Hammond School Announces New Director of Admission -
4/23/07
In a recent letter to faculty, staff, and the Board of
Trustees, Headmaster Adam de Pencier announced Matt Radtke
of the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, will
become the new Director of Admission. This letter, which has been transcribed below, presents some details about Mr.
Radtke's education and experience to date.
April 10, 2007
Dear
faculty, staff & board,
I am delighted to announce that Matt Radtke will become Director of Admission July 1st. Matt is Director of Boarding Admission at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he is responsible for all recruitment, publication, marketing, and financial aid for the boarding program. Matt manages five people in the Baylor boarding office, along with a financial aid budget of $2.8 million dollars. His present role has taken him all over the country (Baylor enrolls students from 28 states) and to some seventeen foreign countries each year. Under Matt’s leadership, Baylor has increased its boarding enrollment from 165 students to 210.
Baylor President Bill Stacy remarked: “I told Matt I wanted to get to 200 or more, and he told me ‘let me take a stab at developing some strategies and making a plan. I think it can be done’. Getting us beyond the 200 has been a significant achievement. Matt brought in a high quality and good mix of students. In fact, our boarding students have a GPA that is slightly above that of our day students”.
Prior to becoming the Baylor Director in 2004, Matt was Director of Admission and Financial Aid at The Webb School in Tennessee, a smaller co-ed boarding school of 280 students. Matt was responsible for all aspects of the admission program there, including financial aid totaling $915,000 (NB: as a point of comparison, Hammond’s aid totals $890,000). While at Webb, Matt developed a new view book, an overhaul of admission materials, and a comprehensive marketing strategy that bolstered enrollment at that school as he did at Baylor.
Matt is a graduate in International Studies from Southern Methodist University, where he also completed his teacher certification program. After graduation from SMU, Matt taught and coached at several independent schools in the south, including the Greenhill School in Dallas, Woodward Academy in Georgia, and Webb before joining the admission office. Matt is currently Vice Chairman of the Southeastern Association of Boarding Schools, and has also presented at TABS in Chicago as well as service on an NAIS visiting committee.
Matt is married to Catherine, a Baylor and SMU grad who enjoys experience as an independent school counsleor. The Radtkes are parents to twins, Lily and Tucker, who turn three this summer. I had the opportunity to visit Matt at Baylor and was impressed with the rapport and connection he enjoys with students, faculty and parents. All of his references were effusive in describing Matt as a highly motivated, energetic, and experienced admission officer in independent education. I look forward to welcoming Matt and his family to the Hammond community this summer.
