About

Leadership

Where Students Are Known and Possibilities Grow

The difference at Spartanburg Day School begins with knowing each student as an individual. Their strengths. Their interests. The ways they learn best. And the possibilities they have yet to discover.

That understanding creates an environment where students have the confidence to ask questions, take meaningful risks, and become active participants in their education. They are challenged to stretch themselves while supported by teachers who recognize what they need to keep moving forward.

From Preschool through graduation, the SDS experience gives students room to discover who they are and what they can do, preparing them for college and for whatever comes next.

Head of School, Dave Skeen

As Spartanburg Day School’s eighth Head of School, Dave Skeen leads with a belief in the power of relationships and the importance of creating an educational experience that allows every student to grow. Since joining SDS in July 2023, he has worked alongside faculty, staff, and families to build on the school’s strong foundation while looking ahead to its next chapter.

Skeen brings extensive independent school experience to Spartanburg Day School. Before coming to SDS, he served as head of school at Harding Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. His career has also included leadership roles at Canterbury School in Greensboro, North Carolina, and Calvert School in Baltimore, where he served as dean of students, teacher and athletic coach.

A Baltimore native, Skeen earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Washington and Lee University, where he captained the lacrosse team, and a master’s degree in educational studies and independent school leadership from Johns Hopkins University. He and his wife, Mackenzie, have seven children: Grier, Ford, Webb, Bo, Tully, Pike, and Lawson.

Board of Trustees - 2025-26

The Spartanburg Day School Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership and stewardship in support of the school’s mission and long-term future. Working in partnership with the Head of School, trustees help ensure that SDS remains well positioned to serve students and families for generations to come.

Seated, Left to Right: Barney Gosnell, Jared Wilson, Bear Boyd, Jaime Wall, Elizabeth Rabb

Standing, Left to Right: Anna Blanton, Chandra Hopkins, Stacy McBride, Leigh Ann Langley, Haley Williams, Michel Stone, Bhargava Kondaveeti, Ned Page, Raj Patel, Dave Skeen, Mark VanGeison

Not Pictured: Elaine Freeman, Charlotte Verreault, Sheila Cash, David Johnson, Steve Querin, Susan Bridges, Sharda Jackson-Smith