Head of School Search

Overview

After nine years of distinguished leadership at Buckingham Friends School and 47 years as a career educator, Paul Lindenmaier will be graduating as Head of School at Buckingham Friends School at the close of the 2026–27 academic year. As the school prepares for this transition, the BFS Board of Trustees has initiated a thorough and thoughtful search for its next Head of School.

To guide the process, the Board has established a Head of School Search Committee and retained Dr. Darryl J. Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney, Sandoe & Associates, a nationally recognized firm specializing in Independent School leadership searches, including extensive work with Quaker Schools.

This webpage will serve as the primary hub for updates throughout the search, including key announcements, the timeline, frequently asked questions, and opportunities for members of the BFS community to be involved, as meaningful and transparent engagement will be essential to a successful process.

Timeline

April 15, 2026: Head of School search announced to the BFS community

April 28, 2026: Meeting with Search Committee and Head of School Search firm, Carney, Sandoe & Associates

April 30, 2026: Head of School Search Survey sent to BFS Community via email

May 4, 2026: Burke Zalosh and Dr. Darryl J. Ford of Carney, Sandoe & Associates meet with the current Head of School, Board of Trustees, PTAC, faculty, staff, and Buckingham Monthly Meeting members

May 5, 2026: Burke Zalosh and Dr. Darryl J. Ford of Carney, Sandoe & Associates meet with current parents, alumni, alumni parents, faculty, administration, and Head of School Search Committee

Spring 2026: Develop leadership profile

Spring–Summer 2026: Announce position, recruit candidates, and select and interview semifinalist candidates

Fall 2026: Host finalists on campus and introduce them to the community; gather community feedback and vet finalists; BFS Board selects new head of school

Winter–Summer 2027: New head and interim head prepare for transition; new head starts

Communication

+ APRIL 2026: A letter from Head of School Paul Lindenmaier to Clerk of the Board of Trustees Alexis Ridge-Simek

April 15, 2026

Alexis Ridge-Simek

Clerk, The Buckingham Friends School Board of Trustees

Dear Alexis,

It is with a heart full of gratitude and mixed emotions that I write to share that the upcoming 2026-2027 school year will be my final year at Buckingham Friends School. Next year will mark the conclusion of my 47 th year as a career educator. I have made this personal decision as I look forward to spending more time with my family, engaging as a citizen and in causes I care about, and "re-wiring" through the pursuit of long-held personal interests.

Next year will be my ninth year leading this singularly special school, and I believe that my work here will be fulfilled. Serving as the Head of School at Buckingham Friends School has been my dream job and the highlight of my career. I have loved my time at BFS, and it has been a true privilege to witness the growth of young people, to work alongside and to engage daily with our talented and dedicated teachers, administrators, and staff, and to collaborate with a Board that is thoughtful, strategic, hardworking, and supportive. It’s the people who make BFS such a special place. Working and learning with all of you has been both inspiring and rewarding. Please be assured that I am not 'stepping back' anytime soon. I remain fully committed to leading BFS through another solid school year in 2026-2027.

Our community can be immensely proud of our collective endeavors, and our shared successes have strengthened the very foundation of the school. We established a clear vision and charted a vibrant path forward for the school’s future. We focused on educational innovation and refreshed our programs while staying true to our Quaker values. We navigated the storm of a global pandemic while stewarding our campus and completing a dozen capital projects. We built our endowment and prioritized faculty salaries to support the heart of our classrooms and the soul of the school. Most importantly, we can all be proud that we have maintained a school culture that is positive, intentional, and true to our mission as a Friends school. Deeply rooted in community, BFS is a place where every child is seen, known, valued, and inspired.

I think BFS is poised for continued success, and a change in leadership will allow the community to assess what paths to pursue toward a sustained, purposeful, and vibrant future. Having participated in three leadership transitions in the past, I pledge to work closely with you and the Board to ensure a successful search and a transition handled with the care the community deserves. Given our positive culture and recent achievements, I am confident that BFS will attract an exceptional pool of candidates. I fully recognize that change can create feelings of uncertainty, but it is also energizing, exciting, and a chance for regeneration. Knowing this community as well as I do, I am confident that everyone will embrace this opportunity to begin writing an exciting new chapter in BFS’s long and continuing story.

Thank you for welcoming me into this community and for the confidence, trust, and support you have extended to me over the years. It has been an honor to know and work closely with you and so many others. I am grateful for your leadership and encouragement and look forward to making the most of our remaining time together.

