HARDING ACADEMY
A PreK through 8 School in Nashville, Tennessee
Process Overview
& Stragetic Plan Team Members
Embracing the Future: Our Process
Beginning in the fall of 2019, the Strategic Planning Committee, comprised of several members of the Board of Trustees as well as Harding Academy faculty, staff, alumni and parents, engaged in a design-thinking process that challenged us to approach our strategic landscape from new angles, to find creative solutions and to begin formulating a plan that will make a powerful impact on the School. Led by Leadership+Design, a collaborative of educators, strategists, and experienced designers, we engaged the community through Parent Think Tanks and a Community Design Day. During these workshops we did a deep dive into the design-thinking process, actively building solutions and imagining what our future might look like in both the short and long-term.
Strategic Planning Committee Members
Becca Arnold, Parent and Former Director of Admission and Financial Aid
Nicole Boylan, Middle School Teacher , Parent
William Gilmore '94, Past Alumni Board President
Remington Holt, Community Member
Jasmin Hopkins, Second Grade Teacher
Dr. Cindy Kam, Board of Trustee Member, Parent
Kim Keller, Middle School Teacher
Susan Andrews Leschen ‘83, Board of Trustee Member, Parent
Ruthie Huggins Lowney ‘96, Director of Advancement and Marketing
Charles Maumus, Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, Parent
Kristen McDaniel, Parent
Shaka Mitchell, Community Member
Mariko Miyamoto, Parent
Dr. Suzanne Nave, Language Arts and Math Specialist
Lauren Prince, Communications and Marketing Manager
Patrick Schuermann, Strategic Planning Team Chair, Board of Trustee Member
Dave Skeen, Head of School
Gail Williams, Community Member
Leveraging design-thinking to propel us forward
With the feedback from these workshops and through community observations and empathy interviews, members of the Strategic Planning Team were able to understand the strengths and needs of the greater Harding Academy community. In the midst of these discussions and exercises, we were able to conceptualize our ideas for solutions, construct our findings into a multi-year plan and, finally, present you with Embracing the Future, our strategic plan for 2021-2026.