October 3rd, 2019 Submitted by Notre Dame Academy
Notre Dame Academy officially installed Annemarie Lynch Kenneally, a Hingham resident and 1980 graduate of the all-girls Catholic school, as the Academy's third president in a ceremony held on Friday.
The school's board of directors, advised by a search committee that included board members, alumnae, students, parents, faculty, and staff, approved the appointment of Kenneally in April 2018 after an extensive national search. She assumed the duties of president just over one year ago.
In her installation speech, Kenneally called attention to the critical need to cultivate leadership skills in girls in order to ensure they succeed and excel throughout their lives: "American girls and women outpace their male counterparts at every level of education. But they lag in nearly every professional arena."
SUPPORTIVE FACTS: Women make up only five percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and they remain broadly underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Women still make up just 25 percent of the U.S. Senate and 23 percent of the U.S. House of Representatives. Only 26 percent of university presidents in the U.S. are women. Among the largest global non-profits, a slim 19 percent are led by women.
A gender gap still clearly exists in leadership positions.
“We must change the perception of what it means to be a leader starting with how we educate and nurture girls. Educating young women today requires ingraining in them the very things they have been taught not to do … Leadership is knowing who you are, what you believe, and being able to express yourself effectively to influence people … These skills are essential for female leaders and will be foundational to an NDA education.” -Annemarie Lynch Kenneally
Kenneally went on to announce the Billiart Leadership Institute at Notre Dame Academy. Named after NDA's founder, Saint Julie Billiart, this institute will augment academics with leadership development. "To produce the next generation of female leaders ... we must go beyond teaching, and transform students into leaders who can solve crises," Kenneally said.
Upcoming fall programming for the Institute will include establishing a partnership with a Notre Dame school in Nigeria; a senior seminar on power, gender, and inequality; and professional shadow day experiences for juniors and seniors.
“I’m certain that establishing the Billiart Leadership Institute and developing the next generation of female leaders is what we need to do as a school and what we must do as a community committed to faith, service, and social justice.” -Annemarie Lynch Kenneally
Kenneally also announces Billiart Leadership Institute
Director of the Billiart Leadership Institute at Notre Dame Academy is Christina Kappel.
Kenneally's connections to Notre Dame Academy go beyond being an alumna. Her mother, Anne Lynch, is a former chair of the science department and worked as a faculty member for 24 years. Other family NDA alumnae include her sister and two daughters.
Notre Dame Academy has long been a leader in providing an excellent all-girls liberal arts education. Roughly 450 students from over 40 communities are enrolled at NDA, which teaches grades 7 through 12. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur opened the academy in Boston’s North End in 1853. The school was at four other Boston locations before the religious order moved it to Hingham in 1965.