Teton Science Schools is pleased to announce that yesterday, the Board of Directors voted to approve the Search Committee’s recommendation to hire Christopher Agnew as our next Executive Director. Chris is currently with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Director of its Pacific Northwest, India, and Scandinavia programs.“I am thrilled to be joining the Teton Science Schools community. For years I’ve admired TSS’s commitment to relevant education connecting students to their surroundings. TSS already has a strong foundation with a breadth of complementary programming reaching different populations. The organization has the potential to become a national leader in K-12 and place-based education. I am excited about the opportunity to steward outstanding staff, curriculum, and classrooms toward these goals.” – Chris AgnewChris brings a lifelong passion for place-based education with a commitment to academic achievement and strong executive skills. Affiliated with NOLS since 2001, his leadership has been characterized by aligning academic and curricular success to favorable financial outcomes. He is an innovative systems thinker who understands pace and the importance of organizational culture. His belief in our mission is sincere and keenly intellectual.The Search Committee was impressed with Chris’ outstanding work building programs across complex, multi-faceted international and cultural borders. However, his natural skills and instincts as a leader stood him apart from our other highly qualified finalists. Reference checks consistently yielded praise and respect for his authenticity and ability to build positive, effective working culture:“Chris is able to manage vision with action and build collaboration through authentic involvement.” – senior leadership at Wilderness Medicine Institute/NOLSChris begins as Executive Director on August 24th. We look forward to welcoming Chris, his wife Lara, and their two young children to the TSS community. We thank Amy Williams for her continued service to TSS as we implement a thoughtful, well-supported transition plan over the summer. The Search Committee would like to also thank Sara Fagan for her exemplary work throughout this process.
