Rebecca B. Gilmore, Assistant Head of School for External Affairs at Foxcroft School, has been named Head of School of Augusta Preparatory Day School in Augusta, GA, effective July 1, Robert C. Osborne, Chair of the school's Board of Trustees, and James Hull, Chair of the Search Committee, announced Tuesday. Gilmore, who has served Foxcroft in key positions since 1987, will succeed Jack Hall, who is moving to the Walker School near Atlanta after 12 years at Prep.

"On behalf of a unanimous Augusta Preparatory Day School Board of Trustees, we are delighted to announce that Mrs. Rebecca Gilmore has been selected to be our tenth Head of School," Hull and Osborne said.

"Mrs. Gilmore made an outstanding impression on the Augusta Prep community during her visit to campus," they noted, adding that those who met with her found her to be "a natural and excellent communicator who understands the balance of academics, arts and athletics and has a strong vision for moving our school forward.

"We are thrilled that Becky Gilmore will join our school in July," they said.

Foxcroft's Head of School, Mary Louise Leipheimer, commended the selection, even as she called Gilmore's impending departure bittersweet.

"No one here at Foxcroft is surprised at Augusta Prep's wisdom and everyone here is very proud of Becky," said Leipheimer. "Inside Foxcroft and throughout the independent school community, Becky is respected for her wisdom, her energy, and her fairness."

During her 23-year tenure at Foxcroft, Gilmore served as Director of Admission, Dean of External Affairs, and Director of Advancement. She was named an Assistant Head of School in July 2009. A native of North Carolina, Gilmore holds a B.A. from Duke University and a Master's of Education from the University of Virginia. Before coming to Foxcroft, she taught Biology and other sciences at The Madeira School in McLean, VA, and at Concord Academy in Concord, MA.

Gilmore and her husband, Roger, have two children, John, age 19, and Sarah, 18, a member of Foxcroft's Senior Class. The Gilmores have been active members of the community, both on the Foxcroft campus and in Middleburg and environs.