Head of School Transition

We are excited to introduce Michel Turner to the Albany Academy community. We are planning opportunities for students, families, faculty/staff, and alumnae/i to meet with Mr. Turner before his official start date. Opportunities will be announced via email. 
 

LETTER FROM MICHAEL TURNER

As I sit down to write this, I find myself reflecting on the nearly 300 weekly Headlines messages I have shared with this community over the past eight years. Some celebrated milestones and joyful moments. Others navigated challenge, uncertainty, and change. Together, they have attempted to capture the life of a school that is vibrant, ambitious, caring, and deeply human. Fittingly, this final message simply begins with gratitude. Thank you to our students for bringing Albany Academy to life each day. Your curiosity, talent, humor, resilience, and spirit make our work endlessly meaningful. It has been a privilege to watch you grow into curious, critical thinkers of high character, prepared not only for college and career, but for lives of purpose, integrity, and impact. Thank you to our faculty and staff, who form one of the finest professional communities I have known. Schools are built on human relationships and daily acts of care, commitment, and professionalism. What happens here every day, in our classrooms, studios, stages, athletic spaces, offices, and hallways, is extraordinary beyond measure. You make this happen by devoting yourselves to our mission and to our students in ways both visible and invisible, for which I will always be grateful. Thank you to our families for your trust, support, advocacy, and shared belief in the promise of this institution. The partnership between families and schools matters deeply, and Albany Academy benefits from a parent community that is deeply engaged, generous, and committed to our collective success. Thank you to the Board of Trustees for your vision, stewardship, and unwavering support during a period of significant institutional evolution. Together, we navigated challenge, embraced opportunity, and positioned the school for a strong and exciting future. I am particularly grateful for your trust during moments that required courage, thoughtful partnership, and long-term thinking. I also want to express my deepest appreciation to our Senior Leadership Team. Albany Academy is, in every sense, exquisitely complex. The work required to keep an institution like this humming along at a high level is immense. This team has led with intelligence, dedication, humor, compassion, and extraordinary professionalism. Whatever successes we have achieved together over these past eight years have truly been shared successes. Serving as Head of School at Albany Academy has been one of the great honors of my professional life. Together, we strengthened programs, advanced the school’s mission, expanded opportunities for students, invested in people and facilities, and helped shape a more unified and future-focused institution. I am deeply proud of what we accomplished together. In July, I will begin a new chapter in the Mad River Valley of Vermont, a place where my family and I have felt deeply and soulfully connected for most of our lives. Professionally, I will join the administration of The Mountain School of Milton Academy as its Director of Development, an institution whose mission and values resonate profoundly with me. Personally, this transition reflects a desire to pursue a different pace and balance in this next season of life, what I have often described as seeking a “smaller job and a bigger life.” Finally, I am very excited to welcome head-elect Michael Turner to Albany Academy. Over the past several months, we have been working closely to ensure as smooth and successful a leadership transition as possible. I have come to know Michael as a thoughtful, values-driven, and deeply experienced leader who understands independent schools and cares deeply about people and community. I am confident that Albany Academy’s future under his leadership is exceptionally bright. Thank you, one last time, for allowing me the privilege of serving this remarkable institution and community. I wish you all a restful and joyful summer and continued success in the years ahead. With gratitude,

Chris Lauricella P'20, '22 Head of School

As we transition leadership, our commitment to Albany Academy's mission remains unwavering. Mr. Turner is joining a school with a strong foundation, exceptional faculty, and a vibrant community. Together, we're excited about the future and the opportunities ahead.

Michael Turner has begun meeting with our Board of Trustees and administrative leadership to deepen understanding of Albany Academy's mission, values, and strategic priorities. These conversations, as well as campus visits in February and May, are laying the groundwork for a smooth transition and ensuring continuity in our commitment to excellence.

Mr. Turner’s official start date is July 1, 2026.

Dear Albany Academy Community,

We are delighted to announce that Michael G. Turner has been selected as Albany Academy's next Head of School. He will begin his tenure on July 1, 2026.

Mr. Turner is an accomplished and visionary leader with more than  three decades of experience in education, as well as in the private and government sectors. He has spent the majority of his career serving and leading independent schools, including ten years as Head of School at The Shipley School outside Philadelphia and St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia. Michael’s other experience spans senior administration, admissions, teaching, coaching, and consulting, with each role enforcing his dedication to helping students reach their highest potential.

This appointment follows a comprehensive national search process. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Head of School Search Committee for their thoughtful and diligent work throughout this process. Their careful consideration, deep engagement with candidates, and unwavering focus to finding the right leader for our school has been exemplary. Their countless hours of service have been invaluable to our community.

