After 21 years at Indiana’s Cathedral High School, Duane Emery decided to make a change, to get back to what he loves to do. Emery begins his new role at Sycamore in July as the Director of Enrollment Management, a revamped and retitled position that was created following the June 30 retirement of long-time Sycamore Director of Admissions, Susan Karpicke.
“I have known about Sycamore for many years, given the work I have done at Cathedral and the families with which I have worked in the past,” Emery says. “If I were going to make a move, a new school had to be a very strong school, and Sycamore clearly is that type of school.”
Emery is wrapping his year serving as Director of Counseling at Cathedral. Before that, he was the Vice President for Enrollment Management for 15 years, Vice President for Advancement for two years, and served two years as Director of College Advising. As Vice President for Enrollment Management, Duane oversaw all aspects of recruitment of more than 300 new students annually, retention of students at a school of over 1,100, and a tuition assistance program with an annual budget of nearly $3 million, serving over 500 students per year. He also served on The President’s Cabinet for the school.
“I decided changing the name of the office would communicate a broader and more strategic focus than just admissions,” says Sycamore Head of School, Diane Borgmann. “We will be more closely paying attention to the entire arc from recruitment to admissions to retention. The change implies a more significant relationship with our marketing efforts and closer attention to relevant data, as well as foresight based on those data.”
Emery's background and experience will make him an excellent Director of Enrollment Management, according to Borgmann. “Duane's biggest strengths are his broad and deep knowledge of independent schools and his effervescent personality,” she says. “Duane has a rich background in independent schools in the areas of enrollment management, advancement, and counseling. He loves people, and that clearly shows in his interactions, and connects with parents and kids, both current and prospective, on a personal level. Having been in the Indianapolis area for almost his entire career, he also has community connections that will be important for Sycamore.”
Emery was one of approximately 30 candidates from all over the country. Borgmann says Sycamore attracted candidates from as far away as California as well as local ones. “It was gratifying to learn from candidates all over the country that they knew about Sycamore's reputation.”
Emery and his wife, Stephanie, have been married for 12 years. His son, Ethan, is 19 years old and lives with his mother full-time, while Duane’s daughter, Zoe, is 17 years old and lives with Duane and Stephanie in Noblesville. The family dog, Casey, is a rescue who is a chocolate lab mix who “we think is about ten years old”, says Duane.
“I think anyone familiar with the educational landscape and independent schools in Indianapolis knows that Sycamore offers a superb academic experience for gifted students and will be very well prepared for success at a variety of top-notch schools,” he says. “I am excited to be coming to Sycamore and eager to meet students and more parents. I am so excited to join this community of educators, parents, alumni, and, most importantly, students.”