Malika DeLancey will conclude her tenure as President of Maryvale on June 30, 2027. As we honor her leadership, we also begin the important work of identifying the next president who will guide Maryvale into its future.
Letter from Malika DeLancey, Maryvale's President
Letter from Sherry Pudloski '85, Maryvale's Board Chair
To ensure access to a strong and diverse pool of candidates, Maryvale is partnering with Educators Collaborative, a search firm composed of former Heads of School and senior educational leaders who bring decades of experience to leadership searches, governance advice, and transition planning. They see this process “as a transformative opportunity to secure leadership that will sustain Maryvale’s tradition of excellence while inspiring its next era of innovation and impact."
Joan Beauregard and Andre Withers are Maryvale's search consultants from Educators Collaborative.
Joan and Andre spent April 13 and 14 on campus with students, faculty, administrative staff, Board members, and alumnae. During those meetings, they both shared and gathered information to help the community understand how the search process will unfold and to gain a deep sense of Maryvale’s mission and values. Our lead consultants, Joan Beauregard and André Withers shared the following at the conclusion of their two days with us:
“Maryvale has all of the ingredients that would entice any exceptional school leader. From joyful young women to deeply earnest teachers; from a bucolic campus to clear identity, Maryvale’s founding history and its status today will be an attractive story to tell.”
The below graphic illustrates the next stages of our search.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the community survey for the President Search. We are so grateful for the strong engagement from our community as we look for Maryvale’s next president.
Please review the survey findings below.
This survey helped Educators Collaborative create a Leadership Profile to attract the ideal candidates for this role. EC received dozens of applications. They worked with the Search Committee (listed below) to narrow the applicant list and conduct extensive interviews. In September, Maryvale had three finalists visit campus. Constituents were able to meet with each candidate and provide feedback.
The Board of Trustees will select Maryvale’s next President and coordinate with their current institution on the timing of a joint announcement. We anticipate introducing the new President to the Maryvale community this fall. This is an important moment for Maryvale, and we are grateful for your continued support. Please stay tuned for more information in the weeks ahead.
Presidential Search Committee
Educators Collaborative will work directly with the Presidential Search Committee, which will seek input from representatives with expertise in education, business, leadership, and Catholic teaching.
Heather Smith Harvison '89 and Marty Sweeney are Co-Chairs of the Presidential Search Committee. In addition to serving on the Maryvale Board of Trustees, Marty is the retired Head of School at Odyssey School, and Heather is the President and CEO of Full Circle, Inc. and the Founder and Executive Director of Sisters Circle, Inc.
All search committee members are Maryvale Board Trustees.
| Heather Smith Harvison '89 and Marty Sweeney Co-Chairs |
|---|
| Sister Tracy Dill '65 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur |
| Tom Fan P'24 Academic Affairs, Calvert Hall College High School |
| Shana Hall '95 CEO, Soma Triune Leadership Coaching and Consulting, LLC Adjunct Faculty, Georgetown University |
| Carmalita March-Harris P'30, '32 Vice President, March Funeral Businesses |
| Sherry N. Pudloski, Board Chair '85 Group President, Corporate Affairs, Real Chemistry |
| Barry Rosen GP'24, '26 Chair, Healthcare Practice Group, Gordon Feinblatt, LLC |
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I be involved in the Head of School search process?The Board of Trustees is committed to making the search an inclusive process and will provide opportunities for community input through in-person and electronic means. The first opportunities took place when the search consultants from Educators Collaborative conducted listening sessions to learn more about the School’s strengths, as well as the opportunities facing the school now and in the years ahead. There were sessions for employees, alumnae, the parent association, and students. Additionally, all members of the school community were invited to share their thoughts about the School and the search through a confidential online survey administered by Educators Collaborative consultants.
As the search nears its conclusion, members of the school community will also have an opportunity to meet the finalist candidates and provide feedback as to their impressions of each.
What is the general timeline for the Head of School search?It is perhaps best to consider the search process in three general phases, with some overlap.
