Principal Search | Waldron Mercy Academy

Principal Search Process

UPDATE 4/5/23: ANNOUNCING OUR NEW PRINCIPAL!

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Jacqueline P. Coccia will be joining the WMA community as our new principal, effective July 1st, 2023. Dr. Coccia is an experienced and accomplished educator who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our school.

We are confident that Dr. Coccia's extensive experience, coupled with her dedication to Catholic education and her commitment to our Mercy values, make her an excellent fit for our school community. We look forward to her leadership and vision for the future of Waldron Mercy Academy.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the candidate search and interview process. Your patience, time, energy, and support were invaluable, and we could not have found the right candidate without your contributions.

Please click here for a full press release that provides more details about Dr. Coccia's background and her appointment as Principal of WMA. We encourage you to read it and share the news with your family and friends. We will also host a meet-and-greet event with Dr. Coccia this summer, and we will share more information about that event as soon as possible.

SEARCH PROCESS

For the next principal of Waldron Mercy Academy, we will work to identify a person of faith who appreciates Mercy values, of wisdom who will invigorate our academic programs, and of servant leadership who will value and inspire our community.

A Principal Search Committee has been formed to facilitate the process of recruiting, selecting, and recommending eligible candidates to the Board of Trustees. The members of this committee include:

Sister Elizabeth Marley, RSM – Committee Co-Chair, Trustee
Ellyn Jo Waller, Ed.D., P ’05 ’06 – Committee Co-Chair, Trustee
Joan Barone P ’08 – Board Chair
Nicole Elie P ’18 ’22 – Trustee
Melissa Lennon P ’21 – Trustee
Louis Marchese P ’10 ’11 ’16 – Trustee
Nell Stetser – representative for Mercy Education System of the Americas

Lambert & Associates, an executive search firm with extensive experience placing senior level professionals for Mercy ministries and other mission-based institutions, has been retained to lead the search process according to the following anticipated timeline:

August 2022 Announce Mrs. Braca’s planned departure; establish Principal Search Committee

Sept/Oct 2022 Vet and select search firm; announce search process to community

November 2022 Gather input from community through focus group meetings and finalize position description

Nov/Dec 2022 Lambert develops pool of qualified candidates

January 2023 Lambert & Search Committee interview and evaluate potential candidates

February 2023 Final candidates to meet and be interviewed by various constituents of the
Waldron Mercy Academy Community

March 2023 Board of Trustees selects next Principal

April 2023 Board of Trustees forms a Principal Transition Committee

July 2023 New Principal begins July 1

After soliciting input from the WMA community, our Lambert & Associates consultants, in collaboration with the Principal Search Committee, drafted this position description for prospective candidates to learn more about the school, the responsibilities of the role, and the desired qualifications of the next Principal.

If you have any questions about Waldron Mercy’s principal search process, or if you or someone you know may be interested in the position, please email Catharine McGeever at cfmcgeever@lambertassoc.com or Tara Sweeney at tsweeney@lambertassoc.com.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PRINCIPAL SEARCH COMMITTEE

AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Message from Lambert & Associates

February 27th, 2023

Message from Lambert & Associates

January 9th, 2023

Message from the Committee Co-Chairs
December 6th, 2022

Message from Lambert & Associates

November 18th, 2022

Message from the Board Chair

October 25, 2022

Message from the Board Chair