Grace Christian Academy
- Denomination: Nondenominational
- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Student Enrollment: 343
- Website: https://gracechristian.academy/
- Hiring for: head of school
The missing piece
Grace Christian Academy found itself in a time of transition. The school was growing and serving families with excellence, but without a Head of School, it became clear that dedicated, focused leadership was needed. Important decisions were on the horizon and having the right person in place wasn’t just helpful—it was essential to keep the school moving forward with strength and vision.
In the meantime, the Executive Pastor of Grace Christian Church graciously stepped in to help, splitting his time between the church and the Academy. His leadership brought much-needed stability but it was understood this was only a temporary solution. GCA was ready for someone who could give their full attention to leading the school into its next chapter with energy, wisdom, and a heart for Christ-centered education.
About Grace Christian Academy
Grace Christian Academy (GCA) is a ministry of Grace Community Church. Founded in 1974, GCA has been an academic pillar in the Tempe, AZ, community for over 50 years. Its mission is to partner with families in growing students who live Christ-honoring lives and flourish academically.
GCA strives to educate and equip students through a biblical worldview, helping them succeed in a competitive academic environment, use their unique skills for God’s glory, and ultimately lead Christ-centered lives.
The ideal candidate
The GCA team is grounded in values such as humility, unity, passion, excellence, and creativity. The team knew that finding the ideal candidate meant finding someone who aligned with these values and supported the established culture. They also acknowledged that the ideal leader would contribute their own unique experience and strengths to the role. Some of the qualities GCA required in a Head of School included:
- Master’s degree in education
- Teaching experience
- School and district leadership experience
- Relational bandwidth
- Servant leadership
The search begins
Grace Christian Academy reached out to Vanderbloemen for the first time, seeking to shorten the timeline to find their Head of School and leverage Vanderbloemen’s expansive network of qualified candidates. Vanderbloemen’s team got busy getting to know Grace Christian Academy’s staff, key stakeholders, parents in their community, Grace Community Church Lead Pastor, and the hiring committee. Executive Search Consultant Chantel McHenry interviewed everyone involved and constructed a profile outlining who Grace Christian Academy is and what their unicorn candidate would look like.
Chantel has 20 years of experience in the faith-based industry and carries her expertise into the search process. With 5 years of experience filling roles like these with Vanderbloemen, Chantel was confident that Grace Christian Academy would soon find its Head of School.With her profile complete, Chantel included Executive Search Recruiter Ellie Mixon in the search to spearhead sifting through candidates and identifying the strongest matches. Every step in this process being as streamlined as possible would help correct the staffing conditions at Grace Christian Church and allow the church and academy to focus on their respective operations. The importance of finding the right candidate in time could not be overstated.
About Laura Brundage
Chantel and Ellie assembled a strong slate of four candidates, including the dream candidate GCA would ask to join their team. Local candidate Laura Brundage accepted the offer with joy. Already a member of the South Phoenix area, Laura was about to join a community she was dearly familiar with. In 2024, she had attended a conference at GCA.
“I immediately felt like I was home,” Laura said.
Laura comes with all the experience GCA hoped for, including 17 years of teaching experience, six years of experience as a principal. Her education and years of experience exceeded GCA’s hopes. Laura’s acceptance brought the search swiftly to an end, allowing Grace Christian Academy and Church operations to fall back into place.
“Laura checked all of the boxes for Grace and ended up being the best fit for the season the school is in,” Chantel says. “Since Laura is local, this will be a quicker transition where [the executive pastor] can get back to focusing on the business of the church.”
