Accomplished independent school leader and current Lake Tahoe School Interim Head, Robert E. Graves was named permanent Head of School by the school Board of Trustees on Thursday, September 20th.
“The Board’s unanimous decision was based on Bob’s deep experience and his commitment to Lake Tahoe School’s mission combined with his belief in and demonstrated ability to begin executing against the School’s Strategic Plan – the execution of which will be more successful given all the ideas and constructive feedback provided by the broader Lake Tahoe School family throughout the search process,” wrote LTS Trustee and Chair of Head Search Committee Dana Kirkland in a community-wide email released Thursday afternoon.
Graves has been involved with independent school education for over thirty years. During that time, he has served as a teacher, coach, and Head of Schools in locales as diverse as California, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, and Virginia. Mr. Graves holds both B.A. and M.A.T. degrees in history from the University of California/Davis and was selected to membership in Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. He and his wife, Julie, are the parents of three daughters, all of whom are excited to make the Tahoe Basin their new home.
“I am at once both excited and humbled at being named the permanent Head of School here at Lake Tahoe School,” Mr. Graves said in an email released to the Lake Tahoe School staff the morning following the official board announcement of his appointment. “Excited to be able to continue working with each of you as we strive together to make a great school even better; and humbled because I know that with such leadership comes great responsibility and expectations.
“To me, the most important aspect of leading a school is the opportunity to work alongside talented, passionate, and dedicated people such as yourselves. To help set a course for the children in our care that encompasses their own future and ultimately, the future of our world, is an amazing opportunity and responsibility. I look forward each day to walking that path together.”
As an independent school administrator, Mr. Graves has been extensively involved in several strategic planning exercises and school accreditation processes. He has designed and implemented faculty and staff evaluation systems, including student evaluation, as well as establishing annual parent school climate surveys. Curriculum design, faculty professional development, and technology adaptation and implementation, are also strong areas of interest and experience. He has significant experience and expertise in development and fundraising including successfully completing two multi-million-dollar capital campaigns, as well as numerous annual funds and special projects.
In service to the various communities in which he has lived, Mr. Graves has served on the governing board of Tulsa’s SouthCrest Hospital (having served as founding board chairperson), the executive board for the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES), board member for the local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), member of the Council of Advocates for Habitat for Humanity, and on the Board of Trustees for the Calverton School in Maryland.
