Mr. Bicknell Becoming Head of School atThe Dublin School

Deer!eld Academy’s current Dean of Students Samuel Bicknell has been appointed as the new Head of School at "e Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire. Mr. Bicknell will succeed Bradford Bates, who has served a 17- year tenure at "e Dublin School, in the 2026-2027 academic year. Over his !#een years at Deer!eld, Mr. Bicknell has helped oversee student welfare, behavior management, and non-academic student life at the Academy. He has also served as Director of Sustainability, Director of Student Activities, Residential Head, Spanish teacher, coach, and advisor. “[Deer!eld] has been home for over 15 years, and when I arrived, I was a single guy only a couple of years out of college, and now I’m with Ms. Bicknell and [have] three3 kids,” Mr. Bicknell said. Mr. Bicknell learned about the Head of School position in May through Resource Group 175 (RG175), a search !rm that specializes in Head of School and school leadership positions. A#er going through a few stages of the application process, he was selected for a three-day !nalist interview in early October. "e Dublin School Board of Trustees stated, “[Mr. Bicknell] stood out among an incredibly strong pool of applicants for his collaborative leadership, vision, and deep alignment with Dublin’s mission and motto: ‘Truth and Courage.’” Although he knew the hardest part of the process would be grappling with the possibility of leaving the Deer!eld community, Mr. Bicknell and Ms. Bicknell felt like it was the right time for a new change. When they !rst visited Dublin, they “could feel the warmth and kindness from everyone, and [they] were blown away by the beauty of the campus.” Mr. Bicknell especially liked that the school had over 500 acres of outdoor education opportunities, which he knew would cultivate a culture of intellectual curiosity and belonging among the students. “It is a smaller school of about 170 students, and that was very appealing as well, because it means I will be able to build strong relationships with every community Mr. Bicknell believes in !e Dublin School’s mission and the way it supports students through their formative high school years. He shared that “Dublin’s commitment to helping young people know themselves and contribute meaningfully to the world resonates deeply with [him],” a sentiment that was evident during his visit to the school in early October. “I’m really energized by the idea of working closely with all constituents and balancing both the internal-facing and external-facing aspects of the role,” Mr. Bicknell added. Living, studying, and working in places such as New Zealand, Spain, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Argentina provided Mr. Bicknell with international perspectives on how to create an inclusive, student-centered education and how to mentor global citizenship. !e Board of Trustees at Dublin shared how “[Mr. Bicknell’s] thoughtful approach to education and ability to build strong relationships across communities make him an ideal "t for Dublin’s next chapter.” Mr. Bicknell expressed gratitude for those whom he had learned from over the years at Deer"eld, and he believes Associate Head of School for Student Life Amie Creagh has been the most in%uential "gure in his professional journey. Mr. Bicknell described Ms. Creagh as “a mentor, friend, and sounding board” who has continually “pushed [him] to grow and re%ect on who [he] is and how [he] can be the most e&ective leader in this community and beyond.” He expressed his gratitude for Mr. Bates’ “remarkable leadership over the past seventeen years,” and he looks forward to working with him to ensure “a smooth and thoughtful transition.”