Sacramento, CA, March 16, 2023 -   The Board of Trustees of Jesuit High School of Sacramento today announced the appointment of Chris Alling as the school’s fifteenth president. He will assume his new role on July 1, 2023, just as Jesuit Sacramento prepares to celebrate 60 years of educating leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion – Men for Others – who strive to build a better world. 

“The Presidential Search Committee set a high bar to find a leader who shares our vision and values and has the skills and experience to build on our success. Chris Alling is a visionary and a team builder who will work closely with Principal Michael Wood and the administration to support our dedicated faculty and staff. Most importantly, he is squarely focused on delivering a world-class education and experience that transforms students into leaders who can thrive in college, serve others, and respect everyone,” stated JHS Board of Trustees Chair James Donahue ‘75.

Most recently, Alling served as president and principal of Xavier College Preparatory in Palm Desert, CA. He helped found the school in 2005 and, as an administrator, helped build it into one of the Inland Empire’s finest schools. Xavier College Prep is the first lay-built Jesuit-endorsed high school. He is well-grounded in Jesuit secondary education and was a teacher, department chair, and assistant principal at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, AZ. Alling holds a Master of Arts from Arizona State University and a professional certificate from Loyola Marymount University’s Center for Catholic Education Leadership. 

“Jesuit High School is a dream opportunity for me and allows me to focus all my experience and passion on supporting our leaders, faculty, and staff while working closely with parents and the community to teach students how to think, serve, and respect others,” Jesuit incoming president Chris Alling shared. “My leadership style is team focused, with optimism and positivity. I am passionate about consensus-building and animating missions into day-to-day work that inspires the team and impacts the people it seeks to serve. My favorite place to be at work is around a table or in a room of imaginative, innovative people who aren’t afraid to push, lead, and pull the institution forward. Jesuit High School is a tremendous community, and we will honor the school’s rich tradition by building on it and doing even greater things in the future.”

“Chris will bring new energy and inspiration to Jesuit High School. I am quite confident that he will continue to lead our efforts to be an outstanding Catholic and Jesuit college preparatory high school in the Sacramento Metropolitan region,” said Fr. Edwin Harris, S.J., JHS Alumni Chaplain and former president (1988-2000). “In addition to building a school from scratch, Chris formed the faculty of Xavier College Prep as it grew. He developed curriculum, sports programs, and student activities in the school while the student body increased in numbers. He helped cultivate a community of donors to support and sustain the “school in the desert” and developed outreach efforts to the region as a whole.”

Dr. Wood, JHS principal and a class of 1999 alumnus, said, “I have known Chris for many years as a colleague at Jesuits West and the Jesuits School Network. I am thrilled he will join our team at Jesuit. Chris is an outstanding Ignatian educator and a courageous leader who will continue to advance our mission.”

Alling succeeds Rev. John P. McGarry, S.J., whose leadership and dedication were critical to helping guide the school through the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve milestone goals, including the state-of-the-art gymnasium and welcome center renovations and substantially increasing the tuition assistance endowment. 

When Alling takes office this summer, he will continue JHS’s tradition of strong leaders who positively impact the school’s reputation as an institution that provides a foundation for life. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking and yoga and recently took up painting. Alling and his family are active in their Catholic faith, with his children attending Santa Clara University, the University of San Diego, and St. Mary’s College. 

Jesuit High School Sacramento is a regional Catholic high school that provides young men with a life-building experience and delivers an academically rigorous college-preparatory education to prepare graduates for lives of leadership and service. In the months ahead, the community will have opportunities to welcome President Alling to campus. 

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