EAST PROVIDENCE — Providence Country Day formally welcomed new Head of School Kevin Folan to the fold during a luncheon and ceremony at the Evan West Field House on campus Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 16.

Mr. Folan, who took over the post from Vince Watchorn on July 1 of this year, becomes the ninth head of school in PCD’s 96-year history.

Among those to address the gathering besides Mr. Folan were Board of Trustee members John Mullen, Class of 2002, and Kate Farrington as well as Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Suttell.
Mr. Folan has 16 years of experience in education. He was first appointed by the Hyde School in Maine, spending 14 years there as a teacher, coach, and dorm parent, then as Dean of Students and, ultimately, Assistant Head of School and Executive Director of Enrollment Management.

Mr. Folan left Hyde to become the Head of Hilltop Country Day School in New Jersey in 2017. During his time at Hilltop, he and his team increased enrollment and tuition revenue while improving student retention. Mr. Folan recruited the first cohort of international students to expand diversity and global awareness.

In addition to creating strategic local partnerships to increase Hilltop’s presence, he designed and launched Hilltop’s service-learning curriculum as well as initiated and coached the first interscholastic athletic teams at the school. Active in the community during his time at Hyde and at Hilltop, Mr. Folan also served on the Economic Development Committee for Bath, Maine and the March of Dimes Executive Leadership Team of Sussex County.