We also wish to thank our students, families, alumnae/i, faculty, and staff for your meaningful participation during the finalist visits. Your engagement with the candidates, thoughtful questions, and feedback were instrumental in helping us make this important decision. The enthusiasm and care you demonstrated throughout the process truly reflects the strength and spirit that make Albany Academy exceptional beyond measure.

Mr. Turner is eager to join our community and looks forward to connecting with students, families, alumnae/i, faculty, and staff in the coming months. 

Please click here for a letter from Mr. Turner.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Mr. Turner to Albany Academy. We are confident that under his leadership, our school will continue to thrive and provide exceptional educational experiences for our students.

Thank you for your continued support of Albany Academy.

Best Regards,

Eric Lewis ‘83, P’17
President, Board of Trustees

Neerav Patel ’96, P’31

Vice President, Board of Trustees

Chair, Head of School Search

LETTER FROM BOARD PRESIDENT ERIC LEWIS

Dear Albany Academy Community, 

In close consultation with the Board of Trustees, and after carefully weighing his own personal and professional aspirations, Albany Academy Head of School Chris Lauricella has determined that the 2025-2026 academic year will be his last in this leadership role. 

During his time as Head of School, Chris has led us through the challenges of a global health crisis, a creative and complex reimagining of the use of our vast physical resources, many improvements and additions to our physical plant, and, most recently, a branding initiative that has given the School its first comprehensive brand identity in the more than 200-year history of the institution and its predecessors. The Trustees are very grateful to Chris for his thoughtful and impactful leadership of the institution we collectively support and cherish. 

I wish to express my personal gratitude to Chris for his partnership, wise counsel, and collaboration in our shared governance. Chris’s knowledge of education policy, intellectual depth, and abiding and unrelenting dedication to our community have made it a great pleasure to work with our Head of School throughout his tenure at Albany Academy. I have no doubt that our final year of collaborative service will be consistent with this history. 

The generous timeline provided by Chris’s notice to the Board will give the Albany Academy an excellent opportunity to identify his successor in the Head of School role. The Board will immediately initiate a national search for a visionary leader with a search committee chaired by Trustee and Board Vice President Neerav Patel ’96, P’31. Mr. Patel will assemble this committee with representation from a broad swath of our Albany Academy constituencies. With the School’s storied history and bright future, the Board members and I are confident we will identify a leader of significant stature who possesses the requisite skills to lead our prestigious institution in the next exciting chapter of its third century. 

Eric Lewis ‘83 President, Board of Trustees Albany Academy

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LETTER FROM OUTGOING HEAD OF SCHOOL CHRIS LAURICELLA

Dear Friends, 

It is with mixed emotions that I write to share my decision to step down as Head of School at Albany Academy following the 2025-2026 academic year. Serving this exceptional community has been an extraordinary honor, and this decision was not made lightly. 

Over the past seven years, I have been continually inspired by our students' energy and talents and our professional community's unwavering commitment to our mission. Working alongside such dedicated educators, exceptional students, engaged administrators, trustees, parents, alumni, alumnae, and friends of the School has been a deeply rewarding experience. 

Together, we have achieved remarkable progress in strengthening and advancing Albany Academy. From navigating a global pandemic to reimagining our campus, enhancing security, and rebranding the school to better serve future generations, your dedication and resilience have been the foundation of these significant accomplishments. 

I am especially proud of the capital improvements completed during this time, including the Poole Multisport Practice Facility, the Robison Locker Rooms, and the Class of 1970 Pavilion, along with addressing critical deferred maintenance projects. Looking ahead, I am excited about the upcoming renovations to the Lower and Middle School lobby, the school archives, and the creation of the STEAM Innovation Center in the Upper School. These initiatives will further enrich the student experience and ensure our campus continues to inspire curiosity and innovation. 

Our campus is currently energized by tremendous positive momentum fueled by the exceptional efforts of our students, faculty, staff, and administrators. We are also fortunate to benefit from the visionary guidance of our Board of Trustees. I am deeply grateful to Board Presidents Nancy Carey Cassidy P’13, ’15, and Eric Lewis ’83, P’17 for their outstanding leadership and invaluable partnership. 

Our collective dedication and foresight enable Albany Academy to harness this momentum and effectively address the opportunities ahead. The Board has already begun forming a search committee to identify the next Head of School. This process will include your invaluable input to ensure a smooth transition and the selection of a leader who embodies our shared mission and values and can propel the school to even greater success.

Over the next year and a half, I look forward to continuing our important
work together, including increasing enrollment, fundraising, and unifying
our community. I also hope to celebrate our shared achievements while preparing Albany Academy for its next chapter. Thank you for the trust you have placed in me to lead this extraordinary institution. It has truly been an honor and a privilege. 

With heartfelt appreciation, 

Christopher J. Lauricella 
Head of School