We’re very excited to welcome Peter Huestis and his family to Louisville and to the KCD community! Peter and his family are joining us from Martinez, Georgia, where he currently serves as head of school at Augusta Preparatory Day School. Peter will begin serving as KCD’s next head of school on July 1, 2019. In this interview, I asked Peter to tell us a little bit about himself and his family, including what drew him to KCD.
Jeff Topham: Tell us a little bit about your family and their interests.
Peter Huestis: My family is so important to me. I am proud of each individual member of my little family and proud of who we are as a family. I’ve always dreamed of having a family, being a dad, and experiencing life with my children—now I get to live that dream. My wife Betsy enjoys volunteering on campus, golf, physical fitness, and reading. When I fell in love with her, I knew she would be the great mother and wife that she is today. We tend to do plenty together, whether that is playing golf, attending sporting events, or hiking to waterfalls in the mountains. My son Xavier, who’s 12, enjoys his friends, sports (basketball, golf, and baseball), reading, and video games. Oliver, who’s 8, enjoys spending time with his friends, sports (basketball, flag football, and golf), reading, and riding bikes. I once received some great advice: as a parent, try to build memories with your children. I also believe that as a parent our job is the help our children grow wings, to create a lasting foundation at home, and then give our children reasons to want to come back to that foundation with their own family.
One of the reasons I love my work as a head of school is that my family is involved and engaged as active members of our school community. Our family cannot wait to become connected to the KCD community!
JT: What drew you to KCD?
PH: I was initially attracted to the values in KCD’s motto: Citizen, Scholar, Steward, which resonate with me. I knew that KCD was the Malone Family Foundation school for the state of Kentucky and understood how significant that was. KCD’s membership in the INDEX consortium indicated to me that the school is forward-thinking and bases strategic direction on good data and benchmarking.
Once I got here, I found that KCD has a very impressive campus and facilities and that Louisville is a vibrant community where my family can grow and thrive. After getting to spend some more time with the KCD community, I was struck by the passion, dedication, and pride demonstrated by students, faculty, families, trustees, and alumni. It became clear that what KCD was looking for in a leader matched well with my own skills and abilities: someone who would be engaged and involved in all areas of the school to help build relationships and trust necessary to begin charting the strategic direction for the school.
It was also apparent that KCD is blessed to have an exceptional educator in Interim Head of School and Associate Head of School for Academics Annie Glosky, as well as a strong administrative team—both of whom I am eager to work with and learn from.
Finally, KCD just has a vibe and an energy that resonates with me: it feels like a good fit for me and my family.
JT: Who was your favorite teacher and why?
PH: I have been fortunate to have many great teachers throughout my formal education. Those who challenged and supported me along the way stand out as I was permitted to make mistakes and grow as a result. But my favorite, and best, teacher was my paternal grandfather, Bert Huestis, who was my neighbor growing up in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He was my mentor and role model. His kindness, compassion, and thoughtfulness were always genuine and greatly impacted those who came into his life. I cannot ever recall hearing him say a negative or ugly word about anyone. I think Bert knew that I was watching and learning, but I don’t think that changed how, or who, he was. To this day, I find myself asking, “What would Bert do?” and that continues to be a solid guidepost in my life.
JT: What’s your favorite book/movie/music and why?
PH: When reading for pleasure, I’ve been a big Stephen King fan forever. One of my favorites was always Pet Sematary, but all of his works are amazing! More often, I find myself diving into plenty of books that lend themselves to leadership and educational philosophies, such as Never Split the Difference, Start With Why, Drive, Outliers, and many more. I tend to absorb plenty of periodicals and scholarly articles/research/white papers as well.
My top five movies are Hoosiers, The Shawshank Redemption, Fletch, The Usual Suspects, and Caddyshack.
There isn’t enough space here to list the variety of artists that I enjoy listening to in the car, at our home, in the office—everywhere! I’m partial to what some call Canadian folk or alt-rock bands, and my all-time favorite is easily The Tragically Hip. Other Canadian bands found in my playlists include 54-40, Barenaked Ladies, Spirit of the West, The Northern Pikes, Blue Rodeo, and plenty more. My eclectic collection also includes U2, The Stones, The Eagles, Aerosmith, CCR, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, The Police, and too many more to mention. Betsy and I appreciate live music and make it a point to expose our boys to a variety of influences.
I recently had a proud parenting moment when I discovered seven-year-old Oliver in our driveway singing “She La” (a hit from one of my favorite bands: 54-40) while working diligently on the proper footwork for a right hand layup at our basketball hoop!
JT: What are three things that are staples in your life?
PH: My family first of all. Second, golf and the experiences/relationships that come with it. Finally, Diet Coke: I don’t drink coffee!
JT: Tell us something that most people don’t know about you.
PH: I’m pretty much an open book, but here are some things that may be new to the KCD community: I grew up in the Maritime provinces of Canada (Saint John, New Brunswick) on the Bay of Fundy, where we have the world’s highest tides at nearly 50 feet. When I was in college at the age of 19 and 20, I was coaching the women’s college basketball team and several of the players were older than me. I started and successfully ran my own business in high school and college. There are not many foods that I don’t like (that can be a problem!), but that short list includes coconut and cherries.
JT: If it was your last night on earth, what would you have for dinner?
PH: I think my last meal would include small portions of the following (small so that I can have a variety): Clam chowder, French onion soup with some thick layers of cheeses baked on top, mushrooms stuffed with crab meat, lobster from the cold waters of the Maritime provinces where I grew up, a tender filet mignon, a few giant bacon-wrapped scallops, and roasted sweet potatoes.
For dessert, a cheesecake with raspberries and caramel, a chocolate cake with ice cream, and the caramel apple pie that Betsy makes.