On Monday, November 3, Board Chairman Frank Sinkwich announced the appointment of Jeff Miles as Athens Academy's sixth head of school, effective July 1, 2026. Miles has served as head of school at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Rabun Gap, Georgia, since 2019. “As Athens Academy prepares to celebrate its 60th year in the fall of 2026, we are confident that Jeff Miles’s vision, wisdom, and leadership experience will position the school for continued excellence in the years ahead, ” says Sinkwich.

With years of experience working in the Georgia independent school market, Miles understands the competitive landscape and recognizes what sets Athens Academy apart. During his time at Rabun Gap, he created and implemented a strategic plan, significantly increased the size of the endowment, substantially increased enrollment, and raised over $30 million for capital improvements. He is an active member of NAIS, SAIS, and the Southern Heads Association and is a 2025 Leadership Georgia inductee. Before taking the helm at Rabun Gap, Miles worked at Christ School in Asheville, North Carolina, for seventeen years, serving in a variety of roles including teacher, coach, marketing and communications manager, director of student life, and assistant headmaster. Miles holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Michigan State University, was a summer fellow at Vanderbilt University’s prestigious institute for independent school leadership and has his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Mars Hill University, where he played varsity lacrosse and was inducted into their Athletic Hall of Fame.

Miles expressed his enthusiasm about joining the Athens Academy community: “It was clear during my time on campus that the Athens Academy community is cohesive and mission aligned and shows a deep care for students. Our family is eager to join such a community of excellence and looks forward to being part of a thriving community for many years.” Miles and wife Kiana are excited to relocate to Athens along with their two daughters, Lia (Class of 2031) and Alison (Class of 2034).

This appointment follows the Board’s establishment of a Search Committee in June 2025 after current Head of School John Thorsen announced his plans to conclude his tenure at the end of the 2025–26 school year. With almost 30 years of independent school leadership experience, Thorsen served as Athens Academy’s head for the past twelve years. Thorsen previously held roles at Asheville School (NC), Francis Parker School (CA), Mercersburg Academy (PA), and Darlington School (GA). He earned a B.A. in economics from Washington and Lee University and an M.Ed. in Institutional Advancement from Vanderbilt University.

The entire Athens Academy community looks forward to welcoming the entire Miles family to Athens next summer.

Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. Now in its 59th year, Athens Academy pursues its mission of “excellence with honor” through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership. Ranked the #1 private school in Athens, #6 private school in the state of Georgia (out of 400+ schools), and #1 private school in North Georgia (Niche.com).

For more information, please contact Kelley Cuneo, communications director, at [email protected] or 706-433-2410.