Daniel McKenna Named St. Mary Catholic Schools Superintendent
St. Mary Catholic Schools (SMCS) has named Daniel McKenna as SMCS superintendent. Dan will begin at SMCS on Monday, May 3, 2021.
Dan is a transformational Catholic educator and has many successes in his career as a teacher, principal, administrator, headmaster and corporate executive. He is a Chicago native and will join SMCS after serving as the president and chief operating officer of the Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere. Prior to the Mulva Cultural Center, Dan served as head of school at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School in Austin, Texas; principal of St. Francis Xavier School in Wilmette, Illinois; and dean of students at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary High School in Chicago, Illinois. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and two master of education degrees from Loyola University.
Dan and his wife, Talleri, have two children – a daughter in high school and a son in elementary school – and will relocate to the Fox Cities from De Pere. Dan has a connection to the Neenah/Menasha area and the SMCS community as the younger brother of Phil Kerwin, who is the current STEM/VEX coordinator, parent to SMCS students and vice chair of the SMCS Board of Trustees; to avoid any conflicts of interest, Phil was recused from the entire superintendent search process.
Throughout his career in Catholic education leadership, Dan has demonstrated a strong commitment to curriculum innovation, faith formation and serving students, families and staff well.
“Please join us in welcoming Dan to SMCS. Dan possesses key characteristics that combine to make him the right person to lead our community forward. We look forward to working with him on continuing the growth and great progress we’ve experienced at SMCS,” Steve Pable, SMCS BOT chair and superintendent search committee lead, said.
Read a letter from incoming Superintendent Dan McKenna here.