ST. URSULA VILLA ANNUAL REPORT
Dear Villa Family and Friends,
Looking back on my first year as Chair of the St. Ursula Villa Board of Trustees, I can honestly say it was a
year of unexpected events in an unprecedented time.
I would like to express the Board’s gratitude to our faculty and staff for their determination and resolve during
the pandemic by continuing to provide the exceptional education for which St. Ursula Villa is recognized.
Along with rapidly changing from in school learning to learning at home, our teachers used clever and creative
ways to stay connected to their students. We are especially grateful to the Junior High teachers who made it
their mission to provide the 8th graders with a graduation ceremony that was truly special despite the unique
circumstances. These graduates will carry this memory with them for years to come.
The Board of Trustees would like to thank Polly Duplace for her nine years of service as Principal of St. Ursula
Villa. Polly was instrumental in the successful completion of a Capital Campaign for our Early Childhood
and Junior High additions. Polly devoted many extra hours to strategic fund raising, cultivating donors, and
sharing our story. Polly’s dedication to this project was proven by the success of this campaign. We are truly
grateful to Polly for her dedication and commitment. We wish her all the best in her retirement.
To ensure we continue to move forward seamlessly, Kent Halaby will serve as Interim Principal for the
2020-2021 school year. Kent has been with the St. Ursula Villa community for 11 years serving as Assistant
Principal and Director of Finance. The Board is confident that under his leadership, the transition will be
smooth and we look forward to working with him.
We will be forming a Board ad hoc committee to look at the administrative structure of the school to determine
the best organizational and leadership plan for the future. This committee will be led by Board Vice Chair
Jessica Metzger and will include an analysis of both academics and operations.
Looking ahead to the coming year, we are happy to welcome Dr. Stephen Perez to our Board of Trustees. Dr.
Perez and his wife Dr. Kit Perez are past parents with six children, all of whom have graduated from St. Ursula
Villa. He will be assisting our Coronavirus Task Force as we prepare for the upcoming school year.
We are grateful to Chip Workman as he ends his time on the Board. His experience and expertise were a
valuable contribution to our Finance committee and his participation as an Annual Fund volunteer over the
years is much appreciated.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and students, I am grateful to all of you for your
support, especially during these last few months. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to St. Ursula
Villa to ensure the school’s continued success. We are proud to list your names in our Honor Roll of Donors on
the following pages. Your donations are instrumental to achieving our Ursuline mission of nurturing the whole
child, fostering academic excellence, and instilling a Christ-centered commitment to society.
Sincerely,
From the Board of
Trustees Chair
Jody Sedler, Board Chair
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