LCS Announces New Head of School

The School Board is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Thad Gaebelein as Loudonville Christian School’s new Head of School. Thad will assume his new responsibilities on November 18, 2019.

We are thrilled to have attracted a leader with Thad's commitment, leadership and collaborative abilities, integrity, and passion for educating the whole person. During the search process, the Board identified qualifications and qualities deemed essential in Loudonville Christian School’s next Head of School. The first was that our next Head must be a Christ Driven CEO, they must have a deep and abiding love for Jesus Christ and represent their faith by example, as a torchbearer, a champion and faithful servant of a Christ-centered mission whose creativity is focused on maximizing their school’s kingdom impact. Second, the next Head should be a visible promoter, effective fundraiser, and skilled financial steward. Third, this individual should have the motivations of a professional educator and school administrator: concerned for academic excellence, measurable improvement, intentional about the progress of each student, eager to champion methods and curricula that will drive academic achievement. Finally, the next head should be a community team builder and collaborative team leader, skilled at building and maintaining relationships and serving others. We believe Thad embodies all of these qualities.

As part of the candidacy process, Thad met with the Head of School Search Committee and the School Board on multiple occasions. He also met with administrative leadership, faculty, staff, and the leadership of Loudonville Community Church. The Board received positive feedback from the school community, and what was most striking is how closely Thad’s qualities overlap with those that we identified at the beginning of the search as key in the next Head of School.

The Search Committee spoke with individuals who have worked closely with Thad and know him well. Thad’s former colleagues spoke with utmost confidence and respect regarding his leadership ability, abilities as an educator, and high moral character. They talked about his faith, his ability, and desire to mentor colleagues, and his skill as a financial manager and fundraiser. Thad is viewed as strategic, warm, highly ethical, and as someone who is very focused on building a strong positive culture within the school.

Thad has worked in education for over 30 years. He was Head of School at Central Christian Academy in Williamsville, NY from 2015 – 2018. He has also served as Head of School at The Knox School and The Stony Brook School. Prior to this experience, Thad served as an Army Officer from 1979 – 1993 and was an Assistant Professor of History at West Point Academy. He is also an accomplished author and has written and published two books. Thad received his BA in History from The University of Georgia and his MA in History from Vanderbilt University. 
Thad has been married to Electra for 40 years. They have three adult children and three grandchildren and currently reside in Rexford, NY. 

The School Board would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone in the LCS community who prayed for and participated in this process. We believe the Lord has brought to our school a leader of integrity who as Head of School will be dedicated to serving the needs of our students and families.

On behalf of the School Board, please join me and welcome Thad and his family to the Loudonville Christian School community.