Cranbrook names Roche new director of schools

Aimeclaire Lambert Roche, head of The Bishop School in La Jolla, California, has been named the new director of Cranbrook Schools, to succeed Arlyce Seibert, who announced last winter her plan to retire following the 2017-2018 school year after 47 years at Cranbrook, the last 23 as director of Cranbrook Schools.

Roche will begin her official duties as director of Cranbrook Schools on August 1, 2018.

Roche is also currently president of the board of directors at the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS). Cranbrook is a member of Independent Schools Association of Central States (ISACS).

Prior to her appointment as head of The Bishop School in 2009, Roche was assistant head of Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts from 2004 to 2009. From 1999 to 2004, she worked at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Delaware, where she served as director of college counseling and the department head for classical languages. She taught previously at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hamphshire and The Williams School in New London, Connecticut.

In addition to currently serving as the board president of CAIS, she is vice chair of the board of trustees for School Year Abroad and a member of the San Diego Heads. She is also an active member of The Headmaster’s Association, the oldest heads-of-school organization in the country, having been elected in 2013.

Roche holds an MA from Columbia University, an AB from Harvard University, advanced coursework through the National Endowment for the Humanities and at the University of Georgia and The American Academy in Rome. She is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy.

She is currently a Field Instructor for Master’s Degree candidates in the Leadership Academy program at Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center and has served on the faculty of the New England New Teacher Seminar.

“Aimeclaire is an outstanding fit for Cranbrook and has the right skills to lead the schools into the future. She has a remarkable foundation in education and a proven track record as a leader of schools. Not only was she the best match for this highly demanding position, she was the best match for the culture of the community. With her leadership, I look forward to Cranbrook building on more than two decades of historic growth and advancement under Arlyce Seibert,” said Jamison Williams Faliski, chair of the Board of Governors of Cranbrook Schools and co-chair of the search committee along with immediate past chair of the board Jonathan Borenstein.

“There was an overwhelmingly positive reaction to Aimeclaire. I think it is clear that she has the perspective, the expertise, and the talent to successfully head Cranbrook Schools. She is truly a respected leader in independent schools education while maintaining a remarkably approachable, collaborative personality,” said Cranbrook Educational Community President Dominic DiMarco in announcing her appointment.