Presidential Search

Mid-Pacific Institute is engaged in a thoughtful, inclusive and mission-aligned process to identify its next President. This page will serve as a central resource for our community throughout the search. It will answer common questions and document updates and the timeline as we seek a leader who will build upon Mid-Pacific’s strong foundation, innovative spirit, and commitment to preparing students to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

If you have questions, comments or would like to nominate someone for the search, you can email presidentsearch@midpac.edu.

Search Committee

Board of Trustees, Search Committee Co-Chairs
Chris Dods P’27, P’29, P’33
Denis Isono P’98, P’03, GP’38, GP’39

Board of Trustees
Patrick Kobayashi ’91, P’25, P’31, Vice Chair
Greg Leong P’24, P’26, Board Chair
Kathy Morimoto P’19, P’21
Keith Ogata P’06, P’09
Jenny Wood P’22, P’24

Administration: (advisory, non-voting)
Lesley Kaneshiro P’17, Chief Operating Officer
Stephen Ly P’32, P’34, Middle and High School Principal

Advisory Committees

Trustee Advisory
Dr. Edna Hussey GP’25, GP’34, GP’38
Shelee Kimura P’20, P’25
Patrick Jones P’22, P’24

Alumni Advisory Committee
Dana Harvey ’91, P’28, Chair
Ryan Hobson ’11
Laura Komoda ’04
Michael Maeda ’79

Faculty Advisory Committee
Abbey Day P’37, Preschool & Elementary, Chair
Kathy Wheeler ’91, P’17, P’01, High School Academics
Jeff Chang P’28, Middle School Academics
Tobi Kishimoto ’14, High School Arts
Jodie Sakaguchi P’32, High School Academics, International Program
Danelle Landgraf, High School Academics, Technology and Engineering

Parent Advisory Committee
Maile Kawamura, P’28, P’30
Patrick McGuirk, P’31, P’34
Lavonne Leong, P’24, P’29
James Urso ’04, P’36
Rachel Fujioka ’03, P’31, P’34, P’37, P’39

Community Updates

President Search Survey (May26, 2026)

Owl News (May 18, 2026)

Presidential Search Update: Presidential Search Committee Formed (May 7, 2026)

Board Announcement: President of School Departure (March 31, 2026)

FAQs

Why is Paul leaving Mid-Pacific?

Dr. Turnbull has been selected to be the Head of School at Cary Academy in Cary, NC effective July 1, 2027. This is a role that represents a fitting next chapter in Dr. Turnbull’s distinguished career.

Dr. Turnbull will remain an active leader of Mid-Pacific for the next year and will support the school through a smooth and thoughtful transition.

We look forward to celebrating Dr. Turnbull’s legacy over the coming year. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Turnbull and his wife, Leslie, as they embark on this next chapter and prepare for their move to Cary Academy next summer.

What are the roles of the Board of Trustees and the Search Committee?

The responsibility for selecting the next President at Mid-Pacific lies with the Board of Trustees—one of its most significant duties. The Board will contribute to shaping the desired candidate profile, meet with all finalists, and, based on the Search Committee’s recommendation, approve the appointment of the new president.

To lead this process, the Board has established a Search Committee to manage the search on its behalf. The Committee will be led by two co-chairs - trustees Chris Dods and Denis Isono. The committee is responsible for overseeing each phase of the process and will gather input from all constituents of the Mid-Pacific community, including students, faculty and staff, parents, alumni, former parents, and trustees. In partnership with our search consultants at RG175, the Committee will coordinate and execute the logistics of the entire search effort.

Both the Board and the Search Committee are dedicated to keeping the Mid-Pacific community informed and engaged as the process unfolds.

What is the role of faculty and staff?

What is the role of current parents/guardians?

What is the timing of the search?

How will the community be informed regarding progress on the search?

The Search Committee is committed to an open and transparent search process. The Search Committee will keep the Mid-Pacific community informed of our progress through announcements and postings on the Mid-Pacific Presidential Search webpage. The Search Committee will balance our commitment to make this process inclusive and transparent with the need to respect the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.

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