PORTSMOUTH – Daniel McDonough is stepping down from his role as Portsmouth Abbey School’s headmaster on Aug. 1, after serving as the private secondary school’s leader since 2013.
Portsmouth Abbey board of regents Chair W. Christopher Behnke and prior administrator and chancellor Rev. Dom Michael Brunner jointly announced Thursday on the school’s website the change in leadership. It is unclear why McDonough is stepping down as headmaster. McDonough did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Matt Walter, the assistant headmaster for advancement, has been named Portsmouth Abbey’s acting headmaster, Brunner and Behnke said.
According to McDonough’s bio, he joined Portsmouth Abbey to teach math in 1984 after working for two years with IBM. In 2011 he was named the Dom Andrew Jenks Chair in Mathematics, the first endowed chair in any discipline at Portsmouth Abbey, the bio stated.
Two years later, McDonough became the school’s headmaster. The bio also noted that McDonough has been associate headmaster, dean of faculty, academic dean, director of summer programs and director of admission at Portsmouth Abbey.
In the joint statement, Behnke and Brunner said McDonough has been a “steady hand at the tiller” at Portsmouth Abbey, providing the school with stability and strength in leading with focus, dedication and faith.
“The board is deeply grateful for his gifts and service during these eight years, and we look forward to his continued support of the school,” Behnke and Brunner said.
James Bessette is PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette.
