St. Andrew's Names Head of Upper School and K-12 Athletic Director

“Thomas Sale and Steven Fletcher both emphasized their intentional search for a faith-based, independent school that emphasized a culture of excellence, belonging for all, and a sense of community,” said Head of School Melissa Grubb. “Both bring years of relevant and successful independent school experience, a strong desire to be and stay in Texas, and a joyful commitment to creating the best possible environment for students, faculty, and families.”

Dr. Fletcher brings over 20 years of teaching and research experience to St. Andrew’s, most recently serving as the Upper School Dean of Students and Director of Student Life at TMI Episcopal in San Antonio. Prior to TMI he was a science and math teacher and Assistant Dean of Students at George School, a co-educational day/boarding school in Newtown, PA.

In addition to his years teaching at George School, Steven has taught organic chemistry during the summers at Rosemont College, LaSalle University and Temple University and chemistry at The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.

“I am excited to join the St. Andrew's community as its Head of Upper School! I was impressed by the welcoming student body and appreciated the engaging conversations I had with faculty and staff during my visit,” said Dr. Fletcher. “I am ecstatic to join Mrs. Grubb's team and am inspired by St. Andrew's caring, compassionate, creative, curious, and courageous community. SAS has done great work and achieved many great things, and I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence established by those who came before me.”

Steven holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Temple University, a master's degree in chemistry education from the University of Pennsylvania, and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Earlham College.  

“Upon meeting Dr. Fletcher the first time, I was immediately struck by his presence that exuded both confidence, and warmth.  Dr. Fletcher is a leader who emphasizes achievement with a kindness that prioritizes relationships, said Mrs. Grubb. “His current Head of School  shared a lengthy, impressive list of attributes that corroborated our observations and then added that he is “the kind of leader every school hopes to have in their community.”  

Dr. Fletcher's wife, Ileabeth, is a teacher, and they are the proud parents of two young children Esteban (6) and Cecilia (3). 

Mr. Sale has 17 years of experience in education, most recently as the Assistant Athletic Director at Polytechnic School in Pasadena, California. He has served in that role for 11 years, and prior to his time at Polytechnic School he worked in Advancement and Admissions for Woodbury University in Burbank, California. 

Mr. Sale brings extensive experience in coaching and program management, game management, college counseling and communications and at his core wants athletics to serve students in a way that honors their hearts, minds and spirits.

“First and foremost I would like to thank Melissa Grubb, Alice Nezzer, and the entire search committee for granting me the privilege of serving as St. Andrew’s next Athletic Director,” said Mr. Sale. “With athletics being a pillar of the St. Andrew’s experience, I hope to share my passion and vision for our future while building upon the incredible foundation our coaches, student-athletes, and families have established at our school. Together we will continue cultivating an athletic culture that promotes competitive success and personal growth for all our student-athletes. The shared purpose of developing the whole student along with the fostering of community is what drew me to St. Andrew’s. As soon as I stepped on campus, I knew it was a special place filled with extraordinary people, and I’m looking forward to calling it home."

Mr. Sale graduated from Woodbury University with a B.S. in Business Management and is a certified Athletic Administrator through NIAAA and a Certified Interscholastic Coach through NFHS. He and his wife Adena have a young daughter, Audrey Mae.

“What I especially appreciate about Coach Sale's approach to athletic leadership is his emphasis on communication both with the department across divisions as well as with the parent community so that all may understand and enjoy being part of the positive enthusiasm for the direction of the program,” said Mrs. Grubb.  ‘He brings with him a contagious energy and optimism, supported by experience and results.”

“His references describe him as both detail-oriented and strategic in his thinking; skills he brought not only to the athletic department, but also the planning of the new athletic complex currently in design at Polytechnic School,” continued Mrs. Grubb. “In addition, Coach Sale and his wife are enthusiastic about moving closer to his family in Katy, TX, and her family in San Antonio, TX, so that Audrey Mae, who is almost a year old, may spend more time with grandparents!” 

We look forward to all the wonderful ways Dr. Fletcher and Coach Sale will positively impact our Upper School and athletic programs. St. Andrew’s is fortunate to have these two talented and passionate educators joining our school family.

We would also like to thank our current Upper School Head Ben Courchesne and Athletic Director Jeff McCrary ‘94 who have been devoted servant-leaders to St. Andrew’s. We are so grateful to both of them and wish them well in their new journeys ahead.