The Puzzle: Blog

One of my favorite childhood memories is of our annual summer trip from Philadelphia to Virginia to a family home where my mother was born. As we drove south, my excitement grew when the Blue Ridge Mountains came into view and we exited I-81 to a state road the led to my small maternal hometown. My excitement abounded when I saw the familiar sign around the corner from our home.  Affixed to a building, it offered a hearty welcome from “6002 Happy Citizens and 3 Old Grouches.”  While I often wondered who were the 3 old grouches (and might any of them be my relations–surely not!), I always felt and still feel a sense of renewal, restoration, and inspiration each time I arrive to this small and intimate place.

I am greatly appreciative of the many wonderful educational leaders who have sponsored and mentored me in my career in schools. They have been supportive and honest and friendly and stern and funny and helpful and encouraging and so many other things. For all of this and so much more, I am thankful. Yet, as an African American administrator in the independent school world, few of those mentors and sponsors were people of color.

Over the years of my career, I have spoken to many stellar colleagues and friends in school leadership about the need to foster deep connections and relationships with all colleagues but especially among colleagues of color to be able to do our jobs in schools and to thrive in our jobs and in life. The goal of The Well was just this.

Specifically, my intentions were for leaders of color to develop some new content skills in order to enhance their leadership in their schools and to make new and deep connections with each other and with a talented faculty from throughout the country.  The hope was for everyone to return to their jobs, careers, and life having experienced a sense of rejuvenation. New content skills, immediate mentors and sponsors, deep and rich conversation and connection making, and fun – with the hope of providing renewal, restoration, inspiration and summer fun in a small intimate environment like my summer ancestral home.

I hope to welcome you at The Well in Summer 2025. And I promise you there will be no old grouches!

Sincerely,

Darryl J. Ford

In celebration of the inaugural meeting of The Well, we want to provide our blog readers with some testimonials of how participants experienced the event.  Overall, the institute achieved its goals of inspiring and connecting leaders of color from independent schools from across the country while providing them with new skills to help them succeed as leaders and take care of themselves as people.  We have included several testimonials from those who were able to attend in the hopes that you might consider attending or nominating someone to attend next year’s institute.

The Well did what it said it would do. It provided a safe space for educational leaders of color to gather and be vulnerable in ways that are not always possible in our home communities. From influential presenters to former or sitting heads, each person shared invaluable information, providing insight and affirmation. I highly recommend this experience and hope to rejoin folks at The Well. 

-Dwight Vidale, Collegiate School (NYC)

The Well is exactly what I needed after a tough school year. The reminders that I am good enough and capable and able to do this work were helpful reminders. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

 -Rob Bradford, Sheridan School

The Well was beyond anything I could have imagined. This experience provided opportunities for learning, connection, reflection, and joy. The small size and varied activities allowed for deep and meaningful conversations with other attendees as well as the faculty. The workshops centered on gaining skills to support, nurture and sustain ourselves rather than centering the institutions we serve, which was refreshing. Overall, The Well was a transformative, inspirational experience and I left with my cup overflowing.

-Patrice Wakeley, San Francisco Friends School

I was honored to be part of the faculty of the inaugural Well this year! I was enriched by all of the activities and presentations, and mostly, by the wonderful people with whom I connected and was able to share experiences. I would definitely recommend this to others!

-Katherine Dinh, Marin Country Day

The conference was evidence that there is a great need for leaders of color to come together for learning and for nourishment! We need this! – The variety of leadership levels present was fantastic, offering a wealth of perspectives and interests, making this a very diverse group. – The relaxed vibe was very much appreciated, not intense and competitive like so many conferences can be, which is exhausting. This followed a good pace, felt pleasant and welcoming! – Wealth Management and Acquisition was a unique topic, relevant and super meaningful. I loved the focus on stewardship as well. We all can benefit from learning how to manage our own wealth for prosperity. – The focus on maintenance and sustenance was very appropriate and the conference delivered on this! – Opportunities to schedule coaching conversations were a brilliant addition to this conference and allowed more personal, intimate conversations. A great piece, very useful! I've already had 3 follow up conversations with some of the people I met with!

 -Madeleine Maceda Heide, Carney, Sandoe & Associates

Darryl J. Ford and the team would also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the speakers and coaches who contributed to the success of The Well.  We are grateful to our keynote speakers Howard Stevenson, Tekakwitha Pernambuco-Wise, and George James.  We also want to thank Ken Aldridge, Crissy Cáceres, Katherine Dinh, Ayanna Hill-Gill, Mark E. Reed, and Joshua Ireland for contributing as faculty.  Last, but not least, our Carney, Sandoe & Associates coaches Heather Flewelling, Madeleine Maceda Heide, Brandon Jacobs, Cathy Shelburne, and Donisha Thaxton provided the additional support and one on one attention many participants needed.

If you are interested in The Well institute and would like to be added to our email list,  please fill out The Well Inquiry Form and we will send you a save the date invitation as well as additional information as we finalize plans in the coming months.

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