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Head of School Selection Process

New Head of School Brian McBride

Brian McBride

The Board of Trustees at Holy Child School at Rosemont is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian McBride to serve as the next Head of School of Holy Child School at Rosemont, effective July 1, 2023. He will be the eighth Head of the co-educational, independent, Catholic school located in Rosemont, PA and will succeed the current Head of School Thomas G. Lengel P’12.

Brian currently serves as the Associate Head for Community Life and Strategic Initiatives at Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, a co-educational college preparatory school, and brings with him 32 years of experience in independent school education including roles such as teacher, advisor, coach, and administrator. He spent a notable 13 years of his career on the Main Line as the Associate Head of School for External Affairs at The Haverford School, an all-boys preschool through grade 12 school, affording him a deep understanding of the independent school market in the greater Philadelphia area. Throughout his career, Brian has held numerous senior administrative positions which allowed him to gain experience and knowledge in areas relevant to the internal and external affairs of independent schools, including enrollment management, advancement, communications and marketing, student and community life, and athletics. He has been particularly committed to programs that have built diversity and equity at the schools he has served, especially during his tenure at The Haverford School and McDonogh School. Brian earned a bachelor of science degree at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in school administration from Loyola University in Maryland. 

A nation-wide, months-long search for the next Head of School was led by Carney, Sandoe & Associates and the Head of School Search Committee. The greater Holy Child community actively engaged in this process, providing important insights, perspective, and feedback that informed our approach to identifying the next Head of School. The Board of Trustees would like to thank the Holy Child community for participating in this important process and sharing valuable input, including what characteristics and qualities our next head should have and the top priorities for the future of our school. In addition, the Board extends its thanks to the Head of School Search Committee and in particular, our co-chairs Steve Schreder P'13'15'18'23 and Anne Schoemaker Vazquez '95 P'25'27'30 for their thoughtful and strategic approach as well as the time they dedicated to this process. 

Our search brought forth many qualified and experienced candidates from schools across the nation. Brian’s wealth of experience in independent school administration, understanding of the educational landscape on the Main Line, and commitment to living our school’s values and faith made him the clear choice to lead Holy Child School at Rosemont. “The Board was drawn to Brian’s depth of experience and vision for the future. He is a strong, seasoned, and compassionate leader who has touched the lives of countless students over his educational career. We are particularly excited about Brian’s ability to work with the faculty and staff to bring leading-edge education to Holy Child students, and we have the utmost confidence in his ability to guide Holy Child through its next chapter,” shares Chair of the Board Judi Taylor P’14’16 and Vice Chair of the Board Kane Brenan P'16'18'23'25.

A devout Catholic, Brian looks forward to the opportunity to serve our community both as Head and as a spiritual leader. In his own words, he shares, “What an incredible privilege and honor it is to be named the next Head of School at Holy Child School at Rosemont. Holy Child’s mission and vision, as well as the educational philosophy of our Founder Cornelia Connelly, resonates deeply with me. I am excited by the possibilities and potential for growth at Holy Child and look forward to collaborating and partnering with the students and parents, the faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees, and the alumni and friends of Holy Child to nurture excellence in every aspect of the school.”

 

Announcement from Current Head of School Tom Lengel

After what will be 10 years of service as Head of School, Thomas G. Lengel P'12 announced that he will retire as Holy Child School at Rosemont's Head of School in June of 2023. The 2022-2023 school year marks his seventeenth year at Holy Child, and we will remember his term as Head by the way he lived out the motto of our foundress Cornelia Connelly, "Actions, Not Words." We are a mission-driven school, guided by the seven Holy Child Goals that serve as the foundational principles for our approach to education. Our community looks forward to welcoming the next Head who will continue the important work of the school while being guided by our mission and values. 

Search Process

The Board of Trustees, in collaboration with consultants at Carney, Sandoe & Associates and the Head of School Search Committee, is managing the search for the next Head of School to lead Holy Child School at Rosemont. All members of our school community will have opportunities to participate during this exciting time in our school's history. Please see the preliminary timetable below and note that this will be updated in the weeks ahead.

Holy Child School at Rosemont's Head of School Search Committee Members

The Head of School Search Committee has the responsibility to engage a recruiting firm and identify candidates for a successor for the Head of School, who will then be presented to the full Board of Trustees. We are extremely grateful to this committee, which includes current parents, past parents, alumnae, and educators.  

Kane Brenan P’16’18’23’25 — Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Current Parent

Tara Hayden Buchakjian ’97 P’26’27’29 — Alumna, Chair of the Committee of Trustees, Current Parent

Irene Hannan P'93'01 GP'32 — Trustee, Former Parent, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in the Future

Amy Lintner — Trustee, Head of School at Ancillae-Assumpta Academy 

Alexis Morsell P’23’23’25 — Longstanding Faculty Member, Current Parent 

Steve Schreder P’13’15’18’23 (Co-Chair) — Trustee, Former Finance Chair, Current and Past Parent

Judi Taylor P’14’16 — Chair of Board of Trustees, Past Parent

Anne Schoemaker Vazquez ’95 P’25’27’30 (Co-Chair) — Alumna, Trustee, Current Parent

Preliminary Timetable

This timeline provides a framework for the search process and may be adjusted by our consultants if necessary.

Month Milestone
June 2022 Announcement of Tom's retirement; selection of the Search Committee
July 2022 Vetting and selecting the search firm; announcing search process to Holy Child Community
August 2022 Soliciting community feedback through focus groups; recruiting and vetting qualified candidates
September 2022 Soliciting community feedback through focus groups; recruiting and vetting qualified candidates
October 2022 Recruiting and vetting qualified candidates by Carney, Sandoe & Associates
November 2022 Recruiting and vetting qualified candidates by Carney, Sandoe & Associates
December 2022 Finalist candidates engage with Holy Child Community
 January 2023 Board of Trustees selects and announces next Head of School
February 2023 Board of Trustees selects and establishes the Transition Committee
July 2023 New Head of School begins July 1, 2023

 

 

The Archives: Letters from the Head of School Search Committee and Board of Trustees