EdNews Virginia | March 24, 2026
ARLINGTON, VA — The Diocese of Arlington has announced that Jonathan D. Brand will serve as O’Connell’s new head of school, effective July 1.
The appointment follows a nationwide search for a successor to current Head of School Bill Crittenberger, who announced earlier this year that he plans to retire.
A Leader in Virginia Education
Brand will be leaving Grymes Memorial in Orange, Virginia, where he oversaw significant enrollment growth as head of school.
To many in the Shenandoah Valley, Brand is also known as the founding headmaster of Chelsea Academy in Front Royal. During his 11-year tenure, Chelsea Academy developed its reputation as a premier independent Catholic preparatory school.
“I am confident that Mr. Jonathan Brand is the ideal person to assume this role,” Bishop Burbidge said on Monday. “By God’s grace, I believe Mr. Brand’s commitment to making Christ known in mind and heart, and his experience in sustaining excellence in Catholic education, will bear abundant fruit for Bishop O’Connell.”
Building on ‘Inclusive Excellence’
As EdNews Virginia recently highlighted, O’Connell has become a leader in inclusive education through its Muller Center and expanded services, while offering more advanced placement and honors classes than any school in the area.
In a Monday statement, Brand shared his enthusiasm for O’Connell’s foundation and trajectory. “Bishop O’Connell High School has long stood out as a flagship institution in the Diocese of Arlington and an authentic, Christ-centered school whose inspiring mission is lived out by the entire school community in remarkable ways,” he said. “I am deeply grateful to Bishop Burbidge for this opportunity, and I consider it a blessing and honor to join the leadership team in the work of guiding the school and building on its outstanding legacy.”
The Road Ahead
A graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A.) and College of William & Mary (M.A.), Brand is well-acquainted with the Commonwealth’s educational landscape. Dr. Joseph E. Vorbach, the diocesan superintendent, touted Brand’s “thoughtful leadership style” and his “faithful witness” as traits that will serve the O’Connell community well.
As the school readies for the July transition, O’Connell is celebrating the legacy of its outgoing leader. Under Crittenberger’s tenure, the school’s reputation for excellence and inclusion was solidified — a mission Brand is now charged with carrying into the future.