Dear friends of Catholic schools,
I accepted the position of Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Grand Rapids 14 years ago. It was my dream job - the one for which I had been visioning and preparing for for many years. I wanted the position because I believed there was so much
unrealized potential within the Catholic schools of the diocese. I believed an alliance of Catholic schools all working together was possible.
Today, I am pleased to say that the vision for an alliance of Catholic schools is not only a shared vision amongst our 31 schools, but it is also a lived reality. We also celebrate the enrollment growth we have achieved diocesan-wide in six of the last nine years. Having
completed the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative and two cycles of our 5-year strategic plan: “Catholic Schools Bridging Faith and Future”, our Catholic schools are growing and building positive momentum for the future. With this confidence, in June of next year, 2025, after nearly 15 years in this position, I will retire from the role of superintendent of Catholic schools.
Catholic schools are and always will be a passion of mine! This is, in large part, due to the fact that Catholic schools are the single most effective means the Church has created for evangelization. I love working to make sure our schools are serving as many students and families as we are able. I love finding new ways to grow and expand access to our Catholic schools because ultimately, Catholic schools provide young people and their families with a daily encounter with Jesus Christ. Doing the Lord’s work has always been my greatest joy and motivation. As superintendent of Catholic schools, I have truly enjoyed having an impact on the success of the Church’s mission here in West Michigan.
I am grateful to God for the amazing opportunities I have had in this position, and I will always cherish the privilege of serving the Church in this way. A majority of my tenure as superintendent has been under the leadership of Bishop Walkowiak. I am indebted to him for his unwavering support of Catholic school education and for launching the Bishop’s Catholic Schools Initiative as one of his first episcopal priorities. I also want to thank all the faithful and gifted people, of all ages, with whom I have had the pleasure to work. You have been a constant source of inspiration and blessing in my life.
With each passing year, I see the depth of talent and passion growing around me. I have discerned that June of 2025 is the right time for me to pass the torch to the next leader of this shared mission and vision allowing us to maintain our positive momentum. I want to make my intent known early so that Bishop Walkowiak and the Diocesan Catholic School Board have the maximum opportunity possible to recruit the highest quality candidate for this position. A national search will begin this summer/fall, with the goal of announcing the next superintendent of Catholic schools by next winter or early spring with a start date of summer 2025. I am committed to working toward a smooth transition of leadership.
I hope to serve the Catholic Church and schools in some capacity for the rest of my life, and in the coming months I look forward to better understanding what that may look like.
Please join me in prayer that God will shower the diocese with blessings and send the right person for this role. Thank you for your partnership and support throughout these years!
Peace in Christ,
Dave