President Search
The Academy of Notre Dame Board of Directors has begun a search for a new President to begin July 2026. As we move forward in this important process, we welcome all members of the NDA community to stay connected and involved.
The Board of Directors is looking forward to a thoughtful process and successful outcome to the search for a new leader. Over the coming months, the search will engage members of the NDA community, including Directors, teachers, staff, and parents, to help guide this important work. The search has begun with the aim of selecting the next President in the first quarter of 2026, for a targeted start date of July 1, 2026. The Board has retained Narwhal Talent Partners, a recruiting consulting practice that specializes in finding senior leaders for independent schools, to assist the committee in its search process and ensure candidates are identified who have the skills and experience necessary to lead the school, preserve its values, and continue to deliver on the mission of our community.
Search Committee
- Katie Colin – Executive Director of Sponsorship, SNDdeN; Member, Board of Directors
- Pam Bernazani, Principal, NDA Tyngsboro
- C. Deborah Phillips ‘72, Vice Chair, Board of Directors
- Jennifer Barrelle ‘98, Member, Board of Directors
- Shelagh Mahoney ‘83, P’14, ‘22, Member, Board of Directors
- Dr. Nicole Rocha Clark ‘98, Search Committee and Chair, Board of Directors
We are in discussions with prospective committee members who would be able to bring the voice of current and recent parents to the work, and expect to announce them shortly.
President Search Timeline
August - September 2025
- Initial meetings with the board of directors.
- Site visit from Narwhal Talent Partners (August 21, September 22)
October - November 2025
- Search Committee formed
- Community Survey released
President Search FAQ
What is the general timeline for the President search?
Our search consultants will gather community input this fall to develop the Leadership Profile for the next President. Narwhal Talent Partners is a search consulting practice, specializing in recruiting leaders and senior administrators for independent schools. Search consultants Peter Hamilton and Christian Henry have been engaged to assist with the NDA search. This involves conversations with the Search Committee, Board of Directors, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni, as well as a community survey and document review. Narwhal Talent Partners will publicize the opportunity and begin candidate outreach.
The second, confidential phase takes place this winter. Our search consultants will recruit and conduct initial vetting of candidates through interviews and reference checks.
The final phase is scheduled for early 2026. The Search Committee will review candidates, conduct confidential interviews, and select finalists. The committee will manage on-campus finalist visits, during which community members will meet candidates and provide feedback to the Search Committee via the consultants. This feedback is important for the final recommendation to the Board of Directors.
The goal is to announce the new President in spring 2026 with a start date of July 1, 2026.
What is the role of the Search Committee?
The Search Committee oversees the entire search process and is charged with selecting a candidate for President to recommend to the Academy of Notre Dame Board of Directors, which bears the ultimate responsibility for appointing the President. Members of the Committee will review candidate files, select and interview semifinalists and finalists, and make reference calls.
What is the role of Narwhal Talent Partners, the search firm, and how were they selected?
This past summer the NDA Board of Directors, as part of the leadership transition process, wanted to define the mandate for a new leader in the President role. Other schools sponsored by the U.S. East-West Province of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur have conducted successful leadership searches, often partnering with a search firm. Based on the experience and feedback from search committee members in those school leadership transitions, the board chose Narwhal Talent Partners to begin work on a month-long pre-search planning exercise. Narwhal Talent Partners visited campus twice and spoke with board members and school administrators between late August and late September.
Based on that work, search consultants Peter Hamilton and Christian Henry have been engaged to assist with the search. They have both had many years of experience in independent school leadership roles, and collectively they have assisted numerous schools with Head and senior administrator searches. They are also familiar with the Academy of Notre Dame and the greater Boston independent school environment.
Peter and Christian will provide guidance to the Search Committee on format, logistics, procedures, and best practices in the search process. In addition, they will recruit and interview candidates, check references, and support the Search Committee throughout the interview process. Narwhal Talent Partners will also provide transition support to the new President and the Board of Directors after the new President has been hired and throughout the new leader’s first year.
What is the scope of the search?
The search for the new President for the Academy of Notre Dame is local in focus, but national in scope. Candidates from throughout the United States will be considered, and nominations are welcome. The consultants also devote considerable effort to recruiting candidates who might not be actively seeking a new position. Many candidates will not want it known at their current institutions that they are considering a change. For this reason, we must maintain strict confidentiality about individual candidates right up until the finalist stage of the process.
Will there be any internal candidates?
All candidates, both internal and external, who are interested in the opportunity to be the next President are encouraged to apply. To every extent possible, the Search Committee will attempt to create a level playing field, ensuring that the eventual nominee as President is assessed in the context of the entire field of candidates. In addition, the confidentiality of internal candidates is as important as that of candidates from outside the school.
How will candidates be evaluated?
Candidates will be assessed in light of the skills and characteristics identified by the community and described in the opportunity statement. The skills and characteristics will be drawn from the survey responses and listening sessions conducted by the Narwhal Talent Partners consultants. With the assistance of the consultants, the Search Committee will go through a series of steps to acquaint themselves with the pool of candidates before narrowing that group down to a group of semi-finalists who will be confidentially interviewed, and then to a smaller group of finalists (likely two or three). The Search Committee’s evaluation of the finalist candidates will be informed by input from members of the community who will meet with the candidates during their on-campus visits.
What is the role of the School's Board of Directors in the search process?
The Board has charged the Search Committee with conducting a comprehensive search for a new President. The Board of Directors will refer all inquiries related to the search to Narwhal Talent Partners. As the process draws to completion, the Board will review the recommendation of the Search Committee, formally resolve to offer the position to a candidate, bear responsibility for negotiating any terms of employment, and ultimately appoint the new President. The President is the only employee that is hired by and reports directly to the Board of Directors, and, as a result, choosing a new President is one of the Board’s most important responsibilities.
How can I be involved in the President search process?
The Board of Directors at the Academy of Notre Dame is committed to making the search an inclusive process and is providing opportunities for community input at various times throughout the process. When the search consultants from Narwhal Talent Partners, Peter Hamilton and Christian Henry, visit the campus in early December, they will conduct listening sessions to learn more about NDA’s strengths, the opportunities facing the school over the next several years, and the traits, skills, and experience desired in the next President. Members of the community will be invited to participate in those sessions.
Members of the school community are also invited to share their thoughts about the school and the search through a confidential online survey administered by Narwhal Talent Partners. Finally, as the search nears its conclusion in late winter, members of the school community will have an opportunity to meet the finalist candidates and provide feedback on their impressions of each.
Will we know the names of the candidates throughout the process?
No. Some components of the process must remain confidential for the candidates, as they are likely currently employed. Names will not be known publicly until the finalist stage when they are on campus.
What if I know someone who may be interested?
Interested candidates should contact Peter Hamilton and Christian Henry directly at [email protected]. All expressions of interest are held in confidence. We also invite members of the community to make referrals of appropriate candidates. You may directly contact Peter and Christian to share names and contact information of potential candidates, and they will reach out to them.
What if I have more questions during the search process?
To reach out directly to the chair of our Search Committee as well as the Narwhal Talent Partners representatives, please email [email protected].