As enrollment continues to rise in the Catholic schools across the Diocese of Columbus, many schools are strengthening their leadership teams to better meet the needs of their growing student populations. For the 2025-26 academic year, nearly 20 new administrators have joined the leadership teams at schools throughout the diocese, bringing the total number of administrators to 107, up from 72 just five years ago.
Dr. Adam J. Dufault, superintendent of Catholic schools, credits the increase in administrative staff to the evolving demands of school operations. “The blessing of more students to serve naturally comes with a wider range of student needs,” he said. “Our Catholic Schools pride themselves on fostering academic excellence while also providing more focused support, so broadening leadership teams to share responsibilities is a necessity.”
The 12 individuals filling newly created administrator positions are assistant principals Mark Watts, Columbus Immaculate Conception; Mackenzie Veeder and Chris Mazon, Dublin St. Brigid of Kildare; Carey Wrigley, Columbus St. Mary Magdalene; Ashley Babb, Worthington St. Michael; Emily Wu, Delaware St. Mary; Michelle VanDyke, Lancaster St. Mary; Colleen Wendt, Mount Vernon St. Vincent de Paul; Ashley Jones, Zanesville Bishop Fenwick; Luke Hanson, Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans; Cullen Harris, Portsmouth Notre Dame; and Dean of Students AJ James, Lancaster Fisher Catholic.
Other new administrators include:
- Courtney Kreber and Lorin Pankewicz, assistant principals, Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator
- Dr. Derya Rix, principal, Chillicothe Bishop Flaget
- Gail Murrell, principal, Bishop Fenwick
- Rachel Wayne, vice principal of academics, Columbus Bishop Ready High School
- Patrick Murphy, vice principal of operations, Columbus St. Francis DeSales High School
- Rob Rodgers, principal, Bishop Rosecrans
Some seasoned administrators also have changed roles at diocesan schools, including Kate Cavello and Rick Logue from St. Brendan and London St. Patrick, respectively, to assistant principals at Columbus St. Catharine; and Leslie Kraus from assistant principal to principal at Columbus St. Josephine Bakhita.
Related to: Anchored in hope: A new year in our Catholic schools