Ex-LI educator to head Portledge School

A former educator at a Long Island boarding school who now leads a private school in Virginia will head Portledge School in Locust Valley.

Simon Owen-Williams, 48, worked for six years as both a teacher and an administrator in the 1980s and 1990s at The Knox School, a boarding school in Nissequogue.

He currently heads Carlisle School in Martinsville, Va., which has expanded to three campuses and reached full enrollment under his leadership.

"I feel as if in some ways it is coming home, which makes it extra nice and extra sweet, and a very comfortable transition," he said Tuesday.

Owen-Williams came to Carlisle School in 1998, starting as upper school director. A native of Wales, he attended Exeter University in England and earned a master's degree in education at Columbia University.

Betty Ann Roel, who chaired the Portledge search committee, said in a statement: "Simon rose to the top of our list quickly after he was brought to our attention because of his successful experience as head of school and his great reputation as an educational leader and advocate for his school."

Owen-Williams, hired Nov. 10, succeeds Steven L. Hahn, who is retiring after six years.

"When Steve announced his retirement last March, we committed ourselves to a thorough national search that would identify the man or woman who will lead our school into an even brighter future," said Portledge board president Terri Keogh in a statement. "We are confident that Simon is the right person at this time in Portledge's history."

The private school, which serves pre-nursery to 12th-grade students, will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015.

Owen-Williams formally begins his duties on July 1.

He said his immediate goal is to "make sure Portledge continues to be a leader among the independent schools on the Island, and we preserve the academic excellence that is taking place there."