Meghan Tally, the Associate Director of the Prep Division at Windward School, was named next year’s Upper School Director in an email sent to the community Monday afternoon. Tally will replace Gretchen Warner, who earlier this year announced that she will assume the headship at the Madeira School in Virginia next fall.

Tally, who was chosen by a search committee comprised of department chairs, Associate Head of School Karen Pavliscak and Head of School Elizabeth English, graduated from an all girls’ school in Nashville and has spent her career in independent schools, according to the campus-wide email. English said in a phone interview that Tally’s “deep commitment” to Archer’s mission set her apart in the eyes of the search committee.

“She really had done her homework,” English said. “She showed a great deal of admiration for Archer and respect for Archer.”

The decision-making process incorporated feedback from student leadership and faculty members on the finalist candidates. Junior Nicole Farmer, who was on the committee because of her role in the Ambassador Leadership Team, said she was “super happy” to learn of Tally’s appointment.

“She just walked in, and she screamed Archer,” Farmer said. “One of the things that set her apart was the fact that she was so interested in us as people and not just students.”

English is particularly excited about Tally’s work ethic and commitment to research-based practices. As an Editorial Board member of Klingbrief, an educational newsletter produced by Columbia University, Tally is familiar with developments in education.

“She’s constantly reading and researching and reflecting on the state of education,” she said. “She’s a learner, and so I think she’s really going to be what I would call the head learner of the upper school.”

The Oracle will be completing an in-depth profile of Tally in the coming weeks.