Welcome, Mr. Reilly!

December 15, 2017
Tim Reilly Named St. Xavier President

On behalf of the St. Xavier Board of Trustees, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tim Reilly ’76 as the next president of St. Xavier High School. He will join the school from St. Ignatius Loyola School, Cincinnati, where he currently serves as principal; he will officially assume his new duties beginning in July 2018, which coincides with Fr. Timothy Howe SJ leaving for his new assignment.

Tim is a nationally recognized educator who has served in key leadership roles with the National Catholic Education Association, Catholic Conference of Ohio, the Ohio Principal Center, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He has received the National Inclusive Education Leadership Award, Serving All God’s Children; Exceptional Collaboration and Support of Safe Environment for Students Award from the Council on Child Abuse; Sr. Helen Lucille “Game Changer” Award; Media Civic Leadership Award from Venue Magazine; “Man of the Year” Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; Greater Cincinnati Inclusion Network Leadership Award; and the Jennings Scholar Award. He is also past CEO and Co-Founder of Optim-ALL Services, whose mission, since its founding in 2016, is to empower Catholic schools to successfully engage exceptional learners.

He has also earned an impressive series of academic credentials beginning with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education at Miami University, then a Masters of Education degree at Xavier University, where he later completed his administration coursework. This was followed by a Catechist Certification from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. At various times the during the past 25 years, Tim has also been an instructor at Xavier University with his primary focus being Exceptional Leadership. In addition, Tim has a deep familiarity with St. Xavier High School, beginning as a 1976 graduate and later performing in a variety of roles as a member of the school’s Board of Trustees, with service on the Executive, Education, Mission Promotion and Facilities committees. And, he has been a St. Xavier parent.

Under Tim’s leadership, St. Ignatius’ impressive performance has been frequently recognized. The school was named one of Cincinnati’s BEST elementary and secondary schools in 2016, a Top 100 Work Places in Cincinnati in 2014 through 2017, and a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2008. During Tim’s 23 year tenure, St. Ignatius expanded its facilities, increased its enrollment, and significantly improved its development yield.

Tim was chosen following a rigorous national search led by a diverse committee consisting of board trustees, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents. As we began the search, we did so with the mutual conviction that whomever we selected for the role must fully understand and embrace the values and traditions of Jesuit education, have the appropriate academic standing and credentials, as well as have an understanding of the complex and challenging landscape of college preparatory education. Tim Reilly has all these credentials; but most importantly, he values the Jesuit Catholic identity that is at the core of our mission as an institution, he feels a deep passion for St. Xavier, and he has the necessary leadership skills to propel St. Xavier forward for years to come. Our decision has been received enthusiastically by our Provincial, the V. Rev. Brian G. Paulson, SJ and Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.

I would like to thank fellow trustee Greg Achten ‘82 for his dedication and commitment to chairing the Presidential Search Committee, as well as the members of this committee for their tireless contributions to ensuring a successful outcome. We are fortunate, thanks to Fr. Howe’s leadership, that St. Xavier is stronger than ever. The school has a talented, experienced administration, faculty and staff at all levels who are achieving the goals of the strategic plan and the capital campaign.

Please join me as members of the St. Xavier community in congratulating Tim Reilly in his new position. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach me by email at boardchair@stxavier.org .

Sincerely,
Ann Berger
St. Xavier Board of Trustees President

Information on the Search

March 21, 2017

On behalf of the St. Xavier Board of Trustees, I want to inform you of some significant news. Our president, Fr. Timothy Howe SJ, has been given a new assignment by the Jesuit provincial, Fr. Brian Paulson SJ, and he will be leaving St. Xavier in June of 2018. Fr. Paulson has asked Fr. Howe to serve in a new capacity that will be announced in early 2018.

The timing of this transition is consistent with the St. Xavier Board’s expectations. Fr. Howe joined St. Xavier in 2009 and his departure mirrors the usual eight to 10 year terms of recent past presidents at the school.

We are fortunate, thanks to Fr. Howe’s leadership, that St. Xavier begins this transition from a position of strength. The school has talented, experienced administration, faculty and staff at all levels that are achieving the goals of the strategic plan and the capital campaign. Furthermore, Fr. Howe will continue to lead St. Xavier through the next school year.

Conducting a thorough presidential search and ensuring a successful transition is fundamental to the role of the St. Xavier Board of Trustees, which is charged with safeguarding the mission of the school. To that end, the Board has begun to assemble a Presidential Search Committee that will be led by Greg Achten (Managing Director, UBS Cincinnati) and will include representatives from the Board and St. Xavier community. We will make a formal announcement of the make-up of this committee in the next few weeks.

Our goal is to begin the search at the end of this school year in May 2017. The search committee will follow a plan that is thoughtful, methodical and comprehensive; keeping the mission of St. Xavier at the forefront. Also, the committee will work closely with the Jesuit Schools Network for assistance and guidance in conducting the search and making the transition a smooth and successful one.

During this search, we will continue to uphold the high standards and maintain the rich traditions of St. Xavier High School. To keep everyone informed during the process, this blog has been created to provide timely updates and announcements as the search is conducted.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me by email at boardchair@stxavier.org .

Sincerely,
Ann Berger
St. Xavier Board Chair