Headmaster Tom Whitworth announced today that Associate Headmaster James Milford will leave Darlington at the end of the current school year to assume a new role as head of Maclay School, a day school in Tallahassee, Florida.
“Saying goodbye to James will be bittersweet for Darlington,” Whitworth said. “He has been a strong force in the development of Darlington’s program and the backbone in building a great team. I think James would have been an amazing partner for incoming Head of School Brent Bell, but it’s clear that James is more than ready to lead his own school and I am thrilled for him. I think he’s really going to enjoy being at a day school. The training he has received and the experiences he has had during his tenure at Darlington are going to bode well for him as he builds upon the mission-centric program at Maclay. I’m very excited for both James and his family as they set off on this journey of leadership.”
Milford was hired in 2001 and served as head of Milford House (now Cooper House) for eight years. In 2006, he took on the additional role of director of residential life, a position he held for two years before being promoted to director of student life. During his tenure with the Student Life Office, Milford led the residential program from an average retention rate of 69% to a sustained rate in the mid-80s with improved alignment of mission-appropriate students in addition to creating, developing and launching the First-Year Experience program for new residential students, a residential curriculum for all boarding students, and new orientation and training programs for student leaders that focused on their individual strengths.
In 2009, Milford was named associate headmaster and director of admission. As such, he led the Admission Office to its best performance in ten years. He also teaches a technology course; oversees financial aid, communication, academies and summer programs; and has served on multiple board-level committees, including the Strategic Planning Committee and the Lower School Relocation Ad Hoc Committee.
Milford is a recipient of the William G. Neville Service Award and, twice, the Brown Award for Faculty Excellence.
“Darlington School and the community here have been our family for close to 15 years,” Milford said. “My wife, Angie, and I have reared our children on the campus and have been blessed by the students, co-workers and parents at every step. We moved into Persons Hall when our oldest son, Clayburn, was nine months old. Now, as he is ready to enter high school next year with two younger brothers, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the many individuals who have invested in my family and me."
Milford added that the mentoring he has received during his tenure at Darlington has been critical to his career path.
“I would be remiss not to mention the exceptional mentoring I’ve received over the years,” he said. “This, I believe, is the true secret to what makes Darlington great. It is a place where people invest in people. I’ve had a string of strong mentors at Darlington, the latest of whom is Headmaster Tom Whitworth. Tom has left an indelible mark on my leadership and my life. His leadership has made Darlington an exceptional school and I have been blessed to have a front row seat to it.
“Darlington has maintained greatness because these great leaders have stewarded her over the years,” Milford continued. “I have had the distinct benefit of standing on the shoulders of giants who have come before me. I hope, in some small way, that I’ve helped Darlington and others along their paths to greater personal and professional fulfillment. I could never repay Darlington all she has given me. Our family leaves Darlington excited about what lies ahead but will forever be transformed by our Darlington experience.”
