March 24, 2021
Dear St. Michael’s High School Community:
The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Coughlan as President of St. Michael’s High School effective July 1, 2021. Tom will take over school leadership from Leslie Romero Kilmer who graciously moved from her position on the Board of Trustees to serve as our Interim President during the 2020-2021 school year.
Tom joins us from Sonoma, CA where he currently serves as Co-CEO of Hanna Boys Center, a Catholic educational organization serving at-risk students in grades nine through 12. Tom’s development as an educational leader has been largely shaped by the Christian Brothers. He is a graduate of our Lasallian District’s Discerning Leaders Program and has served in teaching, fundraising, and leadership positions at other Lasallian schools including De Marillac Academy in San Francisco, CA and Justin-Siena High School in Napa, CA. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in Catholic Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco and was a former wealth management advisor at Morgan Stanley. Tom will move to Santa Fe with his wife, Jenna, and four children.
Tom’s appointment follows an intensive nationwide search and in-depth review of applications. Over 20 candidates were identified and interviewed. Nine men and women advanced to more extensive interviews, after which five finalists were selected. The five finalists were invited to the school to meet with members of the community including parents, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other stakeholders over the course of three days. The Board of Trustees then conducted interviews with each finalist. The Board of Trustees unanimously agreed with the Search Committee’s determination that Tom would be the best fit for the needs of St. Michael’s and its community. We are confident that Tom will uphold the values and the mission of the school, and that he will serve our families and our community well. Please join me in welcoming Tom to our community!
Sincerely,
Nicholas S. Miller
Chairperson, Board of Trustees