Thomas McKenney is stepping down as president of Nativity School of Worcester after a tenure that saw the tuition-free private school raise a record $25 million and expand its longtime mission to include girls for the first time.
McKenney will leave Nativity to become vice president of advancement at Emmanuel College in Boston, according to an announcement from the school’s Board of Trustees. His final day at Nativity will be Sept. 4.
Meredith Kent, a member of Nativity’s leadership team who currently serves as director of graduate support and external partnerships, will become interim president Aug. 10. The Board of Trustees plans to conduct a search for a permanent president during the coming year.
The leadership change comes roughly two years after Nativity opened the Julie Power Girls Division, a significant expansion for a school that had served only boys since its founding in 2003.
McKenney oversaw the launch of the girls division in July 2024, part of an expansion supported by “Access & Impact: The Campaign for Nativity School of Worcester.” The fundraising campaign began in 2023 and ultimately brought in $25 million, the largest campaign total in the school’s history, according to the board’s announcement.
The campaign helped finance Nativity’s expansion to girls while supporting the school’s existing programs.
Board Chair Veronica Listerud credited McKenney with helping drive the fundraising effort beyond its original target.
“After setting an attainable goal and reaching it, he was not satisfied,” Listerud said in the announcement. “With optimism and true dedication, he kept ‘raising the bar’ for the campaign as he fully believed that what we sought to support our mission and grow our school was achievable.”
Nativity describes the Julie Power Girls Division as the first tuition-free private education program for girls in Central Massachusetts.
McKenney will remain at the school for several weeks after Kent assumes the interim presidency to assist with the transition.
Kent has worked in the nonprofit and education fields for 25 years, including six years at Nativity, according to the announcement. In her current role, she oversees work supporting Nativity graduates and developing outside partnerships.
The Board of Trustees said Kent’s experience with the school and its students and families positioned her to oversee Nativity during the search for McKenney’s successor.
“Nativity remains in a strong position to ensure our school’s ongoing stability and success as we enter this transition period,” Listerud said.
Nativity School of Worcester opened in 2003 as a tuition-free school for boys. Its model includes small classes, an extended school day and school year and continued support for graduates through high school, college and the early stages of their careers.
The opening of the girls division in 2024 marked the largest change to that model in the school’s history.
