Sisters Academy of Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland

President

Start Date: July 2023

Founded by four congregations of religious sisters, Sisters Academy of Baltimore is an independent school for girls in grades 5-8. Established in 2004, the school’s goal has remained constant for nearly two decades: to provide academically talented and motivated middle school girls with limited economic resources an excellent education and a launching pad for success in high school and beyond. Sisters Academy offers a rigorous curriculum and holistic academic program steeped in the Catholic tradition that encourages each student’s intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual development. 

Revolutionary in urban education, Sisters Academy is the only faith-based middle school of its kind for girls in Maryland. The school offers an exceptional, tuition-free education exclusively for girls from low-income families and intentionally designed to meet the developmental needs of young women.

Sisters Academy seeks a dynamic, visionary, and faith-filled academic leader to serve as its next President effective July 2023. The successful candidate will be a thought leader, community builder, and skilled communicator who visibly celebrates and models the mission of the school. The President will report to the Board of Trustees and is expected to provide leadership across the student experience, including spiritual growth. Sisters Academy is seeking an individual who is inspiring, relatable, accessible, and able to connect joyfully with students, faculty and staff, parents, alumnae, donors, sponsors, religious communities, and the broader community.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Statistics prove that Sisters Academy has a successful model for educating and nurturing the spirit of its young students. The new President’s greatest challenges will be to: (1) lead the Sisters Academy community through the process to create the next strategic plan, and (2) replace a co-founder President who is actively engaged in multiple and key operational areas.  The new President must be innovative, energetic, enthusiastic, and possess a clear vision for the future.  

Specific Opportunities and Challenges are:

• Assessing the development area to identify appropriate staffing and comprehensive nonprofit software;
• Assessing and planning for future staff and teacher salaries that attract and retain talent;
• Continuing to maintain and grow the endowment for future sustainability;
• Engaging the alumnae in events on and off campus;
• Improving the marketing/communications and social media presence;
• Building on the successful academic model that SAB has created;
• Bringing greater awareness of the school and its mission to the greater community.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

The school operates in the President/Principal Leadership Model. In this leadership structure, the Principal reports to the President and is responsible for excellence in the educational program. The President leads the school and focuses primarily on external relationships and fiscal matters. 

The next President should be a charismatic, Catholic, mission-oriented leader who will joyfully engage with all constituents.  The President should seek to understand the Baltimore community and the need to sustain a strong sense of school and community.  The future of Sisters Academy is promising; the vision and the strategic decisions that the President will supply will be critical to the future of this amazing school.

Specific Qualities and Characteristics include:

• Possesses strong planning and communication skills;
• Has a knowledge of the mission and charism of the four sponsoring congregations;
• Embraces the NativityMiguel model;
• Is able to see the big picture while also being attentive to detail;
• Is business savvy and has strong financial acumen, including the ability to set and meet a budget;
• Is a strong relationship-builder, focusing especially on relationships with current and potential Board members;
• Is a confident, competent, and transparent leader;
• Is committed to academic excellence;
• Embraces diversity, social justice, and inclusion;
• Demonstrates cultural competence;
• Is a strong fundraiser/friend-raiser who is relatable, approachable, and will serve as a public champion for the school;
• Holds a Master’s degree in a relevant field.

TO APPLY

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultants in confidence. Candidates will ultimately need to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position;
• A current résumé;
• A statement of leadership philosophy;
• A completed Candidate Questionnaire (to be supplied by the consultants) to:

Barbara Daush

Senior Search Consultant and Catholic Schools Practice Leader barbara.daush@carneysandoe.com

Karen Neitzel

Search Consultant

karen.neitzel@carneysandoe.com