Parrott Academy Names New Head of School

Brooks Sutton has been selected as Parrott Academy’s new Head of School beginning in 2020. Submitted Photo

Brooks Sutton has been selected to serve as Head of Arendell Parrott Academy beginning in 2020, the school’s Board of Trustees announced on May 28th. 

“Following a six-month search process, the Trustees unanimously approved the Search Committee’s recommendation. Mrs. Sutton has been with the academy for sixteen years and has the intellect, polish, and leadership skills we were seeking,” Board President Stuart Lindley said.

Currently serving as Head of the Upper School at Parrott, Sutton has taught middle school science and Advanced Placement Physics, coached field hockey and led the school’s AdvancED reaccreditation process. Sutton has a B.S. from Wake Forest University and earned a Masters in Teaching and a Masters in School Administration from ECU, lives in Greenville with her husband, ECU professor Lee Sutton, and has two children at APA. 

“I aspire to be a leader who is always open to creative change while  ensuring that the pillars of academics, service, arts, athletics, and a focus on the whole child remain the heartbeat of Arendell Parrott Academy,” Sutton said.

Current headmaster Dr. Bert S. Bright announced in 2018 that he would retire by the end of 2020, setting in motion the search process. The Academy’s  15-member Search Committee was co-chaired by Landon Minges of Greenville and Stephen B. Hill of Kinston, and included a wide range of the school’s stakeholders. Reflecting on the thoroughness of the search, Minges said, “The applicants came from as far away as Washington D.C. and Louisiana, and  the committee spent several days interviewing potential candidates.”

Established in 1964, Arendell Parrott Academy serves 705 transition through 12th grade students drawn from a 10-county region. It is the largest North Carolina independent school east of Interstate 95.