The King’s Academy Board of Trustees announced on January 28, 2019 that Peter B. Nilsson has been appointed as its next Head of School. Nilsson will be King's third head of school, following in the giant footsteps of Eric Widmer and John Austin.
Nilsson, who currently holds the position of Director of Research, Innovation and Outreach at Deerfield Academy, has connected research to school practices and developed systems for ongoing growth and innovation in the faculty. He has also explored strategic goals outside of the traditional school model.
This is particularly important to King’s, as the school continues establishing itself as a leading academy that can provide an exceptional traditional boarding school experience in a digital and hyper-connected world.
In moving from Deerfield to King's, Nilsson is following a well-worn path that goes both ways between the two esteemed institutions. Not only was King's designed from the ground up around themes and values His Majesty King Abdullah II learned as a student at Deerfield, but Dr. Widmer, after retiring as Headmaster of Deerfield, was asked by Abdullah to serve as King's inaugural headmaster, effectively bringing the school into existence.
In September 2019, Nilsson will succeed Dr. John Austin, who will be taking on the position of head of school at Deerfield. Many faculty and students from each institution have also spent time at the other.
According to the announcement, in their selection process, the trustees sought a visionary leader who relentlessly strives for excellence: “We wanted an energetic thought-leader in education who is as eager to keep learning as to take action, someone who inspires through character, hard work, and talent. We sought a leader who is excited to absorb the local culture in order to bring out the best in the dual Jordanian-International identity of King’s.”
Nilsson, who was a boarding student himself at Phillips Andover Academy, holds a Master’s degree in educational leadership from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s in English and music from Middlebury College. Before his current position, he was assistant dean of faculty, assistant academic dean, and an English teacher and sports coach at Deerfield.
Nilsson’s own path in life reflects his belief that teaching happens both inside and outside the classroom and that a student’s personal growth is measured by more than academic markers. He was a musician in New York for four years, where he composed and performed. Nilsson will be joined at King’s by his wife Crystal, their four-year-old son Oliver and their anticipated second child, due in February.
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