally to enjoy the timeless beauty of the Main Building and its companion, the Old Oak, I can see the portico covering the door to admissions. I imagine Mrs. Hackley using that doorway to access her second floor apartment, giving me a moment to think about our trailblazing founder and the foresight she and others demonstrated in founding Hackley School.

Hackley has grown and changed, but we think Mrs. Hackley would be proud of her school today.

Creating an institution that survives for 120 years (and plans to do so for the next 120 years and beyond) requires long-term vision, planning, and decision-making based in the present day that will benefit all those who follow. This work is primarily the responsibility of a board of trustees.

The twenty-three men and women — parents, alumni, and parents of alumni — who serve as Hackley trustees bring expertise from different personal and professional experiences, volunteering their time and offering thoughtful guidance to the administration so that together, Hackley best lives out its mission. Said differently, trustees must focus today on issues that will ensure the school remains strong for the children of today’s students and beyond. These responsibilities break down into three main areas: strategic decisions, hiring and evaluation of the head of school, and resource stewardship.

In healthy schools like Hackley, trustees and school leadership work in partnership to move the school forward. Critical strategic projects — the most recent example of which was the creation of Redefining Excellence, Hackley’s strategic plan — demonstrate both the long-term view and stewardship role that trustees bring to their work. The Board commissioned the strategic plan work in the summer of 2017, creating a steering committee comprised of students, faculty, administrators, alumni, parents, and trustees, to oversee the process. The final result was then presented to and adopted by the Board in September 2018, setting the strategic direction for Hackley for the next several years.

Hackley trustees participated in a panel discussion on the Board’s role and priorities, October 2019.

In addition to establishing the strategic direction of the school, the Board of Trustees hires, provides counsel to, and evaluates its sole employee, the head of school. The Board delegates operational responsibilities for the school to the head, who organizes and leads the school, inclusive of curriculum, hiring, and all day-to-day operations. Hackley’s Board, like others with other strong governance functions, refrains from crossing into operational matters.

Stewardship of the school’s resources — its campus, its finances, and its people — is the final critical component of the Board’s work. Board President John Canoni, Hackley Class of 1986 and a current Hackley parent, thinks about stewardship as “a responsibility to take care of Hackley so that its mission and integrity are preserved, and that the school’s excellence continues for future generations.” As an alumnus and current parent, John brings a long-term view of success to his work with the school. In his words, “Hackley is a valuable resource that needs to be nurtured and tended so it can continue to flourish. Trustees who are faithful stewards protect, preserve and help enhance Hackley until they turn over those responsibilities to future trustees.”

Trustees dedicate significant time to the school, as well as extend their professional expertise through their service as volunteers. John’s story parallels that of other trustees: he recognized the value of Hackley in his life and found ways to get involved and give back. He first did so by volunteering to be a Class Agent for the Class of 1986, a role he has held for 33 years. This engagement then led him to commit further, becoming a member of the Hackley Alumni Association Board of Directors in 1992 and serving as its President from 1997–2001. John was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2006 and first elected President in 2015.

I recently asked John why he finds his trustee and Board President service so rewarding. (After all, there should be some reward for participating in over 30 committee meetings each year and leading five Saturday morning meetings of the full Board.) His response captures the essence of good trusteeship: a dedication to the greater good and the long-term health of the school.

“I have remained involved because of my love for Hackley and my strong belief in how it positively impacts the lives of the members of the Hackley community. Hackley profoundly influenced my development as a person and prepared me for adult life, even more so than college. I learned critical life skills at Hackley that continue to serve me well, and I am involved to ‘pay back’ Hackley for that wonderful gift, and to make sure that Hackley continues to educate future generations of dynamic and productive graduates.”

Hackley is fortunate to enjoy strong leadership from trustees like John whose partnership, service, and belief in the school’s mission ensures that Hackley will continue to be a strong and vibrant community for generations to come. As John reflected, “Service as a trustee is rewarding because you can actually see the impact Hackley has on the students and graduates.”