President Search
The Board of Directors has engaged search consultants Partners in Mission, the nation’s leading full-service consulting firm focused exclusively on developing excellence in Catholic school advancement and leadership. A Search Committee has been formed to find a leader who is aligned with Mount de Sales’ mission and core values and who will help our school community continue to develop students into critical thinkers, effective communicators, and servant leaders that are rooted in faith.
Letters to the Community
Greetings Cavalier Family,
Mount de Sales Academy President David Held has given us 13 years of outstanding service by ensuring that MDS provides an exceptional educational experience. David has notified the Board of his decision to retire in June of 2024, at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. The Board of Directors greatly appreciates David’s service to the school. We are saddened because his love and commitment to Mount de Sales Academy is unmatched. While he has earned the right to retire, we will sorely miss his leadership.
The Mount de Sales Board of Trustees has approved a national search for our next president engaging Partners in Mission (PIM) School Leadership Search Solutions. We are excited about this effort as we venture into our next 150 years. Over the next year, we will have many opportunities to recognize and thank David for all he has done for our community and many of us individually.
Part of the initial process includes conducting an Enrichment Survey. We want your assistance in this regard as your opinion and ideas are vital to our success. Your responses will greatly aid PIM when they visit Mount de Sales in mid-August to meet with different stakeholder groups to further enrich their understanding of our school and what background and experiences are needed in the next president. We are confident that Mount de Sales’ reputation for excellence – as well as its mission, history, and welcoming community – will attract a pool of outstanding candidates for the position.
Please use the link below to complete the Enrichment Survey. I kindly request that you complete the survey as soon as practical. The deadline to complete the survey is 11 p.m. Thursday, May 18 and you can use this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/V5KCHDD
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you for your abiding trust and support of our beloved Mount de Sales Academy.
In service,
Verda M. Colvin
Chair, MDS Board of Trustees
Partners in Mission School Leadership Search Solutions is the retained search division of Partners in Mission, the nation’s leading full-service consulting firm focused exclusively on developing excellence in Catholic school advancement and leadership. As partners among ourselves and with our clients’ missions, we value, understand, and embrace the importance of Catholic education in our personal and professional lives — and remain committed to ensuring its strength and vitality for years to come. Engaged by religious and school communities, boards and dioceses, our team of dedicated search consultants have identified and secured mission-driven professionals to serve in a myriad of diverse Catholic school and diocesan leadership positions from Massachusetts to Hawaii.
Greetings Cavalier Family, Friends, and Supporters,
I am hopeful that each of you had a wonderful summer full of family and fun. The students are now back on campus and full of excitement for a rewarding school year.
I am pleased to report that the Board of Trustees as well as the Search Committee have been diligently engaged with Kyle Pietrantonio, with Partners in Mission, in preparing our Prospectus for the search of the next President of Mount de Sales Academy. You will find the Prospectus is wonderfully done and captures the uniqueness of MDS and our Cavalier spirit.
We are “A Community Called to Excellence”; therefore, we are committed to finding a leader that will ensure that MDS continues to lead in faith, academics, and service. The Prospectus that introduces interested presidential candidates to our MDS community is linked on this page. We solicit your prayers and your help in disseminating the Prospectus through social media and other platforms.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank you for your trust and support in this presidential search. I continue to be confident that together we will find the ideal strategic leader who will lead us forward into an even brighter future.
It’s GREAT to be a CAVALIER!
In service,
Verda M. Colvin
Chair, MDS Board of Trustees
Click here to view the Mount de Sales President Prospectus
Presidential Search FAQs
The President Search Committee is composed of faculty, staff, parents, community members, and board members. The Board of Directors has the sole responsibility for hiring Mount de Sales’ next President. The Board has appointed a Search Committee to lead the process and ultimately recommend a presidential candidate to the Board of Directors. In addition, the Board has engaged Partners in Mission, a nationally recognized search firm, to serve as a consultant to the Search Committee. The Search Committee will also seek feedback from the community-at-large to inform its decision-making.
The Search Committee, under the leadership of Judge Verda Colvin, is responsible for leading the search for Mount de Sales’ next President with guidance and support from Partners in Mission search firm.
The Search Committee will review candidate applications vetted by Partners in Mission and conduct interviews with semifinalists and finalists. The Search Committee will coordinate opportunities for the community to meet the leading candidates and then review feedback, references, and background checks before submitting a recommendation for the President to the Board of Directors.
The Committee will ensure that the search process is thorough, fair, transparent, and inclusive. A key role of the Search Committee is to keep the MDS community informed and engaged throughout the search process while respecting the confidentiality of the candidate recruitment process.
Members of the Board will vote to approve the recommendation made by the Search Committee. Once the recommendation is approved, the Board will extend an offer to the candidate.
The Mount de Sales’ community was invited to participate in a survey designed by Partners in Mission. The survey allowed all constituents to share input about MDS and the search process. In addition, when school begins again, Partners in Mission will schedule in-person meetings with the various members of our community including parents, students, and alumni. The community is encouraged to stay engaged in the process by following updates sent from the Search Committee and posted to the MDS website. Once the finalists have been announced, faculty, students, parents/guardians, and alumni will be invited to open meetings with each of the candidates. Feedback following these open meetings will be used to inform the Search Committee
No. Our faculty and administrators remain committed to fulfilling Mount de Sales’ mission and providing students with an excellent educational experience that will serve them well long after they leave our campus.