With warm regards,

Paul Lindenmaier

Head of School

+ APRIL 2026: A letter from Clerk of the Board of Trustees Alexis Ridge-Simek to the BFS Community

April 15, 2026

Dear Buckingham Friends School Community,

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to echo the sentiments shared in Paul’s message and express our deep admiration for his decision to retire at the end of the 2026-27 school year and begin this well-deserved next chapter. Paul is a living example of the values that BFS treasures. This decision, its timing, and its thoughtful design reflect the empathetic and intentional leadership he has always embodied.

Paul holds a responsibility not only to our school and our shared communities, but also to himself and his family. I know his decision was not made lightly. In the coming months, I would like our community to join in celebrating Paul’s long and successful career in education. I would especially like to highlight the nine years he has thrived as our Head of School at BFS: creating a strategic plan; guiding our school community through COVID; positioning BFS as a leading independent school in our region; navigating an increasingly complex political landscape affecting education; raising $17 million for campus improvements; and truly “Lighting the Way Forward” as we look toward the next decade of BFS.

On a personal note, it has been a privilege to work alongside Paul. I will sincerely miss his presence on campus. The clarity of thought and steady leadership he demonstrates day after day are deeply inspiring. I am profoundly grateful that BFS has benefited from his leadership for as long as we have. It has been a gift—and will continue to be so over the next school year. To help provide continuity during this transition, I have decided, with the board’s blessing, to remain Clerk for the next two school years.

Since Paul informed me of his plan to retire, we have been preparing for a comprehensive search to identify BFS’s next leader. The Board has retained Dr. Darryl J. Ford and Burke Zalosh of Carney, Sandoe & Associates, a nationally recognized firm, specializing in Independent School leadership searches that includes extensive work with Quaker Schools. Darryl Ford served most recently as the Head of School at William Penn Charter School and brings a deep understanding of Quaker education while Burke Zalosh has worked to place over 50 heads of schools, including many at Friends Schools. Our CS&A consultants have already begun the candidate recruitment process. In early May, our CS&A consultants will come to BFS to hold on-campus listening sessions with current parents, faculty, children, alumni and the greater community. They will also share a survey with our community so that they can learn more about what makes BFS so special and understand the work that lies ahead for our next Head of School. Please do join us in welcoming them to our campus and keep an eye on your email for further details about the visit and survey.

While the Board has the ultimate responsibility for hiring the next head of school, a search committee representing a cross-section of the BFS community will lead the process. The current HOS search committee consists of:

Alexis Ridge-Simek: Search Committee Clerk, Trustee, Clerk, Member of Doylestown Friends Meeting, Alumni Parent and Current Parent

Tom Rogers: Trustee, Clerk of Strategic Planning, Alumni Parent

Laura Kinnel: Trustee, Assistant Clerk, Member of Wrightstown Meeting, Alumni Parent

Lisa Pretecrum: Trustee, Clerk of Finance, Treasurer, Alumni Parent

Julie Spears: Trustee, Clerk of Advancement, Current Parent

Three additional appointees from the BFS faculty and staff community will follow.

This is an inspiring time for BFS. With an engaged community like ours, your voice is essential to this process. You can expect to hear from the Search Committee with more details regarding the timeline and the various ways you can share your hopes and dreams for the next leader of our school. Soon, we will establish a Head of School search page where you can check for updates and provide your input.

In the meantime, we are exceptionally fortunate that Paul has given us the gift of time and will be with us through the 2026-27 school year. We will have a full academic year to continue making memories and to benefit from his thoughtful leadership and commitment to honor the Light within each person.

Thank you all for your support and dedication in the year ahead as we celebrate Paul!

Peace,

Alexis Ridge-Simek

Clerk of the Board of Trustees, BFS

+ APRIL 2026: A letter from Clerk of the Board of Trustees Alexis Ridge-Simek to BFS Parents and Guardians

April 27, 2026

Dear Buckingham Friends School Parents and Guardians,

I am pleased to announce that our Head of School search consultants, Burke Zalosh and Darryl Ford of Carney, Sandoe & Associates, will be visiting our campus on Monday, May 4th and Tuesday, May 5th. During their visit, Burke and Darryl will meet with faculty, administration, students, parents, the Board, the Search Committee, and members of the Buckingham Monthly Meeting. The goal of this initial visit is to provide our consultants with a deep understanding of what makes BFS so special. This insight will allow them to craft a comprehensive position statement that reflects our school's unique identity and the specific qualities we seek in our next leader.

