JACKSON, Wyo. — Today, Teton Science Schools (TSS) announced the selection of Shawn Kelly as Chief Executive Officer effective Sept. 6. Kelly joined the institution in May as interim Head of School for Mountain Academy of Teton Science Schools, an independent school with campuses in Jackson, Wyoming and Teton Valley, Idaho.
Kelly will be the seventh leader of TSS, and its first CEO.
“Shawn brings proven expertise and a fresh energy to Teton Science Schools at a pivotal time,” said Pete Regan, board chair of the TSS Board of Directors. “This next phase, coming out of a global pandemic and forging ahead to regain institutional momentum, will be both a test and proving ground for TSS. Our hope and goal is to build up from our historical volume of serving 15,000 students annually and to scale our mission and impact in communities around the world.”
Kelly brings over two decades of leadership experience at independent schools including roles as head of school, director of development and alumni affairs, and director of studies. Most recently, he held the role of head of school at two independent schools, St. Peter’s School in Philadelphia, PA and The McClelland School in Pueblo, CO. Kelly’s experience also includes leadership roles with Exploration Schools Inc., a leading provider of youth experiential day and residential summer programs in partnership with top-ranked colleges and universities.
Over the course of his career, Kelly has taught a myriad of courses in both the sciences and in the humanities to students ranging from preschool to the undergraduate level. The committee selected him for the post in part based on his strong belief in the transformative power of place-based education and effort to prioritize student engagement where they are learning in a manner that connects course material to their everyday lives.
Kelly holds a B.A. in marine resource management from University of Rhode Island and earned a M.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Education in the Learning and Teaching Program. During his undergraduate study, Kelly worked on two USAID conservation projects in Sri Lanka in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development and Department of Marine Affairs at URI.
“It is an honor and privilege to be selected as the CEO of TSS,” said Kelly. “Through my interview process and over the last four months overseeing Mountain Academy, I can tell you that the reason my family and I accepted this opportunity was because of the people who make up the TSS community.”
Shawn and wife Tiffany have two children, Eva (8) and Jack (1). They recently relocated from Colorado Springs, CO, and look forward to connecting with the greater Jackson and Teton Valley communities.
