About Us
Meet Our Head of School
In 2026, the Episcopal School of Acadiana community welcomed Mr. Nowell Hesse as Head of School.
A Louisiana native and a graduate of Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Nowell earned a Bachelor of Science in Genetics/Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Georgia, and a Masters of Education with a focus in Independent School Leadership from Vanderbilt University. A teacher, coach, and advisor, Nowell served as Science Department Chair, Director of Technology, and Upper School Head at Newman. In 2019, he became the Head of High School at Ensworth School in Nashville, where he oversaw all operations for their high school campus.
“Nowell’s experience stewarding academic excellence, fostering inclusive community, and managing the complexities of independent school leadership has prepared him exceptionally well for this role,” says ESA Board Chair Dr. Lon Baronne, ’00. “Perhaps most importantly, he understands that great schools are fundamentally relationship-driven institutions where trust, integrity, and genuine care for students form the bedrock of transformative education. In Nowell, we have found someone whose character, experience, and educational philosophy align beautifully with ESA’s mission and aspirations.”
“Nowell’s experience stewarding academic excellence, fostering inclusive community, and managing the complexities of independent school leadership has prepared him exceptionally well for this role,” says ESA Board Chair Dr. Lon Baronne, ’00. “Perhaps most importantly, he understands that great schools are fundamentally relationship-driven institutions where trust, integrity, and genuine care for students form the bedrock of transformative education. In Nowell, we have found someone whose character, experience, and educational philosophy align beautifully with ESA’s mission and aspirations.”
“I sensed ESA was a unique and special place the very first time I stepped on each campus, a feeling fully confirmed in each conversation throughout the search process,” says Nowell. “The deep connection to the ESA community and the profound appreciation for the ESA experience expressed by everyone I met were both compelling and inspiring. The more I learned about ESA, the more certain I became that it is exactly where I want to invest my personal and professional energy in the years to come.
“Throughout my career, I have seen that students learn best when they are actively engaged in purposeful and appropriately challenging lessons structured by educators who are experts in their content area and who their students know care about them,” Nowell adds. “It’s clear that at ESA, excellent teachers form meaningful relationships with their students that are the foundation for high expectations for student learning and growth.”
We asked four ESA students to interview Mr. Hesse. Find out what a kindergarten student, a fifth grader, an eighth grader, and a junior wanted to know. View these clips or watch the full interview video below.
Head of School Search Committee
Dr. Lon Baronne, ’00, Board Chair
Tyson Cromwell, ’96, Board Member
Dr. A'Dair Herrington, ’00, Board Member
Christaan Mader, ’02, Board Member
Court Ramsay, ’83, previous Board Chair
Dr. Annie Spell, Chair of Head Search Committee/previous Board Vice Chair
Pat Stokes, previous Board Chair
Episcopal School of Acadiana
Episcopal School of Acadiana is a private coeducational day school for students in grades PK3 through 12. Our mission is to instill in every student the habits of scholarship and honor.
Episcopal School of Acadiana (Lafayette Campus)
Episcopal School of Acadiana (Cade Campus)
ESA does not discriminate on the basis of physical disability, race, religion, gender, or national or ethnic origin.
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