Interim Head of School Announcement
Interim Chief Executive Dennis Marunde announced on Monday, March 29, 2021, that the Board of Trustees approved his recommendation to appoint Director of School Business Operations Tami Gavaletz as Interim Head of School. Tami has now begun collaborating with current Head of School Travis Brantingham on the transition.
In January, Travis announced his resignation at the end of this academic year. Tami will step into the interim role on July 1 and serve until the search for a permanent Head of School is complete. A search firm is currently being identified to lead the search for a permanent Head of School.
Both Travis and Assistant Head of School Peter Dry have graciously offered to be available to support and assist Tami throughout her tenure in this position. In addition, the principals across the School levels have pledged their full support and commitment to providing strong continuity for the academic programs during this transition period.
Tami brings a wealth of institutional knowledge, strong management skills, and a steadfast dedication to serving our students and families. After 16 years working at Principia College, Tami joined the School Operations team in September 2019 as Senior Operations Manager and took over as director in March 2020, just as the pandemic required a swift and complex pivot.
Alongside Travis and the entire School Leadership Team, Tami has worked diligently and tirelessly to ensure the School’s successful shift to remote learning and to safely reopen in-person. Her dedication, drive, and pure love for the students, faculty, and staff have been on full display throughout this past year. Tami is well-prepared to ensure a smooth leadership transition, support enrollment growth through the pilot program, and minimize organizational disruption during the search for a new Head of School.
Tami is a graduate of Principia College (C’00) and has a master’s in legal analysis from Webster University. She came back to Principia to work at the College in 2003 where she served in IT for several years followed by 14 years in financial aid and admissions, culminating in the role of College Director of Admissions and Financial Aid from 2014–2019. Tami’s husband, Brian Gavaletz, works in the School Admissions office, and they have two children in Lower School, Gabriel (fifth grade) and Lily (first grade). We are grateful to Tami for her willingness to serve in this interim position.
Throughout the spring, we are looking forward to celebrating Travis and his remarkable accomplishments during his tenure as Head of School. Please join us in supporting both Travis and Tami during this transition.