At the close of 2011, Founding Rector and Headmaster The Reverend Stephen B. Swann announced his retirement, marking the end of the Founding Era of the School.  A formal 17-member Search Committee was formed including representatives from all constituencies of the school community.  This committee initiated a community-wide survey receiving input from over 50% of ESD's 4,000 constituents.  Advisory councils representing alumni and faculty/staff convened to review the results and provide invaluable insight into the qualities, characteristics, and charge of the new Head of School.  An executive search firm, led by veteran search professional Anne Coyle, held a number of parent, faculty, staff, alumni, and student listening sessions.  

On August 20, the  Board of Directors introduced Kimberly A. MaGee as the Interim Head of School.  An experienced educator with a career spanning 40 years, Kim served for eleven years at the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, Canada, first as their Vice Principal of Curriculum and later as Assistant Head of School before being named Head of School. 

The committee evaluated more than 50 candidates, including ten outstanding educators who met the full search committee for first-round interviews and three finalists who came to campus in October.  In the end, the Search Committee unanimously and enthusiastically concluded that Meredyth Cole best embodies all the goals of the search, and the Board of Directors unanimously voted to appoint her as ESD’s second permanent Head of School on November 13.