ACADEMY WELCOMES JEANE MCNAMARA AS HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Jeane McNamara officially joined the AHN family as the principal of the High School. Before accepting the permanent position, McNamara served as an interim principal for several months. She brings 30 years of experience in education, spending her first 14 years as a teacher and the past 16 years as an administrator, notably in the all-girl Catholic school space. She served for 10 years as the director of curriculum and instruction at Villa Maria Academy High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and then four years as the president of Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, an archdiocesan school in northern Philadelphia.

Academy’s high school principal search process was highly selective. Academy searched for someone who is a strong advocate and model of our Catholic faith and SNJM values, experienced in providing instructional and academic leadership, well-versed on the contemporary issues, needs and opportunities of young women, forward-thinking and able to inspire, coach and lead a high-performing faculty and student body, and accessible and able to build strong partnerships between parents and teachers.

“Since starting at the Academy, McNamara has exemplified the essential qualities needed to lead the High School and done a marvelous job learning about and decisively addressing the immediate needs of the students, parents, faculty and programs. In doing so, the AHN Board of Trustees and I believe she has demonstrated tremendous credibility on all fronts of high school operations and will bring stability in leadership for the future,” said Kevin P. Whitney.

McNamara has a shared vision for strengthening our SNJM values, the academic program and the student experience. That vision will be equally informed by the recently announced 2023-2028 strategic plan (see page 12). We are excited to see how all students, faculty and programs in the High School will continue to thrive and strengthen under her leadership.

“I look forward to continuing to embrace the traditions that are signature to the Academy experience while helping lead young women to the fulfillment of their God-given potential as faith-filled, college and career-ready, culturally competent and independent individuals prepared to make a difference in the world,” says McNamara.

Mrs. McNamara and her husband, Bill, have three children, Colin, 27, a pediatrician in the U.S. Navy; Maggie, 24, a bank fraud analyst; and Sean, 19, a freshman at Eastern University in Radnor, Pennsylvania. While separated in miles, they stay close through their love of all things Philadelphia — music, culture, food, and most of all, sports.

Please join us in welcoming Jeane McNamara to the Academy family!

Our world needs strong women of intelligence, grit, action and integrity. AHN is the vessel to produce this marvelous product.