Beginning July 1, Kingsbury Country Day School in Addison Township will have a new top administrator.
It was announced last week that Tom Mecsey, an educator at Cranbrook-Kingswood for 22 years, will take over as the new Head of School.
‘Being in independent school education as long as I have been, Kingsbury’s reputation as an exceptional school has always been known to me,? he said. ‘In many ways, (Kingsbury’s) philosophy and its programming pretty much mirror what we do here at Cranbrook. It just seemed like a natural step for me.?
Mecsey replaces Gilbert Webb, who resigned in March and has been named Head of School at St. Andrews Episcopal School in Savannah, Georgia.
Despite the changing of the guard, Mecsey does not plan to ‘step right in and change anything? at Kingsbury.
‘I’m very satisfied with what’s going on at this point,? he said.
Going out into the community and promoting the school to families ‘who may not know where we are or who we are? is going to be a main focus for Mecsey.
‘Kingsbury, because of its location, is one of Oakland County’s best kept secrets,? he said. ‘My job in the next few years is to familiarize people in the area with the good programs offered there and try to encourage more families to join us.?
Mecsey hopes his new position at Kingsbury will at some point in the future afford him the opportunity to spend some time teaching in the classroom.
At Cranbrook, he’s busy teaching middle school science, human development and computer applications.
Mecsey also serves as director of middle school athletics at Cranbrook, where he oversees 21 interscholastic and 26 intramural sports programs. He’s a Certified Master Athletic Administrator, which is the highest level attainable in the field.
‘I think that athletics is a natural extension of the classroom,? Mecsey said. ‘First and foremost, it’s an opportunity for coaches to be involved in the character development of kids. It’s a great opportunity for kids to learn self-discipline, confidence and perseverance. I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of it.?
At Cranbrook, Mecsey said it was always important for their teams to select the ‘values? they ‘wanted people to recognize in them during the course of the season? and ‘remember once the season was over.?
The Michigan Interscholastic Administrators Association (MIAA) named Mecsey the Region XIV Coach of the Year. He serves on the MIAA’s Executive Board of Directors and is due to become the organization’s president in March 2009.
Over the years, Mecsey’s been honored with such distinctions as the Cranbrook President’s Award and an Excellence Award from the Metropolitan Detroit Science Teachers.
In his family, Mecsey, who grew up in Allen Park, then Warren, is surrounded by educators. ‘My father was a science teacher who became a principal. I have siblings who are teachers. My daughter is a teacher,? he said. ‘It’s certainly a family business.?
Originally, Mecsey had planned to pursue a career in medicine after graduating Wayne State University with a bachelor’s degree in science.
While he was waiting to get into medical school, he started working on his master’s degree in microbiology. Part of his degree work required him to teach undergraduate classes.
‘As soon as I stepped in that classroom, that’s when I realized this is what I really wanted to do,? Mecsey said.
Mecsey is extremely grateful for his many years at Cranbrook-Kingswood.
‘Cranbrook’s been very good to me as far as helping me to become a better educator, a stronger educator,? he said.
Now, he’s ready to face new challenges.
‘After certain amounts of time, it’s important for people to look for other ways to grow,? Mecsey said. ‘When the opportunity presented itself at Kingsbury, it looked like the next logical step for me and my growth.?
He looks forward to working with those Kingsbury students who have always impressed him so much over the years.
‘Kingsbury kids are very well-rounded in their education,? Mecsey said. ‘Kingsbury emphasizes the total development of the child ? physical, emotional, cultural, social, intellectual.?
Mecsey is eager to take his place in the ‘tight-knit? and ‘family-based? Kingsbury community. ‘I’m very much a people person,? he said. ‘I enjoy working with kids as much as I enjoy working with families.?
A family man himself, Mecsey and his wife, Cindy, who works as the charge nurse at Cranbrook-Kingswood, have three grown children ? Katie, Laura and Bryan.