In partnership with and guidance from the De La Salle Christian Brothers, the Board of Trustees is delighted to introduce Kevin M. Haley as the 29th president of St. John’s College High School, and will succeed Jeff Mancabelli effective July 1, 2024.
Kevin was selected as a result of the first open and community-inclusive presidential search process in the 173-year history of St. John’s. His appointment is the culmination of a seven-month national search, attracting interest from diverse and accomplished leaders from many sectors, including education, government, military, business, and non-profit. The search incorporated input from more than 500 survey responses and nearly 50 interviews with faculty, staff, students, trustees, parents, alumni, and administrators. The search concluded with three-day visits by the final candidates, and more than 120 community stakeholders participated in those visits. At their conclusion, the Search Committee reflected and deliberated upon the information presented in light of the leadership qualities necessary of the president to ensure that St. John’s continues to be committed to its Lasallian identity while building upon its position as an innovative leader in secondary Catholic education.
Ultimately, the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the District of Eastern North America of the Brothers of the Christian Schools unanimously agreed that Kevin Haley is the best candidate to lead St. John’s. He is extraordinarily well-suited to our common vision for our president—someone who exemplifies mission-centric leadership, is committed to our Lasallian legacy and faith development, embodies student-centered decision-making, builds an inclusive community, and maintains an authentic zeal for the comprehensive student experience.
Kevin is a native Washingtonian and was born and raised in a large Catholic family. His grandfather helped found the Catholic Youth Organization in 1945. Kevin’s oldest sons, T.J. Haley ’20 and Mac Haley ’22, and many relatives have studied at, taught at, and graduated from St. John’s in the past six plus decades. Kevin attended Catholic primary and secondary schools and graduated from Princeton University and the University of Virginia School of Law. Kevin and his wife of 27 years, Kathleen Haley, met during law school and are the proud parents of six children: Maggie, T.J. ’20, Mac ’22, Charlie, Mollie, and Grace.
After graduating from Georgetown Prep, Kevin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Cum Laude) in Politics from Princeton University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Kevin is a life-long learner and student of servant leadership. Throughout his professional career, he has demonstrated a successful resilience to lead people towards an aligned shared mission in diverse and challenging environments. By focusing on the broader needs of community, Kevin has consistently succeeded in unique settings over several decades in government, private and public companies, philanthropic and for-profit board work, and most recently, as the chief strategy officer for Under Armour. Kevin’s diverse experiences in innovation, cross-functional team building, operations, law, and management functions, align with the challenges that St. John’s is prepared to address in the next strategic and master plan.