The primary purpose of the initial phase is for the Educators Collaborative consultants to “get the word out” about the search to prospective candidates and to learn more about the School. This will be done through the aforementioned listening sessions and online survey. In addition, the Educators' Collaborative consultants will familiarize themselves with school operations, programs, and policies through numerous documents provided by the School.
The next phase is conducted almost exclusively behind the scenes, as the Educators Collaborative consultants recruit and do the initial vetting of candidates through interviews and reference checks. While any qualified candidate will be considered until the completion of the search, interested candidates are asked to contact the search consultants so timely vetting can take place.
In the third phase, the Search Committee is highly active in learning more about candidates, conducting preliminary confidential interviews, selecting the finalists, and assuring that their visits to the School are successful. The work of the Search Committee concludes when it presents its nomination of the candidate of choice to the Board of Trustees. More specifically, we anticipate the following timeline:
Position posted: April 2026
Semifinalist interviews: August 2026
Finalist visits: September/October 2026
Appointment and Announcement: November 2026
Start date: July 1, 2027
What is the role of the Search Committee?The Head of School Search Committee is leading the search process and will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees, which ultimately bears responsibility for appointing the Head of School.
What is the role of Educators Collaborative, the search firm, and how were they selected?A committee of the Board of Trustees conducted broad research on national search firms. They reviewed proposals and conducted initial and follow-up interviews. Following reference checks, the group unanimously recommended to the Board of Trustees the selection of Educators Collaborative.
Educators Collaborative is a nationally-known search consulting firm, specializing in finding heads for independent schools like ours. André Withers and Joan Beauregard have been engaged to assist with the search. The search consultants will provide guidance to the Search Committee on format, logistics, procedures, and best practices in the search process. In addition, they will interview candidates, check references, and support the Search Committee throughout the interview process. Educators Collaborative will also provide transition support to the New Head of School after they have been hired.
What is the scope of the search?The search for the new Head of School is broad in scope. A primary goal is to make the search process as transparent as possible, with opportunities for community updates and feedback along the way. Confidentiality about individual candidates, however, remains a critical component for success. Some potential candidates may not be actively looking for a new position, and others may not want it known at their current institution that they are pursuing an interest in Maryvale. As such, the Search Committee will not comment on candidates participating (or not participating) in the search.
Will there be any internal candidates?The Search Committee encourages the application of all individuals who have a genuine interest in leading the School, including anyone who is currently employed at the School. To every extent possible, the Search Committee will attempt to create a level playing field, ensuring that the eventual nominee as President-elect 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 evaluated based on how well their skills and characteristics match those desired by the school community. Those skills and characteristics will be identified drawing on the survey responses and constituent interviews conducted by Educators' Collaborative consultants. The Search Committee will go through multiple steps to acquaint themselves with the pool of candidates before narrowing that group down to a small group of finalists (likely three or four).
What is the role of the School's Board of Trustees in the search process?As the process draws to completion, the Board will review the recommendations of the Search Committee, formally resolve to pursue a candidate, bear responsibility for negotiating any terms of employment, and ultimately appoint the new Head of School. The Head of School is the only employee that is hired by and reports directly to the Board of Trustees, and, as a result, choosing a new Head of School is one of the Board's most important responsibilities.
When will the new Head of School begin?The person selected by the Board of Trustees will officially become Maryvale’s President on July 1, 2027. Until that time, Malika will continue to lead the School, a role in which she has served exceptionally well. We anticipate that there will be opportunities during the 2026-2027 school year when the President-Elect will be on campus and have a chance to learn more about the School, but it is a high probability that the selected individual will have ongoing professional responsibilities elsewhere.
Will the search cause any disruptions for students and Faculty/Staff?No. All related information sessions, listening sessions, and interviews will be built around faculty, staff, and student schedules, so as not to disrupt the academic calendar and schedule.
