Head of School Search

LAURALTON APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF SCHOOL

March 21, 2023

To the Lauralton Hall Community:

We are pleased to announce that Elizabeth (Beth) Coyne has accepted our offer to become the next President & Head of School at The Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall. Beth’s appointment will become effective July 1, 2023. She will succeed Elizabeth Miller, who has served our school with care since 2017. Elizabeth, who will conclude her tenure on June 30, 2023, will be working with Beth and the Senior Leadership Team to ensure a seamless transition.

Beth is currently the Assistant Head of School at The Country School (TCS) in Madison, CT, where she has worked for the past  years. During her tenure at TCS, Beth has served as a21 Teacher, Dean of Students, Library Media Specialist, Secondary School Counselor, and Coach. Before arriving in Madison, she worked in fundraising at the University of Rhode Island and taught in Woodbridge Public Schools.  She is a regular volunteer in the town of Madison, active in St. Margaret Church, and continues to mentor college education majors. Please see the attached bio for more detail about Beth’s career, volunteer activities, and family.

Beth garnered widespread enthusiasm from Lauralton community members who provided feedback after her visit. The fact that Beth is the daughter of Irish immigrants and a first-generation college graduate underscores her appreciation for the mission of Lauralton and the Sisters of Mercy, as well as for the legacy of Catherine McAuley.

We were especially delighted to find such a highly qualified applicant who has local ties, including with several current and past Lauralton families.

The selection process has been comprehensive, culminating in a unanimous vote by our Board of Trustees to select Beth.  Our deep thanks go to the Search Committee members for all of their hard work and to our consultants, Joan Beauregard and Sally Mixsell of Educators Collaborative who have guided us well and will continue to support Beth and the Board throughout her first year. We are also grateful to everyone in our community who took part in this important process. 

Beth will visit Lauralton this Spring so that she may further acquaint herself with our community. For those of you who have not yet met her, we feel sure you will see quite quickly that we have much to celebrate as we contemplate Lauralton’s future under Beth’s leadership.

Sincerely,

Patrick C. Lagrange, P’19             Charlotte Evans ‘64   
Chair, Board of Trustees               Vice Chair, Board of Trustees 
                                                                              Chair, Search Committee

Head of School Search Committee Members

Patrick Lagrange — (ex officio) board chair, parent

Charlotte Evans —  board vice chair; search committee chair, alum

Brian Elliott — trustee, parent

Peter Jokl — trustee, grandparent

Johana Rendon Ledesma — trustee, alum

Sheila Scullion Sullivan — trustee, parent, alum

Sister Mary Alice Synkewecz — chair, mission integration committee

Sue Fracker — faculty, parent

Marnory Hawes — faculty, parent

Paul Fama — former board chair, current parent

Susan Smith — Mercy Education representative

Anticipated Timeline