Padua Academy in Wilmington Launches Search for First President Under New Leadership Model
Why It Matters
Padua Academy, a Wilmington, Delaware all-girls Catholic high school, is embarking on a significant institutional shift with the launch of a search for its first-ever president. The move reflects a broader trend in Catholic secondary education toward a dual-leadership model that separates executive and academic responsibilities to strengthen long-term institutional health.
For Delaware families and the broader Catholic community, the transition signals a deliberate investment in the school’s future — ensuring that faith-based education rooted in traditional values remains strong for the next generation of young women in the region.
What Happened
Padua Academy announced it is searching for its inaugural president as the school transitions to a President-Principal leadership model beginning in the 2026–27 school year. The Wilmington-based institution, founded in 1954, will separate executive and academic leadership under the new structure.
Under the model, the president will serve as chief executive, focusing on strategy, advancement, and community engagement. The principal will continue to oversee academics, faculty, and student life — maintaining continuity in the classroom while expanding the school’s capacity for growth at the institutional level.
Board of Trustees Chair Jennifer Kroll Cuva ’99 and Presidential Search Committee Chair Lisa Murray Jubb ’01 communicated the change directly to families and stakeholders, describing the creation of the Office of the President as a move that “strengthens our commitment to advancing Padua Academy’s mission and ensures the continued growth, vitality, and vision of our community.”
The search is being led by a Presidential Search Committee with support from St. Anthony of Padua parish, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, and the Diocese of Wilmington Catholic Schools Office. Finalists will be invited to campus to engage directly with the Padua community as part of the selection process.
By the Numbers
1954 — The year Padua Academy was founded, giving the school more than seven decades of history in Wilmington.
9,000+ — The size of Padua Academy’s alumnae network, representing the school’s deep roots in the Delaware region.
1 — The number of presidents the school has ever had: zero. This search will identify the institution’s first-ever chief executive.
2026–27 — The school year in which the new President-Principal leadership model is set to take effect.
3 — The number of sponsoring Catholic organizations supporting the search: St. Anthony of Padua parish, the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, and the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia.
Zoom Out
The President-Principal model is widely adopted across Catholic secondary education in the United States, particularly in schools affiliated with religious orders. The structure allows schools to maintain academic excellence under dedicated principal leadership while the president focuses on fundraising, enrollment, community relations, and long-term strategic planning.
As Catholic schools nationally face enrollment pressures and financial challenges, institutions that have adopted this dual-leadership structure have often shown stronger outcomes in institutional advancement and donor engagement. Padua Academy’s move aligns with efforts by faith-based schools to remain competitive and financially sustainable without compromising their religious mission.
Delaware’s Catholic school network, overseen by the Diocese of Wilmington, has continued to serve families seeking alternatives to public education grounded in faith, discipline, and traditional academic values — priorities that remain central to education policy debates across the country.
What’s Next
The presidential search will proceed through multiple phases, including candidate recruitment, evaluation, interviews, and final selection. In later stages of the process, finalists will visit the Padua Academy campus to meet directly with members of the school community.
School leaders are actively encouraging the broader community — including alumni, parish members, and supporters — to participate by sharing the opportunity with qualified candidates and offering their prayers and partnership throughout the search.
The school year 2026–27 marks the target launch date for the new dual-leadership structure. For more information or to learn about the search, the school is directing interested parties to paduaacademy.org/president-search.
Padua Academy’s transition comes as Delaware communities continue to invest in institutions that anchor civic and cultural life across the Wilmington region.