Head of Macon's Tattnall Square Academy set to retire

Tattnall Square Academy will have a new leader, as the school's headmistress has announced plans to retire after this school year.

Brenda Shuman-Riley, who has been at Tattnall for four years, announced her intentions to faculty, staff and families earlier this week.

"To leave such a fine team is not easy, but the decision is cushioned knowing the administrative transition will be smooth," she wrote in a letter to parents.

The decision to retire was not a spontaneous one, said Stephanie English, the school's marketing director.

"It's been something she's been thinking about for a while," English said.

John Hankinson, who has worked at the school for 20 years in various roles, will replace Shuman-Riley as the school's headmaster. He is now the principal for Tattnall's upper school and has also taught and coached at the school in the past.

He received Shuman-Riley's approval in her letter.

"I have no doubt the school will continue to thrive under his leadership," she wrote.

Hankinson also got the recommendation of Tonya McClure, chairwoman of Tattnall's board of trustees, in a statement from the school.

"We are thrilled to sponsor one of our own proven leaders, and have every confidence that Mr. Hankinson will guide our organization to many future successes," McClure said.

The school made the transition from the Georgia Independent School Association to the Georgia High School Association during Shuman-Riley's tenure. McClure also credited her with helping the school "become refocused on educating future leaders" and pointed to an enrollment growth.

Still, Tattnall's current enrollment of 515 was well behind Stratford Academy's 924 and First Presbyterian Day School's 950 students that were reported to the state in 2015, but ahead of schools such as Central Fellowship Christian Academy (250), Covenant Academy (378) and Windsor Academy (211). Mount de Sales Academy, which includes middle and high school students, had a reported enrollment of 593.

"Thanks to her leadership, TSA is better positioned to continue as a leading educational institution successfully producing gifted, Christian ambassadors focused on positively impacting our society," McClure said in the statement.

Shuman-Riley will continue in her role through the end of the 2015-16 school year.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Head of Macon's Tattnall Square Academy set to retire ."