Garrison Conner and Elizabeth Burnette
Baylor School has announced that Garrison Conner '05 will take over as Upper School head after serving as assistant Upper School head since 2020, and science department chair Elizabeth Burnette '99 has been named the Upper School dean of students.
Mr. Conner previously served as Baylor's director of residential life from 2017-2020. In addition to his administrative work, he teaches economics and serves as a dorm parent.
Before returning to Baylor in 2017, Mr. Conner earned an excellent reputation during his eight-year tenure at Christ School in Arden, N.C. where he rose through the ranks in both residential life and admission departments. He also served as their director of admissions and as a member of their senior administrative team.
Mr. Conner graduated from Wofford College where he received his B.A. with a double major in English and finance; he also worked with summer programs and served as a teaching intern at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut.
Mr. Conner lives on campus with his wife, Meg, and their three children, Beach, Molly, and Jack.
Ms. Burnette is in her 14th year at Baylor, having taught biology, chemistry, AP environmental science, and forensic science in the Upper School, as well as four years teaching Middle School science and robotics.
She has served as the science department chair and director of studies since 2020. As department chair, she oversees 23 faculty members teaching Middle and Upper School science, including the Baylor Research program. As director of studies, she works with the academic dean to assist the registrar and the Middle School and Upper School offices with master scheduling, sectioning, and classroom assignments.
Prior to coming to Baylor in 2009, Ms. Burnette was a science teacher at Normal Park. She earned a B.S. degree in chemistry and molecular biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and an M.S. in biomedical research from Vanderbilt University.
Ms. Burnette lives on Signal Mountain with her husband, Chad ’97, and their three children, Finley ’25, Forbes ’29, and Wilder.