Brendan O'Shea to be Installed as 14th Head of Saint Mary's School

RALEIGH, N.C. - Oct. 9, 2017 - PRLog -- Brendan J. O'Shea, the 14th head of Saint Mary's School, will officially be installed into office, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, at 3 p.m., in a ceremony in the historic Saint Mary's Chapel. The afternoon installation ceremony will be attended by students, faculty, staff, and members of the Board of Trustees. O'Shea has been serving as head of school since July 1.

The Rt. Rev. Ann Hodges-Copple, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, will preside. Saint Mary's trustee and alumna Mary Hinton '88HS, Ph.D., president of the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn., will deliver the homily.

There will be a reception in Smedes Hall that evening at 5:30 p.m. to celebrate the installation of the new head of school.

A native of Baltimore, O'Shea is a 1980 graduate of the Gilman School. He graduated from the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.S. in commerce in 1984 from the McIntire School of Commerce and an M.Ed. in administration and supervision in 2001 from the Curry School of Education.

O'Shea is a seasoned independent school educator and leader. He began his educational career at Woodberry Forest School, an all-boys' boarding school in Madison County, Va. During his 16-year tenure at Woodberry Forest, O'Shea served in numerous senior administrative positions, including director of admission; assistant headmaster for admission, marketing, and financial aid; and assistant headmaster and dean of academic affairs. These positions involved O'Shea in virtually every area of school administration. He directed the school's daily operations and administered its academic program. He was responsible for hiring faculty members and managing the school's processes for faculty professional development and evaluation. O'Shea's roles also allowed him to work closely with the school's board of trustees to set policy, and to plan for the school's future. Throughout his tenure at Woodberry, O'Shea continued to work closely with students, parents, and faculty in each of his roles.

In 2004, O'Shea was appointed headmaster of Charleston Day School, a co-ed, K-8 school in Charleston, S.C. As headmaster, O'Shea designed and managed a successful capital campaign that resulted in the construction of the new Student Academic Center at Charleston Day School. He also led two successful accreditations for Charleston Day School and has served on numerous SAIS/SACS accreditation teams. Many members of the Charleston Day School community commented that O'Shea's leadership will always be distinguished by the culture of welcome, care, and civility he fostered at the school.

"It is an honor and privilege to join the Saint Mary's School community as head of school," says O'Shea. "Saint Mary's is purposeful in providing a top-notch education while instilling important character traits in the girls it serves."

About Saint Mary's School

Saint Mary's School in Raleigh, N.C., is an independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory, boarding and day school dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement for girls in grades 9-12. Founded in 1842, Saint Mary's School is celebrating its 176th year of excellence in education for young women. http://www.sms.edu

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