ECS CEO Announces Retirement
Jon McCann, CEO
Email: jon.mccann@ecspgh.org
Phone: x302
Dr. Adam Tobias
Board of Trustees President
ecsboard@ecspgh.org
From the desks of Jon McCann, CEO and Adam Tobias, ECS Board of Trustees President
Dear ECS Families,
It is with a great deal of emotions that I inform you that I officially communicated my intention to retire at the conclusion of the 23–24 school year during last night’s ECS Board of Trustees closed executive session.
As the Founding Principal and CEO of ECS, this decision was not made lightly. It has been an absolute pleasure and opportunity of a lifetime to work with such a talented group of dedicated individuals, nurture this organization, and watch it grow from a seedling to a flourishing and vibrant school district. With ECS’s 15th year of operation, I reflect on our organization’s successes and believe it is the perfect time to close this book and open a new one.
The ECS family has always been a closely knit, small community committed to building a sustainable, highly educated future for our most precious resource, our children, and it remains firmly rooted in the district’s mission and values. Dr. Adam Tobias, ECS Board of Trustees President, will guide our organization through the search and transition process of a new CEO, and in doing so, will seek an individual who not only encompasses who we are as a community but also brings new, innovative practices that will lead us into the next 15 years.
First and foremost, ECS is here to serve students and families, to provide high-quality education in a small and personal setting. This will not change. Dr. Tobias is a dedicated volunteer with a deep understanding of what it means to be an ECSer, I am confident in his ability to usher the district through the next steps.
Please take a moment to view the video below, read Dr. Tobias’s message, and know I will continue to support the HS construction project through completion and am committed to serving our community for the remainder of the school year.
Thank you all for your continued commitment to ECS.
Be well,
Jon McCann
CEO
Good Morning ECS Parents and Guardians,
As we turn a page in ECS’s history, I wanted to take some time to formally introduce myself. Professionally, I am an emergency physician at UPMC and Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Most notably though, my wife, Ilene, and I have been proud ECS parents since 2014. I feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to contribute to my children’s school community by volunteering for the Board of Trustees, and since becoming a board member in July of 2021, I have had the privilege to work alongside several talented individuals with diverse backgrounds who all have a common goal: ensuring the well-being and academic success of our future citizens, your children.
When Mr. McCann informed me of his retirement, I immediately knew that filling his shoes would take time, commitment, and involve various voices and thought partnership. The CEO fosters a culture of community, acts in service of our children, and ensures positive student outcomes. A CEO is here for all of us, and no matter your student’s grade, building, age, or homebase, we are one community, one school district, one ECS that is well equipped to make this transition. As a collective, the district will identify a highly dedicated, mission aligned, and motivated individual to lead our schools into the next 15 years.
As a recap of the video above, here’s what you can expect moving forward:
ECS will share this press release with the general public later today.
As the ECS Board of Trustees President, I have appointed Lisa Elliott, ECS parent and past Board of Trustees President, and Nikole Sheaffer, ECS Co-Founder, former ECS Chief Innovation and Outreach Officer (CIOO), and current ECS Foundation Consultant, to co-chair the transition team. With their collective knowledge and background with ECS, I am confident in their ability to provide guidance and management to the transition team to ensure an efficient and effective process.
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, I will send more information regarding the transition team selection process.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) for executive consulting services that will complete a national search to recruit and hire a new education-focused CEO of Schools will go out the week of Oct. 30.
I will formally appoint the transition team members by Tuesday, Oct. 31.
I will announce the members of a transition team to the greater ECS community in early November.
I will communicate additional updates and timelines when more information is available after Transition Team meetings begin.
ECS is determined to begin the search/interview process for a new CEO by the beginning of 2024.
Finally, I am dedicated to ensuring you feel heard and seen, and in the weeks and months ahead, I look forward to attending more events and meeting you on a more personal level. In the meantime, please reach out if you have questions or concerns. My job, like the rest of the board of trustees, is to provide general direction and guidance to ensure the continued success of this amazing organization. With your support, we will do just that.
ECS: We Grow Citizens.
Sincerely,
Adam Tobias, MD
ECS Board of Trustees President