CINCINNATI — St. Xavier High School has announced that Tim Reilly, a 1976 alumnus, will be their next president. He will officially assume his new duties in July 2018, succeeding Father Timothy Howe, SJ.

Reilly joins St. Xavier from St. Ignatius Loyola School in Cincinnati, where he has served as principal since 1995.

“As we began the search, we did so with the mutual conviction that whomever we selected for the role must fully understand and embrace the values and traditions of Jesuit education, have the appropriate academic standing and credentials, as well as have an understanding of the complex and challenging landscape of college preparatory education," says Ann Berger, chair of the St. Xavier board of trustees. "Tim Reilly has all these credentials; but most importantly, he values the Jesuit Catholic identity that is at the core of our mission as an institution, he feels a deep passion for St. Xavier, and he has the necessary leadership skills to propel St. Xavier forward for years to come.”

Following Reilly's graduation from St. Xavier, he attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education at Miami University, then a Masters of Education degree at Xavier University, where he later earned a Principal's Certificate and an Assistant Superintendent Certificate. This was followed by a Catechist Certification from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Reilly has an immense history with the school prior to being named president. In addition to attending St. Xavier as a student, Reilly has served as a member of the Board of Trustees and has also been a St. Xavier parent.

“Tim Reilly values the Jesuit Catholic identity that is at the core of our mission as an institution, he feels a deep passion for St. Xavier, and he has the necessary leadership skills to propel St. Xavier forward for years to come,” says Fr. Brian Paulson, provincial of the USA Midwest province.

His exemplary work at St. Ignatius High School as principal is one of the reasons he was chosen to be the new St. Xavier president. During his tenure, St. Ignatius was named one of Cincinnati’s best elementary and secondary schools in 2016, a Top 100 Work Places in Cincinnati in 2014 through 2017, and a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2008. In his 20 years there, the school also expanded its facilities and increased its enrollment.

Reilly’s hire comes at the end of a national search to find the successor of Timothy Howe, SJ. Howe arrived at St. Xavier in 2009 and has accepted a new assignment from the provincial, which will be announced in 2018.