This message was previously shared with the Visitation School community on August 30

Dear Visitation School Community,

We are delighted to provide an update on the search for our next Head of School. As you know, after more than 30 years at Visitation School, seven as the Head of School, Rene Gavic informed the Board of Trustees last May of her intent to retire at the end of the 23-24 school year. 

Visitation School is pleased to announce that we have retained the services of Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CS&A), one of the nation’s leading consulting firms which has worked with over 1,800 independent, private, boarding, and charter schools in 48 states and 32 countries to provide exceptional faculty recruitment, head of school search, and strategic consulting services. CS&A has a dedicated Catholic school practice and extensive experience in the Twin Cities market. They understand and embrace the importance of mission and traditions that distinguish Catholic schools like Visitation. Because of this experience and their vast networks, they are able to successfully place transformational leaders in independent, Catholic schools. You can read more about CS&A here.

In partnership with the Visitation Board of Trustees, ACF, and the Search Committee (soon to be announced), Senior Consultant Bill Christ and Senior Associate Jess Roberson will lead our search for a new Head of School. Bill Christ came to CSA in 2017 following a distinguished 29-year tenure as Head of School at Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, one of the country’s leading all-girls schools, founded in 1876. Since joining CS&A, Bill has conducted a robust array of highly successful leadership searches, including in midwestern cities such as Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis and Minneapolis-St.Paul. Jess Roberson brings nearly 20 years of work in independent schools and educational organizations. Since joining CS&A in 2020, Jess has partnered with various independent and Catholic schools in their search for leadership and key administrative positions. Jess came to CS&A from Hutchison School, an all-girls independent school in Memphis where she was a College Counselor and lacrosse coach. Bill and Jess are eager to collaborate with Visitation and look forward to meeting our community members. 

Our goals for the search process are as follows: 

• Comprehensive engagement with all community stakeholders, which will provide multiple opportunities for input and engagement from donors, faculty and staff, parents, and alumnae.
• Frequent communication. As the process progresses, we will keep our community updated.  
• Select the very best Head of School who is capable of honoring and preserving the Sisters' living legacy and our Salesian values, while also demonstrating transformational school leadership and academic excellence.
   

On September 13 and 14, members of the CS&A team will be visiting our campus to learn more about our school and community, and what we are looking for in Visitation’s next head of school. During their visit, they will meet with faculty, staff, parents, students, alumnae, donors, and the Board of Trustees. A detailed schedule is being prepared, which will encompass several meetings enabling the team to familiarize themselves with Visitation, our unique advantages, challenges and the qualities we seek in our next head of school.

To stay up-to-date on the search, we invite you to bookmark this page on our website, which will become a central location for applicants and community members seeking updates.

Thank you for your support during this time.

Sincerely,

Jamie Candee
Chair, Visitation Board of Trustees

Meggan O’Shea
Vice Chair, Visitation Board of Trustees