On October 12, 2022, Merion Mercy Academy's Board of Trustees and our Head of School Search Committee announced the appointment of Interim Head of School, Marianne Grace, as Merion Mercy Academy's Head of School, effective immediately.
Mrs Grace's appointment culminates a process that began in July when the MMA Board of Trustees formed a Head of School Search committee and retained Carney, Sandoe & Associates (CSA) as consultant for the search.
Recognizing Marianne as an outstanding mission driven leader, CSA found that she has been very well received by faculty, staff, and parents, and that the community climate is overwhelmingly positive. In CSA's professional opinion, MMA has the strategic and collaborative leader that it needs already in place.
Mrs. Grace brings an impressive professional background and decades of mission-driven leadership experience to the role of Head of School. In addition to having served as interim head of school and MMA's Director of Operations for 18 months prior, her experience includes nearly 20 years as Executive Director of Delaware County where she managed a total budget of approximately $600 million, as well as 50-plus departments and 20 direct reports. She is also intimately familiar with Merion Mercy Academy in her role as a past parent and previously serving as MMA Board chair. Marianne has a bachelor's degree in History from Temple University, a master's degree in Health Education from Saint Joseph's University, and a master's degree in Public Administration from Widener University.
In response to her official appointment, Mrs. Grace said "I am honored to lead this wonderful school that has meant so much to me personally. I thank the Board for their vote of confidence and appreciate the community's trust. The start of this school year has been remarkable in its energy and spirit and I look forward to our future."