Will Kesler, a native of Chattanooga, will join Battle Ground Academy, a coeducational college prep school in Franklin, Tenn., as head of school, effective July 1, 2014.

Will Kesler, a native of Chattanooga, has been named head of school at Battle Ground Academy, an independent school located in Franklin, Tenn.

His appointment is effective July 1, 2014, according to Eddie Lunn, chairman of the school's board of trustees.

Kesler, 39, is a graduate of Baylor School in Chattanooga and is a former faculty member of Girls Preparatory School, also in Chattanooga. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and has a master's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Kesler will join GBA from Deerfield-Windsor School in Albany, Ga., where he has served as head of the middle and upper school since 2010.

Kesler and his wife, Julie, have three children, who will enroll in BGA next fall.

"It is with great pleasure that my family and I join the community of Battle Ground Academy," Kesler said. "The premier comprehensive, college-preparatory school in the region, BGA has an unmatched tradition of preparing and equipping students for success in college and in life. I am honored and humbled to help lead BGA through its next chapter of excellence."

BGA, founded in 1889, is a coeducational college prep school that goes from kindergarten through 12th grade.