After 19 years at Choate Rosemary Hall, an independent boarding and day school in Connecticut, Mr. Mike Velez has joined the Riverdale Falcon community as the new Head of Upper School. While at Choate, Mr. Velez juggled roles from grade dean to lacrosse coach to advising and administrative positions. Mr. Velez brings his dedication to enriching the lives of Riverdale’s students and faculty and his core values of interpersonal connection and growth.

While this title and Riverdale may be new to him, Mr. Velez reflects, “over time [my roles at Choate] gave me a trajectory that allowed for a pretty comprehensive understanding of how independent schools work and of best practices to support our students and faculty members.” He feels confident that his prior experiences will prepare him to be a positive and purposeful Upper School Head. 

When asked why he chose to continue his career at Riverdale, Mr. Velez explains, “A large part was a personal and professional alignment with the school's mission and values,” which he believes, “have to be in place in really any decision that we make in life.” Mr. Velez also appreciates that Riverdale has a strong sense of who it is as a community and as a place of learning. Riverdale is not simply a follower in the independent school world; rather, it has a concrete identity.

Of course, however, Mr. Velez is not the only one making this transition to Riverdale. Accompanying him are his four daughters, wife, and two dogs. “So it's an early morning and a late shut down,” he shares. Mornings consist of dropping off three of his four daughters at the lower school and quickly returning to the Hill campus to greet students and faculty at the bus turnaround or the main staircase of Mow. 

“Making sure that I am visible and available” is most certainly a priority for Mr. Velez. “My days,” he expresses, “have been characterized certainly by meetings but also taking advantage of opportunities to just get out and see [the] campus in action.” This includes teaching students, attending sports games, popping into advisories or extracurriculars, standing outside of his office door, and having lunch with colleagues. “These informal interactions are really valuable to me,” he reflects.

Additionally, absorbing Riverdale’s offerings and getting familiar with the school’s surrounding NYC area has consumed a major portion of Mr. Velez’s free time. “A lot has been geared towards our own kids and their activities - visiting family that we have in Westchester, going to the Zoo, going into Manhattan, going down ArthurAvenue,” he adds.

Mr. Velez is also passionate about, “hearing from parents, guardians, and alumni—really all the stakeholders—what they love about Riverdale and hearing what they think is central to this community. I am also interested in ways in which we can strive to be the best version of ourselves as a school.” Mr. Velez is truly committed to determining “what the secret sauce is that makes Riverdale Riverdale,” including all its unique patterns and rhythms.

He continues to learn from and listen to Riverdale’s community while also taking on the role of a History II teacher, where he engages in direct dialogue with students. Of his 20 years in education, he has been in the history classroom for 19 years, revealing the importance of this role and discipline to him. 

What Mr. Velez hopes to emphasize to Riverdale’s Falcons is that being Upper School Head, “offers the opportunity to make both the student and faculty experience a healthy, positive and meaningful one.” “Every moment,” he reflects, “provides an opportunity to move forward with a sense of purpose and an opportunity for passion and enjoyment.” Mr. Velez strives to be an effective model of this mindset and hopes it translates into how we collectively tackle campus initiatives, whether that be in academics, sustainability, or DEIB efforts. 

Looking to the future, Mr. Velez shares, with “my newness to Riverdale and Ms. Ostrem’s arrival as Head of School, there is an opportunity for a new chapter.” Mr. Velez shares tremendous enthusiasm for the events and experiences to come and already feels he belongs at Riverdale. “I am in the right place,” he confirms.

On behalf of the Riverdale community, we are excited to have you, Mr. Velez, and cannot wait to see in what ways Riverdale’s new leadership will bring us to new heights.