Dr. Ronald Sykes began his teaching career in the 60’s in the Shelby County, Tennessee school system. Later moving to the Memphis City system, his teaching involved a National Teacher Corps assignment in an extremely rural minority community, a large completely open-space school, an inner-city elementary school and finally the city gifted education program.
Dr. Sykes was promoted to the Memphis City Schools central office where, as Personnel Assistant, he interviewed and staffed for 105 elementary schools across the city.
In 1975, Dr. Sykes left the public schools to become Headmaster of Whitehaven Presbyterian School, a fully accredited K-8 elementary school. In 1982, he accepted a call to become Headmaster of Trinity Episcopal Day School in Natchez, Mississippi where he guided them to full accreditation by both the Mississippi Private School Association and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. He remained at the Episcopal school until the fall of 1988 when he became Vice President and Academic Dean for Hargrave Military School, a grade seven through twelve boarding school in Chatham, Va. After eleven years at the Academy, Sykes became Headmaster of The Covenant School in Charlottesville, Va. Covenant is a fully accredited K-12 independent school, not affiliated with any denomination. He retired in 2011 and was named Headmaster Emeritus.
In 2011, Sykes began a small consulting business. After consulting with and then doing a Board workshop at Middleburg Academy, he accepted the position of Interim Head of School for one year while the school searched for a new Head. When the Board failed in their search, Sykes agreed to a second year in that position.
In 2013, history repeated itself when, after consulting with the Board, Sykes accepted the position of Interim Head of School at Sullins Academy in Bristol, Va. When Sullins hired a young inexperienced Head the following year, the Board asked Dr. Sykes to accept the position of President for a year to mentor the new Head of School.
After another brief period of retirement, Sykes accepted the position of Associate Director of Advancement for Hospice of the Piedmont, a local non-profit dear to his heart because they cared for his mother. This position was three days a week. In his last year in that position, the 2.5 person department raised $2.4 million in charitable giving.
When Hospice named a new Director of Advancement, Sykes remained with Hospice part time as the Community Engagement Specialist where he spoke to Civic clubs and church groups, educating them on the benefits of a non-profit hospice.
Dr. Sykes is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Masters in Educational Administration and Elementary Education. In 1996, he received his Doctorate from the University of Virginia in Educational Administration where his dissertation examined important factors in student enrollment retention.
Sykes has served on the Boards of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (also finance chair), the New Covenant School in Lynchburg, Va. and the Virginia State Committee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on School Accreditation. He has served on over twenty accrediting committees in three states and chaired many of those.
Sykes has been married to his college sweetheart Jane for over fifty years and has two children and two grandchildren.
Sykes is a Veteran of eight years in the Tennessee Army National Guard.