International educator to lead Chadwick School
British Columbia native Daljit ‘Dal” Sohi begins this summer as Head of School at Chadwick School. Photo courtesy of Chadwick School.
by Barbara Najar
Daljit ‘Dal” Sohi speaks English, French, Mandarin, and Punjabi. The British Columbia native is currently Head of School at Dar Al Marefa School in Dubai, an English and Arabic, International Baccalaureate World School with 775 students from 35 countries and more than 150 faculty and staff from 17 countries.
Beginning July 1, Sohi will become the 12th Head of School in the 84-year history of Chadwick School.
Sohi’s appointment was announced by Velveth Schmitz, Chair of the Roessler-Chadwick Foundation (RCF) Board of Trustees. Sohi succeeds Jeff Mercer, who was appointed Interim Head of School following the departure of Dr. Jack Creeden on Aug. 1, 2018. Sohi will oversee Chadwick’s community of 860 K-12 students, 113 faculty and the school’s facilities covering 45 acres.
“Dal brings tremendous breadth and depth of experience as a school leader, with a career that spans 24 years, four countries and includes service on public and independent school accreditation teams in six countries and four continents,” Schmitz said.
Sohi’s selection follows a six-month process led by an 11-member search committee of trustees, Chadwick faculty members, and alumni. The search included candidates from all over the country and the world.
“Chadwick’s mission to ‘develop global citizens with keen minds, exemplary character, self-knowledge and the ability to lead’ truly reflects the values and competencies required to prepare our children to thrive in tomorrow’s world,” Sohi said.
In 2010, Chadwick opened a second campus in Songdo, South Korea. The K-12 school has 1,200 students.
Chadwick School theater students rehearse for “Mama Mia.” Productions are Thursday and Friday, Feb. 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 23 at 2 and 8 p.m. at the Laverty Theater for Performing Arts. For ticket information visit ChadwickSchool.org
Over the past 16 years, Sohi has held school leadership positions in Canada, China, and Dubai. Prior to Dubai, Sohi served as headmaster at the Alexander Dawson School in Las Vegas, a school with 585 students and more than 100 faculty and staff. He spent three years in China, as the Head of the Elementary School at the International School of Beijing, and spent seven years as the Head of Curriculum and Head of the Primary School at Atlanta International School in Georgia.
He served three years as President of the Principals and Vice- Principals Association in Canada.
Sohi holds an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University in Atlanta; a Master’s of Education degree from the University of San Diego; a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology/ethnic relations and a Teaching Certificate from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He and his wife, Dianne, who is also an educator, have a son, Liam, who recently graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering.