New WRA chief settles into Hudson, ‘kid fridge’ and all

by Michele Collins

Suzanne Walker Buck was in Hudson only three weeks when she took a moment to reflect on what she had done as the new head of school at Western Reserve Academy. She moved her family from Virginia into the Headmaster’s House. She hosted international students at her house for a meal, met with many of the faculty and staff and set up meetings with community members. And a new refrigerator was about to be delivered.

Not just any refrigerator, a special refrigerator that would be known as “the kid fridge.”

“We really want our home to be a home away from home for the students who are away from their homes,” said Buck. “I want to have a fridge, a kid fridge with Gatorade and snacks, so when the students pop over to the house, they can just go in the fridge and grab a drink or something to eat.”

Buck’s goal is to be a visible, vibrant part of the WRA community and make students part of her family’s new boarding school life with husband, Johnny, and their daughter, Halsey, 13.

“Johnny is going to teach art here; he has taught art for 30 years,’’ she said. “He will also coach ice hockey and lacrosse and will serve as a dorm parent in the boys dorm. He and I just love our lives as part of a boarding school family. We honestly believe the boarding school experience is a magical experience.”

Buck added that Halsey is excited to start the eighth grade in Hudson. She is also thrilled with the independence she feels being able to walk or bike to downtown Hudson.

“I am just so excited to be able to be located so close to downtown Hudson,” she said. “Many boarding schools are located in areas with no access to restaurants and stores. When I first came to interview for the head of school position, I just fell in love with Hudson. Later, when I returned I called up my husband and said, Johnny, there is a concert on the green, they really have concerts right in the middle of the town square!”

Equally compelling was the opportunity to join WRA.

“I am just incredibly honored to serve WRA, it has a reputation of excellence and a tradition of integrity,’’ she said. “I am so thrilled to work with the people here, their spirit, the strength of the programs. The faculty and staff are so open to share ideas. There is just a wonderful energy here.”

As the first woman to be named WRA head of school, Buck also sees herself as a new kind of voice.

“I see myself as a leader first, and a woman second, but I am just truly grateful for this exciting time to be in a leadership role,” she said.

Buck brings not only a new voice but also an impressive resume to WRA.

She has a long history with boarding schools, having been a graduate of the Fay School in Southborough, Mass., and Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Conn. After graduating from Connecticut College, Buck joined Simsbury, Conn.-based Westminster School as an admissions counselor, dorm parent and coach of field hockey and lacrosse. From Westminster, she attended graduate school, earning a degree in clinical social work from Columbia University and a degree in education from Harvard University. She has since held positions at Fay School, New Hampton School in New Hampton, N.H., and most recently as the rector (head of school) at Chatham Hall in Chatham, Va.

At Chatham, Buck had enormous success, increasing enrollment by 36 percent in four years, adding significant tuition revenue and increasing annual giving by 14 percent through a bold strategic plan.

Buck serves on the boards of the Association of Boarding Schools and the Enrollment Management Association. She said these leadership roles are what have given her the tools she needs to grow enrollment and continue to grow programs at Western Reserve Academy during changing times in education.

Buck plans to have two offices on campus, one in the academic building, Seymour Hall, and one in the Burton D. Morgan administrative building, to accommodate daily interaction with students and staff. She also plans to attend sporting and musical events on campus.

“I will be here with loud enthusiasm, with numerous cheers and a desire to show the students the joy of learning,’’ Buck said. “I want to create a culture which allows everyone to be their best authentic self.”

And if the students need a little energy, a quick pick-me-up or an opportunity to debate ideas, they can head to the headmaster’s house and grab a drink from the fridge and chat with Buck. 

Featured image photo caption: Suzanne Walker Buck (center, blue sweater) visits with students on the Westerm Reserve Campus. Buck recently relocated her family from Virginia to become WRA’s first woman head of school. Photo courtesy of WRA