Adam Holden

Dr. Adam Holden was named by the board of trustees in August 2022 to serve as interim head of school during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years as SMS searches for a permanent head beginning in 2024.

A renowned international education leader and educator with more than 30 years of experience, Dr. Holden brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in school administration, organizational management, institutional strategic planning, executive leadership training, in-depth executive coaching, and professional development. He is also an accomplished academic leader, most recently serving as president and head of school at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has also served as executive director of the Albert Einstein Institute in Panama City, Panama, and has served in senior university leadership positions in the U.K. and U.S.

Born near London, England, and raised in the southern part of the United Kingdom, Dr. Holden holds doctorate degrees from the University of Cambridge and California Coast University; an education specialist degree from Fort Hays State University; a master’s degree from Washburn University; and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southampton. As a doctoral researcher with the University of Cambridge, he spent five years conducting research in Central America developing a mobile educational application to provide high-quality professional development for teachers in marginalized communities.

He is also a highly regarded international speaker on digital innovation in education with keynote engagements in Asia, Europe, North and Central America in recent years, as well as two TEDx presentations. Holden has multiple publications on digital technologies and Blended Learning, serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Online Learning Research, and Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, and has been a contributor to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s (ASCD) SmartBlog on Education.

Dr. Holden's institutional leadership in education has twice earned the coveted National Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award. While in Panama, he was named a special advisor to the Minister of Education for Online & Digital Learning, and he serves on the Ministry of Education Advisory Committee in Pandemic Management for the country of Panama. In this role, Holden led multiple pilot programs used to define the parameters for the virtual operation of all public schools; and led a team reviewing the national synchronous/asynchronous learning guides while working on the development of the national plan for the reopening of schools across the country of Panama.