New Holy Cross Academy Leadership Team Includes Crestwood's Lady of Providence

Holy Cross Academy, the area's newest Catholic school system has announced its leadership team for the 2012-2013 school year.

The academy will include students from  in Webster Groves,  in Crestwood and St. Michael the Archangel in Shrewsbury. Representatives from 

Under the plan, the St. Michael and Our Lady of Providence campuses will serve students in kindergarten through fifth-grade. The Annunciation campus will become the academy's middle school serving sixth- through eighth-grade students.

Amie Koenen, the principal at St. Michael's, has been named president of the new school system. The Rev. Robert Evans, pastor of Annunciation Catholic Church, will serve as the academy's pastor. 

Evans will spearhead the academy’s Catholic identity and will be the chosen representative of the other parish pastors, which include the Rev. Dennis Doyle of St. Michael and the Rev. Dave Rauch of Our Lady of Providence. Koenen will work Evans to ensure the academy’s mission is represented at the three campuses.

Leadership at the there campuses will include:

• Michael Biggs, the principal at Annunciation Catholic School, will be the principal of the middle school campus, which will be located at Annunciation.
• Laura Clark, the principal of Our Lady of Providence, will serve as the principal of the elementary campus at that school.
• Kristi Mantych, the eighth grade homeroom and science teacher at St. Michael the Archangel, will become principal at the elementary campus there.

“We are blessed to have found three individuals who are not just excellent teachers and leaders who are committed to Catholic education, but who share our passion toward the formation of Holy Cross Academy,” Koenen said in a statement. “We see this as such a positive and natural evolution of Catholic education in a way that we can sustain for generations to come, and that’s thrilling to all of us as Catholics, parents and educators.”

The academy has also appointed a board of directors:

• John James, a Saint Louis University professor and noted expert in Catholic education, will serve as the chairman of the board.
• Mark Hite, an Annunciation parishioner and parent of two future Holy Cross Academy students, will be vice chairman.
• Carolyn Conboy, an parishioner and parent of five future Holy Cross Academy students, will serve as secretary.
• Ed Kopff, a St. Michael the Archangel parishioner and parent of one future Holy Cross Academy student, will be treasurer.

Other board members include: Jim Childress; Fred Entrikin; Ann Kleitsch; Kelli Powers; Ron Rebore; Elizabeth Rolwes; John Schicker; Pat Wheadon; and Jim Woodcock. 

The academy's new website provides short bios on each member of the leadership team and the board.