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Introducing Storm King’s Incoming Head of School...
What excites you the most about The Storm King School?
I absolutely love the sense of community that Dale and I discovered there. The sense of common
purpose fills the campus. Both the adults and the students clearly love their School and are dedi-
cated to its thriving. SKS has a wonderful sense of its history without being burdened by it. What
I mean by that is that I have seen schools become slaves to their traditions, unable or unwilling
to adapt to emerging needs and cultural changes. Storm King understands and values its heritage
but has taken the steps to remain a vibrant, viable institution in a changing world. And it’s done
so without losing its sense of self. These are not easy transitions for schools to make and it was
refreshing to discover an institution that is “comfortable in its own skin.”
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing Storm King?
Undoubtedly the biggest challenge for the next several years will be to ensure the School’s long-
term sustainability. There is no such thing as “permanence” in the competitive world of boarding
schools. Storm King must work constantly to
ensure that its programs, its physical plant,
its personnel and its finances are adequately
developed to serve the constantly evolving
demands of a global marketplace. Enhancing
philanthropic support for the School will be
a major undertaking, of course, as SKS needs
to tackle some lingering deferred maintenance
priorities and also to begin the long-overdue necessity to build its endowment. A new strategic
planning cycle is just now getting underway and it’s an exciting time to join the School!
How will Storm King change with you as the new Head?
Well, it’s impossible to say at this juncture. So much of SKS demands to be cherished and
protected, not changed. My leadership style is to listen and to learn first, and not to jump into
new situations with pre-conceived notions. That said, if things need change immediately, I am
not one to sit around until some artificial “waiting period” expires! I think that my background
Paul Domingue
Questions for
“So much of SKS demands
to be cherished and
protected, not changed.”
continued on page 32
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