Village School of Naples Leader Elected to Southern Headmasters Association

NAPLES, Fla. – The Village School of Naples, an independent school serving students in Preschool through 12th grade, announced that Head of School Dennis Chapman was among a select group of school leaders elected into the Southern Heads Association.

The Southern Heads Association is a professional organization comprised of 20 active school heads and an unspecified number of former active headmasters of elementary and/or secondary independent schools consistent with those accredited by either the Southern Association of Independent Schools or Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The primary purpose of the Southern Heads Association is to provide opportunities intended to inform, stimulate and rejuvenate both members and their spouses alike for the responsibilities inherent in the head-mastering profession. Election to membership is based upon a lifetime of professional and dedicated service to independent schools.

“I am honored that I have been nominated and elected into this prestigious group of professionals, and I was fortunate enough to make it in on the first ballot,” Chapman said.

A native of Miami, Chapman has more than 15 years of independent school leadership experience and 20 years of non-profit experience. He joined The Village School in 2018 after serving as President and Head of School at The New School in Fayetteville, Ark. Before that, he was Associate Head of School for The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota.

Chapman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Trinity International University and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Education at The University of Pennsylvania in Educational Leadership. Chapman presents annually at independent school conferences nationwide and has received nearly a dozen industry awards for his work in school marketing. He also writes a monthly blog providing topical insights as an educational thought leader.

Located at 6000 Goodlette-Frank Rd., The Village School of Naples originally began as The Caring Place Preschool in 1985 as an outreach at North Naples United Methodist Church. In 2000, the church relocated to the present campus location and added The Village School, beginning with K-2 and 37 students. In 2006, the school was accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the Florida Kindergarten Council.

In 2009, parents asked The Village School for a middle school to be added and soon after added the middle school one grade a year to complete the eighth grade. Four years later, the Board of Directors voted to add an upper school division in the fall of 2017. A capital campaign followed, and the new division opened in August 2017 with 17 students.

In June 2020, The Village School celebrated its first-ever graduating class of seniors with a class of 12 students. The Village School projects to have more than 100 upper school students in the fall of 2021. For additional information, visit www.villageschoolnaples.org.