Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) announced this week the appointment of Port Washington resident Kristin Lynch Graham as the school’s second president. Graham will assume this role on July 1, 2016.
Graham brings to Sacred Heart Academy an accomplished background in institutional advancement, alumni relations, strategic planning and communications. Since 2008, she has been the director of development and alumni relations for St. Mary’s High School in Manhasset. In 2014, her responsibilities expanded to include St. Mary’s Elementary School and to maintaining relations with the over 14,000 alumni associated with The Schools of Saint Mary.
Prior to her years at St. Mary’s, Graham had a 10-year career at Fordham University in the Office of Development and University Relations. She was the first female to be appointed as the director of alumni relations and was the assistant vice president for alumni relations and annual giving. In 2005, she became the director of leadership gifts at Columbia Law School, where she was responsible for creating the strategic campaign plan.
A native of Stewart Manor and graduate of St. Anne’s School and St. Mary’s Girls’ High School, Graham earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English Literature and a master’s degree in Human Resource Education from Fordham University.
“Certainly Kristin Lynch Graham comes to Sacred Heart Academy as a witness with a strong conviction of the importance of empowering young women to make a difference in their families, communities, professions, church and world,” Interim President S. Jean Amore, CSJ, EdD, said. “We are confident that she will share with the Sisters of St. Joseph and the SHA community a commitment to our mission rooted in the Gospel of Jesus.” S. Jean will resume her role as vice president for Mission and Academic Affairs on July 1.
The selection of Graham as president comes after a rigorous search process during which Sacred Heart Academy’s search committee considered many highly qualified candidates from around the country. During the in-depth interviews Graham‘s energy, enthusiasm and dedication to the mission were evident to all.
“I am honored to join this esteemed community of educators, students, alumnae and families,” Graham said. “I am deeply committed to Catholic education and I am particularly inspired by the mission of Sacred Heart Academy. Sacred Heart provides young women with an outstanding Catholic education and the skills to ‘lead with heart.’”
Graham continued, “With the support and partnership of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, and all the members of the Sacred Heart community, I know that we will continue to build upon the solid foundation that has been set while creating the next phase of Sacred Heart’s bright future.”
The search committee was composed of Sacred Heart Academy alumnae, parents, members of the SHA Board of Trustees and members of the Sisters of St. Joseph Member Board: Peg D’Angelo, ’66, P’92; S. Angela Gannon CSJ; S. Nancy Gilchriest, SSND; S. Patricia Mahoney, ’60 CSJ; Susan Gordon Ryan, ’67; Denise Strain, P’06; and Chris Tully, P’17.
Sacred Heart Academy is a Catholic college preparatory school dedicated to the intellectual and personal growth of young women. A focus on the specific needs of young women creates a unique environment that both challenges and nurtures students to help them discover and achieve their full potential. Offering many opportunities for success, SHA provides rigorous academics, varied extracurricular activities and religious values that nourish mind, body and soul. The result is the development of purposeful and successful women who “lead with heart” and are ready for life’s challenges.
