March 16, 2018

Dear Shady Side Academy Community,

We write to update you on the status of the search for President Tom Cangiano's successor. As you are likely aware, President Cangiano announced that he will leave at the end of this academic year to pursue an opportunity in Chicago. We are grateful for Tom and Linda's service and contributions to Shady Side, and we are fortunate that Middle School Head Amy Nixon will become interim president of the Academy for the 2018-2019 school year.

The Shady Side Academy Board of Trustees has established a Presidential Search Committee, which is listed below, and Board Chair Mike Hannon and Chair-Elect Jon Kamin asked the two of us to co-chair this committee. We are honored to be entrusted with this responsibility, and several weeks ago, along with our fellow Search Committee members, we began the search process. At this time, the Search Committee is pleased to announce the selection of national search firm Research Group 175, also known as RG175, to lead this effort.

Soon after Spring Break, Tom Hudnut and Bob Henderson of RG175 will come to Pittsburgh to visit all four campuses and personally interview many members of our community. They will meet with faculty, administration, students, parents, alumni, trustees and others. We will also ask the broader community to complete an important, anonymous, electronic survey to help us refine what Shady Side Academy needs in our next president.

An Advisory Committee will also meet with RG175 and provide additional voice and insight to the Search Committee. The Advisory Committee will include past and current trustees, past and current parents, school heads, faculty, students and other Shady Side stakeholders. We thank both the Search and Advisory Committee members for their contributions to this important work.

Later this spring, a Presidential Search page will be available on the SSA website, where search updates such as this will be archived, along with a listing of Search Committee and Advisory Committee members.

We look forward to providing the Shady Side community with periodic updates as the search progresses, and we wish you all the best as we begin Spring Break.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey A. McDaniel '88

Robert S. Mullin '93

Co-Chairs, Presidential Search Committee

Presidential Search Committee

Robert E. Cochran

Kara Salvitti Conomikes '87

Roland J. Coston-Criswell '95

Debra Kline Demchak

Annie Hanna Engel

Amit Singh Grover '01

Michael J. Hannon '74

Michele Jegasothy

Jonathan M. Kamin '91

Virginia Ramsey Lyons

Jeffrey A. McDaniel '88, co-chair

Peter J. McIlroy '86

Robert S. Mullin '93, co-chair

Louis B. Plung '80

James E. Rohr Jr. '92

Lauren O'Brien Troutman '85