‘Saint Stephen’s is my identity’: Longtime head of Bradenton school plans to retire

The job resume of a former student sits on Dr. Jan Pullen’s desk at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School in Bradenton.

After leaving the school off Manatee Avenue West, the student went on to a university in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he became the captain of his track and field team, Pullen said, smiling as she read from the paper.

Now, the former student hopes to begin officer training with the U.S. Army and he asked for a recommendation letter from Pullen, the head of school at Saint Stephen’s since 2003, and a leader at the school since 1988.

Another former student returned to campus and gifted Pullen a world globe. The gift — a black sphere adorned with silver continents — now sits on the bookshelf behind her desk.

Pullen has gathered countless memories and keepsakes during her three-plus decades at Saint Stephen’s, an independent preparatory school for students in Pre-K3 through 12th grade.

She was there when students learned how to tie their shoes, when they accepted their high school diplomas and when they returned as adults, excited to share their life stories and enroll their own children at Saint Stephen’s.

On Thursday, days after announcing her retirement, Pullen said those moments were her greatest accomplishment.

“You have an opportunity to make an impact or an influence on children’s lives,” she said. “For me, over these years, to see how students have grown and flourished — it just thrills me.”

‘You have to leave sometime’

In a public announcement, the longtime head of Saint Stephen’s said she would retire on June 30, 2023, giving the school plenty of time to conduct a national search and find a new leader.

The next 21 months also give Pullen time to figure out her plans for the future. The retirement, she said, was not motivated by a new job or other circumstance. It was simply time to move on.

“You have to leave sometime, and you want to leave when the school is positioned with strength,” she continued.

Pullen spearheaded the effort to include technology, marine science, emotional intelligence and global perspectives in the school’s curriculum.

Through a partnership with schools throughout the world, students in Manatee County are exposed to different religions, cultures and ways of life.

“I want this generation of students to help make this world be a better place, to celebrate our differences, and to celebrate the things we have in common,” Pullen said.

The school’s finances, she said, were just as strong as the academics. The school’s Endowment Fund Trust grew from $275,000 to more than $7.8 million during her tenure, ensuring growth for years to come, the Board of Trustees reported.

And the campus grew, too. Saint Stephen’s built a middle school, a Marine Science Center and a third upper school building over the last two decades, Pullen said in an interview, holding up the master site plan she first received in 2003.

Only one project — the construction of an arts and science building — remained as of Thursday, and Pullen was already planning how to raise money for that before her departure.

“Part of my job as head of school is to be that visionary. I absolutely love that,” she said, recounting the challenge that comes with being an independent school that relies on fundraising and tuition to operate.

What happens next?

Pullen worked in a trailer when she started as the lower school director in 1988. Saint Stephen’s had just over 220 students at that time, she said.

The school, which was founded in 1970, now has approximately 700 students and four divisions: a lower school for Pre-K3 through third grade, an intermediate school for grades four through six, a middle school for grades seven through eight, and an upper school for grades nine through 12.

The next head of school, Pullen said, will continue the traditions and growth at Saint Stephen’s. But he or she should also bring their own talents and visions to the campus, helping to make the school even better, Pullen said.

A search firm called Educational Directions will help to conduct a national search in the coming months, and to hold meetings and focus groups with the Saint Stephen’s community in early October.

The school was also forming a search committee to work alongside the firm. Once final candidates are selected, the committee will make a recommendation to the Saint Stephen’s Board of Trustees.

In May 2022, the board will announce a winning candidate, but it won’t be until June 2023 — more than one year later — that Pullen officially steps down.

In that time, she hopes to impart more than 30 years of knowledge on the incoming head of school. The new leader will inherit long-standing traditions, future plans and a family of dedicated employees, students and parents, Pullen said.

There was a lot to celebrate. Still, walking away will be hard.

“Saint Stephen’s is my identity in many ways,” Pullen said. “This has been more of a calling than a job.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2021 at 6:00 AM.