Dear Academy of the Sacred Heart Community,
We hope that you are enjoying this Advent season. On behalf of the Head Search Committee, we would like to provide you with a brief update on the search process.
Our search professionals from Educational Directions, Mathew Heersche and Risa Oganesoff Heersche, have been in the process of recruiting candidates. Their work has involved reaching out to Catholic educational leaders throughout the country and abroad, utilizing Educational Directions’ comprehensive database, contacting national and regional associations and professional organizations as well as leadership programs at various Catholic universities, and advertising in appropriate websites such as The Blue Sheet, an executive search report published by Educational Directions.
At this point, Mathew and Risa are working with a number of individuals throughout the United States who have expressed an interest in the position. Their work with candidates involves multiple conversations, comprehensive interviews and initial reference checks to determine the best fit for the Academy’s Head of School position. They will ultimately develop a group of top candidates for consideration by the Search Committee. The candidates’ cover letter, resume, statement of educational philosophy, letters of reference and a reference list, and other information provided by Educational Directions, will be presented to the Search Committee for their review and consideration in January.
It is from this group of top candidates that the Search Committee will select individuals to be interviewed as semi-finalists. This group will be interviewed only by the Search Committee as candidates are ensured confidentiality through the end of the semi-finalist stage. This is consistent with best practices, and is also important for the candidates, as potential repercussions could occur if their present school community learned at this stage of the search while both the Academy and the candidates are still in discernment.
After the semi-finalist interviews, the Search Committee will select finalists and their names will be shared with the entire school community. Each finalist will spend time on campus in February to help them get a sense of our community. More detailed information and schedules will be provided prior to the finalists’ visits. After the Search Committee has completed its evaluation of all the data gathered (including thorough reference and background checks) and deliberates, it will present its recommendation to the Academy’s Board of Trustees for its review and final decision. Once this is complete, the Board will make an announcement regarding the new Head of School.
As a reminder, our search calendar calls for the identification of the next Head of School to be completed near the end of February 2022. The chosen individual would begin work in July 2022. There will be various opportunities for the new Head to meet with members of our community as part of the overall process as we transition to our new leader.
We will continue to provide regular updates as we move through the next stages of the search process. On behalf of the Board and Search Committee, have a Merry Christmas and thank you for your continued support of the Academy of the Sacred Heart.
For the Search Committee,
Mark Roden
Chair, Head of School Search Committee
Laura Mullen Haroian ’76
Lyn Osiek RSCJ, ’58
Desiree Peri Klakovich
Nat Wilburn
