The Union Academy Board of Directors has announced John D. Marshall as the school’s next headmaster. Mr. Marshall will assume his leadership duties beginning July 1, 2020.Mr. Marshall brings with him a wealth of experience and leadership qualities he has developed from his more than thirty years in K-12 education. He has worked in a variety of teaching, coaching, and administrative roles. He is currently serving as Chief Operating Officer for Brandon Hall School, a co-educational boarding and day school for grades 6-12 with students from 28 countries and 10 states.
Mr. Marshall began his education career as a high school history teacher and baseball and football coach. For more than a dozen years he served as headmaster at three schools and in senior administrative roles at several other schools.
Mr. Marshall earned a B.A. in History from UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the 1982 ACC Championship baseball team. Marshall also holds an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a Master’s in Education Administration from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City.
Mr. Marshall’s father, the former Dr. J. Stanley Marshall, was the President of Florida State University and in the 1990s became a leading proponent for school choice and charter schools in Florida. “I have been blessed, at this stage of my career in education, to have the opportunity to advance my father’s legacy in public education by investing in Union Academy, a charter school that seeks to develop the whole child. Academic excellence and character development should not be mutually exclusive, and Union Academy has a clear and powerful mission to develop the whole child. I am especially excited to be returning to the Tar Heel State, where I have many friends and wonderful memories.”
UA Board Chairman Jack James offered the following statement on behalf of the board: “Mr. Marshall comes to Union Academy with a remarkable amount of K-12 experience. His diverse educational background and collaborative leadership style go hand in hand with the UA mission of educating the whole child through Challenge, Character, and Community. We are excited to begin this next journey with Mr. Marshall and continue moving UA in a positive direction by improving educational outcomes and enhancing our relationships with the community.”Mr. Marshall is Union Academy’s fifth headmaster in the school’s 20-year history. The selection is the result of an extensive six-month local and national search with the assistance of Carney Sandoe & Associates that yielded many qualified applicants. Through various focus groups consisting of teachers, staff, parents, students, and community members, the search committee gathered detailed input on the desired qualities for the headmaster. Two finalists visited UA and met with stakeholder groups to assist in the decision-making process with Mr. Marshall emerging as the ideal leader to continue Union Academy’s pursuit of excellence.
