Patricia Scott, a veteran educator with lifelong ties to Catholic education and the Diocese of Wilmington, has been appointed the first president of Padua Academy. The school made the announcement July 8, and Scott will begin on Aug. 10.
Scott comes to Padua from Archbishop Carroll High School in Radnor, Pa., where she served in the same role. According to Padua, she led strategic visioning, institutional advancement, enrollment growth, philanthropic support and operational leadership.
Oblate Father Vincent Kumar, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, and Jennifer A. Cuva, chair of the board of trustees, said in a statement that Scott “brings a deep commitment to Catholic education, a collaborative leadership style rooted in service, and a clear vision for advancing Padua Academy’s mission while strengthening its future.”
She was the first female principal at the all-boys Saint Edmond’s Academy in Wilmington. There, she was recognized for academic excellence, innovation and a vibrant school community, the announcement read. She is also a member of the board of directors at Salesianum School in Wilmington.
She joins Principal Mary McClory as the school’s top adminstrators.
Scott is a native of north Wilmington. She attended Immaculate Heart of Mary School and Archmere Academy, and she earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Delaware. She is also familiar with Padua; her daughter, Haley, graduated from the school in 2019.
“I am honored to serve as Padua Academy’s first president,” she said in a statement. “I have experienced firsthand the extraordinary impact a Padua education has on young women and their families. I have long admired the school’s unwavering commitment to developing women of faith, compassion, confidence and purpose.”
Padua announced in the spring its intention to move to a president-principal model of leadership. The school called it “an important evolution” in its leadership structure.
“The president-principal model is designed to strengthen both academic and operational leadership, ensuring continued excellence and sustainability for generations of students,” the school said.
“I look forward to partnering with the faculty, staff, students, families and benefactors who make this community so special, and to building upon Padua’s strong tradition while guiding it confidently into the future,” Scott said.
In addition to their daughter, Scott and her husband, Brian, have a son, Drew. They live in Wilmington.
Padua plans to make Scott available to meet members of the school community as her start date approaches. Updates will be posted to the school’s website, paduaacademy.org.
