The Will J. Hancock Unsung Hero Award is given to business officers who have made extraordinary contributions to their schools and exemplify exceptional integrity, knowledge and motivation. At the end of each school year, new Unsung Heroes receive their award from their head of school, often at a significant school occasion such as a board meeting or an all-school ceremony. What makes these Unsung Heroes so special? The highlights below come straight from their colleagues' nominations.
Stay tuned throughout the summer for additional profiles. See the full list of 2026 recipients.
Title: Associate Head of School, Chief Operations Officer
School: Lakefield College School, Lakefield, ON
Years at School: 13
Superpower: Enrollment Engine: Rutherford has strengthened enrollment and retention at Lakefield College School (LCS) by championing a highly personal approach to family engagement. He encouraged employees across the school to connect directly with both boarding and day families through phone calls, fostering relationships that build trust and strengthen community. These efforts have contributed to sustained improvements in retention and recruitment over several years, while also helping diversify the boarding student population. Rutherford has shared insights from this work in the Net Assets article, “Comeback Kids: Enrollment Turnarounds,” and on the Net Assets Podcast.
Fundraising Champion: Tim Rutherford has been a driving force behind recent fundraising efforts at LCS, including a successful campaign to support the development of 42,000 square feet of new operational space. Director of People & Culture Amanda Payne explained that Rutherford is the main point of contact with several donors, “who place exceptional trust in his financial stewardship.”
He balances risk management and operational safety with maintaining trusting relationships across the organization. Beyond the numbers, [Rutherford] understands the relational dimensions of leadership.
Anchor Leader: During a period of leadership turnover, Rutherford served as “the central force in restoring trust, stability and re-energizing our culture.”
People-First Strategist: “While [Rutherford] loves a good spreadsheet and champions data-driven decision-making, he operates with a people-first philosophy. He balances risk management and operational safety with maintaining trusting relationships across the organization. Beyond the numbers, [Rutherford] understands the relational dimensions of leadership,” said Payne.
Other Duties as Assigned: Rutherford extends his commitment to LCS by volunteering as a hockey referee. Beyond LCS, he chaired the finance committee for The Canadian Canoe Museum during its successful $45 million capital project and served on the NBOA Boarding School Working Group, helping the association strengthen its support for business officers at schools with boarding programs. These leadership roles underscore his commitment to advancing both his profession and the broader independent school community.
