Dr. Randy R. Bertin

For the past two decades, Dr. Randy Bertin has been a leader in independent boarding schools. Before joining Cushing Academy as the 13th Head of School on July 1, 2018, he spent twelve years at Besant Hill School of Happy Valley in Ojai, California, serving seven of those years as Head of School, where he was also awarded the honor of Head of School Emeritus.

During his tenure as Besant Hill Head of School, Randy was recognized for his leadership and is one of only two independent school heads to receive the CASE District VII CEO Leadership Award. Before becoming Head of School, Randy served there in multiple leadership positions, including Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Director of Advancement, and Assistant Head for Advancement. He also served as the school’s Varsity Boys Basketball Coach, earning California Southern Section Division V Coach of the Year in 2010. Randy previously spent seven years at Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

Randy is an expert in school leadership, international fundraising, and boarding school admissions, and he has presented several times on these topics. Other topics that he has presented and written about have included the Head of School’s Role in the Admissions Process, Financial Health Indicators for Heads of Schools, Integration and Immersion of International Students at Boarding Schools in the United States, and Perceptions of Independent School Leaders in California: Global Issues, and Leading an Independent School through Covid-19. Randy was elected to the Cushing Academy Board of Trustees in 2019 and also serves on the Boards of the IECA Foundation and the International Center for Global Leadership.