Mr. Robert J. Izzo, Head of School, PP 2012, 2014, 2018

For three decades, Bob Izzo has been an integral member of the Hamden Hall community. He is the school’s 10th head master, having been appointed during the 2005-2006 school year.

Bob previously served as the school’s business manager and chief financial officer in addition to roles as a mathematics teacher and the varsity golf coach. Additionally, he served as interim head of school prior to his official appointment by the Board of Trustees.

Along with his wife Janet, Bob has three children, all of whom are Hamden Hall Hornets and Lifers, meaning they've been in our school community since kindergarten! Michael graduated in 2012 and earned his bachelor’s degree in 2016 from the University of Notre Dame; Allison graduated in 2014 and earned her bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University; and Christopher graduated in 2018 and is currently attending Boston College.

Working diligently along with the Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, alumni, and others, Bob has advanced the school in many areas in order to provide the Hamden Hall Experience to all students. He takes a multi-faceted approach in his leadership of the school community in that he engages trustees, administrators, and faculty to work together on a regular basis to review and improve curriculum and extra-curricular offerings, streamline administrative functions, raises funds for facility improvements and endowment growth, and more. Bob’s personal commitment is to ensure that each student at Hamden Hall receives an outstanding educational experience – an experience that promotes good individual decision-making, lifelong learning, and social awareness for those who are less fortunate.

Bob's primary focus will always be creating the best possible academic environment for students, and he has worked to expand and enhance the academic program at every level and in every discipline. Furthermore, under his leadership, the school’s infrastructure has grown and benefited from enhancement on both campuses. He oversaw construction of the $13 million, state-of-the-art 65,000-square-foot Beckerman Athletic Center, which has become a hub of activity and engagement for both Hamden Hall families and the greater New Haven community. He also spearheaded several building projects on the main campus, including a major renovation and addition to Taylor Gymnasium; renovations to the Lower School Art Studio and the Middle and Upper School Art Studio; a renovation and expansion of the school’s music facility; the creation of a MakerSpace Design Lab; major renovations to Swain Library and its repurposing into the Barbara Olin Taylor Learning Commons; and a beautification project that increased parking and got the school back to its roots via the planting of 100 mature pine trees. Bob also guided the school in the recent acquisition of the 20 Davis Street property. This new 3.4-acre addition that includes a historic gothic-like mansion and is located across the street from the Whitney Avenue campus, will serve as the future home to our Lower School. During Bob’s first 14 years as head, the school has invested over $20 million in campus and facility improvements.

In 2009 during Bob’s tenure, the school expanded its Early Childhood Program to include 3-year-olds. Hamden Hall is now a PreSchool through Grade 12 community that takes pride in the fact that students interact with each other daily via mentorship programming, All School Assemblies, community service projects, and other offerings that embrace the message of the school’s second headmaster, Herbert H. Vreeland Jr., who imparted the basic tenet that Hamden Hall is a large family.

Bob has also been instrumental in creating several key Signature Programs for the school that provide optimal experiential learning opportunities for students utilizing resources both on and off campus. Hamden Hall’s Signature Programs include the Global Online Academy; Mystic Seaport Partnership; Science, Innovation & Design; Princeton Peer Leadership; our premier Theatre and Music programs; the Hamden Hall Aquatic Club and, most recently, the Hamden Hall Basketball Club.

Bob’s credentials include a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Rhode Island and an M.B.A. from Bryant University. Bob also completed graduate work at Teachers College Columbia University and has served as an adjunct instructor at Post University. Off campus, he has worked extensively with the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, where he served two three-year terms on the Board of Directors. He has served on several non-profit boards in the New Haven community, including The Ronald McDonald House of Connecticut and The Pediatric Foundation. He has served on re-accrediting committees for both the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Bob’s work within the Greater New Haven area also included a long tenure as a commissioner and coach for the Hamden Regional Youth Basketball League, an organization that provided a competitive basketball experience as well as skill development for boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 17. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of Whitneyville Cultural Commons.