Westchester names Keever head of school

The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Apr. 29—HIGH POINT — The interim head of school at Westchester Country Day officially has landed the position full time.

The school's board of trustees announced Monday the appointment of longtime teacher and administrator Mary Keever as the 14th head of school.

Keever had served as interim head of school since July 2023 following Cobb Atkinson, who stepped down after leading the school for 13 years. She has been a Wildcat for 25 years, serving as a language arts and literature teacher since 1999.

"Mary has done a phenomenal job leading Westchester forward," board of trustees president Tom Van Dessel said. "Throughout these months, she has demonstrated excellence in handling the day-to-day requirements of the job while operating at a strategic level. As we prepared to open a national search, it became clear that our internal candidate, who has been through an eight-month on-the-job interview, is the leader we were seeking."

Through the years, Keever has held several leadership roles at the school, most recently as head of middle school, a position she held from 2012 until she was named interim head of school in 2023. Additional roles include dean of faculty and assistant head in the middle school, athletic coach, and SAIS reaccreditation coordinator.

Keever has a bachelor's degree in English from Wofford College and a master of education degree in reading from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

She and her husband, Wes, are High Point residents and have two children who attended Westchester from kindergarten: Dory, a 2021 graduate, and Abby, a member of the class of 2024.

Through the years, Keever has been a member of the Junior League of High Point, Guild of Family Service of the Piedmont, High Point Regional Young Advocates Society, and the High Point Regional Hospital Gala Committee. She served as a board member for Good Friends of High Point for 10 years. She was chair of Family Service of High Point Oyster Roast in 2007.

"I am blessed to serve alongside such talented administration and staff while engaging with students from pre-K to 12th grade and their families," Keever said. "The board of trustees has been exceptional and selfless as we've worked together on developing a strategic plan to guide Westchester through the next five years. I am thrilled for the opportunity to lead this plan and our vision for continued impact and service to our greater community."