Excerpts of
“A SOUNDTRACK OF LIFE AND LEADERSHIP” by Wanda M. Holland Greene Head of School, Hamlin School (San Francisco), Former Assistant Head of School, The Park School
believe is right. Jerry is calm and decisive, and therefore brilliant in a crisis. I was a member of the administrative team on 9/11, I was there on the days when parents died unexpectedly and after long illnesses, when Park employees experienced sickness, disappointment, and loss. Anyone can lead a school on a good day. Great leaders like Jerry Katz solve problems, help to unscramble confusion, and bring healing when there is hurt. For your wise and thoughtful leadership on good days and bad, Jerry, we thank you. ....
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Jerry, I have produced a Motortown Review*—just for you— four songs that characterize and celebrate your twenty years of outstanding leadership at The Park School . . . Little Stevie Wonder would sing “You Are The Sunshine of My Life” not to Jerry, but for Jerry. Stevie would sing of the love that Jerry has for his extraordinary wife, Marti Katz, whose patience, wisdom, companionship, and generosity have been priceless gifts to him and to many of us. She is his theater mate from Boston to Broadway, his confidante and sounding board, and his partner in raising boys to men. And let’s be clear: she is also Jerry’s intellectual peer and an equally gifted educator. . . . ....
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles sing “Tracks of My Tears” to describe the tension
between the head of school’s public and private selves. Headship is a bold decision to live in the public eye for much of your waking hours. Being a head of school is not a job, and it is not even a career—it is a state of being— a lifestyle choice. Headship means getting comfortable with being the life of the party and being the topic of party conversation. Many of you may not realize that Jerry is, at his core, an introvert. I think it is fair to say that he is shy. He is also incredibly funny and playful, though not everyone sees or knows that side of him. Jerry’s leadership reveals that one does not have to be an extrovert to be an effective public figure; however, one does have to be willing to demonstrate moral courage again and again. Moral courage is an essential quality in leaders and absolutely required if one wants to build an extraordinary school. Courageous action has been a key to Jerry’s success and has allowed Park to adapt and thrive for 125 years. . . . .... Yes, this song by The Temptations is called “Ball of Confusion”—the truth is that leader-
ship is not glamorous. Sure, there are great perks. There’s access to beautiful places, fascinating people, and great seats at athletic events. However, there is no perk large enough to soothe the soul on a very difficult and confusing day. Leading an organization during a crisis and managing change over time means being willing to do what it best for children and their families always, always, always. Before you become a head of school, no one tells you that you will have to risk public disapproval and withstand harsh criticism even when you are doing what you
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The Park School Bulletin | Spring 2013
“Reach Out, I’ll Be There” is a song which expresses the gratitude that many educators and friends in this auditorium feel. We have all been blessed by the years of friendship, mentorship, and sponsorship that Jerry has provided throughout our lives. I am only one example of those who have benefitted from Jerry’s counsel and support; not only has he offered advice and insight (that’s what we call mentoring)—he has created numerous leadership opportunities for leaders like me to grow and learn. He has worked hard to build our capacity as leaders, and we are forever in his debt. By bringing many of us to the board of trustees table, inviting us to lead major program initiatives, prepping us for interviews, and attending meetings and conferences with us, we are stronger leaders. This is what we call sponsorship. Jerry is a friend, a mentor, and a sponsor, and he has been selfless in these roles.
.... This musical revue is drawing to a close, but the reality is that the lyrics of Jerry’s life are still being written; he might not be young anymore, but he is youthful in his energy and in his ideals about what the world can and should be. He is, after all, a child of the 60’s. In the spirit of the music and the civil rights movement of that decade, I will close with the words of a man who meant a great deal to Jerry: Senator Robert Francis Kennedy. In 1962, Bobby Kennedy declared, “This world demands the qualities of youth; not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” Jerry, may you strive to remain youthful in the way you think and in the way that you lead, and may New York City bring you and Marti more joy and more adventure than your hearts can hold. * During the 1960s, Motown artists such as Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Supremes performed in packaged concert tours known as The Motortown Review.