Dear members of the Malvern Prep community,

 

As you may know, James H. Stewart has announced his intention to step down as President of Malvern Preparatory School at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. We will be forever grateful to Jim for his tremendous level of dedication to the students and families of Malvern Prep. This change of leadership marks an important opportunity in the life of the School, one that the Board of Trustees is undertaking with both eager anticipation and great care.

 

We are writing today to provide you with an update regarding the process we intend to follow in the months ahead to ensure a smooth leadership transition and the selection of Malvern’s next Head.

 

First, we are very pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has approved the Search Committee’s recommendation to appoint the Rev. James R. Flynn, O.S.A. as the next President of Malvern Preparatory School.  In this new role as President, Father Flynn will be responsible for the direction of the School's spiritual program in the upper and middle schools, while also being active in the School’s fundraising efforts.  Father Flynn has been a leader at Malvern Prep for more than 25 years, serving as Head of School since 2006 and Assistant Head of School from 1997 to 2006. He has also held the roles of Math Department Chair and Dean of the Middle School.  Father Flynn will assume the role of President when Mr. Stewart steps down in June 2012.

 

We are also pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees has retained the highly respected educational consulting firm of Wickenden Associates of Princeton, N.J., to assist us in the search for our next Head of School, who will be the academic leader of Malvern Prep responsible for operating the upper and middle schools as chief executive officer.

 

Wickenden Associates has conducted Head of School searches for nearly 300 independent schools across the nation. James Wickenden, the firm’s President, and Zachary White, Search Consultant and Research Associate, will be visiting Malvern Prep in the near future to meet with the Search Committee and to conduct a series of interviews with representatives of each of the School’s constituencies. The information they collect will be used in the development of a position description that will inform potential candidates about this exciting career opportunity.

 

Please know that your participation in the Head of School search process is welcomed and very important. For those who do not have an opportunity to meet with Jim and Zach during their visit, I encourage you to complete and return online a survey that is available via the Wickenden Associates website: www.wickenden.com.  The survey provides you with a means to share your thoughts about our school’s strengths and challenges as well as the qualities we should be seeking in our next Head of School. 

 

We will, of course, provide you with periodic updates as we continue to work with Wickenden Associates to create a timetable for the search process. Thank you in advance for your support as we undertake this important and exciting work on behalf of Malvern Preparatory School.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Richard E. Devine Jr.    
Chairman of the Board of Trustees

 

Paul J. Kennedy
Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Search Committee