New St. Thomas Academy leader brings entrepreneurial spirit and cowboy boots

Kelby Woodard became headmaster at St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights last summer. He and his wife, Donna, who are parents of five (ages 9 to 24), now live a half-mile from the school. He reflected on the range of experiences that prepared him for this role, including serving two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature from 2011-2014, representing Le Sueur, Rice and Scott counties.

“There is a sense of responsibility,” he said of leading St. Thomas Academy, an all-male Catholic college preparatory school with a military leadership program. “It’s such a formative time, and there are no do-overs. That’s the hardest part of the job, to not let that become overwhelming.” A Texas native, Woodard moved to Minnesota in 2009.

Q) Your entry into politics was fascinating, unseating the incumbent in your district in 2010 by just 37 votes — after a recount! Did you feel added pressure to earn the trust of your constituents?

A) I don’t think so. In fact, it gave me more leeway. I was almost identified as a dead man walking. There was no way I was going to win re-election, which kind of takes the pressure of. That’s why I carried the 2011 bill for opportunity scholarship for school choice. It was a political hot potato, but I took it on. I was considered a one-term, and people thought I could do it.

I spent a lot of time in the areas of the district that were not very supportive of me during the election, and I got a lot of points for listening. It didn’t necessarily change the principles by which I ran, but I got to understand people’s perspectives better because I learned to listen.

Q) What did you learn from your two terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives?

A) The interesting thing about Minnesota politics is that, any given year, the Democrats or the Republicans could be running the House or Senate, so you develop a relationship with both sides of the aisle, recognizing that you have to treat each fairly. You’re one election away from being the minority party. It felt like a very collaborative approach.

Q) You also worked in corporate America — at Target — and as an entrepreneur, founding a global security consulting firm and an import software company. Do you view your position at STA through a fresh, entrepreneurial lens?

A) Going into an entrepreneurial role, you learn to look at things with a brand-new perspective, charging forward with things when you think they’re good ideas and taking a few risks. St. Thomas Academy has a long and storied history and is very strong in tradition. The positive piece is we’re very grounded in who we are. But the negative can be we might do things just because we’ve always done them that way. I find my role oftentimes is coming in and saying, “Well, why?” Maybe there is a good answer. It’s looking at every aspect of what we do and if we could do it better.

Q) Can you give an example?

A) I inherited a capital campaign that was about a third of the way through. About 80% was toward a major expansion of the campus — $30 million to create 30,000 more square feet of campus space. About 20% was toward the endowment and financial sustainability. After evaluating it and talking to lots of donors and constituents, we decided to flip the script and devote that 80% to an endowment to make the school more accessible, raising money around making sure we have scholarships to provide to families who are perfect fits for STA but otherwise couldn’t afford to be here.

Q) When you look back at the circuitous route you took to get to this position, what do you make of it?

A) It’s God’s plan! No doubt.

Q) When you founded Cristo Rey, a Catholic college prep school in Dallas, setting up corporate partnerships was vital in order to fund it. Would you consider doing something similar for STA, if not for donations in order to mentor students and establish more robust networking?

A) Absolutely! We have Cadets who are excelling in STEM, who are excelling in areas that corporations really need help with. Our experimental vehicle team is recognized by NASA! So getting in front of Ecolab and 3M makes sense. You want to know who the next great scientists are going to be? They’re here at St. Thomas Academy!

Q) Was that kind of corporate partnering already in place or do you plan to beef it up?

A) We’re going to beef it up heavily. We have to change how we talk to people. It’s about collaboration, not direct support. That’s the winning relationship.

Q) What a time to become headmaster, in the height of a pandemic!

A) Well, the really fun part was I was still at Cristo Rey developing our crisis response (when I was named headmaster last March) and, at the same time, being a part of what St. Thomas Academy was doing virtually. What a great way to cross-pollinate ideas! It was really powerful.

This time has crystalized the power of the Cadet experience and the blessing of being in person five days a week since day one. And the Cadets themselves are the ones teaching this lesson. Now they really understand the power of being here as a corps of cadets, as a team. It’s not replicated on the other end of a computer, and they value it.

Q) Besides your unique mix of experience and being a father to a current Cadet, what distinguishes you?

A) I’m probably the only head of a Catholic high school in Minnesota who wears cowboy boots every day. I grew up in small-town Texas, and my first job was at a Belgian horse ranch.

Q) What helps you manage stress?

A) 7:15 morning Mass (at school). It’s incredible. There are days when I can’t go, and it’s a different day.