News

To the St. Joseph School and Parish community,

We are pleased to announce the selection of Mr. Ian Snyder to serve as our first permanent Head of School effective July 1, 2022.

Mr. Snyder comes to us from St. Patrick Academy, an independent Preschool-Grade 8 Private Catholic School located in Portsmouth NH, where he served as Dean of Students and School Operations. While at St. Patrick’s, he also has served as a Middle School teacher and Director of Student Activities.

Mr. Snyder grew up in Vernon CT, where he attended Rockville high school and was active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, with a minor in English from St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, and a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Assumption College in Worcester. Mr. Snyder is currently completing a Master of Education, Leadership, and Policy as part of the Catholic Leadership Cohort through the Roche Center at Boston College. Mr. Snyder is also a Licensed School Counselor in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Mr. Snyder has a special passion for Catholic education and leadership, having been deeply influenced by his Benedictine undergraduate experience and the formative relationships he developed with the monastic community at St. Anselm Abbey. According to Mr. Snyder, “As a spiritual leader, I rely heavily on the tenets of Benedictine spirituality; stability, balance (work and prayer), reflection, and the ever-constant pursuit of seeking God in all things.”

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Snyder and his wife Maura, along with their sons Benedict (2 years) and Augustine (8 months), as they relocate to Massachusetts from New Hampshire.

Mr. Snyder’s selection as Head of School is the result of an intensive and inclusive search process conducted by the Search Committee, in close collaboration with the consultants Carney, Sandoe, and Associates. The St. Joseph School community was engaged for input on the position description and provided with opportunities to meet and give feedback on our finalist candidates. While the Search Committee was very impressed with Mr. Snyder’s qualifications for the role, it was his ability to make strong connections with the community, as evidenced by the enthusiastic response from his visit to the campus, that confirmed our view that he is the best person to lead the school.

We are confident that Mr. Snyder’s charisma, deep personal faith, and commitment to student learning will lift St. Joseph School to new levels. This is a very exciting time for our community.

Ian Snyder will assume the leadership of St. Joseph School at the beginning of its 69th year, succeeding Dr. Joseph Barnes who is currently serving as Interim Head of School. Please join us in thanking Dr. Barnes for his service during the 2021-2022 school year.

Finally, we would like to express our thanks to the entire community for your prayers and support during the search process.

Sincerely,
St. Joseph School Head of School Search Committee

Fr. Bryan Parrish
Dr. Joseph Barnes
Jane Branca
Kristen Fiumara
Amy Maloney
Michael Nerbonne
Andrew Spence