Our Annual Meeting in Morocco: Growth, Perspective, and a Purposeful Mission

This June, Senior Associates and staff flew in from around the world to convene in beautiful Tangier, Morocco for our Annual General Meeting (AGM). The city holds deep roots to for our organization and the Magagna family. Founder John Magagna began his teaching career at the prestigious American School of Tangier (AST) where he subsequently became Head. He helped modernize the school and was a recipient of The Joseph A. McPhillips Distinguished Service Award, displayed in the front lobby of the school. The Headmaster’s Prize placard presented by John and Diana Magagna, also hangs in the front lobby hallway.

Search Associates maintains a strong relationship with AST and all attendees were invited by the current Head, Sarah Putnam, to tour the school. John’s daughter Chief Executive Officer Jessica Magagna was born in Tangier and feels a deep love for the culture and community. This city was the perfect place for Search Associates to honor John and the lives he has impacted through his work, as he officially announced his retirement. It also served as an ideal backdrop for the transition to Jessica’s leadership of the organization as it moves into another era of growth and success.

Jessica commented,

“As a youth, my father had a very negative view of school in general. This all changed when he moved to a different school and was exposed to the most amazing teachers. This experience is what led him to a career in education and ultimately, starting Search Associates almost three decades ago. His passion for finding the best teachers and leaders for international schools is at the core of what we do. My goal for Search Associates is to continue strengthening our relationships with international schools, educators and organizations and work together to bring quality education to children around the world.”

As mentioned, this AGM honored John and went down memory lane to John’s formative experiences that later played such an important role in the founding of Search Associates. It was equally devoted to shifting our gaze to the future in the form of an intensive planning exercise to create a roadmap for the next phase of the organizations new mission “to partner with quality international schools and exceptional educators to serve and enrich learning worldwide.”

Learn more about our exciting plans for the future!