Leadership

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The President/CEO at Bishop McNamara High School leads the institutional administration of the school,  is appointed by the Board of Directors, oversees the school’s mission and charism, institutional advancement, alumni relations, finances, facilities, and external relations.

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Meet our President/CEO - Dr. John Barnhardt

"From the moment I walked through the halls at Bishop McNamara, I knew right away that not only did it align with my spirit and my beliefs about what good education and good teaching looks like for young people, but it also worked for my family. That is really what drew me in."

Dr. John Barnhardt is the fourth president and chief executive officer of Bishop McNamara High School. The 2020-2021 school year marks the first year of his tenure in this executive leadership role. Dr. Barnhardt's goal is to “educate both the heart and minds of children,” which he believes is essential to his personal mission as an educational leader.

Originally from northern Wisconsin, Dr. Barnhardt is a lifelong educator who has dedicated his career to building and refining transformational schools for students and families in the DC metropolitan region. Most recently, he served as the Director of School Design for KIPP DC, a nonprofit management organization that oversees 19 schools across the Washington metropolitan area. Over his 12 years at KIPP DC, Dr. Barnhardt has designed, built, and led top-ranked schools.

Prior to his leadership at KIPP, Dr. Barnhardt served as the President of Wisconsin Union, a membership division for alumni and student life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he played a significant leadership role in a campus master plan and capital campaign.

Board Chairperson Robert N. Summers '86 had this to say about Dr. Barnhardt upon his selection as Bishop McNamara's next President/CEO, “We believe that John will be an exceptional leader for Bishop McNamara High School. His 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.”

"My energy comes from working in schools,” Barnhardt said. “I think schools are a very unique workplace and a unique sector in that your job is to build knowledge and also really (build) connections for people."

With his experience, Dr. Barnhardt 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 believes 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.

Dr. Barnhardt received degrees in Sociology and Legal Studies from the University of Wisconsin, a Masters in the Art of Teaching from American University, and a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.   

He resides in Greenbelt, MD in Prince George’s County with his wife Erica and their three children, Jackson, Brooklyn, and Mason.

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The operational administration

The Principal at Bishop McNamara High School leads the operational administration of the school, is appointed by the President/CEO, AND oversees the school’s academic and co-curricular programs, the faculty, staff, and students, and other matters pertaining to the successful operation of the school.

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"I truly believe that becoming an educator was my calling and, twenty-eight years later, with various job titles under my belt, I never once regretted teaching, mentoring, or praying with children and young adults. Mrs. Dian A. Carter is the Principal of Bishop McNamara High School who now enters her second year in this position. Mrs. Carter is the twelfth person in school history and the first woman to serve in this key leadership role. "

Mrs. Carter guides Bishop McNamara High School with tremendous passion and resolve, leading with conviction,  concern for the safety and the well-being of the entire Bishop McNamara community. This was most in evidence during the required transition to  full remote learning that began in March of 2019 and 2020, transitioned in hybrid in Spring of 2021, and then a full  return with modifications in the Fall of 2021.   

Prior to her appointment as Principal, Mrs. Carter served as Bishop McNamara's Assistant Principal for two years and she served as the Principal at Saint Ambrose Catholic School in Cheverly, MD for nine years. Before beginning her tenure as a Catholic school educator, she worked as a high school English teacher for Prince George’s and Montgomery County Schools. She began her career as an administrator at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Maryland, as an Assistant Principal and prior to leaving Montgomery County Public Schools, she also served as a Vertical Articulation Specialist, Test Coordinator, and Assistant Principal at Wheaton High School in Wheaton, Maryland. 

Mrs. Carter earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Education from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Master’s in Supervision and Administration from Bowie State University.

Mrs. Carter has spearheaded numerous academic and community initiatives during her tenure at Bishop McNamara.  She brings boundless energy to the role as she serves as a wonderful mentor and example to the school's faculty, staff, and students.  As a thirty-year educator, she remains excited about Bishop McNamara present success and bright future.  Mrs. Carter is an administrator who possesses high standards and expectations of student conduct and she remains committed to fostering a culture of respect among students, faculty and staff. As the parent of two Bishop McNamara alumni, Mrs. Carter is dedicated and enthusiastic to support the teachers, students, and parents in every way possible.  Through her words and actions, Mrs. Carter advances Bishop McNamara High School’s mission to educate hearts and minds in a dynamic, inclusive Catholic school community rooted in the Holy Cross tradition.

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The Board of Directors

The Board of Directors at Bishop McNamara High School holds in trust the school's mission for the Brothers of Holy Cross and governs the school in such a way that it continues to serve those for which the mission is intended.

Board members must adhere to their role of visioning, governing, planning and setting policy. Board members are not involved in the daily operation of the school nor the employment of faculty and staff. The Board of Directors make policies that ensure the school is administered legally, ethically, efficiently and effectively.

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The Parent Board functions as a representative body for the parents of Bishop McNamara High School.  The Parent Board gathers parental input to benefit and support the school’s institutional and operational leaders with insights and perspectives in the accomplishment of the school’s mission to educate hearts and minds.  The Parent Board helps Bishop McNamara High School to create an inclusive and dynamic school community rooted in the Holy Cross tradition that aims to build familial relationships of mutual respect and trust within and throughout Bishop McNamara High School.

PARENT BOARD

President:  Rhonda Johnson Adams
1st Vice President: Tina McRae-Phelps
2nd Vice President:  Shakia Payne Godfrey
Recording Secretary:  Alice Szczepanski
Corresponding Secretary:  Tiffany Jones
Treasurer:  Sarah E. Glasgow
Sergeant-at-Arms:  Gena Bracey Stokes
Sergeant-at-Arms:  Nicole Clifton
Sergeant-at-Arms:  Morghan Copeland
Sergeant-at-Arms:  Lori Pavkov
Fundraising Co-Chair:  Cheryl Coleman
Fundraising Co-Chair:  Debora Hartnett
Hospitality Co-Chair:  Evie Adams Simmons
Hospitality Co-Chair:  Lynnette Coles
Used Uniform Sales Co-Chair:  Tamika Springs
Used Uniform Sales Co-Chair:  Valerie Hayes