EC Head of School Transition: Ruth Kuder to Take the Lead as Tom Dykhouse Set to Retire

As announced at our Annual Association meeting, our school community is about to undergo a leadership transition. After 14 years of service as Head of School, Tom Dykhouse will be retiring. We want to thank Tom for his years of service, his drive, contagious optimism and amazing commitment to our school community. He took over a school with a decade-long declining enrollment, school buildings in disrepair, and real questions about the long term sustainability of our school. Under his direction, Eastern Christian School has thrived. Even with all of the unique challenges presented by operating a school in person and remotely through a global pandemic, Tom leaves his beloved EC in a much better place than when he started.

Tom will pass the leadership baton to EC Chief Education Officer and Assistant Head of School, Ruth Kuder. The Board of Directors couldn’t have chosen a better fit for our school.

Ruth has served Eastern Christian School in many different capacities over the past 30 years including Teacher, Dean of Students, Director of the International Student Program, High School Principal, Chief Education Officer, and Assistant Head of School. She will be the first female Head of School in the 129 year history of Eastern Christian School.

In the coming weeks, there will be a number of ways to celebrate Tom’s legacy. We’ll also be profiling our new Head of School so that our community can get to better know her.

“As a parent-governed school, we recognized the critical importance of top level leadership in our Head of School position. We remain grateful to Tom Dykhouse for his incredible leadership over the entirety of his time at EC,” said EC Board President Nick Kuiken. “We are also thrilled that Ruth Kuder has accepted this leadership position at this time in our school’s history. There is no one that our Board of Directors would rather have as our Head of School moving forward than Ruth Kuder. We are thankful that the Lord has provided and continues to provide such amazing leadership talent for our Christian school family.” 

• Join us in thanking Tom Dykhouse for his amazing legacy (link)
• Join us in welcoming Ruth Kuder to the Head of School position (link)

Please also keep both of these individuals and their families in your prayers as they both prepare for these major transitions.