Marymount Head of School Search Announcement

Dear Marymount High School Community, 

 

The Marymount High School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that following a well-planned and year-long search process, Dr. Fadia Desmond, Ph.D., Marymount ‘90, was selected as the next Head of School. The decision was based on the carefully considered endorsement of the Search Committee. Dr. Desmond will begin on July 1, 2025. 

 

As an alumna, Dr. Desmond brings a deep commitment to Catholic and all-girls education. She has a generational perspective, educational and academic leadership and a passion for ensuring that Marymount remains the premier independent all-girls Catholic high school with a global presence. Dr. Desmond will lead Marymount as it embarks on its second century of educating and empowering the ethical and confident female leaders of tomorrow — continuing to nurture in all of our students a sense of joy and a lifetime love of learning. 

 

An extensive international search resulted in a diverse pool of strong candidates; we prioritized those who most closely aligned with the leadership needs of Marymount at this juncture. In evaluating candidates, the Search Committee was guided throughout by an evaluative rubric that was formed through the feedback of our entire community, ultimately narrowing the pool down to three excellent finalists. Through a detailed process of evaluating the objective credentials and exhaustive information gathered through interviews, references, deliberations and broad-based community feedback for each candidate, the Board — in collaboration with the Search Committee — concluded that Dr. Desmond was the most qualified individual for the Head of School position and the multi-level needs of Marymount. 

 

As reflected in her resume, Dr. Desmond holds a B.A. in English from UCLA, an M.A. in Education from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in Education from UC Davis. Dr. Desmond is a dedicated educator who brings a depth of experience in both single gender and Catholic schools. She began her career as a public high school English teacher and later held various teaching positions at the college level before becoming involved in Catholic education and leadership. Dr. Desmond was an assistant principal at St. Francis Catholic High School, an academically rigorous all-girls school in Sacramento. She later joined the leadership team at an independent school, Jesuit High. Dr. Desmond returned to St. Francis Catholic High, where she currently serves as its president. 

 

Dr. Desmond knows first-hand the transformative power that a Marymount education and the RSHM charism provide the generations of young women who attend. She is dedicated to their success and wellbeing, the support of their families, the enhancement of faculty and staff, and engagement of the broader Marymount community. It is critical for Marymount’s next leader to focus not only on academic excellence and communication with all stakeholders, but also on expanding the community’s investment to secure its future. Dr. Desmond understands that Marymount is uniquely both Catholic and independent. She is poised to protect the well-being and advancement of every Marymount student, faculty, and staff as we continue to build on the school’s extraordinary heritage and aspirations for the future. 

 

Dr. Desmond is looking forward to communicating directly with the Marymount community before she joins us next summer. In the meantime, we are grateful that we will continue to be stewarded by our beloved and capable Dawn Regan as our Interim Head of School. 

 

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you for your engagement in this lengthy process and your support of our phenomenal institution, its leadership, and — most importantly— its students. 

 

Sincerely,