Peter Rose to retire after 23 years at Rockhouse Foundation

Peter Rose, the co-founder and president of the Rockhouse Foundation, has announced his retirement, set to take place at the end of the year.

After nearly 23 years at the helm of the organisation, Rose has hand-elected Anna Thwaites-Wallace, a seasoned educator who has held leadership roles at the American International School of Kingston (AISK) for over 25 years.

The Rockhouse Foundation, a nonprofit organisation transforming the places where Jamaica’s children learn, was founded by Rose and Rockhouse Hotel chairman, Paul Salmon, in 2003 as the charitable arm of the hotel.

Since its inception, the efforts of the Foundation have transformed six schools on the island, in addition to the complete renovation and expansion of the Negril Community Library. Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Academy (Sav Inclusive) is the first school that the Foundation conceived and built entirely from the ground up, following a conversation between Rose and a longtime hotel employee about the lack of services in western Jamaica for her autistic son.

This inspired the Rockhouse Foundation to create a school that welcomes children with and without disabilities in a fully inclusive, mixed ability environment. Sav Inclusive opened in 2017 with 30 three-year-olds and now has more than 250 students aged three through grade five. Rose has spearheaded this development and will continue to do so through December 31, 2025 supporting the school’s mission of expanding one additional grade each year, through high school.

“I am tremendously proud of all the work the Foundation has done over the years, but Sav Inclusive will always occupy a singular place in my heart,” said Rose.

“I have learned so much about courage and resilience, love and patience, from both our staff and the children. I long for the day when we celebrate our first graduates as they receive their diplomas signifying completion of their 14-year academic and therapeutic journey at Sav Inclusive.”

Thwaites-Wallace will be leaving her role as deputy head and director of admissions at the AISK this summer. She will join the Rockhouse Foundation team on July 1, 2025, where she will work alongside Rose for six months to ensure a smooth, comprehensive onboarding process and transition.

Thwaites-Wallace is deeply familiar with the work of the Rockhouse Foundation, and in particular the Sav Inclusive School, where she has served as a board member for the past three years. She will join Rose as co-chair at the school’s next board meeting in mid-March. She brings not only her extensive education experience and detailed results-oriented approach, but also an expertise around curriculum and classroom management.

“Anna is the perfect candidate to fulfil our pledge to create not just a beautiful school, but an exceptional onem where what happens in the school fully aligns with how special the physical environment is,” said Rose. “She’s a seasoned, professional educator and she has the requisite experience and expertise in spades.”

Prior to becoming the founding president of the Rockhouse Foundation in 2003, Rose was the executive director of an education nonprofit in New York City, where Salmon also served on the board of directors. Rose left the organisation in 2002 and soon thereafter joined Salmon and his partners of the Rockhouse Hotel to found the Rockhouse Foundation. Salmon, who has been chairman of the Rockhouse Foundation since its inception, continues in this leadership role.

“Peter Rose has been a tireless champion of education in Westmoreland, where he has had a transformative impact on the schools that the Rockhouse Foundation has worked with,” said Paul Salmon.

“At Sav Inclusive, he has led a revolutionary approach to the learning experience for children with and without disabilities. The systems he’s implemented during his tenure have and will continue to have a significant impact on the students and teachers in western Jamaica, for many years to come.”