Scott Wiggins appointed Head of School at MMI Preparatory School
(Freeland, PA – February 3, 2017) – D. Scott Wiggins, who has served as interim Head of School at MMI Preparatory School since July of 2016, was appointed as the school’s permanent Head of School by the MMI Board of Directors at a meeting on Thursday. The appointment takes effect immediately.
Wiggins has been serving as interim Head of School since former Head of School Thomas G. Hood stepped down to become Head of School at St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School in Tennessee.
At the direction of the Board of Directors, a search committee comprised of six current and former members of the board of directors, four of them having served as chairs of the board and all of them having graduated from MMI, managed the national search that resulted both in Wiggins’ appointment as interim Head of School, and his eventual appointment as permanent Head of School.
“We are very pleased to have Mr. Wiggins as our permanent Head of School. Mr. Wiggins is a highly accomplished educator with an extensive background in independent schools. In his time as interim Head of School he has embraced MMI’s long tradition of academic excellence and individualized attention to students. We believe that he is the right person to maintain and build on MMI’s high standards, and we were delighted when he came forward as a candidate for the position of permanent Head of School,” said MMI Board Chairman Stanley B. Warner III ’92, who also served on the search committee.
Following his appointment, Wiggins said, “When I accepted the Interim Head of School position, it was with a one or two year window in mind. But, in the time I have been here, I have fallen in love with the school and the MMI community, which powered my desire to be considered for the permanent position. I am humbled to have been chosen to continue to lead the MMI community into the future as the new permanent Head of School and I welcome the opportunity with open arms.”
As part of the search process, the search committee solicited input from various school constituencies on the choice of the next permanent Head of School. Earlier this week, an advisory committee made up of faculty, administrators, parents, and students interviewed Mr. Wiggins, who also met separately with other groups of teachers, administrators and students. The search committee incorporated feedback from these groups in its final report to the Board of Directors, along with its recommendation that Mr. Wiggins be appointed.
The search committee was chaired by MMI Board Vice Chairman John H. Hersker ’76. “The Search Committee considered a number of highly qualified external candidates for the permanent Head of School position. At the same time, we became increasingly aware of the positive impact Mr. Wiggins was having as interim Head of School and we realized the best person to lead MMI forward was the man who was already doing the job. Once Mr. Wiggins expressed his desire to become the permanent Head of School, he became the obvious choice,” Hersker said.
In addition to Hersker and Warner, the search committee included Andrea A. Kosko ’74, Llewellyn F. Dryfoos III ’82, Brian G. Lucas ’84, and Atty. Rebecca L. Warren ’84.
Before coming to MMI, Wiggins served as Head of School at Manlius Pebble Hill School in Syracuse, New York. He also served as Head of School at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts, and held both administrative and teaching positions including roles in admissions and financial aid, Director of Athletics, Dean of Students, and Principal at several other schools. Wiggins also coached several sports at the schools where he worked. He holds a B.A. in chemistry from Boston University and a J.D. from the College of Law at Arizona State University.
Wiggins has 30 years of experience in independent schools, both as a teacher and as an administrator. He left independent education temporarily in the late 1980’s to obtain a law degree and for four years served as an Assistant District Attorney for Chester County in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
In 2011, Wiggins authored a chapter in “The Head’s Handbook, A Guide for Aspiring, New, and Experienced Heads of School” that was published by the National Association of Independent Schools.
Wiggins and his wife, Susan, are the parents of twin daughters, Cayce and Alexis who are attending college. The couple resides at the Head of School’s house on the MMI campus.
About MMI Preparatory School
For more than 135 years, MMI Preparatory School has been providing dedicated area students with a comprehensive and inspiring 6th through 12th grade college preparatory program that maximizes each individual’s academic, social and character potential in preparation for success in college and beyond. The school is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). MMI is a school where every student can reach their full potential: academically, ethically and socially. For more information about MMI Preparatory School, visit www.mmiprep.org or call 570-636-1108.