Meg Bamford will move from Maryland to start tenure July 1, 2022
Miriam is pleased to announce the appointment of Meghan Bamford as the organization’s next executive leader. Bamford has devoted her entire career to educating students with special needs and said she was drawn to Miriam because of its mission change the trajectory of students’ lives.
“I found the collective, joyful spirit of the Miriam organization’s work on behalf of children with complex learning disabilities so inspiring. To have the privilege of leading such an incredible organization into its next chapter is truly a dream come true,” Bamford said.
For the past four years, Bamford has served as the head of Radcliffe Creek School, an independent school in Maryland with a mission very similar to Miriam’s. Prior to that, she was director of student services in the Hopkinton Public Schools, New Hampshire, a senior leadership position she rose to after serving for 10 years as a reading and writing specialist. During that time, Bamford also taught a methods course in teaching struggling readers and writers at Rivier University and Granite State College. She has also worked at Landmark School in Massachusetts, a school for students with dyslexia and other language based learning differences, and she began her career teaching in the inner city of Chicago. Bamford was a unique learner herself and credits the teachers who recognized her strengths and helped her build on them as her inspiration for a career in special needs education.
“Meg’s desire to help students who learn differently arises from empathy, a quality that is immediately evident when you meet her,” said Miriam Board President Trish Winchell. “The search committee feels very confident that Meg is just the kind of leader we need to carry Miriam forward into a strong future.”
Bamford’s appointment as Head of School and Learning Center concludes a rigorous search process that began last December, when Andy Thorp announced his intention to conclude his 15-year tenure as executive director. The board appointed Bill Florent as interim executive director, providing themselves time to reflect on the ideal structure for leadership moving forward. In April, the board appointed a Search Committee, led by Andy Greenberg, and contracted with search consultants from Gowan Group. Over the summer, the consultants identified and vetted candidates from across the country and the world, and the search committee narrowed the applicant pool to semifinalists and then finalists. The finalists met in person with trustees, faculty, staff, students, parents and senior administrators.
Bamford will officially begin her tenure at Miriam on July 1, 2022.
