Cynthia R. Crabtree has been president of Sacred Heart Schools at Ursuline Campus since 2003.

President Crabtree is leading the way to Ursuline United. The $9.55 million capital campaign is securing Sacred Heart Schools as a respected and unique Catholic community and character building academic institution. Ursuline United provides for the renovation of a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, a new elementary gymnasium, complete modernization of four Sacred Heart Academy science labs, construction of the Sacred Heart Academy Cissy Musselman Connector (including a fitness room and Hall of Fame), renovation of the Sacred Heart Academy front entrance and installation of energy efficient windows at Sacred Heart Academy, and new and improved roads and parking across campus.

In 2008, under the leadership of President Crabtree, the former Ursuline Campus Schools underwent an extensive branding study. The findings resulted in renaming the corporation Sacred Heart Schools at Ursuline Campus, a change applauded by parents, alumni, parents of alumni and friends. Also in 2008, after in-depth consideration, the two preschools (formerly Ursuline Child Development Center and Ursuline Montessori School) were reorganized to create Sacred Heart Preschool, which consists of two teaching models, Montessori and Progressive.

Since taking office, President Crabtree has championed arts integration at Sacred Heart Academy, Sacred Heart Model School and Sacred Heart Preschool through faculty and resource sharing at Sacred Heart School for the Arts. She has also led the diversity initiative called for in the Sacred Heart Schools strategic plan. The year-long, two-part study included a school self assessment and school climate survey. President Crabtree and the entire Sacred Heart Schools continue their commitment to improving diversity throughout our school community.

Prior to joining Sacred Heart Schools, President Crabtree was the dean of the school of nursing and health sciences at Spalding University and vice president for nursing at Suburban Medical Center. President Crabtree earned an education specialist degree and doctorate in educational leadership from Spalding University. She also earned a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Spalding University.

President Crabtree is a board member of Ursuline Educational Services. She is also a member of St. Albert the Great where she serves on the social concerns committee and as a Eucharistic minister.

Dr. Beverly McAuliffe has been principal of Sacred Heart Academy since July 2001. Under her leadership, enrollment at the girls’ high school has increased yearly.

Dr. McAuliffe earned her bachelor’s in English from Brescia University. She received her master’s degree in English and her principalship certification from the University of Louisville. The focus of her doctoral dissertation (Spalding University) was private school law.

Prior to Sacred Heart Academy, Dr. McAuliffe was the principal of Holy Rosary Academy (9-12) for seven years and St. Agnes School (K-8) for 10 years.

Dr. McAuliffe is a member of Leadership Louisville (Class of ’88) and was named a Bingham Fellow. For several years, she served with the U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program as a report reader and a site visitor. Currently, she is a regional associate for the National Catholic Education Association. She received the Louisville Archdiocesan Distinguished Principal Award while at St. Agnes and was named an Outstanding Alumnus of Brescia University in 2007. She is a cantor and Eucharistic minister at her parish church, St. Agnes.

Dr. Mary Beth Bowling has been a principal for 20 years and has been the principal at Sacred Heart Model School since 2005.

Under the leadership of Dr. Bowling, a caring faculty ensures that elementary and middle school students excel in academics, leadership development, faith formation, service outreach and tradition and values. In 2007, the school was recommended for continued accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools with exemplary markings in all areas. In 2008, Dr. Bowling, a committed faculty and dedicated parents initiated a comprehensive stewardship program called “Students Helping Many Succeed” involving all grade levels in service opportunities throughout the community.

Prior to being appointed principal at Sacred Heart Model School, Dr. Bowling was founding principal at St. Patrick School. Under her leadership, the school opened its doors to 220 students and when Dr. Bowling left, the school had blossomed to 700 students in grades K-8.

Dr. Bowling earned a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Spalding University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in 1981 and a master’s degree in 1986. In 2005, she received the National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Principal Award and the Archdiocesan Distinguished Principal Award.

Vicki Furlow is the director of Sacred Heart Preschool, a unique preschool for children ages 1-6 that offers parents the choice of either Montessori or Progressive models of teaching. Ms. Furlow began at Sacred Heart Schools in 2000 as the director of Ursuline Child Development Center (now the Progressive model). In 2006, Ms. Furlow was also named director of Ursuline Montessori School (now the Montessori model). Under Ms. Furlow’s direction, Sacred Heart Preschool has flourished, with “graduates” of the program consistently testing into kindergarten with top reviews.

Ms. Furlow has over 25 years of early childhood education administrator experience. In 2007, Ms. Furlow spent an intense year studying and training with the Center for Montessori Teacher Education (CMTE) in New York to become a certified Montessori administrator. CMTE is affiliated with the American Montessori Society and has a tradition of quality programs that meet the needs of today’s Montessori educational system. In addition to classroom practicum, Ms. Furlow attended extensive sessions concentrated on Montessori philosophy and pedagogy, child development (including analytical, cognitive, emotional and language), observation techniques and classroom and school management.

Ms Furlow has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and humanism and cultural change from the University of Wisconsin.

David Thurmond joined Sacred Heart School for the Arts in July 2010 and comes with a distinguished record as an artist, an educator and a leader.

Mr. Thurmond is the former director of education and vice president for programming at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. He is also the founding director of Kentucky's Governor's School for the Arts. In addition, he was both the first education director for the Louisville Ballet and director of dance at the Louisville Youth Performing Arts School (YPAS). He has served as the director of instructional support for the arts and humanities for the Oldham County Schools, the director of strategic planning and government relations with the Kentucky Department of Education, and the deputy secretary of the Education Arts and Humanities Cabinet in the administration of Brereton Jones. He is also the former director of development for the Louisville Theatrical Association and the Louisville Area Salvation Army. In 2009, Mr. Thurmond was among the founding associates in MEETT ASSOCIATES, an international marketing, events and trade firm.

His path in the arts began in high school as the lead singer/dancer for his rock ‘n roll band, The Ravens. His illustrious career in Louisville began as a lead dancer with the Louisville Ballet and quickly expanded to teaching, coaching and choreography. Over the span of his amazingly diverse career, he has performed, taught, and choreographed for performing arts organizations throughout the south and Midwest. For the 2009 – 2010 season, Louisville Ballet audiences were thrilled to witness Mr. Thurmond's return to the stage in the title role of Don Quixote, and as the villainous Von Rothbart in Swan Lake. Students in both public and independent schools across Kentucky have been “Dancing with David” for over three decades; attending his master classes, performing his choreography (recent productions include Pirates of Penzance for Anchorage Children’s Theatre, Oklahoma, for Kentucky Country Day, and South Pacific for Trinity High School), learning from his multi media presentation in Kentucky Educational Television's Dance Toolkit and participating in his life affirming classes for the Kentucky Center’s Arts in Healing program.

Mr. Thurmond attended Sts. Peter and Paul School while growing up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and graduated Cum Laude from Bellarmine University in Louisville. He received his M. Ed. from the University of Louisville and successfully completed the Kentucky Department of Education’s Kentucky Leadership Academy for school administrators and the Alternative Certification Program in School Administration at Eastern Kentucky University.