The Board of Trustees of Middleburg Academy, Loudoun County's only independent, coeducational, college preparatory high school, has completed its long-term leadership succession planning with the hiring of Colley W. Bell III as the next Head of School. Mr. Bell, currently Head of School at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, begins his tenure on July 1 under an initial five-year employment contract.

Middleburg Academy's current Head of School, Dr. Ronald P. Sykes, will remain in his position through June 30, working closely with the incoming Head, the Board of Trustees, and administrative team to ensure a smooth transition in the six-month preparation for new leadership under Bell.

In making the announcement, Michael S. Hoover, Chairman of Middleburg Academy's Board of Trustees, spoke with enthusiasm about Mr. Bell's accomplishments, character, and charisma. "We are excited to draw upon Mr. Bell's lifelong love of independent schools and his demonstrated leadership qualities. Everyone we've spoken to who has worked with Colley invariably describes him as an engaging and motivating figure, one who succeeds at getting people to accomplish challenging things. Moreover, his strengths in management, finance, and community-building, as well as in the development of 21st century focused curriculum and technology, assured us that Colley is the right person to take Middleburg Academy into the future."

Bell has served since 2008 as Head of School at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, a 750-student PK-12 independent school in Suffolk, Virginia. Prior to that, he was Assistant Headmaster at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware. Mr. Bell's independent school career, which began in 1984, has also included teaching, coaching, and administrative positions in Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and New York.

He is married to Edwina G. Bell, Director of Development and Communications for the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk. Together with their eleven-year old son, Colley Bell IV, they will make their new home in the Headmaster's Carriage House on the Middleburg Academy campus.

As part of its mission, Middleburg Academy is committed to providing its students with a strong intellectual, spiritual, and moral foundation. "Middleburg Academy's mission and vision are very much in keeping with my own beliefs," said Mr. Bell.