ISS Announces New Senior Staff Member for 2020

PRINCETON NJ, USA (June 22, 2019) – International Schools Services (ISS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas L. Hawkins will assume the role of ISS Vice President of School Start-Up and Management, effective August 2020.

Tom brings more than thirty years of experience as an educator to this important role. He began his career in the U.S. public school system and has held several international school leadership positions throughout Europe and Asia. Since 2015, Tom has served as the Director of the American School of Doha (Qatar). Tom also served as Head of School at the International School of Beijing (China) and St. John’s International School (Belgium); and he has held administrative positions in Turkey, Norway and the U.S. among his leadership assignments.

“I am thrilled to be joining ISS,” says Tom. “As an educator looking to make a bigger impact in international education, it is very exciting for me to be joining a dynamic group of educational thought leaders committed to building a global community through service to schools. I look forward to the opportunity to work with the ISS team and reach out to ISS partners and ISS schools around the world in the coming years.”

Tom received both his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership and his Master of Arts in Educational Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, with a minor in Speech Communications from St. Thomas University. During his career, Tom has held board membership positions in several organizations, including AISH, ECIS, and EARCOS. He is also an active member of NESA.

Tom shared that international education has been a big part of his family experience. His wife, Marcia Carlson, is a high school English and journalism teacher who has worked alongside him in international schools. Their four children are all graduates of international schools. Tom and Marcia anticipate residing in southern Europe or northern Africa, where Marcia will seek a teaching position. They will be joined by their Doha-adopted dog, Sasha.

Tom will succeed Dr. Dick Moore. Dick and his wife, Janet, will return to Seattle, WA, so they can be closer to their daughters and extended family. As an engineer by (early) trade and later a recipient of his Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Dick found his way to international education via Singapore American School, where he served as a Project Director. He has been a prominent and active member of the international community for decades, including holding leadership roles at international schools in Pakistan, South Africa, and India as well as in China, where he was the Director of Nansha College Preparatory Academy, an ISS-ULink school. Dick joined ISS in 2016 and has been instrumental in many school openings, as well as in assisting countless international schools to flourish. After the transition, Dick will continue to provide value and leadership to ISS schools in an ISS Senior Leadership Executive capacity.

The role of ISS Vice President School Start-Up and Management is critical as it supports approximately 20 international schools throughout the world that are owned and/or managed by ISS, while also overseeing a global team of Senior Leadership Executives. With the growing demand for international education, this role also works closely with many individuals and entities who are interested in opening and operating high-quality, international schools.

Liz Duffy, President of ISS commented, “Although Dick will leave large shoes to fill when he steps back from full-time work, I am confident that Tom, who is a strategic thinker and gifted educator, will be able to build on the strong foundations and systems that Dick has established during his distinguished tenure leading ISS’s school start-up and management department. We very much look forward to welcoming Tom to ISS in 2020.”

For more information contact info@iss.edu or visit iss.edu.