Burr and Burton Academy’s Board of Trustees has announced that Mark H. Tashjian, head of the middle school at the Collegiate School in New York City, has accepted the Board’s invitation to become the school’s thirtieth headmaster effective July 1, 2008. He succeeds Charles W. Scranton, the twenty-ninth headmaster of Manchester’s independent secondary school, who announced last year that he will step down in June 2008.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have found such a remarkably well-qualified and enthusiastic leader as Mark Tashjian,” said Board of Trustees Chair Seth Bongartz. “His background, values and educational philosophy fit very well with who we are and where we are going. We look forward to welcoming him to the Burr and Burton community.”

A native of Philadelphia, Tashjian received his undergraduate degree in political science and international relations from Yale University. He went on to earn an M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and spent over a decade in business where he gained extensive experience developing global business strategies. Following his decision to devote his life to education, Tashjian taught mathematics and science at the East Harlem School at Exodus House and then became headmaster at the Children’s Storefront in Harlem. He received his M.Ed. in education leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College and joined Collegiate School in 2002.

In addition to his responsibilities at Collegiate School, Tashjian is chair of the board of Manhattan Country School and is a trustee of Harlem Academy, both in New York City. He and his wife Erin have a daughter, Ella, 17 months, and are expecting another child in January.

“I am filled with a combined sense of gratitude and responsibility,” said Tashjian. “Burr and Burton Academy has such a proud tradition with roots in the community that go deep and wide. I look forward to working with its superb faculty, energetic student body, and loyal supporters in the years to come.”

According to Bongartz, a committee composed of trustees, members of the faculty and the community, worked through the summer to identify qualified candidates. The finalists were on campus in October where they met with all the school’s constituencies, including students, school administrators, current parents and alumni.