Lawrenceville School Announces New Dean of Admission and Financial Aid

Editor's Note: The following is a news release issued by The Lawrenceville School.

The Lawrenceville School has hired Thomas Sheppard as its new dean of admission and financial aid.

Sheppard, who currently resides in Pebble Beach, Calif., will start at Lawrenceville on July 1, 2013. His selection ends a national search to fill the post.

Sheppard will be responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of students and the allocation of financial aid at the 203-year old institution.  

"We're thrilled to welcome Tom to Lawrenceville. He is a seasoned admission dean who is deeply respected by colleagues across the country and around the globe," said Lawrenceville School Head Master Liz Duffy. "Tom's service to the admission profession embodies our mission to inspire and educate responsible leaders. I look forward to working with him to ensure that Lawrenceville continues to attract outstanding students, who will benefit from a Lawrenceville education, contribute to this community, and ultimately make a difference in the world."

Sheppard comes to Lawrenceville with more than two decades of experience as an independent school educator and administrator.  He currently serves as director of enrollment management at the Stevenson School (Pebble Beach, Calif.), where he began in 1999 as the School's Director of Admission.  

He directed all phases of the enrollment and reenrollment process and developed School-wide marketing strategies which resulted in a near 31 percent increase in boarding applications. He led the School's international enrollment efforts, planning and executing an international and domestic travel schedule to fifteen countries and thirteen states.

Before joining the Stevenson staff, Sheppard was the Director of Admission and Financial Aid at Trinity-Pawling School (Pawling, N.Y.) from 1996-99 and a social studies teacher, coach, and dorm parent at Perkiomen School (Pennsburg, Pa.) from 1991-96.  

For nearly a decade, Sheppard has lectured on admission-related topics at the annual conferences of the Secondary School Admission Test Board (SSATB), The Association of Boarding School (TABS), the National Association of Independent Schools, and at the Western Boarding Schools Association (WBSA).

He has served as teaching faculty at both the TABS and SSATB training workshops for new admission professionals. Sheppard is a member of the SSATB Admission Leadership Council (2006-present) and was Chair of the WBSA steering committee (2003-06). He has been Co-Chair of the SSATB computer-based testing committee since 2011.

In 2010, Sheppard received the SSATB's William B. Bretnall Award, given in recognition of significant contributions to the admission profession. He was honored by the WBSA in 2006 with its Hilton Award, presented for outstanding leadership and service.  

"It is an honor and a privilege for me and my family to join the Lawrenceville community at a time that the school is well-positioned for success in its third century as a leader in the world of independent school education," said Sheppard. "My recent opportunities to meet faculty, staff, students, and board members have only confirmed what others had previously told me about the passion and commitment that so many individuals bring to the School.  This sense of community will undoubtedly serve as the foundation for our admission efforts as we uphold over two hundred years of tradition and introduce the next generation of students to the defining qualities of a Lawrenceville education." 

 Founded in 1810, The Lawrenceville School offers a comprehensive, coeducational program for 815 students in grades nine through post-graduate, who come from 32 states and 34 countries. The School is located on 700 acres in the historic village of Lawrenceville, N.J. For additional information, please visit www.lawrenceville.org.