WORCESTER—As Notre Dame Academy prepares to mark its 75th year in Worcester, the school is also planning for a leadership transition. Linda D. Anderson, an educator with a background in school transformation and Catholic mission, has been tapped to become the next head of school in 2026.
Anderson will succeed alumna Dr. Marilyn Tencza, ’71, who has led the all-girls Catholic institution through a period of growth and stability. Anderson currently serves as an academic coach at Athol High School and is known for guiding St. Bernard’s High School through a successful turnaround between 2019 and 2024.
Board chair Elissa Boisvert called Anderson “an inspirational leader, a strategic thinker, and an educator at heart,” noting in the announcement that she is expected to keep “students and academics at the center while ensuring the long-term sustainability of Notre Dame Academy.”
A graduate of Harvard University and Mount Holyoke College, Anderson has been recognized with Teacher of the Year honors, the National Honor Society’s Excellence in Character Award, and a Worcester Business Journal “40 Under 40” award.
Her leadership style “reflects the very spirit of our Notre Dame de Namur tradition,” said Sister Virginia Scally, SNDdeN.
In accepting the position, Anderson said she looks forward to carrying forward the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur mission. “The traditions and charism … are alive and vibrantly present in our students, teachers, and community,” she said in the announcement.
The change in leadership, set for April 1, 2026, will come at a milestone moment for the school. For three-quarters of a century, Notre Dame Academy has educated and empowered young women in Worcester and across Central Massachusetts, and leaders say the anniversary year will be both a celebration of that legacy and a chance to set the stage for the future.
