Tim Reilly, principal of St. Ignatius School in Monfort Heights, will move less than seven miles up North Bend Road in July to become president of St. Xavier High School.
A 1976 graduate of St. X, Reilly will succeed Father Timothy Howe as president of his alma mater following a six-month search. Reilly has been a school principal for 28 years, five years at St. Catharine School in Westwood, and the last 23 at St. Ignatius. He sits on the board of directors for the National Catholic Education Association and serves as president of the group's Elementary Schools Executive Committee.
Here are five things to know about St. X's soon-to-be president.
He's really leaving because of the baby kangaroo.
St. Ignatius School was a zoo last Halloween. Reilly and his team have been building a tradition of crazy Halloween themes for years. He's been King Triton for "Under the Sea," The Tin Man, Spiderman and this year, it was Noah for the Noah's Ark theme.
"It's getting harder and harder to top the year before," he confessed. "This year, I heard one of the kids say 'that's a llama. An actual baby llama.' And we had this tiny baby kangaroo. It fit in a backpack. That's going to be tough to follow."
He's more proud of the school's culture than its test scores
"I am so proud of the culture of our building," he said. Every kid is celebrated for who they are. And they are celebrated for their virtues, not their achievement levels. And that makes such a difference.
"And we have such a great team. All of our staff is on the team, not just the faculty. We always say Ignatius starts with I and ends with US. That's true for adults and students. It's very satisfying to know you have helped shape that."
He is the first lay president of the school
Reilly said he used to tell people not to worry about him moving to St. Xavier because he wasn't a Jesuit. He admitted to a jolt of surprise that he will be the first president who is not. He joins his son Will at St. X, who is director of alumni relations and special events at the high school. He also has daughters teaching at DePaul Christo Rey High School and Summit Country Day and a son who is a doctor with White Oak Family Practice.
Best advice he's ever received
"It was a prayer I read," he said. "Love them anyway. I think Mother Teresa wrote it or said it. It made an impact"
He said there were times in his career where he was frustrated with people, and the phrase helped. "In those situations, you have two choices: stay frustrated or love them anyway. And practice makes it easier. Love people. The more you give, the more you get."
He has a wicked green thumb
He loves to putter in the yard. He has a 6-foot cactus in his St. Ignatius office, and there's also a lime tree with five almost-ripe fruits. Across the building, in the science lab, his banana tree is thriving.
"I like to go through the reject table and pick plants up, take them home and make them flourish," he said. "It's satisfying."