This year, Jesuit welcomes a new president, Mr. Chris Alling, who brings with him years of experience and an authentic approach to Jesuit education.

Mr. Alling’s path crossed Jesuit’s rather serendipitously as both were in the process of discernment.

“I was in a process of discerning what my best next step would be, and so was Jesuit.” Mr. Alling said. “Through the process of getting to know each other – them getting to know me, me getting to know this place – we both decided it would be a good relationship.”

Working at a new school excites Mr. Alling, and he is eager to begin incorporating himself into the vibrant campus life at Jesuit.

“When I leave my office, I hope you see me walking around campus a lot,” Mr. Alling said. “It’s because I just like getting the dirt of this place on my shoes; I like being out there in the middle of that energy.”

Principal Dr. Michael Wood ’99 has enjoyed witnessing Mr. Alling’s work at other Jesuit schools and is sure that his experience will be used to better Jesuit.

“Working with Chris is amazing,” Dr. Wood said. “He has such a wealth of experience, in leadership in Jesuit secondary education, at two prior schools: Xavier College Prep in Palm Desert and Brophy College Prep in Phoenix. [The fact] that he gets to use that experience and bring it here just makes us better.”

These years of experience have cultivated Mr. Alling’s skillset. Dr. Wood believes Mr. Alling is a great fit for Jesuit.

“[Mr. Alling’s greatest strength is] his authenticity,” Dr. Wood said. “He’s the same person in every conversation. You feel like you can trust him right away. That’s really important as he works with our faculty and staff and our colleagues, and he works with parents, works with students.”

The trust Mr. Alling builds with others comes from his real appreciation for the people that make up the Jesuit community.

“I really am moved by the community here: like students, parents, benefactors, trustees, faculty, and staff,” Mr. Alling said. “I’ve met really good people in 30 years of working in Jesuit education; they’re some of the finest people I’ve ever worked with, and I’d include all those people I just named in my definition of community.”

Mr. Alling is thankful that his arrival as president has been met with support and generosity.

“[The Jesuit community is] a group of amazingly generous people,” Mr. Alling said. “The warm welcome I continue to receive from students, from parents, from faculty and staff, from anyone I meet on campus here – they’re just incredibly warm and welcoming.”

Moved by Jesuit’s hospitality and promise, Mr. Alling hopes to help Jesuit realize its potential.

“[I hope to] continue to foster the depth and the quality of those relationships that I’ve already experienced,” Mr. Alling said. “[As I] join this community, [I am] energized by what I see: amazing potential for this place and for these programs, this campus, and for this property – for this community. That’s just super exciting to me.”