Dear Friends of Cristo Rey,
As the Board Chair of the Cristo Rey Network, I'm pleased to share that the Board of Directors recently announced Kelby G. Woodard, Headmaster at Saint Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights, MN, as the next President and CEO of the Network, effective July 1, 2023. Kelby will succeed Elizabeth Goettl, who will be retiring after six years as President and CEO and 14 years of service to the Cristo Rey mission.
Having served as the Founding President at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep for six years, Kelby has been formed in the spirit of our Catholic mission and believes in the promise of the young men and women enrolled in our 38 high schools. He shares our commitment to students achieving college outcomes that offer them access to fulfilling opportunities of their choice.
While successfully establishing Cristo Rey Dallas as a high-performing school, in 2018 Kelby was elected by peer Cristo Rey school Presidents to serve on the Cristo Rey Network Board, and continues that appointment today. He demonstrates a breadth of leadership experience and is well qualified to lead our Network into the future, scaling his local impact and Network-wide knowledge of our strategic imperatives across the country.
Before leading Cristo Rey Dallas, Kelby spent four years in public service as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and 20 years in global security. I invite you to learn more via the press release.
In Kelby's new role, he will oversee the implementation of our 2026 Strategic Plan. As you'll read in our 2022 Impact Report being released this month, he will build upon Elizabeth's remarkable progress, which accomplished the first nation-wide fundraising campaign, grew the number of Cristo Rey schools, increased four-year student retention, and developed systematic infrastructure and resources that support schools in their leadership and programmatic efforts.
We have a collaborative transition planned, and I remain deeply grateful to Elizabeth for her esteemed commitment and advancements to this movement. She will continue her exceptional work and has bold goals planned before her tenure concludes on June 30, 2023.
The Cristo Rey story encompasses a community of champions. Thank you, in advance, for welcoming Kelby to this role in July, and thank you for being an important part of our community of champions who are changing the futures of our students, their families, their workplaces, and their communities.
Viva Cristo Rey,