St. Francis Catholic High School is proud to announce and welcome Dr. Fadia Desmond as its new president and CEO. Desmond, who previously served at St. Francis as assistant principal from 2015-2018, and has spent the last four years at Jesuit High School in the same role, will assume her new post in July.  We are thrilled to welcome her home. 

“It is my great joy and privilege to be named the next President of St. Francis Catholic High School. Serving the students of St. Francis and partnering with their families in the formation of confident, capable, faith-filled and loving young women is an honor,” said Desmond.  “Our school community has a rich history in Sacramento and a legacy of graduates who are an integral part of the St. Francis family.  With God at the heart of all we do, this is a time of growth and re-imagination for St. Francis. It is the gift of a lifetime to lead SFHS in carrying out its mission of educating young women to lead lives of faith, excellence, leadership and service. With a gifted faculty and staff who are central to the life of the school, coupled with immensely talented students, there is tremendous potential for growth and vitality.”

Dr. Desmond is a shining example of the benefits of an all-girls, Catholic school environment.  She has a Ph.D. in Education from UC Davis, a Master’s from Stanford, received her Bachelor’s from UCLA,  and is a graduate of Marymount High School, Los Angeles.

“I hold deep gratitude for Bishop Soto, Executive Director of Catholic Schools Katie Perata, the Board of Trustees and the hiring committee for entrusting me with the responsibilities of president,” said Desmond. “It is an honor to serve with and for them.”

The Presidential Search Committee launched an exhaustive nationwide search in January 2022. The process included rigorous interviews, input and review by faculty and staff, community stakeholders and the Board of Trustees. We thank the committee for their time and focus on finding the right leader to move St. Francis Catholic High School forward.

St. Francis Catholic High School is the largest all-girls Catholic high school west of the Mississippi. Academically rigorous, with full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and a member of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, St. Francis draws students from more than 100 area schools across five primary counties in the greater Sacramento region. St. Francis is 11,000+ alumnae strong and growing.