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St. Luke's Announces Mike Jenkins as New Head of School

The Board of Trustees is extremely pleased to announce that Michael “Mike” Jenkins has been appointed Head of School, effective July 1, 2024. Mr. Jenkins has extensive experience in high functioning independent and Episcopal schools, and we are confident he is the visionary and gifted leader to take St. Luke’s to the next level of excellence.

Mr. Jenkins has served as Director of the Middle School at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills, Michigan, since July 2018. His previous education experience includes Head of the Middle School at Episcopal School of Dallas for four years; Director of Studies at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, for six years; and Interim Head of Middle School, Dean of Students and middle school history teacher at Trinity Episcopal in Austin for four years. He has a Bachelors in Psychology from Texas A&M University, a Teacher Education and Certification Degree from SMU, and a Masters in Private School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University.

In accepting the appointment, Mr. Jenkins said, “I was initially drawn to this opportunity because of St. Luke’s Episcopal identity, focus on the whole child, and intentional embodiment of the ‘St. Luke’s Way.’ When visiting the school, I was immediately drawn to the joy students exude, and I know there is no more special learning environment than a PreK - 8 Episcopal school. St. Luke’s is clearly a loving community that I look forward to leading for many years to come.”

Mike Jenkins, son Matt Jenkins, and wife Andrea Jenkins

Search Process

In November 2022, St. Luke’s Episcopal Head of School Dr. Chelsea Collins notified the Board of Trustees and the school community that she had accepted a position as Head of School at St. Francis Episcopal School in Houston, effective July 1, 2023.

Under the leadership of the Head of School Search Committee, co-chaired by Emily Christy and Kelly Weaver, and with guidance from Bob Kirkpatrick and Vicki Raney from the search firm The Education Group (TEG), we have undergone a robust and transparent process to hire both an Interim Head of School for the 2023-2024 school year and a permanent Head of School beginning July 1, 2024.  

The Board of Trustees is extremely pleased Michael Robinson is serving as St. Luke’s Interim Head of School for the 2023-2024 school year. Michael has more than 20 years of experience as a head of school, most recently serving as Interim Head of School at St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Atlanta. An ordained Episcopal priest, Michael received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and he has led K-12 schools throughout the country.  
 

Search Timeline

January 2023
Selection of Interim Head of School for 2023-2024 school year

February-March 2023
Official launch of search for a permanent Head of School
TEG gathers online and in-person input from trustees, parents, faculty, and staff and incorporates it in the SLES Head of School Position Profile

March-July 2023
Candidate cultivation and screening by TEG and Search Committee

August 2023
TEG completes candidate screening
Search Committee selects and interviews semifinalists

September-October 2023
Finalists’ campus visits and interviews
Selection and announcement of Head of School

November 2023
Transition process for new Head of School begins
 

Search Committee Members

Emily Christy, Co-Chair

Emily Christy has daughters in 3rd and 1st grade who have attended St. Luke’s since 2019, and she is the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees. She works as a partner for SoftBank Group International and serves on the Jefferson Bank Board of Directors. Her previous work experience includes senior positions in federal government in Washington, D.C. and the government affairs department at USAA.

Kelly Weaver, Co-Chair
  • Kelly Weaver has been an active member of the St. Luke’s community for 9 years as a parent of a current 8th grader. She just finished serving six years as a trustee. She served as Treasurer, Development Committee Chair, Committee on Trustees Chair, and co-chaired the previous Head of School search and capital campaign. She is a CPA and previously worked for Frost National Bank as a Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager for 12 years. Prior to that she was an auditor for Price Waterhouse Coopers.  
Will Collins
  • Will Collins has been a member of the St. Luke's community for more than a decade. He recently served the school as a trustee for 7 years, including 4 years as Board Chair, Vice Chair and Finance Committee Chair. He and his wife, Jessica, have three children who have grown up at St. Luke's - a current 8th grader, 7th grader and 2nd grader. Will is the CEO and Founder of Merit Commercial Real Estate, a real estate development and investment company. Will also serves as a Director of the Board of Vantage Bank Texas. 
The Reverend Irv Cutter

In almost 25 years of ordained ministry, the Rev. Irv Cutter served churches in Beaumont, Houston and Tulsa, Oklahoma before becoming Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and School at the beginning of 2019. Since his arrival on the Hilltop, he has been active in the life of the School as a Trustee, a frequent chapel leader, and as a parent of a current 8th grader. He also worked with various church leaders to guide the church through the pandemic.

Lynnette Embrey

Lynnette Embrey has been active in the SLES Community since 2012 as a parent to a current 8th grader, room mom, and Kaleidoscope volunteer. She served as the school nurse from 2018-2019 and has been on the Board of Trustees for the past four years, serving on the Development and Marketing Committees. Lynnette is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Nursing and has worked both clinically as a nurse and also in sales and marketing for Johnson & Johnson. 

Dana Hamilton

Dana Hamilton is a parishioner of St. Luke's Episcopal Church and a former member of the Board of Trustees. She served as a trustee for seven years, including three years as Vice Chair and, most recently, as Board Chair during the 2021-2022 school year. Both her son and daughter are graduates of St. Luke's and are now in high school. Dana works as an education and career consultant in San Antonio.

Mark McCullough

Mark McCullough has more than a decade of experience in education and is proud to have spent most of his career at St. Luke's. Since joining the SLES community in 2012, Mark has served in various roles, including Digital Learning Specialist, Intermediate and Middle-Level History teacher, faculty mentor, History department chair, football and golf coach, yearbook and student voice advisor and currently is the Interim Director of the Middle School. Born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Mark earned his B.A. in History and M.A. in Teaching from Trinity University. 

Courtney Smith '99

Courtney Smith proudly holds a long history with St. Luke’s. She is an alum, parishioner, former teacher, current trustee, and along with her husband Tobin, is the parent of two St. Luke’s students - a son in Kindergarten and another son in PK4. Courtney has a multifaceted understanding of the school’s unique culture. 

Daniel Westmoreland

Daniel Westmoreland is in his second year as a Trustee, and has served as BoT Treasurer and on the Finance Committee. He currently serves as Vice Chair and as the head of the Committee on Trustees. He is the parent to a 3rd grader and a kindergartner. Daniel is a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Economics and a Master of Accounting degree from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is in a finance leadership role in the oil and gas midstream industry, and prior to this worked at various private equity and venture capital firms in the San Francisco Bay Area.