News Post

After 14 years as president of St. Joseph’s Academy and a 53-year career in Catholic education, Jan Rhorer Breen has announced that she will retire at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. Breen, a 1969 Academy graduate and a 2011 Outstanding Alumna honoree, was named the school’s first lay president in July of 2012. Following her retirement in June of 2026, she will be named president emeritus and, during the 2026-2027 school year, will assist in her successor’s transition and help see pending initiatives through to completion.

Prior to being named president at SJA, Breen served as director of public relations and as a member of the English faculty at Catholic High School for 38 years. 
    
“As I look to my last year as president of St. Joseph’s Academy, I feel humbled to have served at my alma mater the past 14 years,” Breen said. “My education at SJA for 12 years was instrumental in my formation as a woman and in my commitment to the ministry of Catholic education. After more than five decades in Catholic education, I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life’s journey. 

“I take great pride in St. Joseph’s Academy. In addition to tremendous financial stability, SJA is the hallmark of excellence in Catholic education for young women in faith development, academic excellence and personal growth. We are a school of opportunities, a school where women find their voice and become self-confident and empowered individuals. The forward-thinking, talented and dedicated administrators, faculty and staff demonstrate an unwavering commitment to excellence. We continue to be leaders in technology and to expand our campus to provide a curriculum for the future for our students. One hundred and fifty-seven years ago, the Sisters of St. Joseph founded SJA, and their mission and charism continue to be threaded into the SJA experience today. An exciting future awaits our school as we continue a legacy of excellence.”

During Breen’s tenure, SJA’s enrollment increased to the largest number in school history. She oversaw the expansion of the campus to include the Student Activity Center, Fife Student Commons, Investar Quad, Batchelor Terrace, Pillars Plaza and a walking track. Facilities were expanded to provide new programs in STEM, eSports, Broadcast Journalism and Entrepreneurship, and additional resources were dedicated to expanding the Learning Center, Counseling Center and college admissions staff. AP and dual enrollment opportunities were increased, the school invested in state-of-the-art technology and provided funds for additional academic opportunities. She also established the SJA Athletic Hall of Fame. The footprint of campus also grew to include additional parking spaces to meet the needs of a growing student body. Additional security cameras were added, as were perimeter fencing and enhanced security technology. 

Under her leadership, total assets in the SJA Foundation increased by 60 percent, and 53 new endowed scholarships were established to provide need-based tuition assistance to families. As the cost of education increased, Breen was committed to keeping tuition increases to a minimum.
 
Breen worked to ensure that SJA is an employer of choice with competitive salaries for faculty and staff, additional benefits and faculty education grants for continuing education.  

During Breen’s tenure, SJA was twice named a National Blue Ribbon School. Always with a vision for the future, Breen implemented three strategic plans to ensure the school continued to live its mission of educating young women as responsible and unifying members of the world community.

Stacia Andricain, who joined St. Joseph’s Academy in 1996, was named principal in September of 2017. She will continue in her current position. She said that Breen has been a visionary leader whose commitment to SJA’s mission and the charism of the Sisters has profoundly shaped the school community. “Her mentorship over 14 years has guided my own leadership experience, and under her guidance, we have seen remarkable growth in enrollment, giving and scholarship opportunities,” Andricain said. “Under Jan’s leadership, we have also seen significant improvements to school facilities and campus safety. As we prepare for this leadership transition, SJA will remain committed to building upon her legacy and continuing the work she so passionately advanced.”

SJA has retained the services of Partners in Mission, a nationally recognized consulting firm dedicated exclusively to Catholic school leadership, advancement and enrollment management. Senior Partner Kyle Pietrantonio will serve as lead consultant. Former SJA Board Chair John D’Angelo will serve as chair of the presidential search committee. The goal of the selection process, he said, is to ensure a thorough, inclusive and prayerful undertaking that identifies the right leader for the future of St. Joseph’s Academy.

D'Angelo expressed gratitude for the gifts Breen has shared throughout her tenure. “She has led with vision, faith and a steadfast commitment to our mission of educating young women,” he said. “Her impact on our students, faculty and alumnae community has been profound, and she leaves an extraordinary legacy of academic excellence, Catholic identity and a vibrant school culture.”

Dr. Yolunda Taylor, chair of the SJA Board of Directors, said Breen has led the school with honor, distinction, love and unwavering devotion. “She has kept the mission and charism of the Sisters at the very heart of her leadership, guiding our school with grace and wisdom,” Taylor said. “Because of Jan’s dedication and vision, SJA is well-positioned for continued excellence and a vibrant future. Her legacy is written in the lives she has touched and the strong foundation she leaves for those who will follow. It has been a true blessing to serve alongside her.”

St. Joseph’s Academy is sponsored by the Congregation of St. Joseph and a member of the CSJ Mission Network. Sister Kathy Brazda, a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph Leadership Team, said Breen has been an outstanding president, contributing greatly to the growth of SJA. She created the position of Mission Integration Director to ensure that the legacy and charism of the Sisters continue for generations to come. She has been passionate about the growth of SJA’s Endowed Scholarship Program, which is at the heart of the Sisters’ vision that no student has ever been denied admission or an SJA education solely on the basis of her family’s ability to pay full tuition.

“Jan is deeply immersed in the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph,” Sister Kathy said. “She has led during hurricanes and a pandemic, always putting the welfare, spirituality and education of the students as the highest priority. Jan is a woman of unifying, outpouring, animating love, faithful that all may be one.”