Raleigh, N.C., August 19, 2022 – Saint Mary’s School is pleased to announce that Dr. Adam Holden was named by the Board of Trustees to serve as Interim Head of School, effective Monday, August 22, 2022.
Holden is an international education leader and educator with more than 30 years of experience who will serve Saint Mary's School during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 academic years as the school searches for a permanent head beginning in 2024.
“As an accomplished academic and longtime Head of School at schools in the United States and abroad, Dr. Holden is exactly what our school needs now,” said Liza Roberts, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “His extensive experience in school administration, organizational management, strategic planning, and leading teams will be invaluable, while his experience on campuses of many different kinds and in cultures of all sorts will enable him to navigate ours with ease.”
Holden brings significant experience in institutional strategic planning, executive leadership training, in-depth executive coaching, and professional development. He is also an accomplished academic leader. Most recently, he served as President and Head of School at Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida; he has also served as Executive Director of the Albert Einstein Institute in Panama City, Panama, and has served in senior university leadership positions in the U.K. and U.S.
“Dr. Holden has the experience and the expertise to offer customized educational consulting that will serve our school well,” added Roberts. “With his academic expertise, he is positioned to be an ideal leader for Saint Mary's School during this interim period.”
“I am delighted to be joining the team of outstanding educators at Saint Mary’s School at this pivotal time," Holden said. "Saint Mary’s has such a rich and purposeful heritage with the very best balance of tradition and innovation in delivering programs of academic excellence. I have been so impressed with the sense of community and shared values, and I am genuinely excited to meet everyone on campus and play my part in making this the greatest year.”
Born near London, England, and raised in the southern part of the United Kingdom, Holden holds doctorate degrees from the University of Cambridge and California Coast University; an education specialist degree from Fort Hays State University; a master’s degree from Washburn University; and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southampton. As a doctoral researcher with the University of Cambridge, he spent five years conducting research in Central America developing a mobile educational application to provide high-quality professional development for teachers in marginalized communities.
He is also a highly regarded international speaker on digital innovation in education with keynote engagements in Asia, Europe, North and Central America in recent years, as well as two TEDx presentations. Holden has multiple publications on digital technologies and Blended Learning, serves on the editorial boards of The Journal of Online Learning Research, and Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, and has been a contributor to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s (ASCD) SmartBlog on Education.
Holden's institutional leadership in education has twice earned the coveted National Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award. While in Panama, he was named a special advisor to the Minister of Education for Online & Digital Learning, and he serves on the Ministry of Education Advisory Committee in Pandemic Management for the country of Panama. In this role, Holden led multiple pilot programs used to define the parameters for the virtual operation of all public schools; and led a team reviewing the national synchronous/asynchronous learning guides while working on the development of the national plan for the reopening of schools across the country of Panama.
To learn more about Dr. Adam Holden, please visit his website at www.dradamholden.com.
About Saint Mary’s School: Saint Mary's School in Raleigh, North Carolina, is an innovative, independent, Episcopal, college-preparatory, boarding and day school dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement for girls in grades 9-12. Founded in 1842, the school’s historic, residential 23-acre campus is located in the heart of North Carolina's capital city of Raleigh. With a mission to prepare girls for college and life, Saint Mary’s immerses girls in a dynamic learning environment offering both hands-on classroom learning and opportunities for real-world experiences. Graduates leave Saint Mary’s prepared to flourish in college, continue a path of servant leadership, take on future challenges, and lead with purpose. Saint Mary's School inspires girls to step outside their comfort zones, engage their minds, amplify their voices, and discover who they are and who they want to become. For more information, visit www.sms.edu.
For more information, contact Mary Virginia Swain at 919-424-4034 or mvswain@sms.edu.
