When the bell rings at 3:05PM, marking the end of the school day, most students rush towards their cars, the buses, the gym, or the PAC, but the day at Hackley is hardly over. Holding various subcommittee meetings at night and monthly Saturday meetings, the Board of Trustees (BOT) discuss some of the most important decisions that affect the backbone of Hackley school. With their primary goal to support the various initiatives and goals at Hackley, the Board shapes what Hackley is and what it will become.

Separate from the administration at Hackley, the Board oversees the overall management. President of Hackley’s Board of Trustees John Canoni notes that the BOT’s impact may not be clearly evident in the day-to-day activities on campus, but that it “has an overall impact on Hackley by being stewards and guardians of the school’s culture, spirit and mission”.

The Board of Trustees works with at least seven committees to discuss and plan Hackley’s long term goals. Some current overarching conversations include wrapping up the legacy campaign, building the new Johnson Center for Health and Wellness, and the new faculty housing project. One of their most recent endeavors was finding a new Headmaster for the school, a challenge they didn’t take lightly. Kaveh Khosrowshahi, a member of the Board of Trustees, describes the task, saying “the committee searched far and wide in order to find the current headmaster Mr. Wirtz” and that it was “the single most important decision [he’s] been a part of.”

As a Hackley alumnus, Mr. Khosrowshahi reflects on his role as an opportunity to “make an impact at a school that has had such an impact on [him].” He works to ensure that students gain an incredible education and experience during their years at Hackley, a sentiment he shares with the rest of the board. “The board of trustees is the custodian of a long tradition of scholarship, character, and acceptance that makes Hackley the special place it is today”, says Mr. Khosrowshahi. “We are tasked with the role of making sure that these traditions are continued and enhanced.”

Always looking to improve life at Hackley, the Board consistently looks internally for new ways to make an impact. Mr. Canoni elaborates on this focus by highlighting the BOT’s “efforts to increase [its] engagement with the broader school”. “The BOT operates most effectively when it understands the issues and concerns of the students, parents, alumni and faculty and staff of Hackley’s community,” he adds.