Located in Edina, MN, the Our Lady of Grace Parish (founded 1946) and School community (founded 1949) have been blessed with continued growth. Today, there are more than 2,570 parish families and over 670 students enrolled in OLG. The significant growth of the facilities has resulted in a corresponding growth in the faith formation and education programs. This Fall, OLG will open its impressive $28M addition, a state-of-the-art Activity Center, which includes a performing arts stage, new full-size gym, lobby reception area, innovative learning spaces and classrooms, new cafeteria, professional grade kitchen, and the highly anticipated preschool program for 120 Little Saints and Young Scholars.
Beyond a strong emphasis on Catholic faith formation, OLG has a long and solid tradition of high expectations for teaching and learning. Over the years, OLG has been honored with awards from the National Catholic Educational Association, Today’s Catholic Teacher magazine, Apple Computer, and multiple trophies for athletics and activities. The school is most honored to have been awarded three National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Awards by the U.S. Department of Education (2001, 2009, 2019) making OLG the only K-8 private school in Minnesota to earn three Blue Ribbon Awards.
In building on these successes, OLG’s visionary Pastor Father Kevin Finnegan collaborated with school and parish leaders and discerned the school’s current leadership model in an effort to define the best organizational structure for its exciting future. The result identified a new relationship-driven and collaborative model for school leadership, affording the school community a unique opportunity to expand the breadth and depth of expertise at the highest level of the organization in support of the 800+ students and young learners arriving in September 2022.
Under this new structure, leadership functions are aligned around two distinct facets of school life: institutional capacity (Head of School) and instructional leadership (lower K-4 Principal and upper 5-8 Principal), with the instructional leaders reporting to the Head of School. The Head of School and Principals have autonomous responsibilities based on the scope of their respective roles while sharing the responsibility for the Catholic identity of the school. Supporting this collaborative team are shared parish leaders in advancement, business management, enrollment management, facility maintenance, human resources, marketing and communications.
The Head of School has as his/her primary purpose to provide overall leadership to achieve the fullest attainment of OLG’s mission to make Jesus Christ known and loved. The Head of School is appointed and is delegated authority by OLG’s pastor, and acts as the chief executive, advancement, and strategic officer for the school. In collaboration with the Principals, the Head of School is responsible for integrating faith and culture within the school, successful academic programs, and robust student affairs programs.
Additionally, the Head of School bears ultimate responsibility for the external affairs of the school to include ensuring sufficient resources, sound fiscal management, long-term financial stability, and plant improvements through direct oversight of business affairs, plant operations, and advancement programs. The Head of School ensures the school's successful day-to-day operation as accomplished through effective delegation of responsibilities to the Principals, faculty, coaches, and staff.
The candidates we seek will have a passion for advancing the mission of Catholic education by delivering excellence throughout OLG’s spiritual, academic, and co-curricular activities. He/she will possess an understanding of the Head of School (President)/Principal model of administration and be comfortable partnering with committed and engaged constituents and stakeholders. The Head of School will understand their role in fostering a vibrant Catholic school culture and will have demonstrated capacity and comfort in managing OLG’s mission-critical areas related to Catholic identity, constituent relations, business, finance, enrollment management, and advancement initiatives.
While the Head of School must have a demonstrated capacity for broad institutional leadership, candidates could have attained this experience through various career paths, including primary or secondary education, non-profit management, or work in the corporate or public sector. Regardless of the career path, the prospective Head of School must have expert knowledge of and a proven record of building upon a strong community culture and identifying, cultivating, and developing strategic partnerships to ensure continued accessibility, success, and sustainability. An advanced degree in educational administration or business-related field expected.
Additional information and our application procedures regarding this exciting executive leadership opportunity can be found in our detailed search prospectus here:
VIEW THE SEARCH PROSPECTUS
This is an outstanding opportunity to help shape the educational experience for students, faculty, staff, and families at a premier Catholic pre-kindergarten through grade eight school in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
The search committee is on a fast-track to identify and secure its next Head of School. Interested candidates can begin exploring this exciting Catholic school executive leadership opportunity by immediately contacting our team. All inquiries and applications will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality and with the greatest respect.
Candidates are expected to be available to assume the responsibilities of the position in July 2022. This search is moving at a swift pace. Connect with us today!
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
All applications will be treated with the highest degree of confidentiality and with the greatest respect. To apply, please submit the following materials, confidentially and as separate PDF attachments in one email to Michael Furey. Please include Our Lady of Grace in subject field.
- Letter of Interest that aligns your experiences and skill sets with the current needs of the ministries as you understand them.
- Statement of Catholic Leadership Philosophy.
- Current resume with all appropriate dates included.
- List of five references including names, relationships, phone numbers, and email addresses. No references will be contacted without your knowledge and approval.
CONTACT
Michael Furey, Partner
mikefurey@partnersinmission.com
Partners in Mission School Leadership Search Solutions, LLC
Office: (877) 738-4810
Mobile: (570) 730-2655
www.partnersinmissionslss.com