The Holland Hall Board of Trustees announced Brent Kaneft as its 16th Head of School on Friday, Sept. 25. He will start July 1, 2027.
Kaneft replaces JP Culley, the longest-serving Head in school history. Kaneft most recently served as Head of School at Wilson Hall, a PK3-12 independent school in Sumter, South Carolina.
“I am honored to join Holland Hall,” Kaneft said. “Although the facilities, programs, and curriculum are exceptional, it’s the people of the Holland Hall community—its students, parents, alumni, trustees, faculty, and staff—who make this place a gravitational force for any independent-school leader looking for a school where excellence is the expectation, relationship the foundation, and wise stewardship a shared responsibility. A school grounded in traditions that don’t stagnate, but deepen and propel.”
Click here to read letters from the Board of Trustees and Mr. Kaneft here.
Sarah Smith
Holland Hall Chaplain Sarah Smith joined Holland Hall in 2023 after coaching at independent schools in Oklahoma City, then leading her own parish, before spending time at the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma.
She holds degrees from Notre Dame and Vanderbilt.
A sixth-generation Oklahoman who graduated from an independent school, she is uniquely qualified to teach religion courses and offer pastoral care at Holland Hall.
Christy Utter
Christy serves as the Middle School Chaplain in addition to her role as head field hockey coach. A 1992 graduate of Holland Hall, Utter coached at the University of Louisville and Brown before returning to Holland Hall.
She holds degrees from the University of North Carolina and the University of Louisville.
Her mission as a chaplain is simple: Helping students to understand the consequences of their choices, helping them to develop a strong moral compass, and guiding them as they lead of life of loving others with compassion, no judgment, and understanding and appreciating the differences in others.
Kristin Lees
Kristin serves as the Primary School Chaplain and is instrumental in teaching the Second Step curriculum, which promotes social and emotional skills in children. The program fosters and builds skills related to empathy, communication, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
