Mr. Turner grew up in suburban Philadelphia, attended Germantown Academy, and attributes his passion for his job to his family’s experience at the school. Mr. Turner’s father, who came from a working-class family, also attended Germantown Academy, but, following the death of his own father, he considered dropping out to work. The headmaster, Dr. Day, worked hard to ensure Mr. Turner’s family had the financial aid they needed and convinced him to continue attending the school.

The effects of this headmaster’s actions have trickled down through the generations. More members of Mr. Turner’s family, including his siblings and himself, were able to receive their educations at Germantown Academy because of the influence Dr. Day had on their father.

This family history has also instilled an understanding of the importance of a Head of School in Mr. Turner. “I think about schools, like Germantown Academy and Shipley, who have not only the power to change an individual’s life, but generations of people’s lives, so that’s why I do what I do,” Mr. Turner says.

From Germantown Academy, Mr. Turner proceeded to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania. He has built up extensive experience through working at schools like Germantown Academy, Roxbury Latin School in Boston, and St. Christopher’s School in Richmond. He is currently the Head of School for St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, and he is completing his Doctorate of Education at The College of William & Mary.

Mr. Turner knows that each school is unique, and he has been working to deepen his understanding of what sets Shipley apart. Through numerous visits and interactions with faculty and students, he has observed the day-to-day life of the school and has developed an understanding of Shipley’s identity. “There’s a palpable sense of belongingness,” he states. “[The students] seem like they care about each other and about the school.”

Despite his familiarization with the school, he respects the fact that he won’t truly know Shipley until he has spent more time here as an integral part of the community. “I will spend a lot of my first year here listening,” Mr. Turner says. He wants to absorb the climate and culture of Shipley, something that can only be achieved through time.

Time itself is something that interests Mr. Turner. “How students, and colleagues, arrange their day, week, month, semester, I think will be something that I pay a lot of attention to because we only get twenty-four hours in a day. Time is the one resource that is not going to increase,” he states. Mr. Turner is sensitive to the amount of school work and extracurriculars that students are involved in and recognizes the trade-off between work and sleep with which all students are faced.

Turner values humility and says that, as a newcomer, he may not have all of the answers immediately, but he already has ideas about where he wants to start. “The only thing I think that right out of the gates Shipley could do even better is tell its story,” Mr. Turner says. “I think some times Shipley has defined itself by what it’s not—it’s not a single-sex school and it’s not a religious school—as opposed to defining us by what we are.” He understands that we are not lacking in school pride, but he wants to continue to amplify it through methods such as branding and marketing. “How do we put the awesomeness that is Shipley in front of people?” he asks. Mr. Turner has already begun thinking about an answer to his own question, but he knows it will take time to develop.

Mr. Turner’s strategy can best be described as a balancing act: “Honoring Shipley’s strengths, but also recognizing that there’s work to be done. My job, not just for the next year but for the next twenty-seven years, will be to hold both of those truths at the same time.” Behind all of his plans for the future are an already apparent love for the school and an excitement to start the job. According to Mr. Turner, “It is rare for a school of this caliber and this strength to have this much potential.”