PHOTOS BY NINA KECK
Newly installed Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy president, Dr. Katherine Cobb, far left, poses with members of the Upper School’s speech and debate team, from left, Mary Stallard, Olivia Christie, Emily Cleveland and coach, Dr. Rick Ramnath.
For 60 years, Holy Trinity has focused on educating and nourishing the whole child – mind, body and spirit – in the Episcopal tradition. Dr. Katherine Cobb, the first president of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy in Melbourne, plans to continue that practice.
A former provost and associate vice president for Eastern Florida State College (formerly Brevard Community College), Cobb officially was named Holy Trinity’s president on April 17, 2017, by the school’s Board of Trustees, according to a report in the Space Coast Daily. She was officially installed as president on Nov. 15, 2017, at the Scott Center, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy Upper School campus. Bishop Gregory Brewer officiated and preached at the installation service.
The installment as president served as a homecoming of sorts for Cobb. She worked in a variety of positions for Eastern Florida State College and also served three stints as a member of Holy Trinity’s Board of Trustees: 1989-93, 2003-09 and 2012-14. The former lawyer takes over for Holy Trinity headmaster James Landi as the school transitions to a new principal model of leadership.
“Our vision is to have our students master core academic content while learning to work collaboratively with skills necessary to succeed in a global workforce,” said Cobb, who graduated from Stetson University in DeLand and later received her Juris Doctor from Stetson College of Law. “However, most importantly, we also keep in mind our students need to be well-balanced – to play sports, to play instruments, take drama and art and, of course, to have the time to simply be children.
“We have a great school, but we are always working together to make it even better: to retain our amazing faculty and attract new talent when the need arises,” Cobb said.
In her new role, Cobb will provide direction and oversight for 145 full- and part-time faculty and staff, and 850 students at two campuses. “We plan to expand and improve our physical facilities in the next three to five years so that we can meet the needs of our growing student population,” she said.
Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy president, Dr. Katherine Cobb, second from right, poses with Lower School students in the campus’s Cub Café.
“We are also adding new programs, enrichments and offerings such as a new drone racing team, an IDEAS Center, and we will be incorporating ‘microterms’ into our schedule,” Cobb said. “These one-week, one-quarter credit terms offered over school breaks and in the summer will allow students to explore subjects they do not necessarily have time to study during the normal semesters.”
Cobb’s progressive thinking can be traced to her familiarity with the school. She has been part of the Holy Trinity community for more than 20 years. “My son, Alex, and my daughter, Ali, both began in Holy Trinity’s early childhood program, and they graduated in 2006 and 2011, respectively,” Dr. Cobb said.
She and her husband, Mark, were active volunteers. “I’ve been the soccer coach, a homeroom mom, and anything else they could think of!” Dr. Cobb said. “I feel so blessed to have been called ‘back home’ to serve this school that I have loved for so many years.”
In addition to a great career, education and accolades, Cobb can add breast cancer survivor to her list of accomplishments. “As a cancer survivor, I have learned not to take life for granted, and I strive daily to discern God’s will for my life,” she said. “God protected me from what could have been serious consequences of cancer in order to prepare me for living a life to glorify Him.”
On the day of her installation as president of Holy Trinity, Cobb’s dear friend, the Rev. Joy Willard-Williford, whispered something very impactful to her: “‘God has chosen you to be in this place at this time for his purpose,’” Cobb recalled. “As I pondered what she said, I was so very confident that being able to lead Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy was God’s plan for me from the beginning. As a parent, a volunteer and a trustee for the school, I knew and loved the school. Being able to take on this new role was a dream come true.”
– Jeff Gardenour contributed to this story