Welcoming
Augustine “Gus” Whyte ’99
Berkeley's Seventh Head of School
On behalf of Berkeley Preparatory School’s Board of Trustees, it is my great pleasure to announce Augustine “Gus” Whyte ’99 as our seventh Head of School, effective July 1, 2026. After a rigorous and thorough process, the Head of School Search Committee unanimously recommended Gus’ appointment to the Board of Trustees, and the Board unanimously voted to appoint him to serve as our next great leader of Berkeley. He is the first alumnus to ever serve as Berkeley’s Head of School.
Gus is currently Berkeley’s Upper Division Director. Over the past two decades, Gus has taught and served in administrative roles within four independent schools. He has held roles as an Upper Division Director, Mathematics Department Chair, Associate Athletic Director, and Dean of Students, in addition to teaching mathematics courses through multivariable calculus. Gus brings a depth of both curricular and administrative experience to the role of Head of School and a passion for Berkeley that is rooted in his time as a Berkeley student.
Gus is a visible leader who believes in developing strong relationships with faculty and staff, students, parents, and alumni. In his roles, he has helped develop cross-divisional working groups with a focus on mentoring and developing the best educators. He strongly believes in purposeful program innovation and has helped launch programs at his prior school that were firsts in their region.
As a lifelong learner, Gus holds multiple advanced degrees and is completing his doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania with a focus on teacher development. He has translated this desire for excellence into the classroom by helping improve student academic performance throughout his career. During the search process, a consistent sentiment shared about Gus is that he sets a high bar and inspires and elevates those around him to continuously improve.
In addition to welcoming Gus, I want to express my deep thanks for the tremendous community support shown throughout the Head of School search process. Your active participation in the listening sessions with our search consultants, Carney, Sandoe & Associates, as evidenced by the volume of thoughtful feedback we received, led to the development of the Position Description and helped refine our search. Additionally, your attendance during the on-campus candidate interviews and your responses to our surveys were appreciated and valued.
Our Search Committee is owed a debt of gratitude for the countless hours they have spent over the last five months ensuring that our process was marked by discipline, diligence, and integrity—all hallmarks of what it means to be a Berkeley Buccaneer. I am especially grateful to Chad Harrod ’95 for chairing the Search Committee and to Kathleen Nestor for serving as Vice Chair.
In the coming months, there will be a variety of opportunities for our community to welcome Gus as Berkeley’s new Head of School. We hope you will join us. As Gus transitions to his new role, Berkeley will also begin a search for the next Upper Division Director. Berkeley’s future is bright, and we are excited for this next chapter.
It is with great excitement and full confidence that we welcome Gus Whyte ’99 as our Head of School.
Sincerely,
Augustine “Gus” Whyte ’99 is an experienced independent school leader with more than two decades of service across day and boarding schools. He currently serves as the Upper Division Director at Berkeley Preparatory School, where he has implemented a faculty professional growth plan aligned across divisions, conducted extensive classroom observations, established cross-departmental faculty teams, and maintains a visible daily presence in academic and co-curricular programs.
Previously, Gus was Upper School Principal at Metairie Park Country Day School in New Orleans, LA, leading a division through a period marked by post-pandemic reopening, multiple hurricanes, and programmatic change. During his tenure, he introduced a new daily schedule, significantly improved AP scores, and guided the restructuring of the senior capstone into a flagship program. Gus served on the Board of Trustees Finance Committee, strengthened enrollment pipelines with feeder schools, and raised funds to support curricular travel.
Prior to his time at Country Day, Gus spent over a decade at Pace Academy in Atlanta, GA, in roles including Mathematics Department Chair, Dean of Students, Associate Athletic Director, and classroom teacher, with responsibilities spanning curriculum leadership, student life, athletics, and faculty development. Earlier in his career, he served as Assistant Dean of Students at The Salisbury School in Salisbury, CT.
Gus is a 1999 graduate of Berkeley and holds an M.Ed. in Independent School Leadership from Vanderbilt University, an M.S. in Finance from Georgia State University, and a B.A. in Psychology from Williams College, where he was a four-year varsity athlete. Gus is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania (expected in June of 2027).
Gus and his fiancée, Amelia Sherman, a counselor at an independent school, will be married in June.
The Board of Trustees is grateful to all who have played a role during this important moment in Berkeley’s history. Learn more about the Head of School search process.
We want to thank the entire Berkeley community for the unwavering support shown during the Head of School search process. The faculty, staff, students, parents, and alumni were committed participants during each step of the process—thank you.
We would also like to acknowledge our fellow Search Committee members, who worked tirelessly for almost half a year to ensure a rigorous process. The Search Committee was supported by the Search Advisory Committee, which was composed of faculty, staff, alumni, and parents. The Search Advisory Committee provided meaningful insight into each of the candidates, and for that we are truly grateful.
The many months of hard work and invaluable feedback ultimately led to the Search Committee’s unanimous recommendation of Gus as our next Head of School, which was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees. Gus’ résumé reflects a career characterized by a pursuit of excellence in all facets of school life.
Moreover, those whom the Search Committee contacted to discuss Gus’ candidacy spoke enthusiastically and without reservation about his high integrity, dedication, and fortitude. We are confident that our search yielded the best Head of School for Berkeley. When our students arrive on campus this fall, they will be welcomed by a distinguished and respected leader.
As a Board, we want to thank Kim Graham Lawless, Interim Head of School, for helping Berkeley deftly navigate this transitional period. We also recognize the great work accomplished by Headmaster Joseph W. Seivold. Joe’s leadership profoundly impacted our community for the better. Each day we see his stewardship realized in our students, alumni, faculty, and staff, who are in the world making a positive difference. We look forward to celebrating Joe in the future.