The Search Committee has scheduled a dedicated session for parents to meet the consultants:

Date: Tuesday, May 5th
Time: 8:15 – 9:00 am
Location: The Meetinghouse

I hope you can join us. If you are unable to attend, please know that we will soon release a community-wide survey to ensure everyone has the opportunity to provide their vital input.

Thank you for the support and positive energy you have shared with us thus far. The strength of the BFS community remains one of our greatest assets.

Peace,

Alexis Ridge-Simek

Clerk, The BFS Board of Trustees

+ APRIL 2026: Meet the Head of School Search Consultants, and a Community Questionnaire

April 30, 2026

Dear BFS Community,

We hope you are having a great start to spring! Our Head of School search process is ramping up, and we look forward to welcoming our search consultants, Darryl Ford and Burke Zalosh, on May 4 and 5. We invite you to attend one of the sessions listed below.

Faculty/ Staff:

May 4: 3:40 PM - 4:40 PM, ALL FACULTY and STAFF in the Library

May 5: 7:30 AM - 8:15 AM, Drop-In Session in the Meetinghouse

Current Parents/Alumni/Alumni Parents:

May 5: 8:15 AM - 9:15 AM in the Meetinghouse

We are also inviting faculty, parents, trustees, and alumni/ae for their candid feedback through a community questionnaire. All responses are both confidential and anonymous and go directly to our consultants, who will consolidate the feedback and use it to ensure we have considered all points of view from our key constituents

The questionnaire should take 10-15 minutes to complete and will remain open until the end of the day on May 8. We also invite you to nominate potential candidates at the end of the survey.

The Search Committee is deeply grateful for your participation in this process, and we expect to keep you apprised of important milestones over the next few months through announcements and on our website.

To complete the questionnaire, please use the link below:

Head of School Search Survey

Best wishes and thank you,

Alexis Ridge-Simek

Clerk, The BFS Board of Trustees

Search Committee

Alexis Ridge-Simek: Search Committee Clerk, Trustee, Clerk, Member of Doylestown Friends Meeting, Alumni Parent and Current Parent
Tom Rogers: Trustee, Clerk of Strategic Planning, Alumni Parent
Laura Kinnel: Trustee, Assistant Clerk, Member of Wrightstown Meeting, Alumni Parent
Lisa Pretecrum: Trustee, Clerk of Finance, Treasurer, Alumni Parent
Julie Spears: Trustee, Clerk of Advancement, Current Parent
Melissa Clayton: Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Alumni Parent
Richard Cox: K-8 Music Teacher, 3-8 Religion Teacher, Specials Division Coordinator, Faculty Representative to the Board
Daisy Rodriguez: 6th Grade Co-Advisor, 4th-8th Grade Spanish Teacher, Upper School Division Coordinator, Current Parent

Frequently Asked Questions

When will Paul officially retire?

Will BFS’s Mission and Philosophy change with a new Head of School?

BFS will continue to nurture a school culture that is positive, intentional, and grounded in our mission. As a Friends school, we will remain committed to nurturing each student’s promise, supporting their growth, and encouraging them to learn, lead, and participate fully in all aspects of school life. These commitments, rooted in our Quaker values, will continue to guide all that we do and remain at the heart of the BFS experience.

Who is leading the search?

What responsibilities does the BFS search committee hold?

Selecting and supporting the Head of School is one of the Board of Trustees’ most important responsibilities. To lead this effort, the Board has formed a Search Committee to conduct a thorough and inclusive search for the School’s next leader. Working closely with Carney, Sandoe & Associates, the committee will develop the position profile, engage community stakeholders, and manage candidate recruitment, evaluation, and interviews. The committee will also keep the community informed while maintaining candidate confidentiality. At the conclusion of the process, it will recommend a finalist to the Board, which holds final authority for the appointment.

How will members of the BFS community—parents/guardians, faculty and staff, students, and alumni—be involved in the search?

Will the Head of School search impact my child’s BFS experience?

We are committed to making sure the search for our next Head of School has little to no impact on students’ day-to-day experience at BFS. The process is being thoughtfully managed by the Search Committee in partnership with the Board of Trustees, so school life can continue as usual. Most importantly, our faculty and staff remain focused on what matters most—supporting students and providing an engaging, high-quality learning experience throughout the transition.

How will the community be informed of the search progress?

Transparency and ongoing communication are central priorities in our Head of School Search. We have created this dedicated Head of School Search webpage, which serves as the central source for the latest news, milestones, and information—all of which will also be communicated via email. When it comes to finalists, we will carefully balance confidentiality with our commitment to keeping the community appropriately informed.

When will the new Head of School begin?

What does this mean for the future of BFS?

Head of School Search

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