Dennis Manning

Dennis Manning served as head of Norfolk Academy, the nation’s eighth oldest school, from 2001-2023. During his 22-year tenure he also taught English in the upper school. Under Dennis’s leadership, the school saw the completion of two capital campaigns, the most recent and largest in its history raised over $68M, as well as the creation and development of the Batten Leadership Program, which includes the five Fellows programs, Medical Scholars, and Leadership Lab, and an expansion of engineering and science education. During Dennis’s tenure, the school increased student diversity from 7% to nearly 30% students of color, implemented a diversity, equity, and justice statement in 2018, and increased professional development to focus on deepening community members’ sense of belonging. The school also strengthened its student-led, faculty-guided honor system with the establishment of a middle school honor council. Dennis has also hired and mentored a number of independent school leaders, including five current independent school heads.

For a decade, Dennis served on the SAIS Board of Trustees, including a two-year term as president. He has also served on several non-profit boards, including the Wake Forest University Board of Visitors, the Smithsonian Libraries, VAIS, and Westminster-Canterbury. He is a past president of the Norfolk Forum, the longest-standing public speaking series in the country. He currently serves as a member of the TASIS Foundation Board. Dennis earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Wake Forest University. He began his teaching career at Woodberry Forest School. He subsequently served as dean of freshmen and English instructor at Washington and Lee University and head of school for The American School in England. He and his wife, Beth, have two children, Mary Heath and Will.

DSA Presentation Video: https://vimeo.com/882539806/f123ef221e?share=copy