School hires headmaster

Newport Coast private high school Sage Hill School announced Tuesday that it had a new headmaster.

The school has promoted Gordon McNeill, a prior dean of school life who has been serving as the school’s interim head since August, to the head of school position.

McNeill, who has been at Sage Hill for seven years, said he is honored by the “affirmation” after the board of trustees decided to keep him on permanently. He said he has had the chance to shape the school’s culture from his former position, including by helping to establish a school honor code.

“It was an opportunity for me to establish a culture as dean to guide how I thought students and faculty members should get along,” he said. “We really treat our kids like adults. We don’t have a lot of rules, but we do have a lot of expectations.”

McNeill began filling the role temporarily when former Head of School Judith Glickman stepped down in her first year on the job. At the time, officials said Glickman and the board didn’t see eye to eye on their respective roles.

Before that time, McNeill taught history and economics at Corona Del Mar High School, where he received the Buster Creely Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2001.

Doug Neff, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, praised McNeill for his experience and talents.

The decision to appoint Gordon was unanimous, he added.

“Gordon is a true leader with extraordinary passion for our school’s unique culture and mission,” Neff said in a statement released to the media. “He has strong, mutually supportive relationships with the faculty and staff, and an excellent rapport with the students and parents as well.”

Sage Hill is a ninth- through 12th-grade college preparatory school in Newport Coast, with a student body of 446.

McNeill, 39, acknowledges that his rise has been rapid. But 10 years of business experience before he began teaching has been a major boon, he said.

“By time I was 27, I had already had a career for a decade,” he said.

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at michael.alexander@latimes.com.