The new director of enrollment at Shady Side Academy is poised to seize and build on current momentum at the private school.

Bayh Sullivan will start in the position on July 1, taking the place of Katie Mihm who is retiring after 22 years leading admissions at the school.

“Shady Side is an exceptional school with strong institutional values and a compelling vision for its future,” said Sullivan, a Pittsburgh native. “I look forward to building on the Academy’s proud reputation to encourage more families to explore the school on behalf of their children. I know that once they get to know SSA, they won’t be able to resist the opportunity to join a school that offers both a tight-knit community and a world-class campus experience.”

Sullivan’s role will include strategic management planning and student recruitment, admissions processes and records, financial aid budgeting and allocation, institutional research and data analysis.

She will have a team of five admission directors and four assistants working under her and will serve as a member of the Academy’s Executive Leadership Team.

Sullivan comes to SSA from The Ellis School, where she is an alumna and currently serves as director of enrollment management – notably increasing Ellis’ admissions by 12%.

Previously, Sullivan spent three years in New York City as a consulting and client services manager for Generation, a branding and communications agency. She also worked as an admissions counselor at her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College, outside of Philadelphia.

Sullivan is an ATHENA Young Professional Awards nominee and a member of both the Riverlife Young Professionals Board and The Ellis School Alumni Board of Visitors.

SSA President Bart Griffith touted Sullivan’s creativity, eloquence and competitive spirit for earning her the job.

“Given that more students currently attend Shady Side than at any point in our nearly 140-year history, and that in 2020 we tallied the school’s largest one-year enrollment increase on record, (Sullivan) assumes this leadership role at a moment of great strength and opportunity for SSA,” he said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)