As Xavier implements the new President-Principal Model at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, a well-known face will be switching roles within the school. Current principal Tom Keating will become the president of Xavier High School.

The responsibility of the president is to oversee the Xavier Foundation as well as the school itself. Keating will take the lead on finance, publicity, development, and other tasks.

After sorting through applicants, the Joint Executive Committee of the Xavier High School Board of Education (consisting of board members, parent representatives, a teacher representative, and a student representative) ultimately chose Keating to become the school’s first president.

“Tom Keating knows the Xavier story and he can tell that story,” Lorie Hines, President of the Xavier High School Board of Education, said. “He brings the vision, history, and skill set that we need in this new leadership capacity to meet the challenges and opportunities that await us as we embark on our next 20 years.”

Similar to the members of the Board of Education, Keating is excited to begin this new chapter in his career, as well as a new chapter in Xavier history.

“I believe we are at an exciting crossroad for Xavier,” Keating said. “I feel a tremendous responsibility to our wonderful faculty and staff, our terrific students and their families, the alumni who have gone before us, and the parishes that support us in our mission.”

Keating finds that his greatest obstacle will be gravitating to the president position and separating it from his former role as principal.

“As president, my responsibility will be to share the vision and help the principal make that vision a reality,” Keating said. “I will still be very much involved in the school. It is important that I am still a part of the culture.”

Keating’s presidential role will take effect on July 1. The search for Xavier’s new principal is underway.

Syd Walther

News Writer