About

Director Search in Progress

About the Search

In January 2025, University School of Nashville’s Board of Trustees announced it would soon begin the search for an educational leader to assume the helm in the Director’s Office for the 2026-2027 academic year. 
 
Consistent with best practices according to the National Association of Independent Schools, the Board of Trustees assembled a Director Search Committee in February 2025 and retained the independent school search firm Carney Sandoe & Associates in March 2025 to lead the national search for USN’s next Director and Head of Schools. News related to the search process will be shared with the PDS/USN community through direct email, with updates also posted on this webpage. The Board of Trustees is grateful to all who have expressed interest in positively contributing to this significant time in PDS/USN history. 

Listening to Community Voices

Connecting with all members of the USN community is integral to executing the search successfully. Throughout the process, the Director Search Committee will conduct surveys seeking their perspectives on the school. Additionally, CS&A will conduct interviews with students, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, parents, alumni, and parents of alumni, the results of which will provide valuable information used to create a position statement and inform the search strategy.

Meet the 2025 Director Search Committee

Naima Walker Fierce, Co-Chair, Trustee, Parent ’27
Erin Zagnoev, Co-Chair, Board Vice President, Parent ’29, ’32, ’35
Tobey Beaver Balzer '02, Fifth Grade Science Teacher, Parent ’34, ’36
Shira Boehler, Parent ’29, ’29, ’31, ’35 
The Honorable Phil Bredesen, Former Tennessee Governor, Former Trustee, Parent of Alumnus ’98, Grandparent ’29, ’33
Richard “Rick” Ewing ’83, Parent of Alumna ’24
Frank Garrison, Former Board President, Emeritus Trustee, Parent of Alumni ’08, ’10
Benjamin Goldberg '98, Trustee, Parent ’32, ’36
Teri Doochin Kasselberg ’73, Honorary Trustee, Parent of Alumni ’99, ’02, ’16, Grandparent ’31, ’33, ’37
Srijaya Reddy ’97, Alumni Board Immediate Past President, Parent ’35
Jennifer Russell, Trustee, Parent ’29
Anne Westfall, Director of Development, Parent ’27

Contact Us

List of 4 items.

Director Search News

List of 1 news stories.

  • Family, faculty meetings April 2

    In an email sent on Tuesday, March 25, Director Search Committee Co-Chairs Naima Walker Fierce and Erin Zagnoev announced Carney, Sandoe & Associates will assist USN in finding the Director and consultants’ upcoming site visit.
    Read More

About the Search Firm

Carney, Sandoe & Associates is an internationally recognized education search and recruitment, consulting, and coaching firm that brings deep knowledge of independent schools from over 45 years of experience guiding schools through its searches for exceptional heads of school, senior administrators, and faculty. 

CS&A is known for its highly personalized approach to understanding the particular strengths, needs, and cultures of schools and then supporting them through the identification, recruitment, and hiring of excellent leaders, whose skills and experiences align with the school’s needs.

USN is working with the experienced and talented three-member team of Darryl Ford, Marsha Little, and Marguerite Lloyd.

USN Announces Leadership Updates

1915 to presentPDS/USN Directors

  • Dr. Richard Thomas Alexander
    1915 – 1924
  • Dr. William Henry Yarbrough
    1924 – 1937
  • Dr. John Edwin Windrow
    1937 – 1947
  • Dr. T. Ross Fink
    1947 – 1951
  • Dr. William Knox McCharen
    1951 – 1968
  • L. Edward Pratt
    1968 – 1977
  • Harold Snedcof
    1977 – 1978
  • Heber Rogers*
    1978 – 1979
  • Harvey B. Sperling
    1979 – 1990
  • Kay Simmons*
    1990 – 1991
  • Edward R. Costello
    1991 – 1999
  • Dr. Jean Gray Litterer*
    1999 – 2000
  • Dr. Vincent W. Durnan Jr.
    2000 – 2022
  • Amani Reed
    2022 – 2025
  • Dr. Chai Reddy*
    January 7, 2025 – March 30, 2025
  • Juliet Douglas*
    March 31, 2025 – June 30, 2026
*Interim Director

Contact USN

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

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USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.