There have been a lot of changes this year at Holy Trinity, including some new faces. One of the most obvious new additions to Holy Trinity is the new interim head of school, Jonathan Kellam. Although Kellam is just starting his time at Holy Trinity, he brings a lot of new perspectives, experience, and positivity to the school community and will be an important character on campus for the next two years.
“This time that you have will go by quickly, and you’re never going to get it again, so try new things and make new memories as you go,” Kellam said. His main goal for his tenure is to help Holy Trinity find a new, young, and long term head of school for the future.
Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Kellam was one of four children in his family. During his time in grade school, he enjoyed writing and being out on the football field.
“My dad was a very good writer and both of my parents were good in social settings, which I believe is why I enjoyed both of those things,” Kellam said. Kellam’s favorite class in high school was English because he was able to write what he wanted while practicing his public speaking. Kellam played many different sports including ice hockey and baseball, but his favorite was football. He was captain of his high school football team his senior year. “Being involved in so many sports gave me the opportunity to be able to learn more about leadership roles and how they are so important in this life,” Kellam said.
After he graduated high school, he decided to venture out and move away to go to college. For his bachelor’s and master’s degree, he attended Texas Christian University. When he started, he majored in business finance, but somewhere along the way he ended up with a major in education and minors in business and English.
“I never dreamed or thought that it was my plan to be a teacher or an educator but it was God’s plan for my life,” Kellam said. He was given many opportunities in college which included a leadership program at Stanford University.
While pursuing his master’s degree he got a job as a teacher and a coach at Crowley High School in a small town just outside of Fort Worth, Texas. There, Kellam taught English and business courses while also coaching football and soccer. He wasn’t sure he would stay in education long-term, but throughout his years there Kellam ended up falling in love with school, teaching, learning, and being able to work with kids everyday.
After receiving his master’s, Kellam was hired as a teacher at The Oakridge School – a college preparatory high school in Arlington, Texas. Unknowingly at the time, Kellam would spend the next 29 years of his life serving The Oakridge School community – from teacher, to coach, to head of middle school, to assistant head of school, and eventually head of school for 15 years. During his time at The Oakridge School, Kellam raised millions of dollars toward developing the Athletic Complex, building the Quinn Kindergarten Center, and growing the school’s environment. What made Kellam stay for so long was the special culture of the school and the tight knit community its environment fostered. In addition, Kellam served as a member of the Board of the Texas Private Schools Association, Chair of the Board of the Southwest Preparatory Conference, and the Executive Board Secretary and member of the Board of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest.
“Things are done in a superior way at schools like Holy Trinity and The Oakridge School,” Kellam said.
In 2014, Kellam was invited to Columbia University’s Head of Schools program at the Klingenstein Center — a prestigious fully funded fellowship with 20 international heads of schools.
After 29 years at The Oakridge School and his youngest son’s college graduation, Kellam and his wife of 32 years, Kristi, decided it was time for him to hang up his hat as the head of school in 2022. Newly retired, Kellam picked up some new hobbies and also started a leadership consulting business. He and Kristi traveled, focused on their family, and their newfound freedom.
After only being retired a short time, an executive search firm reached out to Kellam about an interim position in Kentucky. “God has a sense of humor,” Kellam said. He served as the interim head of school at Kentucky Country Day School in Louisville, Kentucky from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025.
“I love supporting students in any way that I can and so I found that being a retired head of school made being an interim head of school a great fit,” Kellam said. Much like his role at HT, Kellam served in the interim while KCD’s board of trustees searched for a long term head of school.
When Kellam’s time in Kentucky was up, he was sure he was going back to Texas. That is until last April when he was contacted about the interim head of school position at HT. Kellam began his tenure at HT on July 1, 2025 and will serve through June 30, 2027.
In the summer of 2027, after his time at Holy Trinity is over, Kellam intends to head back to the Lone Star state. He plans to focus on his consulting business and family nearby. During his free time, Kellam enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, grilling, and the quintessential southern experience of college game days.
