David Faus Named Next Head Of School
A Letter From Ari Zur, Chairman, Board of Trustees
Dear Benjamin School Family and Friends,
It is with great excitement that I write to announce that David C. Faus, MS.Ed. has been unanimously selected by The Benjamin School’s Board of Trustees, following the unanimous recommendation of the Search Committee, as Benjamin’s next Head of School effective July 1, 2020. Mr. Faus, who will succeed Interim Head of School, Tom Reid, was selected from nearly a hundred candidates, and we could not be more thrilled to welcome Mr. Faus to our community.
Mr. Faus will be joining our Benjamin family from his current position as Headmaster of St. Paul’s School for Boys in Brooklandville, MD – a position he has held for seven years. At St. Paul’s School, he guided the completion of a comprehensive master plan for the school’s 125 acre campus and spearheaded the implementation of the school’s five-year strategic plan. Other major accomplishments include creating a K-12 Academic Counsel to ensure a comprehensive school-wide curricular scope and sequence, a new branding campaign to enhance enrollment, and leading the school’s $42 million capital campaign. Prior to this most recent position, Mr. Faus served for eight years as Head of School at Falmouth Academy in Falmouth, MA. Mr. Faus’ independent school career spans almost 40 years with a variety of experiences that range from teaching and coaching, to senior administrative positions including Dean of Students and Upper School Head.
Mr. Faus graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in history and sociology and he holds an MS.Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Independent School Masters Program. He and his wife, Holly, have two children: their daughter, Libby, is a 2015 graduate of Boston College, and their son, John, is a Senior at the University of Miami.
“I am deeply honored to have been selected as the next Head of School at The Benjamin School. During my time on the campuses, I was impressed to see Nancy and Marshall Benjamin's commitment to excellence and community is still essential and thriving 60 years after the school’s founding. A focused commitment to excellence in academics, the arts and sports along with nurturing the whole child and instilling the Benjamin Values are all goals to which I am profoundly committed. Holly and I cannot wait to join this remarkable community,” said Mr. Faus.
Those who know him well describe him as a strong and committed educator who is “omnipresent” on campus. A fellow Head of School said that “Dave’s experience and depth of character are preeminent, and his careful, strong, and warm leadership will move a school forward with an eye on preservation and cultural community building.”
The Benjamin community provided high praise for Mr. Faus in the survey feedback. “David came across as kind, genuine and passionate about his position,” wrote one person. Another described him as “understanding that this is not a job, but a calling”; many were impressed with how well his academic philosophy aligns with our Benjamin Values.
This appointment is the result of an extensive search process conducted over the last nine months under the guidance of Carney, Sandoe & Associates. The Search Committee sought input from all of Benjamin’s constituents throughout the process. The initial list of nearly 100 candidates was narrowed to three qualified and compelling finalists for in-depth and extensive 2-day interviews on campus. The feedback that was received from the Faculty Advisory Committee, faculty, administration, parents, alumni, and trustees was invaluable, and I want to personally thank all those who contributed. A special thanks must be extended to the Search Committee who volunteered an extensive amount of their personal time on the process. Moreover, this search would not have succeeded without the dedication of the Co-Chairs of the Search Committee, Jill Fried and Kelly Perkins, who shepherded the process for the entire nine-month period and whose leadership and direction we could not have done without. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire Benjamin community, I thank them for their incredible work.
Under the excellent leadership of Interim Head of School, Tom Reid, the 19-20 school year is off to a fantastic start. While pushing forward the school’s strategic plan initiatives, Mr. Reid will also be working closely with Mr. Faus on the leadership transition so that Mr. Faus will hit the ground running in July 2020.
Please join me in welcoming Mr. Faus and his wife, Holly, to the Benjamin community. We believe that Mr. Faus embodies the values, character, integrity and vision that will continue to lead Benjamin forward in its position of excellence.
Best wishes,
Ari Zur
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Main Address & Lower/Middle School
11000 Ellison Wilson RoadNorth Palm Beach, FL 33408
Ph: 561.626.3747
A premier PK3 - Grade 12 independent, coeducational day school with campuses in North Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Since 1960, The Benjamin School has provided a challenging college preparatory education to a diverse student body in a structured, nurturing community environment.