b'Heres a snapshot of what Tommys former Heads of School had to say about him.What a blessing it has been for GDS to havefamilies, and strong educational values.Proempticon for David GilbertTommyfor 39 years, and what extraordinaryThroughout his tenure at Greensboro Day things you have done for so many, including mySchool, whatever position he has held,We mark this day a new setting out,family. It was clear to me when I first met youknowing and caring about students by nameWith family, with your instrument,that youd be a super-star for any school. Howand by interest has led Tommys thinkingYour backpack, perhaps a laptop,fortunate we were that you decided to join us atand direction. He is a loyal supporter of theDown a different trail.a critical point in the growth of the school. parents efforts to enrich the school. Tommy continues to work with students, faculty, and44 years of you have filled this place,I hired a lot of faculty and staff in the courseother administrators to help develop GDS as of over 30 years as a Head of School. I was, ofan incubator for academic excellence, ethicalYour mind the bowcourse, greatly assisted by colleagues in thosedevelopment, and student integrity. He leadsUpon the delicate cellomost important of all decisions in school work.with one hand out, the other hand at yourOf running a school,In that critical work there very rarely occursback, and a huge smile on his face. Teacher,The unseen that make possible the seen.a situation where you meet a candidate andcolleague, administrator, and friend, TommyYou made the difficult calculations,know within the first three minutes that theembodies all we celebrate as we lift up 50Taught the difficult subjects,individual is destined to be a superstar, and anoutstanding years of people and education atInvesting an intelligenceintegral part of the future of the school. TommyGreensboro Day School. Such as most of us had never seen,Webb was one of the three I met in my years atA loyalty beyond what was owed,GDS that fits that description. Mark Hale, Head of School 20062019A way of seeing obstacles as opportunities.Jim Hendrix, Head of School1977- 2006 You set up a telescope one nightFor kids to watch the starsI came to GDS in 1986 as a young first-timeAt the half of a basketball game.Head of School filled with dreams for how this wonderful place could become one of the bestI would write a concerto for you,independent schools in the South and even theGood friend of so many happy days and hours;nation. I met an even younger English teacherI would commission Elgaroriginally from Tennessee who had come to GDS a few years earlier. In him I saw a trulyTo celebrate anew, withgifted teacher, and most importantly, one of theWhen Tommy Webb welcomed me to GDSThose rich bronze chords, complex cadenzabest people-persons I had ever come to know.in July 2019, I knew I would have the honorThemes of love, of mind and spirit,Tommy Webb never forgot anyone. He genuinelyto work with someone very special. I learnedTo celebrate friendship,loved people, and they loved him back. Tommythat summer that my time with TommyA way of being in the world,was destined for a larger role at GDS, andwould be short after he shared his hopes andThe idea of the school.before long, I offered him the role of Assistantdreams to retire after celebrating GDSs 50th Headmaster. I never looked back, and neitherbirthday and his own 70th birthday laterRobert Demareedid he. Literal generations of students and theirthis spring. I knew this day was coming, but families have been blessed with his smile thatit doesnt make it any easier to say farewell to betrays a true admiration and affection for eacha GDS icon. Tommy, we wish you every good individual he encounters. He saw the best infortune as you begin whats next. We hope everyone, and they in turn gave their best to thethat your coming schedule will include more school. time for you and your family, perhaps some more time in Florence, Italy, post-COVID, Ralph Davison, Head of School 1986-2006 of course! We will look forward to seeing you visit campus next fall, and from time to time as your schedule allows, but only after fully celebrating your career later this spring.Until then, we look forward to celebrating you over the next seven months until your departing day on May 31, 2021.Tracie Catlett, Head of School, 2019-PresentTommy Webb embodies what it means to be a professional in a school connecting students, 22 | Winter 2020'