Headmaster Search
Saint Thomas Academy offers a Catholic leader of integrity an exceptional career opportunity as the school’s next Headmaster, overseeing every aspect of the institution, the overall cadet experience, and the advancement of the Academy’s mission of developing boys into men of character. The next Headmaster will lead the Academy confidently into the future while honoring our rich history rooted in our four pillars: all male, college prep, Catholic, and military leadership.
The Headmaster will join a passionate community devoted to protecting and perpetuating our legacy while helping each cadet explore and reach his full academic, intellectual, leadership, moral, and athletic potential. Working in collaboration with dedicated faculty and staff, the Headmaster will foster a safe and respectful environment, where students, staff, and faculty rise to meet challenges and pursue the best individual and collective outcomes. Supportive, involved families, as well as an engaged alumni body, more than 7,000 strong, continuously encourage us to strive for new levels of excellence.
Search FAQ's
- How will the search be managed?
- What is the estimated timeline of the search?
- What is the role of the Board of Trustees?
- What is the role of the search committee?
- What is the role of Saint Thomas Academy's community in the process?
- Will the Headmaster search impact my son's day-to-day experience?
- How will candidates learn about the search?
- How long will the Headmaster search last? When do expect to hire the next HM?
- How will the school community be kept informed about the search?
- Who will make the final hiring decision?
How will the search be managed?
The Board of Trustees is responsible for selecting and hiring the next Headmaster for Saint Thomas Academy. To facilitate the search process, the Board of Trustees established a search committee that will recommend a Headmaster candidate to the full Board of Trustees for vote and approval. A list of the search committee members is listed on the right hand side of this webpage.
The Board has retained the nationally recognized search firm of Wickenden Associates to assist in the search and serve as consultants to the Search Committee throughout this process. We encourage you to visit their website at wickenden.com to get a better sense of their expertise, professionalism and successful placements.
Wickenden Associates search consultants assigned to our search are Eric Peterson and Amy Shen.
What is the estimated timeline of the search?
August 1, 2019: Appointment of Rear Admiral John E. Crowley, Jr. as the Interim Head of School for the 2019-20 school year
September 2019: Search Committee is announced
October 2019: Saint Thomas Board selects Wickenden Associates as the firm to help lead the search for our next Headmaster
Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 2019: Search consultants Eric Peterson and Amy Shen on campus to meet with parents, faculty, and administration
Winter: Candidate evaluations and interviews
Late Spring: Appointment of new headmaster
What is the role of the Board of Trustees?
The Board of Trustees sets and monitors the mission of the school, fiduciary matters and establishes the policies for the operation of the school. The Board is also responsible for selecting and hiring the next Headmaster.
To facilitate the search process, the Board created a search committee that will recommend a Headmaster candidate to the full Board of Trustees for vote and approval.
A list of the search committee members is listed to the right.
What is the role of the search committee?
The Search Committee is responsible for steering the search process with the guidance and support of Wickenden Associates. The Search Committee will assess a highly qualified pool of candidates presented by Wickenden Associates. They will organize and conduct interviews with the semifinalists and finalists. At the end of the process, the Search Committee will recommend a final candidate to be confirmed by the Board of Trustees. Once the new Head of School is chosen, the Search Committee will facilitate the leadership transition. A key role of the Search Committee is to keep the Saint Thomas Academy community informed and engaged throughout the process while respecting the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.
What is the role of Saint Thomas Academy's community in the process?
The community has been identified into the following constituent groups:
- Faculty
- Administration and staff
- Alumni, past parents and friends of the Academy
- Mothers' Club
- Fathers' Club
The search committee is committed to creating a process that will be as transparent and inclusive as possible. Each of these constituent groups have been surveyed and their feedback is being incorporated into the search process. Their feedback will be incorporated into the interview and feedback portions of the search process.
Will the Headmaster search impact my son's day-to-day experience?
How will candidates learn about the search?
Wickenden Associates and the Search Committee will draft a comprehensive job prospectus that outlines opportunities and challenges facing the institution and defines the ideal leader. Over several weeks, Wickenden Associates will build a pool of qualified candidates by capitalizing on its broad national reach and deep network. Community members are encouraged to recommend individuals they feel should be considered.
How long will the Headmaster search last? When do expect to hire the next HM?
How will the school community be kept informed about the search?
Who will make the final hiring decision?
Search Committee
Board of Trustees Members:
Mr. Michael Ciresi '64, Founding Partner Ciresi Conlin LLP
Mrs. Sharon D'Agostino, Senior Director, Government Affairs at Johnson & Johnson
Dr. Mary Henderson, Professor of Business Administration at Saint Catherine University
Mr. Daniel Kubes '87, Partner Solheim Investment Partners
Mr. Thomas Votel '75, President and CEO, Tenacious Holdings, Inc.
Father Nate Wills, C.S.C. '95, Assistant Clinical Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Notre Dame