Search Overview
The McQuaid Jesuit Board of Trustees is currently engaged in a robust process to identify the next President of our school community. This includes a national search to yield candidates who possess a passion for Jesuit education, an ability to inspire and execute a bold strategic vision, and a commitment to engaging all members of the community to strengthen and sustain our Catholic and Ignatian Identity.
For additional details and updates on the search process and structure, please revisit this page regularly.
Opportunity Statement
The deadline to submit materials to our Opportunity Statement is September 30, 2023. All inquiries should be directed to DRG Talent Advisory Group.
Senior Search Consultant
Search Structure
The McQuaid Jesuit Board of Trustees has created a process and search committee to help define the personal and professional characteristics of its next President and to source candidates that exhibit these criteria.
To assist with this process the Board of Trustees has partnered with DRG, a national leader in education consulting and private school leadership searches. In addition to research-based best practices and experience in placing school leaders in prestigious faith-based schools, DRG brings an array of resources to facilitate a thoughtful, thorough, and inclusive search process.
The process is intended to be inclusive and designed to solicit input from a wide spectrum of constituents within the McQuaid Jesuit Community.
Presidential Search Committee
The Search Committee comprises of current/past Board of Trustees, Alumni, Administrators, Faculty, past/current parents of McQuaid Jesuit students and a Jesuit.
- Craig Cairns, P ’06, ’14, ’16, ’18, ’21, ’28 – Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, Parent
- Janet Dacey, P ’99, ’05, ’08 – Middle School Principal, Parent
- Tom D’Antonio, P ’06, ’07, ’12 – Chair of the Board of Trustees, Parent
- Penny Gonzalez, P’ 16, ’18 – Assistant to the President, Parent
- Emery Lewis ’06 – Current Board of Trustee
- Jim Magee, P ’03, ’05 – Current Board of Trustee, Parent
- Dan Mahar ’84, P ’14, ’16, ’22 – Former Board of Trustee, Parent
- Jim Malvaso ’93, P ’27 – Former Board of Trustee, Parent
- Mary Lou Mitchell, SSJ – Current Board of Trustee
- Rev. Bob Reiser, S.J. – Former President McQuaid Jesuit
- Lisa Soprano, P ’16, ’23 – Current Board of Trustee, Faculty, Parent
- Damian Zynda – Director of Mission and Ministry
Interim Leadership
To optimize our candidate pool and align ourselves with a placement cycle consistent with the head of a school search, we have instituted an interim leadership model for the 2023-2024 school year. The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce Mr. Peter Rodgers will assume the role of interim President at McQuaid Jesuit, beginning July 1, 2023.
Many may be familiar with Peter given his leadership positions in the Rochester, NY community, and at McQuaid Jesuit, over many years. Peter is a person of integrity steeped in Jesuit tradition, having graduated from Canisius High School, and Fordham University, before earning his law degree at The State University of New York at Buffalo. Peter and his wife, Pam, are the parents of two McQuaid Jesuit graduates as well.
Peter has committed to serving as interim President until at least January 2024.
Peter has served as a Trustee since 2003. He chaired the McQuaid Jesuit Board from 2009-2016. Under Peter’s leadership as Board Chair, McQuaid Jesuit added a 6th grade to the middle school, constructed a new classroom wing, renovated the cafeteria, purchased the Jesuit residence and began construction of the Wegman Family STEM Center. Peter has continued as an active participant on the McQuaid Jesuit Board. He maintains strong relationships across the McQuaid Jesuit community and has an excellent understanding of our past and future strategic priorities. We are confident that Peter will continue McQuaid Jesuit’s strong forward momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions:
As defined by its charter and consistent with its governance role, hiring the school’s President is the primary responsibility of McQuaid Jesuit’s Board of Trustees. They will lead a thoughtful and collaborative process that seeks input from across the school community and from the Jesuit East Province. Existing members of the faculty & staff, including the school’s leadership team, alumni and parents will also be engaged in this work.
We are proceeding with a plan to name a permanent President by January 1, 2024 with a start date no later than July 1, 2024. A robust search process will identify ideal candidates, and a formal timeline to evaluate them will be determined by the Board of Trustees. Our search timeline is dependent upon a variety of factors and will remain flexible as we build a candidate pool. It allows us to optimize our candidate pool while excellent interim leadership is in place. Members of the McQuaid Jesuit community will be kept informed along the way.
Mr. Rodgers appointment as Interim President is effective July 1, 2023. He has graciously agreed to serve in that role until January 2024.
As the search process unfolds, a key component will be a robust discovery phase that will invite broad input from across the school community through small focus groups. Our goal is to ensure that alumni, faculty/staff, and parents can have a voice in this important work so that all are engaged and invested in the future of McQuaid Jesuit.
We do not anticipate any impact on the student experience. Our talented faculty, staff, and leadership team will continue the work that has created the exemplary academic and co-curricular experience at McQuaid Jesuit, and we expect the transition to a new President to be one that furthers the school’s success.
This page will be continually updated, and email updates will be shared with members of the extended McQuaid Jesuit community as the search and transition process unfolds. General questions regarding the process may be directed to awatson@drgtalent.com