HRA Selects New Headmaster

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Peter W. Mertz is Hampton Roads Academy's next headmaster.

HRA announced the selection of Peter W. Mertz on Tuesday morning. In a press release, the school said his selection was unanimously approved by the HRA Board of Trustees. Mertz will lead the private school, which enrolls nearly 650 students in pre-Kindergarten through 12th grades, starting July 1, 2011.

“I am inspired by the opportunity to lead this exceptional college preparatory school. I have found that the quality of the faculty and the depth of the curriculum position HRA among the best schools in the country,” he said. “I am especially impressed by the academic focus and character of the students I met on campus. This is truly a great school well-positioned for the future.”

Mertz brings 15 years of experience as a head of school to HRA; he most recently served 10 years as headmaster of North Yarmouth Academy in Yarmouth, Maine. He has more than 30 years of experience working in independent schools in Spain, Florida, Kentucky and Georgia. His teaching background includes stints as an admissions director, a drama program director, a teacher of English as a Second Language and a coach. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. and his Masters of Business Administration from Barry University in Miami Shores, Fla.

While at Yarmouth Academy, Mertz helped to raise more than $10 million in capital funds that went toward the construction of a new middle school and science center, the restoration of a classroom building constructed in 1841, the installation of a turf field and more. He also oversaw the largest increase in enrollment in the school’s history, according to a press release.

The HRA search committee received 53 applications from across the country. The committee narrowed the field down to nine semi-finalists; three, including Mertz, were invited to meet parents, students, teachers and school staff during on-site visits. The other two finalists were Anthony Sgro, assistant headmaster and dean of students at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Va., and Charles Skipper, headmaster of the Episcopal School of Acadiana in Cade, La.

“We wanted a person who truly fits Hampton Roads Academy, its culture and community and can lead us forward into the future,” said Jim Burnett, chair of the search committee and the Board of Trustees. “We have found that in Peter W. Mertz.”

Mertz and his wife Lisa look forward to living closer to family in North Carolina; their son attends Williams College in Massachusetts. Mertz said they hope to be active in public life, and “make a long-term commitment to the school we serve and the place where we live.”

Mertz succeeds Thomas D. Harvey, who served as headmaster for nine years. During his tenure, Harvey led the school to create a Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade school, and successfully raised capital funds to build and upgrade campus facilities.