VES Leadership

Garth Ainslie—who attended VES through 1981, graduated from Episcopal High School in 1984, attended the University of North Carolina as a Morehead Scholar and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Colorado-Boulder—began his tenure as the 13^th Head of School of Virginia Episcopal School on July 1, 2020.

Garth enters this role with deep VES roots. He has served in many roles, including:

• Student - Garth attended VES for 7th through 10th grades from 1977-81.
• VES Trustee - Garth served on the Virginia Episcopal School Board of Trustees from 2010-2012, holding the position as chair of the Committee on Trustees, responsible for new trustee selection and all governance matters, as well as a member of both the Finance and Executive Committees.
• Former Associate Head of School for Advancement - From 2012-2017 Garth served as a member of the VES leadership team. In his first two years as Director of Admissions, after which he stepped into the role of Assistant Head of School for Advancement, bringing together the Admissions, Development, Marketing, Communications and Events functions. He was involved with the successful $36 million “Vision 2016” Capital Campaign and VES’s Centennial Celebration, bringing more than 1,000 guests to campus for the historic weekend event. During this time, he also served as an advisor to students and a trusted leader to faculty and staff. Garth’s extensive connections and his ability to develop important relationships across all constituencies support the school’s business strategies.
• A Family Legacy - Garth's father, Lee Sanford "Sandy" Ainslie Jr. , served as the eighth VES headmaster from 1974-81. Garth's brother, Lee Ainslie III, is a member of the VES Class of 1982, and his mother, Sharon, served VES as a trustee from 2004-10. 

Before returning to VES, over the past three years, Garth held the role of Senior Leadership Gifts Officer with Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va., serving donors across the country and matching their interests with the needs of the school. And he got his feet wet in the world of education following his graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill. Garth served as a teacher and coach for two years at Ransom Everglades School in Florida, where he taught 9th grade World History and 10th grade US history, was head coach for girls varsity basketball and boys lacrosse—a program he started at the school, and was an assistant coach for JV and varsity football and varsity basketball.

Financial Services & Legal Experience

Garth spent 13 years with Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup in New York City as Director of Institutional Equities Research Sales. For five years, Garth practiced law as an Associate General Counsel with Vail Resorts and an associate with French, West & Brown in Breckenridge, Colo.

COMMUNITY SERVICE 
Garth has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations, including Harlem Lacrosse, Pelham Youth Lacrosse and Amazement Square, Lynchburg’s national award-winning children’s museum.

FAMILY

Garth is married to Anne Ainslie, VP of Field Relations for Beautycounter. They have two sons, Quinn Ainslie, a recent UNC graduate who will be living in Los Angeles, and Hayne Ainslie, a rising senior at Washington and Lee University. Outside of work, Garth enjoys spending time with his family, cycling and cooking. 

Education

University of Colorado-Boulder 1994 – JD
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill 1988 – BA, History – Morehead Scholar (now Morehead-Cain Scholar)
Episcopal High School Class of 1984 
Virginia Episcopal School 1977-1981