Hotchkiss School head to step down in 2013

LAKEVILLE — In a letter released to The Hotchkiss School community last week, Jean Weinberg Rose, president of the board of trustees, announced that Head of School Malcolm McKenzie will be stepping down effective June 2013. McKenzie also made the announcement during an all-school assembly on Wednesday, Nov. 30, after having submitted his letter of resignation to the Hotchkiss board.In his letter to the board, and addressed to “Jeannie,” he wrote, “ ... I intend to leave Hotchkiss in the summer of 2013, at the end of my sixth year as head of school. You and I have discussed this timing, and have agreed that I shall serve Hotchkiss for an additional year beyond the end of my current five-year contract.” Neither McKenzie’s letter to the Hotchkiss board, nor Rose’s letter to the school community stated a reason for the resignation.Five years ago, McKenzie was brought on board with a mandate to help make “Hotchkiss a leader in 21st-century education.” Both McKenzie’s and Rose’s letters referenced the changes he instituted during his tenure. Rose wrote, “It is too early to commemorate his accomplishments, as much remains for us to do together. Nevertheless, I want to highlight a few of his achievements thus far. “Malcolm ... led a rigorous process of curricular reform ... ... in both the immediate and the global environment. ... Malcolm has made the farm [a reference to Jack and Jeanne Blum’s Fairfield farm, which Hotchkiss purchased in two parts, in 2004 and 2010] an integral part of the school and an innovative tool for experiential teaching and learning.”Rose also noted that McKenzie, a native of South Africa, “has deepened the school’s global awareness ...” Before coming to Hotchkiss, McKenzie was principal of Atlantic College in Wales.McKenzie did not respond to requests for an interview for this article.

Latest News

Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less