Dear Bishop McNamara Family and Friends,

It is with great pleasure and only appropriate that on this Solemnity of St. Joseph, patron saint of the Brothers of Holy Cross, that I announce to you that the Board of Directors and the Brothers of Holy Cross have unanimously selected Dr. John Barnhardt as the fourth President and CEO in Bishop McNamara High School history, effective June 1, 2020.

Last September the Board of Directors formed the President Search Committee and a consultative group comprised of board members, faculty, staff, parents, benefactors, local Catholic school leaders and representatives from the Brothers of Holy Cross. The committee engaged the entire school community in defining the essential attributes for the next president of Bishop McNamara High School and the committee defined its charge: to find a faith-filled, mission-driven, bold, entrepreneurial, passionate and visionary leader who would build on our prominent and historic platform and take our extraordinary school to the next level. 

Working with the educational search firm, Carney, Sandoe & Associates, over the course of the fall and winter, the President Search Committee interviewed many exciting candidates. As you know from my updates, this position attracted more than 60 qualified applicants from across the country. In February and March, the Search Committee brought three of the most experienced and talented candidates to our campus to continue the interview process with the Search Committee and to meet with the Board of Directors, the leadership team and our faculty, staff and students. At the conclusion of this comprehensive process, it was the unanimous recommendation of the President Search Committee that John is the right candidate to serve as the next president of our school.

Dr. John Barnhardt has dedicated his career to building and refining transformational schools for students and families in the DC region. As the Director of School Design for KIPP DC for the past twelve years, John and his team have managed 18 schools across the District of Columbia. Prior to his leadership at KIPP he served as the President of Wisconsin Union, a membership division for alumni and student life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where John led a $60 million capital campaign. 

John’s leadership has been motivated by the relationships he has with students, parents, alumni, and faculty and staff communities. John recently shared with me that while it was at first the legacy of Bishop McNamara High School that attracted him to our school it is the values that our Bishop McNamara family stands for that humbles him and calls him to become our next President/CEO. John believes strongly in an education steeped in faith like that of the Holy Cross tradition and commits to modeling this in every facet of school leadership. He also states that his responsibility as a school leader is to maintain and strengthen the necessary conditions that allow students and faculty to be highly engaged in teaching, learning, and growing in their faith and academic study. 

John and his wife Erica (pictured here) are also excited that each of their three children will proudly wear Mustang gear, but it will be a few years before they have a locker here as his oldest son Jackson is only three. Jackson is joined by his twin siblings Brooklyn and Mason.

This is an exciting time in our school’s history as we look to Dr. Barnhardt to execute and drive our inspirational strategic plan, Innovate. Transform. Thrive!, complete our Capital Campaign and begin a new chapter in our history with the construction of the La Reine Science and Innovation Center all while continuing to build on the strong foundation that has been laid over the past thirty years by the first three school presidents--Brother John Paige, C.S.C. (1991-1996), Mrs. Heather Gossart (1996-2010), and Dr. Marco Clark ‘85 (Principal 1997-2010; President/CEO 2010-2020). 

Please join us in warmly welcoming John and his family to Bishop McNamara High School. We pray, through the intercession of St. Joseph, for John and his family as he transitions to be the next steward of the Bishop McNamara High School community and the mission and charism of Holy Cross. We believe that John will be an exceptional leader for our school. For Bishop McNamara, the best is yet to come. 

In Holy Cross, 

Robert N. Summers ‘86

Board Chair

Bishop McNamara High School

Dr. John Barnhardt’s Bio:

Dr. John A. Barnhardt is a lifelong educator who is originally from northern Wisconsin. John graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in Sociology and Legal Studies. He moved to Washington, D.C. to teach and start schools in communities lacking access to quality education and made it his mission that every student be prepared for college and the competitive world beyond. In DC, John was a teacher and principal across all K-12 sectors. Currently, John is the Director of School Design for KIPP DC, an organization that manages 18 schools across DC. John has earned his masters from American University and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.  

In the spirit of the Holy Cross tradition, John’s Catholic identity is deeply rooted in family and grows stronger by nurturing the hearts and minds of his children, his students, and in providing for his community. John is a husband to his wife Erica and the proud dad to Jackson (age 3) and twins Brooklyn and Mason (4 months). Erica, an education consultant in DC, is originally from New York and is a graduate of Georgetown University and has a master's degree from Columbia University. In his spare time, John enjoys reading, hiking, cycling, and spending time with his family.