The Board of Trustees is committed to making the search an inclusive process and will provide opportunities for community input through in-person and electronic means. The first opportunities took place when the search consultants from Educators Collaborative conducted listening sessions to learn more about the School’s strengths, as well as the opportunities facing the school now and in the years ahead. There were sessions for employees, alumnae, the parent association, and students. Additionally, all members of the school community were invited to share their thoughts about the School and the search through a confidential online survey administered by Educators Collaborative consultants.
As the search nears its conclusion, members of the school community will also have an opportunity to meet the finalist candidates and provide feedback as to their impressions of each.
It is perhaps best to consider the search process in three general phases, with some overlap.
The primary purpose of the initial phase is for the Educators Collaborative consultants to “get the word out” about the search to prospective candidates and to learn more about the School. This will be done through the aforementioned listening sessions and online survey. In addition, the Educators' Collaborative consultants will familiarize themselves with school operations, programs, and policies through numerous documents provided by the School.
The next phase is conducted almost exclusively behind the scenes, as the Educators Collaborative consultants recruit and do the initial vetting of candidates through interviews and reference checks. While any qualified candidate will be considered until the completion of the search, interested candidates are asked to contact the search consultants so timely vetting can take place.
In the third phase, the Search Committee is highly active in learning more about candidates, conducting preliminary confidential interviews, selecting the finalists, and assuring that their visits to the School are successful. The work of the Search Committee concludes when it presents its nomination of the candidate of choice to the Board of Trustees. More specifically, we anticipate the following timeline:
Position posted: April 2026
Semifinalist interviews: August 2026
Finalist visits: September/October 2026
Appointment and Announcement: November 2026
Start date: July 1, 2027
The Head of School Search Committee is leading the search process and will make recommendations to the Board of Trustees, which ultimately bears responsibility for appointing the Head of School.
A committee of the Board of Trustees conducted broad research on national search firms. They reviewed proposals and conducted initial and follow-up interviews. Following reference checks, the group unanimously recommended to the Board of Trustees the selection of Educators Collaborative.
Educators Collaborative is a nationally-known search consulting firm, specializing in finding heads for independent schools like ours. André Withers and Joan Beauregard have been engaged to assist with the search. The search consultants will provide guidance to the Search Committee on format, logistics, procedures, and best practices in the search process. In addition, they will interview candidates, check references, and support the Search Committee throughout the interview process. Educators Collaborative will also provide transition support to the New Head of School after they have been hired.
The search for the new Head of School is broad in scope. A primary goal is to make the search process as transparent as possible, with opportunities for community updates and feedback along the way. Confidentiality about individual candidates, however, remains a critical component for success. Some potential candidates may not be actively looking for a new position, and others may not want it known at their current institution that they are pursuing an interest in Maryvale. As such, the Search Committee will not comment on candidates participating (or not participating) in the search.
The Search Committee encourages the application of all individuals who have a genuine interest in leading the School, including anyone who is currently employed at the School. To every extent possible, the Search Committee will attempt to create a level playing field, ensuring that the eventual nominee as President-elect 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.
Candidates will be evaluated based on how well their skills and characteristics match those desired by the school community. Those skills and characteristics will be identified drawing on the survey responses and constituent interviews conducted by Educators' Collaborative consultants. The Search Committee will go through multiple steps to acquaint themselves with the pool of candidates before narrowing that group down to a small group of finalists (likely three or four).
As the process draws to completion, the Board will review the recommendations of the Search Committee, formally resolve to pursue a candidate, bear responsibility for negotiating any terms of employment, and ultimately appoint the new Head of School. The Head of School is the only employee that is hired by and reports directly to the Board of Trustees, and, as a result, choosing a new Head of School is one of the Board's most important responsibilities.
The person selected by the Board of Trustees will officially become Maryvale’s President on July 1, 2027. Until that time, Malika will continue to lead the School, a role in which she has served exceptionally well. We anticipate that there will be opportunities during the 2026-2027 school year when the President-Elect will be on campus and have a chance to learn more about the School, but it is a high probability that the selected individual will have ongoing professional responsibilities elsewhere.
No. All related information sessions, listening sessions, and interviews will be built around faculty, staff, and student schedules, so as not to disrupt the academic calendar and schedule.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].