Henry Fairfax
Head of School, Dresden Endowed Chair
Before joining Concord Academy as its 11th head of school in July 2022, Henry was the founding head of school at Revolution School in Philadelphia. At Revolution, which is committed to experiential learning and community partnerships, he was responsible for all aspects of the school, including appointing the founding educators and core academic team, curriculum development and design, and establishing effective advancement strategies in support of their commitment to provide access to all deserving students, regardless of their ability to pay. Under his leadership, Revolution School earned its Pennsylvania Department of Education license for grades 9 through 12 and Pennsylvania Association for Independent Schools initial accreditation in record time, and moved to a new, permanent home in Center City Philadelphia.
Prior to Revolution, Henry served as vice president of enrollment management and institutional advancement at Girard College in Philadelphia, a tuition-free boarding school that has enrolled underserved youth from single-parent/guardian homes since 1848. In his three years at Girard, he overhauled the enrollment management and fundraising operations to bring both up to industry standards. He also served as director of admissions at the Haverford School in Haverford, Penn. (his alma mater), as director of the Foundations Program at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., and as program director for the Middle Grades Partnership, an enrichment program that he developed with funding from the Baltimore Community Foundation. Henry has also taught English and coached basketball.
A graduate of Drexel University, where he majored in marketing, Henry played four years of Division I basketball and served as captain his senior year, earning a trip to the NCAA NIT Tournament. He holds an MEd degree in school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania and continues to serve as a university mentor within its Graduate School of Education.
His own experience of a transformational education, at The Haverford School, set him on his path in independent school education. Throughout his career, he has been active in supporting first-generation independent school students and fostering innovative partnerships. His approach to leadership is based in relationship, shaped by flexible thinking and guided by mission. Henry lives on CA’s campus with his family, which includes his wife, Ivy, and their children, Brooklyn, Bryce, Cassius, Prime, and Apollo.
