Our Team

Sherm Bristow

Sherm is a Baltimore native who played three sports at Gilman School. At Princeton University he played basketball and baseball and ultimately received a Masters in Education from Loyola College. Lured back to his alma mater, Sherm spent another twenty-six years at Gilman serving in roles including English teacher, Athletic Director, Head Basketball Coach, Head Football Coach and finally Associate Headmaster under Reddy Finney. In 1997 he joined Samuel James Ltd., a financial services company. Since 2011, Sherm has focused on bringing The Finney Search Group concept to life.

W. Boulton Dixon

Bo Dixon graduated from Haverford School outside Philadelphia. He then attended Princeton University where he played varsity soccer. After receiving his Masters in Education from Temple University, he spent ten years back at Haverford School teaching English and coaching soccer, basketball, and baseball. He went on to serve as Head of three independent schools: Columbus Academy in Ohio; Haverford School; and McDonogh School outside Baltimore.

He has always believed that the teacher-coach model is one of the crown jewels of independent education and has seen countless students and faculty thrive within this framework.

Chris Hutchins

Chris grew up near Baltimore and attended Gilman School where he played three sports and University of North Carolina where he played lacrosse. He then spent thirty-three years in the business community working for six different companies throughout the country. Much of his experience has involved coaching and administrating sports from the youth to the professional level. Over the years, Chris has enjoyed a close association with Reddy Finney whom he credits with teaching the basis for a successful life. 

Consultants

Patricia Hayot

Dr. Hayot is currently in her fourteenth year as Head of School at Chapin School in New York City.
A consummate educator with more than 30 years of experience, prior to Chapin she taught in the United States, Switzerland, and France, and served as Head of School at both the International
School of Paris and Columbus (OH) School for Girls.

​

A former Klingenstein Fellow at Teachers College, Dr. Hayot received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marquette University and her Ph.D in educational psychology from the University of Michigan. Married to Fernand Hayot, professor of neurobiology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, she is the mother of two grown children and the grandmother of four.

F. Robertson Hershey

Rob Hershey recently retired after serving for eighteen years as the Headmaster of Episcopal High School (VA). His career in education began as a teacher/coach/administrator at Woodberry Forest School (VA). After eight years he was appointed Headmaster of Durham Academy (NC); ten years
later he accepted the appointment of Headmaster/President of his alma mater, The Collegiate School
in Richmond, VA where he served for ten years prior to his move to Episcopal.

​

A graduate of Williams College, where he played basketball and tennis and received his degree in economics, Rob received his master’s degree from the University of Virginia. He was granted an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters from the Virginia Theological Seminary and an honorary doctorate in Civil Law from Sewanee, University of the South. He is married to the former Kathleen Tillery Barco, and is the father of three grown children and the grandfather of five.

Mercer Neale

Mercer's 47-year career in independent schools began as a classroom teacher in the fourth grade at Gilman School.   A teacher, coach, and adviser, Mercer's classroom experiences include mathematics, anthropology, history, and science.   Mercer served in a variety of administrative positions at Gilman, and for the last 25 years he was head at three different independent schools:  Boys' Latin, and Episcopal Collegiate School, and Southampton Academy.  Mercer and his wife, Betsy, live in Franklin, Virginia.