Bermudian Linda M. Parker has been appointed as the new head of one of the Island?s top schools ? beating off competition for the post from around the world.

Mother of two Mrs. Parker will take over the reins of Bermuda High School from Canadian Roy Napier on July 1 next year.

Currently the Head of Secondary at BHS, Mrs. Parker was a student at the school and said: ??I am honoured to have been chosen by the Board of Trustees as the next Head of School.

?As a former student of BHS, and as someone who believes in the benefits of single-sex education for girls, I am looking forward to working with the Board of Trustees and the outstanding staff as we continue to provide our students with a first-class education.?

Mrs. Parker?s appointment as Head of School was announced yesterday by the BHS Board of Trustees and its chairman Tom Miller said: ?We are delighted to announce that Linda Parker has been chosen to lead BHS as it continues to provide a world-class education to Bermuda?s young women.

?For the past six months, a search committee headed by former Trustee Chairman Annarita Woolridge Marion conducted a thorough and rigorous search, here in Bermuda and overseas, for a head to replace Mr. Napier, who is retiring from education after a successful seven-year tenure at BHS.

?Applications were received from candidates throughout North America, the UK and Europe, and there were several submissions from as far afield as Africa, South America and the Middle East. ?Following an intense round of interviews and presentations by short-listed candidates, the Search Committee unanimously agreed that Linda was the best candidate for the job.

?It is worth noting that Linda achieved the highest score on attributes identified as critical by the Search Committee.

?In addition to her professional qualifications, Linda has proven herself to be a caring and compassionate educator. Her commitment to single-sex education for girls and to establishing a diverse student body at BHS is unwavering.

?Her understanding of the BHS culture, as well as the culture of the Island, will help to ensure that the transition to her new role is a smooth one.

?I know that the rest of the Board of Trustees join me in congratulating Linda on her appointment. We look forward to working with her as we lead this outstanding educational institution through its next phase of growth and development.?

Mrs. Parker received her primary and secondary education (to Year 11) at BHS. She holds Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees from Queen?s University in Canada and a Master of Education degree from the University of Exeter in the UK.

She has more than 23 years experience in education, having held the position of Deputy Principal at CedarBridge Academy during four of her six years there, and having taught for 14 years at Whitney Institute.

She joined the BHS faculty in 2003 as Head of Secondary.

Mrs. Parker will be the fifth Bermudian Head of School.