Leadership

The Evolution of Palm Beach Day Academy

  • 1921 Founding of Palm Beach School for Girls and Palm Beach School for Boys

  • 1931 Palm Beach Private School merges the two schools

  • 1965 Palm Beach Private School undergoes a name change to Palm Beach Day School

  • 1981 Founding of The Children’s House of the Palm Beaches 

  • 1995 The Children’s House of the Palm Beaches undergoes a name change to The Academy of the Palm Beaches

  • 2006 Palm Beach Day Academy forms as a merger of the two schools (Palm Beach Day School and The Academy of the Palm Beaches)

Incorporators, Palm Beach Private School, 1931

  • Alfred G. Kaye - President

  • Mrs. Henry R. Rea - Vice President

  • Adam G. Thompson - Secretary

  • Edward R. Bradley

  • Mrs. Thomas L. Chadbourne

  • Mrs. Thomas E. Davies

  • Mrs. Hugh Dillman

  • Mrs. Margaret Emerson

  • Mrs. Joseph F. Gunster

  • Jerome D. Kern

  • Emil Mosbacher

  • Sir Henry Oakes

  • Henry O. Rea

  • Wiley R. Reynolds

  • Mrs. Frances A. Shaughnessy

  • Loring Q. White

Board of Trustees Presidents, Palm Beach Private School/Palm Beach Day School

  • 1931-1939 Alfred G. Kay

  • 1939-1945 Roscoe T. Anthony

  • 1945-1960 Amory L. Haskell

  • 1960-1962 Walter S. Gubelmann

  • 1962-1965 Wiley R. Reynolds

  • 1965-1990 Raymond J. Wean, Jr.

  • 1990-1995 Thomas M. Keresey

  • 1995-2006 William M. Matthews

Founders, Children’s House/Academy of the Palm Beaches

  • Mr. and Mrs. H. Loy Anderson

  • Mr. and Mrs. Murray Goodman

  • Mr. and Mrs. A. Faxon Henderson

  • Mr. And Mrs. John F. Koons

  • Judge Kathleen Kroll

  • Dr. Helena Valldejuli-Butler

  • Mr. Malcolm Healy

  • Mrs. Dede Merck

Board of Trustees Presidents, Children’s House/Academy of the Palm Beaches

  • 1981-1988 Nancy M. Henderson

  • 1988-1996 H. Loy Anderson

  • 1995-1998 Howard Parker

  • 1999-2000 Dean Lovett

  • 1990-2002 Kathy Leone

  • 2002-2005 Michael Ainslie and Paul Leone, Co-Presidents

  • 2005-2006 Mindy van Hellemont

Board of Trustees Presidents, Palm Beach Day Academy

  • 2006-2008 Lee Munder

  • 2008-2011 Paul Leone

  • 2011-2016 Scott Johnson ‘79

  • 2016-2019 Lourdes Fanjul

  • 2019 - Present Grant Mashek ‘95

School Heads

  • 1921-1931 Ada E. Davis, Palm Beach School for Girls

  • 1921-1931 Willard W. Ferguson and Edward M. Shields, Palm Beach School for Boys

  • 1931-1935 Major Johnson Hyde, Palm Beach Private School

  • 1935-1942 Karl B. Dearborn, Palm Beach Private School

  • 1942-1952 Charles E. Parrish, Palm Beach Private School

  • 1952-1962 Donald E. W. Niemann, Palm Beach Private School

  • 1962-1965 Donald M. Lay, Palm Beach Private School

  • 1965-1988 Walter H. Butler, Jr., Palm Beach Private School, renamed Palm Beach Day School

  • 1988-2007 John L. Thompson, Palm Beach Day School

  • 2007-2016 Dr. Rebecca van der Bogert, Palm Beach Day Academy

  • 2016-2018 Dr. Edwin P. Gordon, Palm Beach Day Academy

  • 2018-2019 Billy Peebles, Palm Beach Day Academy

  • 2019-Present Fanning M. Hearon, III, Palm Beach Day Academy

Children’s House/Academy of the Palm Beaches

  • 1982-1990 Barb Durrer, Directress

  • 1990-1994 Dr. Helena Valldejuli-Butler

  • 1994-1995 Dr. Lenore K. Farrah

  • 1995-1997 Gilbert Giuliani

  • 1997-2000 Donna Ross, Executive Director

  • 2000-2004 Dr. Sallie Harris

  • 2004-2007 Michael Papa