Wynnewood's Friends' Central Names New Head of School

The Board of Trustees of in Wynnewood announced Wednesday that its has appointed Craig N. Sellers as the Quaker institution’s 11th “Head of School.”

Sellers is currently head of school at The Derryfield School, a 380-student day school for grades 6 through 12 in Manchester, New Hampshire, a position he has held since 2007. He began his career in education in 1994 at Friends Seminary in New York where he was director of development and a member of the faculty. He went on to serve as head of school at United Friends School, a Quaker school for students in nursery through grade eight, from 2000 to 2007.

“Craig Sellers is an experienced and successful head of school with a wide range of credentials in the field of independent school education," said James C. Wright, clerk of the FCS board. "With his clarity of vision, depth of experience, and energy to embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, Craig is the right person to implement the school’s long range plan, Vision 2020, and to secure the future of Friends’ Central. We very much look forward to welcoming Craig and his family.”

The announcement follows a comprehensive seven-month national search by the Board’s Search Committee, co-clerked by Michael Kelly and Ann Satterthwaite, and was a unanimous decision of the Board of Trustees.

“I consider my appointment as the Head of School at Friends’ Central to be the professional honor of a lifetime,” Sellers said, in the statement. “Returning to Friends education allows me to integrate my passions in a way that, in equal measure, humbles me and makes my heart race. Friends’ Central is uniquely poised to carry on its noble traditions, while embracing the future.”

Sellers is a graduate of The Lawrenceville School and holds a B.A. in English and government from Franklin & Marshall College. He also received a J.D. from the New York Law School (where he served as articles editor of the Human Rights Law Review) and an M.A. in educational administration from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University's Teachers College.

Prior to assuming the headship of The Derryfield School, be participated in a Fulbright Administrative Exchange in Thailand.

“At every step, my wife and I were thrilled with the way the School combines opportunities in academics, arts, and athletics with core values we hold dear," said Sellers. "It did not escape our notice, for instance, that while we were engaged in this process, —a piece we found emblematic of teaching excellence across the curriculum and a school community dedicated to the best interests of students.”

Sellers will begin his new job on July 1. He'll take over for Joanne Hoffman, who is serving a one-year term as interim head of school, and succeed longtime head of school David Felsen, who served FCS in that position for 23 years. 

Friends’ Central School is a Quaker, independent, co-educational, college preparatory day school for nursery school through grade 12, and is located on two campuses in Wynnewood.